Yes, Chef!

This week I started work as a chef at a local catering company that I shall call The Kitchen. One of the fun things about this new job is that I had to acquire my tools, as well as my uniform. What girl doesn't like a little "required" shopping?

I had already purchased my white chef coat this summer, when I did my stage in a few kitchens. ("Stage" is the French term for "cooking for free.") However a real chef job necessitated both proper footwear and professional equipment. I got online and sifted through pages and pages of shoes on Zappos ... clogs, sneakers, maryjanes, Birks, Crocs, etc. (I was also shopping at the same time for my work boots for my farming job.) The Big Box of Shoes arrived a few days later and turned our living room into a shoe boutique. How fun prancing around trying on shoes without a pushy salesperson hovering over me! I took my sweet time, pantomiming cooking tasks, wearing different shoes on each foot, dashing back and forth to our dining room, but finally settled on the classic chef shoe: black danish clogs. They have served me well for my two days on clomping around The Kitchen.

The other absolute necessity was knives. Apparently the "house" knives in a commercial kitchen are notoriously dull, and no serious chef would be caught dead without their own knife kit slung over their shoulder when they arrive at work each day. This was a harder item to shop for than the shoes. After all, I am pretty much a professional shoe buyer -- been wearing them every day of my life -- but I am not a professional knife buyer. I looked online, on Craig's List, at the mall, and didn't quite know how to make a wise and also thrifty selection. Luckily, my Saturday morning ritual trip to the farmer's market provided the perfect solution for my dilemma: Sharpvan. These guys are super nice and had sharpened our kitchen knives for us before. As I was walking past the van I overheard that they sell knives as well! Even used ones! I spent a quality half-hour in the van and got all of my questions answered, received some good advice about the indispensable elements of my tool kit, held all of the knives, and walked away with a great bargain. I already have future dreams of purchasing a cleaver from them ... and maybe a Santoku knife ... there are still empty slots in my knife bag.

Well-equipped and smartly-outfitted, I worked my first two days in The Kitchen. I am very fortunate NOT to work in a Hell's Kitchen-type establishment and have not been yelled at yet, nor have I been called a donkey. My co-workers are actually incredibly helpful and very conscientious about explaining and mentoring and instructing. After all, I am a complete novice in a professional kitchen. My first two days can basically be summed up in two words: oil and mayonnaise. I worked almost exclusively on dressings and sauces and used at least 3 gallons of oil and 6 gallons of mayonnaise. I think that this job will give me a new perspective on sauces, dips, aiolis and dressings. I have already tasted more than enough mayonnaise-based recipes in two days to last me a lifetime, and I was instantly skeptical when offered "dipping sauce" for my fries at happy hour the other day. I also came away with two invaluable lessons from my fellow chefs: always rinse the capers before using them, and while it is spelled "Robot Coupe", it is pronounced "robo coo." That's plenty of lessons learned for my first week as Chef Molly.