Quail West G&CC’s Director of Culinary Operations wants to learn more about this old-world technique.
Chef’s Thoughts is sponsored by barillafs.com.
Tim Recher, CEC, AAC, CWX, Director of Culinary Operations at Quail West Golf & Country Club (Naples, Fla.), has over 30 years of experience in all aspects of food-and-beverage operations, from casual to high-end fine dining. He was a 2020 U.S. National Culinary Olympic Team Member and is a Certified Master Chef candidate. He has also won over 40 medals in culinary competitions, including 16 gold medals.
- You’d be surprised to learn that I am an Ironman.
- If I could trade places with one chef it would be Tom Colicchio.
- One of my most memorable meals was at Zahav in Philadelphia.
- My go-to drink is black coffee.
- My last meal would be a cheeseburger and onion rings.
- My worst culinary creation was a chicken corn chowder I made as an assistant many years ago. I scorched it but had no time to remake it, so I called the soup “Smoked Chicken Corn Chowder.” It turned out to be very popular until the Executive Sous Chef came by, tasted it, and promptly threw it away.
- If I could change one thing about my club it would be the kitchen. I would like to renovate it and add a butcher shop.
- My favorite junk food is potato chips.
- If I wasn’t a chef, I’d love to be serving in the military.
- I knew I wanted to be a chef when I worked my first night on the line at TGI Friday’s.
- You’ll never see mint jellyon the menu at my club because it’s fake and vile.
- The most ridiculous member or guest request I’ve ever had was vegan scallops.
- I love being a club chef because you get to cook a huge range of foods, from hot dogs to foie gras. You can never get bored.
- When I’m not in the kitchen, I’m sailing or dreaming of sailing.
- My biggest mistake when I first started as a chef was trying to do everything myself.
- I cook mini frozen pancakes at home, but I’d never cook them at the club.
- If I could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, it would be my family.
- The most valuable piece of career advice I’ve ever received was, “Never stop working to be better.”
- My favorite celebrity chef is Tyler Florencebecause he cooks food that is approachable and food that I want to eat and cook.
- The most important piece of equipment in my kitchen is my Kramer Chef Knife.
- I want to learn more about charcuterie, because it’s such an old-world technique that is still relevant today.
- My favorite ingredient is lamb. Baconis the most overrated ingredient. Real stockis the most undervalued ingredient. I detest raisins, and I can’t live without kosher salt.
- I don’t like to brag, but I built my career up from being the guy flipping burgers at TGI Friday’s to where I am today.
- If I could have one superpower, it would be superhuman strength.
- My favorite cookbook is Le Guide Culinaire, by Escoffier.
- My favorite kitchen hack is using my Vitamix to grind fresh pepper.
- I am motivated and inspired by so many chefs and friends who are leading amazing kitchens
- The hardest service of my career was a few years back I was managing the front of the house for a holiday gala dinner. We had started serving over 200 plated filet entrees when they all started coming back. The chef at the time sent out every steak raw—not rare, but ice-cold raw. We had to refund over 200 dinners.
- The most popular item on my menu based on sales is our custom crafted salad.
- I’d lose my job if I took the burger off the menu.
- Not just the ability to learn but the desire to do so and a willingness to do the work necessary to learnare the most important qualities in a sous chef.
- My go-to breakfast is huevos rancheros and strong black coffee.
- When hiring, lyingkills a resume fastest for me.
- My biggest professional pet peeve is when someone’s failure to plan becomes my emergency.
- I will always purchase Heinz ketchupinstead of making it from scratch.
- The most important question I ask during the interview process is, “What’s your favorite thing to cook today?”
- The best excuse I’ve ever been given for calling off work is, “A cook had to take his dog to the vet, because the dog ate his wife’s underwear.”
- If I had to hire a family member, I would choose my wife,because she is the most organized and smartest person I know with the work ethic of a chef.