Q & A with Mike Dahl

With over 25 years of experience in a variety of culinary venues, Mike Dahl serves as the resident chef at Dry Gulch, U.S.A. and has a passion to make meals both flavorful and nutritious for Dry Gulch guests. He and his wife, Kim, were married in 1993, and they have four children.

1. What is your background in the culinary arts?

My mom was a professor of food science and human nutrition at Michigan State. She was always making things that were healthy and experimental. After getting my BA in Hotel Restaurant and Institutional Management at Michigan State, I pursued a culinary degree at Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY. I knew immediately that I loved it. CIA is a very intense school, but they do a fantastic job. Since then, I have moved several times, and I’ve worked in everything from open restaurants to four-diamond resorts and private clubs.

2. If you had to pick a favorite ingredient, what would it be and why?

I don’t think I have a favorite thing to cook. I just really like to cook. If I had to pick an ingredient, I’d actually pick two. I like chipotle, and I also like Tabasco. People always ask, “So you like spicy food then?” I do, but what they may not understand is that you don’t have to add so much for it to be spicy. I like these ingredients because they add depth and a third dimension.

3. As a family man with a wife and four kids, how have you enjoyed your experience so far at Dry Gulch?

The culinary profession is kind of tough on families. If you don’t really love to cook, I don’t recommend it. For me, I love to cook. I can’t “not” cook. I cook all day at work, and then I come home and want to cook with my family because I enjoy it.

Dry Gulch though is like Ephesians 3:20 where it talks about God doing exceedingly abundantly above all you can ask or think. When we came and interviewed, Pastor Kirby showed us around Dry Gulch, and every building we walked into, my wife was just like, “No way!” The decorations, the cleanliness – everything was amazing. I was just excited to be part of that. The kids are loving it, and Pastor George and the staff have been such a blessing. We still wonder sometimes if it’s a dream, and I don’t want to wake up!

4. When groups come to visit Dry Gulch this summer, what do you want them to remember most about the food?

I always think the Church should be excellent. In some places, food is just thrown together. I really want both guests and staff to like what they have in each meal so much that they wonder what the next meal will be. I don’t really care whether people know who I am. What makes me happy is to have people like what they are eating.

5.What do think will set this year apart in terms of the Dry Gulch kitchen and meal options?

One thing for sure – I want to focus on relationships with people. I want them to enjoy the food and feel good physically. Our goal is to make the experience healthy and memorable. Yes, we want to get the work done, but I don’t want to lose sight of the fact that we need to invest in people.

I have a new understanding of what Jesus meant in Luke 6:38 when He talked about giving and having it come back to you good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. This is all God’s work. He is the One that brought us here. We feel beyond blessed!