A Chef Among Us
At Storey, we cherish the bonds created with our drivers over the years and are thankful every day for their commitment. They continue to amaze us with their work ethic, especially during the holidays. Storey strives to provide a flexible schedule for our drivers, honoring each driver’s work / life balance. We understand that if our employees don’t have time at home to do the hobbies that bring them joy, they won’t be happy. We keep the lines of communication open, acknowledging feedback and making changes in schedules as needed.
As part of that open communication, we are able to establish a familial relationship with our drivers. We love to hear about what they enjoy doing in their free time and their hidden talents. One driver in particular surprised us with a profound love for cooking.
Thomas Davis is a team driver for Storey and has been with us over 6 years. He is a team driver with James Jeffery. Thomas has several hobbies at home including carpentry, flooring, masonry work, and internet trading on seasonal items like boats, 4 wheelers, houses, and some car sales. He thrives on keeping busy with projects and is grateful that driving for Storey allows him to make time for his hobbies. Thomas especially enjoys being home over weekends so he can attend church and cook.
Thomas credits his love for cooking to his Grandma, Maggie. He says growing up, she always told him, "Get in here and learn how to cook. That way I don't ever have to worry about you going hungry!" She taught him to never worry about the recipe as much as trusting your taste.
Thomas is so comfortable cooking now, that he often prepares food for more than 40-50 people from church. He has single handedly built a chef’s dream outdoor kitchen at his home, allowing him to accommodate such larger orders.
One of his favorite items to make is ribs. His secret for the perfect texture is to put a pan of water in the oven with the ribs, allowing for them to stay moist and juicy. For Thanksgiving, he will be deep frying turkeys. He seasons the turkey with creole seasoning, black pepper, salt, and garlic powder and then fries it in peanut oil. For dessert he makes a pineapple cake with cream cheese icing and possibly a honey bun cake that is his wife, Linda’s, specialty.
Thomas has a few recommendations for some of the Thanksgiving staples… when making dressing, use yellow cornmeal. For deviled eggs, use chopped jalapeños instead of pickles. His general rule of thumb when offering cooking advice is to “Take your time when cooking. Don't rush it. If you burn it... you can never get it back.”
Thomas has been asked several times, and has since considered writing a 'Fine Dining For Truck Drivers' book that would include foods for drivers to prepare and also some of the best Hole-in-the-Wall places to eat while on the road.
Just a few places he recommends to his fellow drivers on the road are:
Bobby Sue's, which is just off I-40 in California
The Farmhouse in TX
Ms. Dorris's Food Truck in Compton, CA (Ms. Dorris has been there cooking for more than 30 yrs)