For Tim Recher, CEC, AAC, CWX, Director of Culinary Operations at Quail West G&CC, traveling not only inspires him traveling but empowers his team as they run the operation without him.
My family and I like to travel and each summer we try to go somewhere that requires a passport. Last summer, we were unable to travel, so this summer we spent four days in Paris and eight days in Turkey.
Being a chef, travel includes a focus on finding and discovering great food. After not being able to go anywhere last year, we made sure this trip was really something special. We had wanted to go to Italy, but because of a variety of restrictions, we were unable. We settled on Turkey since I had never been there before and it came highly recommended. I love many of the flavor profiles native to Turkish cuisine and I couldn’t wait to try the authentic foods I fell in love with while living in Washington D.C.
We decided to add another stop to the trip to break up the travel. We considered London, then Amsterdam, then Spain. But with the rapidly changing landscape, we weren’t sure we would be able to go anywhere. A few weeks before we left, we settled on Paris.
I’ve been to Paris and my wife studied and lived there for a year in college. But as a chef, I have always felt a certain connection to Paris. I love going there and I have a list of specific foods I MUST have each time I’m in France. (Always included on the list is a sampling of charcutiere from Maison Verot.)
We had to follow some additional COVID safety procedures like masks on the plane, walking into some businesses, and getting tested prior to each flight before entering a new country, but it was really a small price to pay. The logistics of our trip were great. In fact, leaving Turkey, we got tested at the airport a few hours before the flight and it was super easy.
A fellow chef and manager I have tons of respect for, Lawrence McFadden, CMC, recently wrote a blog for Club + Resort Chef about how chefs must travel to learn authentic cuisine. I couldn’t agree more. My time in other countries always inspires me and I am chomping at the bit to get back to the kitchen to recreate the amazing dishes and flavors I experience firsthand.
One of my favorite things to do while abroad is to wander spice markets, farmers’ markets, street stands, and food shops. When I talk to the shop owners and tell them I am a cook from America, they come alive as they share all about how great their food is. It is contagious energy and I get excited right along with them. My dream is to one day spend a month living in a place with a full kitchen so I can cook all of these ingredients as I encounter them. There is no better way to fall in love with the craft of cooking and international cuisine all over again than to go and experience it firsthand.
While travel is necessary, it’s tough to leave my kitchen and club for such a long period of time. I admittedly have some workaholic tendencies. And so it’s not easy to step away from the kitchen and let go of the reigns. As Chefs, we are expected to be perfect. 99.9% is not good enough. I could serve 300 people a la carte for dinner in one restaurant and if one burger comes back overcooked, I take it personally. It’s tough to let go. But I have learned that I need to take vacations and take time off to step away and recharge. I can only do this if I have a great team in place that we have trained to function properly.
One of the GMs I used to work for once told me that we don’t get judged on our abilities as a coach and leader when we are here. We are judged on these qualities when we are away. When we are present, everything is expected to be great. Any issues can be dealt with by the chef, so it all works. When we are gone, our team must function as if we are still present, making the decisions. Being away reveals how well we have trained our people and the environment we have created together.
This is yet another reason to travel. Not only do I get inspired and learn new food but I also find weak spots in my training program and learn more about what I need to do better to help my people take the next step in their careers.
In many ways, vacations are a win-win for you as a person and for you as a chef. My dad always said, “When it’s time to work, work hard. When it’s time to play, play hard.” This is a defining part of my philosophy and outlook.
Get out there, chefs. Train your team and give them the tools to do your job. Let them run. Travel to a new place. Eat food you have never tried. Talk to the cooks and people making your food. Be inspired. Work hard and play hard. You owe it to yourself, your family, your team and your membership to do so. I promise you will come back a better person and a better chef.