Some profound insight, often garnished with random rants, tirades and left-field comments, from a cook turned teacher
The most overused word...
There is a requirement that goes unstated on the application to cook at any upstanding restaurant. Sure, worthwhile experience is helpful. Jeez, education can even contribute a bit to the potential for meaningful employment. But, there is a certain degree of insanity that must go with the wanton desire to be bitten by the most dangerous of bugs, the Passionus Cookus, as if Passion is The Force. The Mojo. The Moxy. If you do not have that pickle in your jar, there is little in the way of a long term prognosis of sticking with this oft-miserable industry. But Passion is a really overused word. The P-word is really misunderstood, clichéd and thrown around like Rhianna at a Chris Brown party. “To be a cook you have to have real passion,” I heard over and over. “I have a real passion,” I have heard from those that usually are making a stand for a self-convincing argument. If you have to say it, well, it is probably too late; that bug has moved on and you are just left with an itchy rash that will go away as you move on to a more tame job, perhaps peddling overpriced cologne at Abercrombie and Fitch.
But what is passion? Is it applied organization? Is it energy? Is it an unrelenting desire to impress everybody around you? What about an unwavering commitment for perfection? Yeah, I think it is all of those. And more. Passion is in the present. Fascination is, however, present and future. The allure of being a kitchen recluse is a strong urge, one that can force a wedge between you and, well, just about everything and everyone else. Why else do most food people only have friends that are other food people?
Fascination is how I like to label that energy that is necessary to succeed in our peculiar line of work. Fascination plays into the calling that drives us to commit our souls, like a bad deal with the devil, to stand for sixteen hours in dungeon-like conditions, for a mere pittance of pay, and even less respect during the ridiculously foolish, prime time hours. The job of cook can be vile and repugnant. We have to stay after the lights go down, both inside and out. We are usually there before the light comes up, as well. Is it really, really late at night or is it really, really early in the morning? I can never tell! It can hurt. So why do it? Its grasp is captivating and once squeezed hard enough, those not cut from the best piece of apron cloth slip through. The others, well, they are the lifers. They read it. They live it. They sure smell like it.
To outsiders, it piques interest as the latest ‘oooh, that sounds so cool’ with the continued success of Top Chef and Hell’s Kitchen. I think a marriage of the two shows would go over well with real cooks: Chef He11: The Series that Never Ends.
It certainly ranks up there on the list of top 100 worst jobs, right before Special Event Outdoor Chair Folder and just after Dirty Linen Sorter at Linen Rental Place. But it is the fascination that keeps us thirsting for more. And hungering to do more. Being around really good food helps to feed that hunger, so it really is not all bad. It is about commitment, work ethic, sobriety and perspiration. It is not all bad; cooks can be the most interesting people you meet and have the best food at their parties. They just do not ever seem to shut-up about cooking. That’s fascinating!
But what is passion? Is it applied organization? Is it energy? Is it an unrelenting desire to impress everybody around you? What about an unwavering commitment for perfection? Yeah, I think it is all of those. And more. Passion is in the present. Fascination is, however, present and future. The allure of being a kitchen recluse is a strong urge, one that can force a wedge between you and, well, just about everything and everyone else. Why else do most food people only have friends that are other food people?
Fascination is how I like to label that energy that is necessary to succeed in our peculiar line of work. Fascination plays into the calling that drives us to commit our souls, like a bad deal with the devil, to stand for sixteen hours in dungeon-like conditions, for a mere pittance of pay, and even less respect during the ridiculously foolish, prime time hours. The job of cook can be vile and repugnant. We have to stay after the lights go down, both inside and out. We are usually there before the light comes up, as well. Is it really, really late at night or is it really, really early in the morning? I can never tell! It can hurt. So why do it? Its grasp is captivating and once squeezed hard enough, those not cut from the best piece of apron cloth slip through. The others, well, they are the lifers. They read it. They live it. They sure smell like it.
To outsiders, it piques interest as the latest ‘oooh, that sounds so cool’ with the continued success of Top Chef and Hell’s Kitchen. I think a marriage of the two shows would go over well with real cooks: Chef He11: The Series that Never Ends.
It certainly ranks up there on the list of top 100 worst jobs, right before Special Event Outdoor Chair Folder and just after Dirty Linen Sorter at Linen Rental Place. But it is the fascination that keeps us thirsting for more. And hungering to do more. Being around really good food helps to feed that hunger, so it really is not all bad. It is about commitment, work ethic, sobriety and perspiration. It is not all bad; cooks can be the most interesting people you meet and have the best food at their parties. They just do not ever seem to shut-up about cooking. That’s fascinating!
Total Comments 8
Comments
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Jim
very well thought out and stated- maybe in you spare time lol you could also be a writer. Anyway really a true perspective of the job with all the interesting and quite witty bits of info.Posted 03-08-2009 at 01:48 PM by kdv40
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Jim,
Yours are inspiring words. You have a way of digging deeper and unveiling the truth. It's like listening to the "B" side of an album and feeling so happy about not having to listen to the same old stuff. Jim, I would like to know if I could print your blog entry to share with my students?
Be well, and keep up the wonderful work you do.
Peace
BradPosted 03-13-2009 at 04:57 PM by cape chef -
I will (hopefully) in the near future be in culinary school, and have been soaking up every foodie, cooking, recipe, blog, etc. I can...and this is the most profound and interesting post I have read in a year! It just inspires me to continue learning about what I love, and reminds me of the reasons why I, personally, want to be a cook. Thank you!Posted 03-17-2009 at 04:47 PM by LarInWonderland - You definately hit it on the mark there! As a fellow chef i crave the crazy, wild, stressful nights working online! the high energy is an aphordiesac that i just can't seem to get enough of! However stressful a night can be, one can always learn something new to better themselves at this career choice!
Fyi: i heard somewhere that a chef is one of the third most dtressful industries to be in, EMC being second, an brain surgeon coming in first! Ouch.lolPosted 03-19-2009 at 05:45 PM by witchlady - I have had continued problems finding cooks with passion to work in my restaurant. I started in this business 32 years ago, long before food network and the super chef craze, we did everything form scratch, no shortcuts. i love to create, develop and present quality. I find it nearly impossible to motivate cooks today, the new grads don't seem to know much and expect a TV show atmosphere, and the high stress nights we with passion love, I've had two grown men actually walk out mid-rush crying. I tell the young ones, the kitchen is hot, you sweat, a lot, you work weekends, holidays and everyone wants to eat between 7-8 pm, it's a great time if you can handle it. Thirty two years and I still love the ride! Great Post!Posted 04-17-2009 at 07:06 AM by ChefJimK
- i totally agree
Mireille FoodPosted 06-02-2009 at 07:02 AM by MireilleFood -
I haven't stopped back to look at this post for quite some time. Wow! I am blown away by all the feedback. I am not sure from where in the nether regions of my brain this piece originated.
Thanks, again, for all the juice! I guess it was worth the squeeze.Posted 06-08-2009 at 08:04 PM by Jim - So many great points in this entry. It can apply to almost all aspects of life even outside the kitchen!Posted 06-30-2009 at 02:41 PM by amorthermador
