Welcome to your life...

I started at a great restaurant today. Lets call it BH. My first day ever in a professional kitchen. And quickly I realized that I was in for it AND that I was destined to love it. I had decided about three months ago that this was the direction that I should travel in. At first it was quite scary given that I am now 33 (then 32) and had no experience or training. But, as a result of a great friend, I had a door opened for me that I had to walk, no run, through.

It had started innocently enough with a long meet and greet with the Executive Head Chef and Head Chef. Both vetted me, asking me questions which I thought were odd at the time but I was more than happy to answer. Good thing I did because a short 72 hours later I was to start work.

Getting there early I had all kinds of thoughts running through my head. We had an event for 31 people starting at 6:30. It was 2 o'clock by the time I had walked through the door. Unsure of what I was to do I stood there frozen, both literally and proverbially. I was excited, scared, confused but SURE that this is where I was meant to be. After a few minutes L (not sure of his title ) came out and told me that I could get changed and put on my very first CHEF JACKET. Now as if that weren't cool enough I was thrust immediately into what it means to be in a professional kitchen.

First; Prepare everything so that you are ready to go. Clean up the mess and put the dishes near the pit. Cut the vegetables in their various forms depending on what you are doing. Tonight's menu consisted of;

Apps

Hot House Tomato Bruschetta
Antipasto Tarts with Stilton
Mini Quiche with Smoked Ham
Fried Shrimp Lollipops
Pulled Pork on a Pita

Literally the first couple of hours flew by. In the first couple I had to pull the pork and chop vegetables for the rest of the dishes. About an hour after starting Exec Chef came in and gave me a hearty handshake and asked how I was doing. How I was feeling? How the love of my life felt about this new beginning? It was more than just empty questions. It was a man trying to relate to another man that he appreciated him and as a result those around him. Just as quickly as he appeared he was gone.

I kept on bothering L with what must have seemed like a million questions. But each time with decided grace he would explain. At first if he was showing me something he would demonstrate and then watch carefully as I did it. If I did it wrong he would say to me how I was doing it wrong and how I could improve. I watched intently as he made a Cauliflower soup trying to pay careful attention to what the ingredients were and how they prepared it.

Exec Chef appeared again and noticed how I was using my knife. He stopped me and explained the proper position of the knife in the hand. How it was to be used and even taught me the first of what I'm sure is to be many expressions. I can't seem to spell it properly or find it online right now so I will let you all know later (Just another question for Chef). At any rate, after a few minutes of practicing I got it. He told me a few minutes later that buying a bag of onions and going to town can take you a long way. I guess you might call it homework.

So with all the preparations done L had been working on the two sauces that were going to be used for the mains. I learned that the mains were to be a Grain Fed Beef Tenderloin, Artic Char or a vegetarian Eggplant Parmesan. When the appropriate time came for Apps L and I started to assemble the dishes for presentation. Each plate went out with 18 canapes on it and each went out twice. I tasted everything and was extremely glad that I had put it out to the universe that I wanted into a good kitchen because I was rewarded with a GREAT kitchen.

Desert was Creme Brule with assorted berries and a biscotti. This of course brought a huge smile to my face as I had first attempted a creme over the holidays for the love of my life and her family.

So all in all, on this the first day of the rest of my life, I would have to say it was remarkable and absolutely the right place.

I learned today that patience is going to be key, an attention to detail that I probably would have sooner ascribed to fighter pilots than a kitchen, communication is paramount, cleanliness is Godliness and Everything, EVERYTHING, has a home and it should be there.

This is the first day of the rest of my life. And I am thrilled to be so fortunate as to have friends that help, a lover that is beyond a rock without whom none of this would be possible either and a feeling inside my soul which screams; "ITS ABOUT TIME YOU LISTENED... now you gotta run with it." And RUN I WILL.

SDM