Interview with Chef Tim Gallaway
On Thursday September 2nd I had the pleasure of interviewing Chef Timothy Gallaway. We discussed food, cooking and “wrapping it up”. Tim was the youngest of 3 brothers, all of whom had daily chores. His included cooking, whereas his brothers set the table and did dishes. So he has early roots in learning to cook. He felt he had a knack for cooking and would frequently cook for friends. Going to culinary school advanced his knowledge and allowed him to compete in a number of culinary competitions where was placed 38th in the nation. He did further training in a second Culinary School in Western Virginia. He feels that the training he received was much better than if he had gone to a larger school, since the classes were smaller and there was more direct interaction with the instructors. Tim admires a number of chefs who have impacted his life beginning with Auguste Escoffier and his classic French text.
Tim feels that one important question to ask a chef would be, “do you cook at home”. A chef who cooks at home loves to cook and will experiment with different dishes and techniques. He feels, “the kitchen is our home” and refers to the staff he works with as his “second family”. Work “should be fun” and it should offer the opportunity to experiment and sharpen ones skills. Further one way to explore the potential for new dishes is to ask your guests what dishes work, which might work and which do not work.
Advice to the home cook: “Don’t be afraid to make a mistake.” As far as favorite dishes, Tim feels that most chefs do not have a “favorite” but rather a love for cooking generally. Using all kinds of ingredients and all kinds of different techniques would best describe a chef’s true “favorite”.
When it comes to the wrapping of food, Tim feels that these types of dishes increases preparation and cooking time; One of the reasons this isn’t done regularly in many restaurants. However, he also feels that foods are wrapped when prepared, and unwrapped before serving, so it may be much more common than we think. However, the wrapping technique around the world is legion and involves so many different types of cuisines, he is surprised that no one has written a book on this topic previously.
