Monday, June 14, 2010

“Stillwater chef receives national honor”

“Stillwater chef receives national honor”

Stillwater chef receives national honor

Posted: 13 Jun 2010 09:46 PM PDT

Back then, the jobs were a necessity for a 12-year-old whose mom worked three jobs. Today, cooking is Dunham's passion and his livelihood. As chef de cuisine at The Ranchers Club in Stillwater, Dunham wants to make the restaurant Oklahoma's best.

Dunham has garnered national recognition for his work. Most recently, he was invited to be a guest chef at the James Beard House in New York City on July 15.

"It's really an honor to go up there and cook and be part of the event," Dunham said. "It's kind of like one of those capstones in your career."

The James Beard House was the home of culinary icon James Beard. After he died, friends transformed the house into a culinary center where distinguished chefs are invited to showcase their skills during dinner and lunch programs throughout the year.

Cooking there has been a goal for the staff at The Ranchers Club since a few weeks after Dunham took over in 2008.

One August afternoon during a lull between lunch and dinner, Dunham announced the objective and wrote it on a dry erase board. It hung inside the double doors to the kitchen as a constant reminder for about a year.

Only a few Oklahoma chefs have been featured at the James Beard House, said Izabela Wojcik, director of house programming for the James Beard Foundation. Dunham and his team designed a five-course Oklahoma and OSU-themed meal. It features savory steak and potatoes, veal brisket, beef cheeks and tongue, and other items, paired with wines from OSU alumni.

Lead cook Jack Herron was thrilled to hear about the invitation to go to New York. Herron was a student when he started working for Dunham. When he finished school, Herron decided to stay at the restaurant for another year so he could learn more from Dunham.

"It's been really amazing to see where we've come in just the short period of time Marc has been here, let alone to say where it's going to go from here," Herron said. "We're taking the restaurant to a new level."

Dunham sets ambitious goals for his staff but also makes time for fun, such as dousing an outgoing staff member with flour and fish sauce.

On Wednesday afternoon, Dunham scrunched his nose and pursed his lips, making faces as he whipped up some couscous.

"I don't want this to be the best restaurant in Stillwater," Dunham said. "I want this to be the best restaurant in the state. That's what I'm going to keep striving for."

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