It can be difficult to find inspiration in the grind, but Tom Hall, Executive Chef of Green Spring Valley Hunt Club, says it’s not impossible.
If you are anything like me, you’ve been working incredibly hard the past 18 months. It seems like we’ve been in survival mode this entire time and are doing anything and everything to keep the train rolling. During this time, we’ve sacrificed things that make us happy in order to adapt and pivot on the fly to meet the needs of those in our club. Many of us are still facing issues with labor and the high cost of goods, but I want you to find some time to do things that bring you joy.
A few weeks ago, I did something I hadn’t done in a long time. I opened up a cookbook and spent some genuine time flipping through it, taking notes, and getting inspired. This was something I did regularly pre-COVID but had since stopped due to lack of time and energy. After the 20-30 minutes I spent with this book I felt rejuvenated and excited to try some new things. I feel like in the last 18 months I reverted to cooking things that my team and I knew how to do with our eyes closed. We tried to simplify everything and make it as efficient as possible. While all of these goals helped us run our operation in tough times, we were missing the fun and creative part of our jobs.
Looking at a cookbook is a quick and easy way to get a jolt of inspiration, but there is no substitute for going out to eat. Over the last year and a half, I dined out way less than at any other point in my career. I can count the number of dinners I had out in a restaurant on one hand. As the world has opened up a bit in the last month or two, I made sure to get out for a couple of meals.
While on a recent trip to Nashville, my first time leaving Maryland since February 2020, I was lucky enough to dine at Sean Brock’s new restaurant The Continental. His prix fixe menu was a throwback to the days of tableside service and each and every bite was pure joy. It felt so good to be eating phenomenal food while being on the receiving end of some world-class service. A little vacation time with the wife didn’t hurt either! (For those of you looking ahead, the 2021 Chef to Chef Conference will be in Nashville from March 20-22. Registration opens later this month at www.cheftochefconference.com.)
Most of us got into this industry because we really enjoy serving others and making people happy. Recently, a local club’s General Manager who I used to work with got in touch with me to propose an idea. He wanted to do a nice dinner for his staff who has been working so hard and asked if I’d be willing to come to their club and prepare the meal for his team. I rarely get to cook for my friends in the industry so I was very excited to agree to do this meal for them. He promised his team would return the favor down the road and I have no doubt they’ll be just as excited as I am.
I know times are tough out there and we are doing everything we can do to keep up with all the challenges that are thrown our way. I promise if you try to find a few things that make you seriously happy and you manage to sneak them into your schedule during the week, you’ll feel like you’ve had a few good breaths of fresh air.