First Days in the Kitchen

"You smell like bacon."






That was the first thing M told me Monday morning. After my first weekend working in a kitchen, I am not surprised. M will have to get used to it, as this will be a common occurrence.






So, to recap: I applied, interviewed, was offered and accepted a position as a prep cook in a local restaurant. I am not naming names, but it's local. You'll probably be able to figure it out, and if you do... please stop on in! Have a drink, have a bite to eat. I may have helped make some of it.






And just like my culinary classes, I was excited to start. More excited/nervous, but hey... have to make a good impression. Arrived early to make sure I beat the farmers market crowd for a decent parking spot. It was probably a good thing I got there early because I was thrown right into the mix - they got slammed the night before, and a lot of prep to get through.




My duties were a mish mash of things - portioned and formed scones, baked eggplant slices, prepared the house salad mix, sliced/portioned/stored meats for sandwiches, and made crepe batter. Not only did I make that batter, I was expected to make them as well. Most of my crepes were not pretty, but I think I've got the hang of it. Maybe. Cleaned by area, helped when I could. Most of the time I kept my head down and did what I had to do. By the end of the day I was sweaty, sore, and exhausted. I had enough energy to scarf down a slice or two of pizza before I called it a night.


The next morning I was there even earlier, but it was nice to walk around downtown before it got busy. Day two started off slowly, but picked up quickly after opening. I helped (mostly watched) how they make their quiches, before I started on three different fruit fillings for the crepes - apple, peach, and mixed berry. Made some more crepes (really need to work on my technique at home) and prepped more vegetables for the line. Cooked up ratatouille right before my break, and whipped up a batch of Devonshire cream before I left. Lots of portioning, labeling, and rotating stock.


Instead of heading straight home after work, I ended up meeting M and a friend for drinks to celebrate my new job. Not a bad start.