I have worked as a cook in fine dining for over two
years now. I have learned how to mince a shallot,
how to sauté by flipping my wrist, how to whisk
a vinaigrette, how to make fresh pasta, how to mash
potatoes for 100, how to chiffonade leafy herbs and
how to emulsify a butter sauce. My knife has dulled
from excessive use on large cutting boards and has been
sharpened many times. I have taken for granted
the omnipresent restaurant Dishwasher, the most important
yet most underappreciated team member in the kitchen.
I have gotten caught on the sliding scale.
What
is this sliding scale, you ask? Its like this:
as Professional Cook (restaurant cook) improves, Home
Cook nears stumbling idiot in the kitchen. This
is where I am, caught on the scale. I feel I am
becoming quite the mediocre home cook as I advance as
a professional one. Kind of ironic, but here are
the reasons: 1) lack of Dishwasher at home, 2)
lack of ample amounts of containers at home, 3) lack
of motivation at home (tired from work), 4) lack of
giant cutting boards at home, 5) lack of stainless steel
counters at home (grout is no fun to clean), 6) lack
of convection ovens at home, 7) lack of 60,000 BTU gas
burners at home, 8) lack of powerful vented hoods at
home
you get the picture. At home, my knife skills
decline as I try to maneuver my 10 Forschner on a cutting
board the size of a cereal box. Then, once I finish
cutting whatever, an onion, lets say, where do I put
it? It sure as heck cant stay on the cutting
board, because now I have to butcher a chicken, which
is oozing salmonella into the grout between the tiles
on the counter. So, I have to use a small bowl
or something for the onion, and then put the chicken
on a plate...more dishes to do later.
I
need to figure out how disembark from this sliding scale.
I need to exist at my potential in both worlds, home
and work. Anyone interested in washing dishes for free
food?
Kristin
can be reached at kristin@babblog.com. |
