Dressing a winner
Area Chef cooks up a business
Interview with Chef Pete by
MARY KAY SWEIKAR
Commercial-News 12-30-06

A secret combination of 17 in­gredients, all mixed together through a unique "fusing" process, could be the' ticket to fame for one Danville resident.

Peter Hires, executive chef at the Danville Country Club for the past three years,; has caught the attention of both the wholesale and retail mar­kets with his Toasted Sesame Red Fu­sion dressing, which also serves as a dip and marinade.

Early in January, the dressing will be available on the shelves of area Wal­Mart stores, as well as the two Danville County Markets. Hires' product can be easily spotted by its distinctive purple, yellow, black and white label.

Hires also has a contract for his dressing with Hawkeye Foodservice Distribution of Danville and the Uni­versity of Illinois. Many other distribu­tors and several restaurants also have shown a strong interest in the product, Hires said. '

The chef hopes others will agree that his product is different from any other salad dressing on the market.

"When you taste it, you go from a sweet flavor to a toasted sesame flavor, and then finish with a tangy taste," he said. The deep red dressing includes an undisclosed mixture of sugar, soybean oil vinegar, spices and toasted sesame seeds.

It took Hires 13 years to reach the point Where he was ready to market the dressing.

"It's always been the favorite dressing for the members out here at the club," Hires said, "and this has always been the dressing chosen 99 percent of the time for weddings and other special functions.

"My friends and family have been after me for years to put it on the market." Diners at the country club particularly enjoy the Red Fusion dressing he works up to 65 hours a week, staying late almost every night.

He experiments with mixing different ingredients and flavors to come up with something that uses his palate. "I guess you could call me a food scientist," Hires said.

Geraldine Hires, who married Pete less than a year ago, said, "I knew that people would buy this salad dressing. I've seen people out here order a whole bowl of it and even dip their bread in it."

The chef has enjoyed cook­ing since he was a small child, when he helped his mother in the kitchen. He took a class in food service during high school through the VOTEC program. In 1993, he studied at the Culinary Institute of America, spe­cializing in pastries and desserts.

But Hires is a salad connoisseur at heart. "I really prefer working with salads," he said. "I think if a food product is really good, really different and healthful at the same time, then people will buy it."

Bob Ervin of Danville, a frequent diner at the country club, said, "I've had the pleasure of enjoying Chef Pete's salad dressing for quite a while, and now I think it's the best.

"I'm happy to see someone like Chef Pete who works hard to develop a product that so many people enjoy, and then goes on to apply his entrepre­neurial skills to market it to a broad customer base.

"He has a very good salad dressing, and I wish him the best."

Hires has been with the country club for 21 years, working in various positions.