Dinner Conversations with Chef Joe Friday: Chef Victoria Loomis
Welcome to my next Q&A series, Dinner Conversations with Chef Joe Friday. Check out my conversation with Chef Victoria of the Gatherin Girl.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we proceed, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory and how did you reach where you are today?
I grew up in rural Louisiana. Most of the men in my family hunted, and still do, so I was exposed to it. I didn’t actually start hunting until my mid 20’s. My choice to start hunting stemmed from a need for nutritious food and a deep desire to become more connected to our food. I’m on a mission to share my learnings and hopefully inspire others to get curious about where their food comes from.
What or who inspired you to pursue your current career? We’d love to hear the story.
I would say my father, in addition to my own life experiences. Growing up my family always had gatherings and such. My dad would cook elaborate meals, usually on a pit outdoors. It wasn’t uncommon for him to have some sort of surprise wild game dish. One Christmas Eve surprised us with a whole roasted raccoon that he’d worked tirelessly preparing. He has never been afraid to get creative with whatever resources he had available. So I’d say, growing up around that definitely had an influence on me.
None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. Was there a particular person who you feel gave you the most help or encouragement to be who you are today? Can you share a story about that?
Both of my parents have been a huge part of my journey to becoming successful. My parents worked their asses off, and taught my siblings and I the importance of hard work and dedication. My children have also played an important role in how I perceive success. Nothing has forced me to understand the value of time like being a mother has. My own failures have also played a large role in pushing me to be a better human being.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lessons or take aways did you learn from that?
There have been so many mistakes. Too many to count. As a server, I once delivered a dessert to an elderly couple who was celebrating their 50th anniversary. As I placed the dessert in front of them I announced: “happy anniversary! It has panties on it! Isn’t it pretty!” It was in fact NOT panties but pansies, an edible flower.
I still laugh when I think about that. Never gets old.
The road to success is hard and requires tremendous dedication. This question is obviously a big one, but what advice would you give to a young person who aspires to follow in your footsteps and emulate your success?
Comfort isn’t synonymous with growth.
Do the work, and pay attention to your own inner workings.
There are no shortcuts, only windows of opportunity.
Life is similar to a recipe - the ingredients you choose to place in it become the sum.
it’s also okay to try again with better ingredients.
𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 over 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Wild by Cheryl Strayed
“Perhaps being amidst the undesecrated beauty of the wilderness meant that I too could be undesecrated, regardless of what I'd lost or what had been taken from me, regardless of the regrettable things I'd done to others or myself or the regrettable things that had been done to me. Of all the things I'd been skeptical about, I didn't feel skeptical about this: the wilderness had a clarity that included me.”
I came across this book shortly after completing culinary school and moving back home. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. I still re - read often.
Can you share your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Why does that resonate with you so much?
What you resist not only persists but will grow in size. - Carl Jung
It's a reminder to face it, To face whatever it is and move on.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Can you share them with us?
The Gatherin Girl is in growth mode. I began dreaming up this concept and building out a plan for my vision about three years ago. I’m on a mission to share the experience, and inspire people to become more connected to nature, food, and one another. Food connects us, and there’s a lot of misconception or bias surrounding how people regard the food on their plates. Vegan, Omnivore, Herbivore, Carnivore... all these labels can either separate us, or bring us together. We tend to reject what we don’t understand. As a person who was once a vegetarian and now hunts to put food on the table, I witness this from a unique perspective. I want to inspire conversations and sharings that create an increase in community (local and global) understanding of the role food plays in our daily lives. There is a lot of common ground between a vegetarian and a hunter.
Let’s talk about food! What is your favourite cuisine and why? Is there a backstory you can share?
Field to table. This concept is at the heart of every meal I prepare. I want to be as close as possible to the food I’m preparing, highlighting local ingredients, influences, and native species specific to the environments and locations I find myself at the time.
What has this pandemic taught you about yourself?
This answer could be 10 pages long, ha ha. See life lesson quote.
When the pandemic began I questioned my relevance as a chef. It forced me to look at my roll as a chef in a completely different way. It shook me to the core and I’ve viewed my responsibilities as a chef in a new light since then. Chefs are silent story tellers. We have the ability to tell an honest story, satisfy hunger, provoke emotion and create connection without speaking a word. That’s big.
Are you cooking more often at home now? If yes, do you have a ritual that you follow while cooking? And, do you usually follow recipes or just experiment on your own?
Yes! As my journey with hunting, foraging, and gardening deepens I find myself becoming more inspired in a seasonal way. For instance, when I harvest cucumbers from my garden I instantly start thinking of creative ways to preserve them, and how I can better translate this entire process to others so that they are inspired to become more connected as well. I rarely follow recipes, with the exception of baking, It’s a science.
Fun Fact: In culinary school I actually switched my major to baking and pastries mid way through the program.
What was the first time you heard or experienced food waste? How would you describe food waste and what does it entail?
Growing up my dad never really allowed leftovers to go to waste. Whether It was johnny cakes for breakfast made from cornbread he made the night before, or lunch he brought to work the next day.
Working banquets after weddings and other large events the chef would always have massive quantities of food left over, and each employee would take home as much as we could, but there was still always so much thrown away. I would bring food home to my family and friends and recreate meals in 10 different ways in hopes of it all being consumed.
How would you describe food waste and what does it entail?
Food that is discarded or thrown away. This includes the entire food chain - farmers, processors, distributors, grocers, consumers, etc.
Every step of the process generates some sort of food waste.
What are your top tips on reducing food waste, either in general or at home?
The first step is to consciously spend time with food. If people allowed themselves to think about this on a very basic level when they sat down to have a meal that would be a great start. While chefs can and do influence how and what consumers perceive to be a great meal, it ultimately depends on each person paying attention. That’s a hard thing to do these days ….
At home : Use the trimmings.
Preserving and storing properly to use later.
Growing your own food - this one is huge. For myself it was a game charger. Putting in the work and efforts to grow and harvest my own food made me appreciate food more.
Naturally, we appreciate things a lot more when we work to acquire them, food is no different.
As Chefs: Create seasonal menus.
Allow your menus to reflect what is available.
LESS is MORE.
Educate.
Imagine having restaurants that produced their own foods, from seed to harvest and locally sourced proteins. Serving a guest something I’ve harvested myself is next level goodness. Imagine if we led the next generation of chefs and industry professionals in this direction.
How can our readers further follow you and your work online or reach out to you?
My website : www.thegatheringirl.com
Instagram : The_Gatherin_Girl
Email : tori@thegatheringirl.com
Thank you Victoria for your wonderful answers, and thanks for reading my Dinner Conversation Series. While you’re still here, order some of my small batch BBQ sauces below