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Busy Weekend

Purdy on 2002-06-10T21:11:32

I had a great (but busy) weekend.

I fulfilled one of my dreams on Saturday, working in the kitchen of a 4-star (well ... 4 Diamonds with AAA) restaurant - the Four Square Restaurant in Durham, NC. I showed up at 2pm and didn't leave until 10:30pm. It was the hardest I've worked in quite a while (years), but I had a smile the whole time, it was so much fun. I:

  • Peeled tomatoes and potatoes (after they boiled them)
  • Picked herbs & arugula from the restaurant's herb garden
  • Made beef ravoli (it was so cool to see them go out to the floor after a diner ordered them)
  • Peeled beans
  • Chopped tomatoes
  • Made tortillas (that was fun!)
  • Sealed herbed poultry in vacuum seal bags for poaching later
  • Worked the front line (basically observing, asking questions and go-fer'ing different stuff) ... brings new meaning to the phrase If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. ... it was HOT!

The chef (who had a very impressive resume, working with Emerill and Charlie Trotter, two American chef icons) said I "represented myself very well" and invited me back... something I'm sure to take him up on. I often wonder if switching careers to become a chef is what I really want to do... I enjoy cooking and had a blast working in the restaurant. I'm sure it would grow old, though ... the chef started his day at 9am that day and probably didn't leave until midnight and that goes for 6 days a week. Food for thought...

I also ran/walked a 5K (Race for the Cure) that morning and on Sunday, after church, had a birthday party for a friend over at our house, so we had to clean beforehand and entertain.

I also woke up this morning at 2:30 Eastern to watch the World Cup (US/Korea) game. Agoos failed our team twice, giving Korea a free penalty kick from a foul inside the box (which Friedel miraculously saved) and didn't match up a defender for a corner kick, who headed it in for Korea's goal. I would be very upset if I were his teammates, as well as Agoos. We're very lucky we didn't lose, but we will if we continue to play like that and match up against better (or luckier) opponents.

Maybe I'll get a chance to relax later ...

Jason

wow

lachoy on 2002-06-11T03:07:45

That is so cool, I can't even tell you. What steps did you have to take to make this happen? I'm curious because as I grow older I worry about whether I can keep doing this for n more years, and cooking was one of those things that popped up in both the "like to do" and "can eke out a living doing" categories.

Re:wow

Purdy on 2002-06-11T12:20:23

I went to a cooking class at Williams Sonoma and networked with the teaching chef, who mentioned that he accepted volunteers in the kitchen. I jumped on that and asked if I could come & volunteer and we set up a time.

I've heard Emerill doing this with high school students down in New Orleans, so I would bet this is a common practice of chefs/restaurants (letting interested folks 'shadow' and volunteer in the kitchen).

You could try the direct route - call up some fancy restaurants in your area and ask to speak to the Chef and ask if you can volunteer. You can also try the indirect route - call up a culinary school (such as the CIA) and ask them if they know of any volunteer opportunties in the city you live.

Good luck - it was very fun & very worth it!

Jason

Emeril

ajtaylor on 2002-06-11T06:11:33

Funny thought about Emeril. My wife thought he was great before she started at the Culinary Institute of America. Apparently most of the "industry professionals" don't think much of him. Perhaps it's because he went to that "other" school? I think part of it is his style as well. Either way, he's laughing all the way to the bank. :-)