IN THE KITCHEN WITH: MAUREEN MCGUIRE

Culinary school started the journey from administrative assistant to restaurant owner, By Rose Sgarlato Going back to school to pursue a new career at 40 years old may seem unattainable for most people. But in the case of Maureen McGuire, her passion for cooking took her on a journey which led to a very successful business. “I always liked to bake. That’s where it started. But I really got turned onto cooking a long time ago when I met my mother-in-law who is a great cook. She made it fun and easy — it didn’t have to be stressful,” said McGuire. Many years later while working as an administrative assistant in the guidance department at Pope John High School, McGuire discovered that after a hard day of work, cooking would relieve her tension. “If the day got longer and longer at my job, I would go home and cook longer and longer,” she said. Realizing that a desk job was not for her, she started to think about cooking as a profession. She was fortunate to have a guiding hand by her friend Chef Ken Callahan of the restaurant Blue Smoke in New York City, who told her, “If you would rather work eight hours a day with a knife in your hand than four hours at a desk, cooking is for you.” “The impetus to my choosing to leave Pope John and go to culinary school was my daughters getting ready to go to college soon. I wanted to spend my days busy and loving my job as much as the people in the guidance department loved theirs,” said McGuire. With that in mind, in 2006 McGuire enrolled in the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. For a year, she traveled into Manhattan to earn her culinary arts diploma. “It was intense, and I met great people there. At the end of the year, I did a two-month internship at Danny Meyer’s restaurant Eleven Madison Park,” McGuire said. While there, she was influenced by Chef Daniel Humm. “Daniel was a great chef. He took all fresh ingredients and turned it into beautiful, artistic food. His kitchen was so organized,” said McGuire. Knowing she did not want to work for a restaurant, McGuire felt limited about her options. But cooking for large crowds for a festive occasion seemed ideal and natural, so catering became the way to go. In spring of 2007, McGuire was approached by a real estate organization to do a luncheon. She asked her good friend, fellow foodie and now business partner Debbie Wentworth to do it with her. And so Gourmet Thyme Catering was created. Wentworth and McGuire have built Gourmet Thyme to be a full-service catering company offering event planning and menu design along with providing staff and set-up. Wentworth is more ‘front of the house,’ a phrase used in restaurants to describe what goes on with management and organization; while McGuire takes care of the ‘back of the house,’ referring to the cooking and kitchen details. “Debbie, who also loves to cook, has a great eye for making things look good and the details. We plan menus together,” McGuire said. “The food we do comes from years of well-received dishes that family and friends have loved. Everything is made from scratch and from fresh ingredients. We do not take shortcuts.” Gourmet Thyme has catered both private and corporate events from small birthday parties to cocktail events to weddings. A most recent event for the non-profit Pass It Along was for 400 people. But a personal touch and attention to detail is what Gourmet Thyme prides itself in. “I would not have imagined three years ago that I would be in this business. We are thrilled to be doing this — we don’t want it to be too big. We like being a part of someone’s event,” Mc Guire said. For an inside look at Gourmet Thyme, www.gourmetthymecatering.com or call 973-479-7767. Mc Guire and her husband Mike live in Sparta with their two daughters Kelly and Katie. Here is one of the family’s Christmas morning favorites. Apple Cinnamon French Toast 5 Tbsp butter 1 cup dark brown sugar 2 Tbsp dark corn syrup 1 tsp cinnamon 2 large apples- peeled and sliced 6-8 slices of bread-1-inch thick is best 3 eggs 1 cup milk (whole is best) 1 tsp vanilla Melt butter in large skillet. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon and apples. Cook until syrupy and combined, about 3 minutes. Pour mixture in 9x13” pan and arrange bread on top. Combine eggs, milk and vanilla and evenly pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake uncovered at 375F for 30-35 minutes. Slice and serve. Invert French toast when serving so apples and syrup are on top.