By Jay D. Prince
I don’t know about you, but I like to eat—often times too much, but enjoying a nice meal and a good bottle of wine is one of the finer pleasures in life. Sometimes you come across a recipe at home that just screams: I know you like me, don’t lose me, because you’ll want to prepare me again. I know, a strange thought, but tell me you haven’t had that sensation before.
Finding a restaurant that does the same is a rare treat. Sure, there are lots of great eateries out there, but how many have you found that left you wanting to go back for more…before you even walk out the door?
I found one in December while at the US Junior Open. It wasn’t difficult to discover, given the fact that it is owned by none other than our squash-playing Ming Tsai. We even did a profile of him several years ago, and I’m sure many of you know him. Even if you haven’t met in person, channel surfing to the Food Network has likely introduced his culinary talents to you.
So after failing to make the time to visit his restaurant in Wellesley, MA, over and over again, I decided that the 2010 US Junior Open would be the opportunity to pay Blue Ginger a visit that I wasn’t going to pass up.
At the risk of sounding overly dramatic, that was perhaps the best culinary decision I’ve made…ever! Even the $50 cab fare from Cambridge seemed to melt into just part of the experience. Though I admit that in the future, I’ll find a more reasonable option for getting myself there.
Anyway, I had invited Damon Leedale-Brown to be my guest (you are no doubt familiar with his monthly LessonCourt articles by now), and from the moment we opened the door, it was obvious that we were in for a unique dining experience.
A food critic I’m not. But there was nothing to be critical of. From the waiter inquiring about food allergies (yes, shell fish are an issue for Damon), to fully explaining the subtleties of the variety of appetizers and main courses, to the fabulous wine list, the entire evening was well worth the wait. From a personal perspective, I am a huge fan of lobster, and I strongly recommend the peppered version on the Blue Ginger menu.
If you’ve ever seen Ming on one of his Food Network programs (Ming’s Quest or East Meets West…or even Iron Chef), you already know about his passion for fine cooking. If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching him on TV, just imagine for a moment the passion you have for the sport of squash—then take that into a kitchen and you’ll have the essence of his talents and focus.
One thing is clear, Ming is a wonderful example of making a career out of something he loves doing. Professional squash players do exactly that throughout their careers. The number of them who are actually rewarded financially is very small, unlike those in the mainstream sports. But at the end of the day, life should be about pursuing things you love to do; things that inspire you daily to the point where you don’t define it as “work.”
It’s a fine line between doing something you love and that ultimately becoming something you just do. I’d define that as burnout. Young athletes, which are perhaps the easiest cases to point to as examples, too often become quite good at a sport only to lose sight of why they began playing in the first place. And sadly, the parents frequently have a lot to do with that state of affairs as they begin “pushing” their kids too hard or, as I like to put it, start living their lives through their offspring.
The point is, if you have a passion for something, whether for a particular career or an activity, feed that passion and do what you can to keep in the front of your mind what it is about the passion that inspires you. And if you need a break to catch your breath, treat yourself to an inspiring meal. It’s good for the soul.
