Executive Chef at Minnehaha Country Club
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| Valentine's Day 2008 |
In September of 2005 I began my career as the executive chef at the Minnehaha Country Club. I gained a renewed culinary vigor that would show up in all my food that I would prepare for the next four years. Christmas Buffets came around every year. Six during the month of December plus Thanksgiving and new years events as well. While this meant 7 day weeks and long 12-14 hour days the rewards always were spectacular. the highlight of all the buffets is the Charles Dickens dinner event.
There are many more buffets at the Club. Easter and Mother's Day, are the two biggest. With one a month we came up with themes to keep the membership's interest peaked. Always trying to do something new and improve on all aspects of the food and presentation. Actions stations galore became standard and we eventually came up with over 15 different varieties to offer.
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| buche de noel |
The Minnehaha Room is the formal dining room, although formality has not been as required as it once was in the past. With younger members some of the pretentiousness of a country club was allowed to pass into the wind, but tradition of 105 years kept much of it in place.
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| Southern Catfish Platter |
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| Cheese Display. Mobay, Blue Shropshire, Maytag Bleu, and more... |
I deleveoped and prepared a wine dinner every month for one of the premier wine clubs in the area. Each one a fabulous success. Members would through gala dinners and custom menus had to be created for each one. This was an area where I was able to get really creative and go beyond the traditions of the club and the boundaries that are associated with them.
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| Invitational 2009 |
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| Invitational dessert 2009 |
We had guest chef dinners, where local chefs or traveling chefs would arrive and prepare a special dinner. these were times of sharing and growth for all the kitchen staff, myself included. We did that for around two years.
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| Banquet display - garde manger platter |
I became a member of the Black Hills ACF. We held yearly dinner as fund raisers and worked with many local charities in other fundraising events that were food related. Many of those chefs are still good friends. It was during this phase of my career that I began preparing for my C.E.C. exam.
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| Initial menu practice plates. Practice 7 times! |
The country Club was blessed to host the Bo Forum that is held at the University each year. While I was there I cooked for Paul Bremer Jr, who led the army in Desert Storm and for Al Gore. These were gala dinners of superb quality.
Al Gore
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| Al Gore shook my hand after dinner. He had really enjoyed himself. |
I was able to take the rfunds and rebates that I managed to arrange for with all my vendors and create an education fund for myself and the kitchen staff. This was used to keep up on local trends and improve skills. I was lucky enough to go to the Greenbrier in West Virginia for the Club Chef's Institute where Certified Master Chefs talked about the club industry and many ideas were shared on ways to improve food and profitability. This was a great experience.
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| 1st place -March of Dimes 2005 |
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| 1st Place - March of Dimes 2005 |
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| Taste of Elegance Entry - 2005 |
The kitchen was originally built around 1950 and the membership had grown as had the volume of business. We were doing over a million and a half in F&B revenue. So I designed a new kitchen went through the long process of committee's and meeting to get it approved as well as the politicking that is involved. the final result was a fantastic improvement for both the main restaurants and the banquet department. With this came a kitchen roll-out party as well as a totally new menu. Here are a few plates from the new menu of 2009.
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| Foie Gras |
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| Ahi - Prawn Salad |
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| Prosciutto Scallops |
Legionnaires Disease ~ again?
In the summer of 2007 I was hospitalized for 10 days with Legionnaires Disease, this was the second tie I have had this. God blessed my recovery and Karin spent all ten days by my side.
The Room with a view: Our loft apartment
We finally found a great place to live. The fifth floor loft apartment right downtown. Eighteen foot ceilings, huge panel windows, with stone and brick floors.It was a fabulous place in all aspects except for one. The roof leaked. Not just in one or two spots but in multiple spots all the time. No matter how the landlord "fixed" the problem, leaks were soon to follow.
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| Our Loft - Karin's son Will. |
Recession hits my bank account
2009 came as a huge cost to Karin and myself. I arrived for work on Sept first and was greeted at the door by the club manager, She escorted me to one of the dining rooms where the GM and the controller were sitting. Hmm I wonder what was up. As I sat down the smile of the shiny morning started to fade. My final check and severance were sitting on the table. My office had been cleaned out and I was let go. Differing visions and management styles along with the downturn of the economy had left me jobless. Four awesome years as Executive chef had come to an end.
RICHARD E. DICKENSHEETS Born June 8, 1940
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Cassville Democrat
Richard E. Dickensheets passed away Aug. 27, 2009. He had requested that he be cremated--no funeral services. His family and friends who loved and respected him are holding a CELEBRATION OF LIFE potluck at the Eagle Rock Community Center on Hwy. 86 in Eagle Rock, Mo., on Saturday Sept. 12, at 11 a.m. All friends and acquaintances are invited to attend. Please bring any stories or tales about Richard.
Weeks later I was informed that my dad had passed away, my wife was diagnosed with Thyroid problems, we had thought it might be cancer, but thank God it was not. A month later, Karin's dad passed away. We had been hit hard but we were determined to make it through this toughest of times in our marriage and life. I had my 401k but what was I going to do with it. Because of the major roof leaks in our loft we had a reduced rent which helped a little.
It was time to dust off the resume and go job hunting again.
The vagabondchef was on the trail once again. But this would be a dusty trail with no end in sight.
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