Yes, I do work in a kitchen...Yes, I have a career in making food for other humans and all their special or not so special events... Yes, my Job title has the word chef in it. This blog won't always be about my "chef life/work life" I will most likely talk more about what I cook at home and for friends (when they let me) I always get the "No, you are always cooking let us!" kinda thing.
Whenever my husband tells people what I do he always get the same reaction "you must eat so fancy at home" that isn't always the case. My reaction to that, when I'm around is, "We eat a lot of chicken and salad, some times out of a bag!" which is true. We have two dogs that love my cooking as much as my husband does. I know this because I catch him feeding them under the table or they are right behind me in the kitchen waiting for me to fling something on the floor.
Most of these recipes will be some home favorites and things I am craving from what I made at work that day. I will throw in things that have been helpful for me these past seven years out of culinary school. I might have one about that experience, how scared I was that I wasn't up to par and then finding out that everyone was in the same boat. The friends I made and the ones that stuck around.
Let's start off with how much I really do love my job and how much it can suck the life out of me at times. I am always telling people that say "how amazing and fun it would be to have this job", how much you really have to love this industry and kind of work we do to stay in this career. You have to have dedication and some sort of passion. I'm loyal to a fault and I have a really crazy work ethic I got from my dad that will probably never retire , Thanks pops <insert eye roll> Point is I will work till my finger fall off or my back hurts so bad I want to yell but that's life and that's what it takes to work in a kitchen... wanna try?!
This kind of job has super highs and deep lows. You are either going a million miles a minute or you're at a dead stop. It's a special kind of high that's great and disastrous all at the same time.
We have a off season and an on season in catering. What my family and friends like to call it a Sarah season and a no wife for Alex season. He has gotten really great at attending things by himself and representing for two these past six years. He is a god damn saint I tell you! It really helps to have great coworkers who you will be around for fifteen hours a day OR only see once a week.
Moral of the story find something you love and stick with it. It can be a shit show and it can be just up your ally but it's yours and you like it. Bitch about it or brag it's okay to do both! that's life and that's how we all get through this crazy world. Also, don't be an asshole tip your servers and chefs. They don't want to be dealing with you either its there job!
- Sarah
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