Chad “Sosa” Hester is one of the A’s hottest up-and-coming culinary artists. Currently working as the sous chef at the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, Hester has made a name for himself in town, especially amongst some of Atlanta’s more notable entertainers. 

The Augusta-born self-proclaimed “country boy” grew up eating traditional Southern meals prepared lovingly by his grandmother, mother, and sister. He eventually honed and elevated his cooking skills at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts at Georgia Southern University. 

Now, he prepares meals for an array of guests, from contemporary gospel artist Kirk Franklin and singer and R&B songstress and radio personality Tamar Braxton to former NBA player turned TNT television analyst Charles Barkley and former Georgia Congressman and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young.

Hester brings a breath of fresh air into the kitchen that fuses the authenticity of his Southern roots with the brilliance of his fine-dining training and the creativity of his fresh flavor profiles.

As an African American chef with such a high-profile opportunity, Hester shares details of his untraditional culinary journey (he never set out to be a chef), how he developed a significant celebrity clientele, and confirms why his burger at the Four Seasons Atlanta is the best burger in town.

BET.com: How did you build your career in the culinary arts?

Chad “Sosa” Hester: It’s a crazy story. I was actually an information systems major in college. I graduated from Georgia Southern University [in Statesboro] and I came to Atlanta right before the recession. I started working as an information systems data analyst for Georgia-Pacific. I was working four days a week and getting paid great money. It was an amazing opportunity, but it just wasn’t for me, so I left.

Nobody was hiring at the time. I remember I was in my Impala in the parking garage at my apartment complex. I’m on the phone with my mom, tearing up. I couldn’t find a good job; it was terrible. She’s like, ‘I’m praying for you.’ And as she spoke to me, I stared through my windshield and saw a group of school kids dressed up in chef uniforms walking across the parking lot toward the leasing office.

I got out of the car and went to the activity center. I asked them what they were doing. They were like, ‘Oh, we’re in school to become chefs.’ So the very next day, I went to Le Cordon Bleu and applied to work in career services as an IT guy but I also signed up for culinary school at the same time. I confidently told my chef instructor that I was going to be the best chef in this class. He thought that was hilarious. Long story short, I ended up graduating and I made the president’s list.

BET.com: How did you develop your celebrity connections?

Chad “Sosa” Hester: One of my good friends introduced me to her boo at the time—Tim Jennings, who played in the NFL. She’s like, ‘You’ve got to let him cook for you.’ And he gave me my first opportunity.

The first time I cooked for him, I was really nervous about what to do because he wanted it to be nutritious and also taste good. I remember preparing a steak, a baked potato, and then a salad. I put my heart and soul in it, and he loved it. Eventually, he was having me cook for his friends. Tim introduced me to all types of people, like doctors, other athletes, and entertainers. He never treated me like I was the help. Instead, he treated me like a buddy.

BET.com: Who are some of the famous people you’ve cooked for to date?

Chad “Sosa” Hester: Deion Sanders, Mannie Fresh, Timbaland, Kirk Franklin, Toni Braxton, Tamar Braxton, Nelly, and Tabitha Brown, just to name a few.

BET.com: It must be hard to figure out what to make when one of them arrives. What do they like to eat?

Chad “Sosa” Hester: Coach Prime is probably one of my favorite people to cook for because he doesn’t necessarily order off the menu. He looks me in the eyes and says, ‘I want some good food.’ So I’ll get some greens, cornbread, and fried chicken going. But sometimes he wants to keep it healthy. He likes my jollof rice. Sometimes I even switch it up for him and do curry-fried rice. He’s a big fan of wings. So, if I don’t fry them, I definitely grill them. He’s a normal guy who has this bigger-than-life personality and he’s just so real.

He’ll read the menu but sometimes he doesn’t want to get into all that. So, my go-to for Coach Prime is usually shrimp. I also have a salad that I make for him. It’s a seasonal salad, but he enjoys raspberries, pecans, cucumbers, and a light or raspberry vinaigrette. Like I said, it’s not about being fancy; it’s about making sure you check all the boxes. It looks good, tastes good, and makes them feel good.

Kirk [Franklin] is a very healthy eater. He doesn’t stray from his diet. He likes for me to make him a very rich and flavorful chicken broth with brown rice. And he likes his wheat crackers. Mannie [Fresh] had the Brussels sprouts. He pulled me to the side and said, ‘These Brussels sprouts right here—you got something right here!’ If you respect each ingredient and put your soul into it, that’s what actually makes food good. I learned that from my grandmother, my mother, and my sister growing up. I quickly realized you have to put your own spin on things. That’s when it clicked for me.

Timbaland had the burger. For me, it’s the process of connecting with the farmers, the bakery, and the meat purveyors. I get a special grind that’s a combination of three meats. And I’ve always been a big fan of using a toasted Brioche bun with butter. It gives you the strength to hold a big burger but it’s also very soft and delicious when you bite into it. Word of mouth says that you’ve got to try this burger and Timbaland did just that. I stopped by [his table] and talked to him for a second. He was like, ‘This is dope! I’ve got to come back.’

BET.com: We’re officially in the fall and rolling into winter. What would you say are the current seasonal trends finding their way into your dishes?

Chad “Sosa” Hester: I’m definitely going for apples. I love apples, figs, and star fruit. Also, squashes, pumpkins, and things of that nature just scream fall. I like to use star fruit to garnish charcuterie boards. And I just love figs. We dry them out and put them in our Brussels sprouts. Plus, we make a homemade fig jam that we also add to our cheese and charcuterie boards.

There’s always room for squash on any kind of fine dining plate. You can do so many things with it, including making a delicious soup for vegans, vegetarians, and meat eaters. If I could create a trend right now, it would definitely be featuring various ways to use different squashes. It just has a lot of flavor and a lot of swag. It reminds me of myself.

BET.com: What foods should home cooks consider adding to their repertoires?

Chad “Sosa” Hester: One of the things that at-home cooks should pay more attention to is using fresh herbs. This is the time of year when you pull out the sage—you don’t just burn it to get rid of the evil spirits! Use sage or rosemary when you’re cooking that gravy or when you’re rubbing your chicken or turkey. This time of year is perfect for rosemary, whether you use it on steaks, lamb, turkey, roasting ham, or you’re doing a nice pork chop.

You’re always going to catch me using thyme and chives. I love them so much. An at-home cook needs to get fresh herbs in order to take their cooking to the next level. It starts with the basics and you just build flavors from there.

BONUS! Chef Sosa shares his recipe for a special addition to your Thanksgiving dinner, exclusively with BET.com.

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 Large (2lbs.) butternut squash

1/2 cup chopped carrots

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/8 cup chopped garlic

1/8 cup chopped shallots

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup brown sugar

8 cups of vegetable stock

1/2 cup butter

A sprinkle of black pepper

1/8 cup kosher salt

A sprinkle of cinnamon

1/4 cup blend olive oil

4 cups of cream

2 cups half and half

1 lemon

1 Teaspoon Soy Lecitin

Salt to taste

½ cup of diced butternut squash

½ cup Pepitas

Sprinkle of crushed Aleppo pepper

Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise.

Clean out seeds and then lightly oil the flesh side of the butternut squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the butternut squash on a roasting sheet with the skin side up, in a 400° F oven.

Roast the butternut squash for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the squash feels soft to the touch. Wrap diced butternut squash in aluminum foil and roast for 11 mins while roasting your whole butternut squash.

Allow the squash to cool slightly before using a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Reserve flesh and diced squash on the side.

In a stock pot, add butter and sauté garlic and shallots. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and sauté until the onions are translucent.

Add the reserved butternut squash, maple syrup, brown sugar, and the vegetable stock.

Allow to simmer until the vegetables are tender.

Blend the soup in small batches and strain after each batch.

For the foam, cook down half and half with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt.

Cook down to a thick consistency that covers the back of a spoon.

Add a teaspoon of butter.

Remove the sauce from the pan. Place in a blender while hot, add 1 teaspoon of soy lecithin. Once blended take a spoon of the bubbles off the top and place on top of the soup. 

Add diced butternut squash on top for garnish.

Top with lightly toasted and salted Pepitas and crushed Aleppo pepper to taste.

Enjoy!