(Chronicle photo by Jennifer Wabnitz) Scott Anderson, executive chef at Shepherd University, enjoys being in the kitchen and serving the students.

Imagine creating menus around the latest craze.

Scott Anderson, head chef at Shepherd University, has designed an entire menu of text-friendly food – food you can eat with one hand while you text with the other.

He truly listens to what the students want. They want choices so they can have a custom-made sandwich, custom pasta, custom wok selection. They want hot cookies, right out of the oven. He installed mini ovens on the serving line and sells 500 cookies every meal.

Anderson has served meals at SU since 1991.

What started as a summer job has turned into a climb up the culinary ladder.

What Anderson enjoys most about being in the kitchen is creating food. He enjoys trying new ingredients, new combinations, exciting the taste buds.

This creativity has been noticed.

The Wisconsin Cheese Marketing Board selected Anderson as one of 11 chefs to be cheese ambassadors. He samples the cheese, creates recipes using the cheese and then hosts cheese tastings. His latest creation was a pumpkin soup using marscapone.

Local television channel WHGJ also noticed Anderson’s flare. He does a weekly broadcast with them, “Culinary Passion with Chef Scott.”

But it doesn’t stop there for Anderson.

Cuisinart and Phillips have him doing research and development. Parcels arrive all the time with a new piece of equipment to test – ice cream makers, mixers and others.

“I have to cull my small appliance collection every so often, before we loose all counter space,” Anderson admits.

Anderson speaks very highly of his coworkers and dishes out generous helpings of praise. The alumni association have been supportive of Anderson’s diverse interests.

“It’s great to work for an organization that is willing to invest in furthering your education,” he said.

Anderson also believes in giving back to his community.

He has been a big supporter and organizer of fund raising for Antietam Battlefield Preservation. He tries to help make the conferences more attractive by supplying top notch food.

“Don’t forget, an army marches on its stomach” Anderson said.

But his fund raising efforts don’t stop there.

He is organizing a spaghetti dinner for the Shepherdstown Elementary School on April 1.

“Anderson is great to work with. He follows through and looks after all the details,” said Suzanne Offutt, Shepherdstown Elementary School principal.

Even though Anderson spends a great deal of time with food, he has other interests also.

He regularly works out at the university Wellness Center – one reason is to keep in shape, the other to keep in touch. He enjoys frequent chats with Mayor Jim Auxer keeping up to date with community news.

He also has a voracious appetite for books – not too surprising that he reads cook books, Civil War history books and some fiction. He used to write reviews for the Washington Times, but now he reviews for Amazon.com.

Anderson has also been recognized by Covenant Baptist Church for his community outreach. He and his family assist with car care ministry. Single moms and women with deployed husbands can make appointments to get regular maintenance done. Anderson also leads a Bible Study Group.

With all these diverse interests and past times, Anderson has one pleasure of all.

“Cooking for my lovely wife and three children.”