Today was the second day of shadowing; and it was just as educational and enjoyable, although much busier and a later shift. Besides the usual catering meals--buttery, fellows, and conferences--there was a special function that evening involving 6 courses + coffee/tea/chocolates. Much of the prep work had been done earlier, making life a little less hectic come service time. The menu was much more extravagant (frog legs, foie gras, fish soup, lamb, artisanal cheese), and it was being served pre-plated in one of the special function rooms; so it was about as close to restaurant service as I could probably get. Tension was there, but the great team rapport and calm, humorous sous chef made it practically non-existent.
But this time, I came away with a different perspective. Of course, everyone was trying to steer me away from catering and to stick to my engineering work. That fact is obvious to me and is also why I'm hesitant to pursue a chef career. Today somewhat confirmed that hesitancy, as I saw the stress, long hours, lack of sitting time, little to no rest, quick meals of the day's leftovers, and relative restriction in creativity (as recipes were mainly pre-designed). At times, I even sensed that I was out of place, especially when I uttered the words "PhD" and "Nanoscience." It was as if they were screaming, "What the hell is this PhD student doing in the kitchen, aspiring to do menial work when she has so much ahead of her??"
I get the message, and I know that I can be crazy. I agree that kitchen work is still not something I hope to pursue as a career; but is there not something I can do to combine my love of food, cooking, and experimentation with my educational background? Some place in me believes so, and I'm willing to get my hands dirty as I search for that position...
Side note: I was absolutely amazed and disgusted by how much fat is in foie gras. I know many people reject it for the unethical ways the ducks are treated to obtain such fatty livers, but once you've seen the cooked liver shrink by nearly 70% and swim in the sea of its melted fat, you can't help but feel your stomach churn and arteries clog up! I've tried it at a French restaurant and enjoyed its creaminess; but it's so different when you see the behind-the-scenes...
