Thomas the Chef

02/18/2017

While packing up my stacks of food books, I found this one that slid behind the shelf and it sent me down memory lane. While in culinary school, I got my first kitchen job as a line cook. The Executive Chef was a great mentor and teacher, and one day he loaned me his copy of this book. For months afterwards he would quiz me while we were cooking, which led to more books. I learned more from him than from culinary school!

02/07/2017

Greetings Facebook Friends

After 6 interesting (to say the least) years as a “personal culinary nutritionist” in good old Charlotte, it is time to shut it down and make a change.

There are a LOT of things that I love about my little freelance operation. I love cooking for rock star athlete clients who not only perform at the highest levels, but are also incredibly cool and kind and always make me feel welcome and comfortable in their homes. I love the nutritional challenges that some clients bring to me. I love it when a client comes home from the doctor and is beaming because their blood work is the best it has been in over 10 years – and they feel great. I love having to cook 6-10 extremely varied cuisines in any given week to please the varied palates of my clients. I love the fact that in January I was still able to maintain well over 50% local ingredients for my menus.

But there are many things missing from my culinary life. I miss the teamwork of a production kitchen, I miss learning from my colleagues, and sharing what I know with them. I miss a steady pay check and benefits. I miss leading, sharing a vision and reaching goals, helping people grow. Most of all, I miss going home after a great day in the kitchen and leaving it behind and enjoying family and friends – without constantly thinking about what I should be doing for my business.

I’ve accepted a job offer to become Chef at a kick ass health and wellness spa on the coast of South Carolina. The place is growing and they have exciting culinary ambitions that align well with my ambitions, one of which is getting more locally grown food on the plates. We will be heading out March 1st and as much as we will miss Charlotte, great friends, and all of the great things happening here, we are sooooo looking forward to the beach bum life – I can lay in the sun with the best of them!

01/15/2017

As much as I would love to take credit for the accomplishments of my clients, The credit is all on them. However, their decision to hire me as their personal culinary nutritionist is definitely a part of their commitment to be the best they can be at their sport. Money doesn't measure everything, especially in the world of pro sports, but I smile when I think that 5 pro athletes have earned substantial raises in salary after turning to me for their food (unfortunately a few of them were offered huge contracts by teams other than our local ones and they moved away).

This weekend, another client has cashed in! Wil Myers is the first baseman for the San Diego Padres, and as a native of North Carolina, he spends his off seasons in Charlotte. Instead of kicking back and enjoying the lifestyle of rich and famous, like many athletes do, Wil is devoted to becoming a better baseball player, and part of that includes the food he eats. His diet has been transformed from a steady stream of highly processed, readily available fast food to one composed of clean, locally raised foods. While in Charlotte he is eating lots of beef from Windy Hill Farm, pork and lamb from Wild Turkey Farms, chicken from Rowland's Row Family Farm and tons of local produce along with some Carolina Artisan Bread. He has gained lean muscle mass and strength and obviously, his bosses recognize that Wil is only going to get better. I am so happy for him!

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/18469557/san-diego-padres-sign-wil-myers-six-year-80-million-extension

Wil Myers, a first-time All-Star in 2016, has agreed to a six-year extension with the Padres, club sources told ESPN's Jim Bowden.

12/30/2016

What to do when I've been cooking for clients holiday parties and need something easy but really really good?

Take one of Zack House's onion, some Windy Hill Farm bacon, someColdWater Creek Farms kale and sauté. Add some Cannizzaro Sauces and BOOM, over pasta, dinner is served! This was freakin delicious ....

12/29/2016

Holiday dinner sides for clients - whipped potatoes and celery root (way better than cauliflower), butternut squash barley risotto made with a sage infused stock and shaved Brussels sprouts sautéed with lemon herb butter.

12/26/2016

For my home Christmas dinner each year, I make the classic duck l'orange with a beautious Windy Hill Farm duck. This year I changed it up a bit and made cherry wood smoked duck l'orange. Not to be a braggart, but this duck was the best tasting thing I've eaten in many years. It didn't hurt to wash it down with an 11 year old Bordeaux from a stellar vintage...

12/15/2016

Breakfast frittata to fuel an athlete's workout made with lots of local goodness! Mary L Farm fresh eggs, Wild Turkey Farms country sausage, Gardner's Table onions, ColdWater Creek Farms kale with some store bought organic peppers for holiday color.

12/10/2016

It might be December, but lookie what I got at the farmers market this morning. Cauliflower, broccoli, and beets from Bell's Best Berries, flank steak from Windy Hill Farm, steelhead trout from Lucky Fish Seafood, grits, lettuce and carrots from ColdWater Creek Farms, bread from Carolina Artisan Bread, eggs from Mary L Farm, and lots of greens, potatoes and sweet potatoes!!

Our local farmers are amazing, bringing us such bounty even when mother nature throws them curve balls. Me and my clients will eat well this week.

11/30/2016

Bill the baker hit it out of the park on this one. The cinnamon babka bread from Carolina Artisan Bread delivered as promised and made for a decadent french toast (aka toast with an attitude)! A little almond milk, vanilla extract and orange zest in the egg batter didn't exactly hurt...

11/29/2016

A family tradition paying homage to the eastern European side of my family - on the Friday after thanksgiving, four generations making over 100 pierogies!! And they were so delicious.

11/29/2016

I've seen some nice turkeys posted, but this beauty from Windy Hill Farm was about as perfect as they get! Bourbon brined and apple wood smoked, just awesome. Oh, and the oven roasted version wasn't bad either.

11/14/2016

I've been rocking an awesome smoked bourbon chicken for a few months. The flavors are quite intense which is great for a week day chicken, but I'm thinking the marinade is too strong for a Thanksgiving smoked turkey and traditional gravy would taste funny with it. So I reworked the marinade and I think that I have it where it needs to be. I will try it out on a chicken later this week, but figured that it would be pretty awesome on some wood grilled Wild Turkey Farms pork chops. My client agreed, and loved the sides from Atherton Mill and Market of oven "fries" and roasted ColdWater Creek Farms squash, Harmony Gardens Charlotte baby tomatoes and Coto farm peppers.