For Matt Paisley, food has always been centered around family. As a child, when he wasn\u2019t stealing the saltshaker off his great grandmother\u2019s table to go eat tomatoes off the vine in her garden, he was helping his mom cook for different church functions and family events.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always loved that everybody liked to gather around the kitchen table or the kitchen island, and it just kind of came became a communal thing and a way for family to connect and whatnot,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Today, as Senior Executive Chef at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, Paisley tries to bring that same feeling of community to students.<\/p>\n
Paisley wears many hats as part of his role.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy day starts pretty early,\u201d he says. \u201cI’m one of the first people to get to campus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paisley\u2019s day to day responsibilities include but are not limited to meeting with chefs, checking in the with the catering team, assisting with campus events and more. In addition, he\u2019s currently working on the school\u2019s spring menus.<\/p>\n
Prior to joining Ohio University, spent his entire career in restaurants. It\u2019s been three years since he made the switch to college and university dining and, \u201cit\u2019s been wonderful so far,\u201d he says. One of his favorite things about the college and university dining segment is being able to get direct feedback from students.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou’re right face to face with your diner, and you can get that instant feedback,\u201d he says. “And we very much like to keep the students a part of our experience; they have a say in what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n
The dining team meets monthly with the Culinary Services Development Committee (CSDC) a student-led dining advisory group on campus to get their feedback and learn more about what students would like to see on campus.<\/p>\n
Paisley noticed that today\u2019s Ohio University students are health conscious and want to be educated about whatever cuisine they\u2019re trying, they also enjoy fermented and pickled ingredients.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of our students love kimchi,\u201d he says. \u201cThey love any sort of stuff like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nostalgia has also been big, he adds<\/p>\n
\u201cI personally view that food’s an emotional connection, and if I cook something like a meatloaf and mashed potatoes, and it makes you think of home, then I’ve done my job,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Paisley will get to try out some new recipes when he attends FoodService Director\u2019s Chef Immersion Southeast event taking place at North Carolina State University later this month.<\/p>\n
The three-day event, which is sponsored by Choolaah Indian BBQ, Bush\u2019s, Irresistible Foods Group, J.T.M. Food Group, Lilly’s Fresh Pasta, Mondelez Away from Home, Simplot, and Tractor, allows attendees to learn from their fellow noncommercial chefs and get creative in the kitchen.<\/p>\n
This is Paisley\u2019s second Chefs Immersion event, and he\u2019s excited about working with new products and connecting with his fellow college and university chefs.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to getting the chance to share information and the camaraderie of working with somebody new,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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