women in the kitchen

I am still amazed that this is an issue with so many people. Its the year 2000. I would hope we would be past all the ridiculous sexist biases by now. But how many times I have seen the lone women in the kitchen working the pantry station because no one thinks she can do more than that. Look at Julia Child, Barbara Tropp, or Caprial Pence. All women, all amazing. I just heard a cook at work today making the comment about keeping the women out of the kitchen and our serving the food. Of course, he can barely flip a burger, so I guess I should consider the source.

[m brown]

This may not be PC, but what's new. Take the following statment in the figurative sence.
It helps to be able to drink a man under the table.
Or out do him in other ways as a means of gaining respect.
I am not saying we should become hard drinking maniacs, but to show the men in the kitchen you mean business and not the brand of the monkey, you have to out do them in some aspect.
This of course goes both ways. The new kid, be it man or woman, must prove themself at the get go or get out.

Any thoughts?

[Pete]

Thank you m brown. All young cooks ust prove themselves, whether they are women or men. I have found, especially in high profile kitchens, that there is a lot of proving to be done, not only to the chefs, but to the other cooks also. This proving takes on many forms, many of which aren't really cooking related. Im not saying that this is right, but it does happen and it happens to both sexes.

I think you guys hit it, just prove yourselves. You will gain the respect of your peers if you do. And if they judge you on the basis of your gender, well, I guess their respect isn't worth gaining.

[youla]

when I applied for my present job I had always been a chef in the saucier section. but this place was very anti female, I was the second female to be hired with an existant 30 male chefs, and they made me do condiments for a month!!!!! after this I ENQUIRED about my progression in the kitchen and was told I would only ever do gardemanger or breakfast!!!.....well I HATED gardemanger but I thought I've got to prove myself, so I developed my gardemanger skills and carving skills and terrine making so I ended up loving gardemanger and training all the apprentices and trainees....I now do sauce and entremetier but it took a while and guess how many female chefs are in the kitchen now!

I too have been a woman working in an all male kitchen. I'm not going say that it was easy or very fun at times but I stuck it out and learned a lot. Male or female, it doesn't really matter. Take them for what they are, take the chip off your shoulder and be open to what who ever it is can teach you. When you are new in a kitchen it is all about learning.

[schoolproject]

I don't know if anyone will even see this, but I am writing a paper for my Anthropology class on how traditionally people have seen the kitchen as a women's place but majority of top chefs are male. Any thoughts on this would be really helpful. Thanks in advance

[CrazyTATT]

Originally Posted by Pete

I think the question of women in the kitchen is at best an out dated debate, at least among the new generation of chefs. Any chef worth anything judges a cook or fellow chef by their food and work ethic not whether they are male or female. If someone can hang in my kitchen they have a place there no matter what their sex, but if they cant hang then they go away, again no matter what their sex.
I know women who are great chefs and some who have no business in this industry, but that goes the same for men.

Well put.

There is no "gender" card to play in my kitchens...either you can or can NOT, bottom line. I work w/, and have worked for incredible chefs of both genders.
I personally think this is a non-issue, if a women were to find herself in a position where gender is an issue, I'ld take the skills elsewhere. NO ONE needs to work in an ignorant or bigative enviroment.

[Andrew563]

wow, this one is back.

[kuan]

Originally Posted by schoolproject

I don't know if anyone will even see this, but I am writing a paper for my Anthropology class on how traditionally people have seen the kitchen as a women's place but majority of top chefs are male. Any thoughts on this would be really helpful. Thanks in advance

Until recently, every position of power has been held by males. The only exceptions I can think of have to do with royalty. Anything to do with money or the military.

In general, there are more men in positions of power because traditionally men made the rules. There are more men in Science because men have always made the rules. Men are better at sports because men made the rules. Would a woman have invented a game with a ten foot hoop? Maybe, but not likely.

Things are changing though. Women are playing men's games and sticking their noses into and challenging the status quo. Personally I have a distaste for this male dominated view of the world and how it plays out in our everyday lives, from what's considered the "ideal" height of kitchen counters to the colors our kids are supposed to wear.

[even stephen]

I am 6'1" and to tall for every kitchen I have worked in. From
corners on large hoods to spoon and pot racks. My back kills me
from having to bend over work tables when cutting. What makes
it worse is that its only a matter of a few inches. What's everyones
opinion on the specific hight that tables and equiptment are designed
for. I.E. what is the ideal height for someone who works in a kitchen.
There must have been a particular height in mind when equiptment was
designed.

[Jim C]

" For a Woman to be thought of as an equal, she must perform a mans job twice as well as he does. Fortunately for her this is not difficult "

[even stephen]

"A womans place is in the kitchen". Many great italian restaurants
are run by women. When you are in a culture that puts great value
on the daily family meal, you find women in the kitchen. It seems to
me that there is the possibility that as time goes on and views of women
at home raising a family, which is by no means an easy thing to do, start
to change, that perhaps all the women will have to reestablish their
presence in the commercial kitchen. Whether you are a man or a women,
raising a family or running a kitchen, it is solely each individuals natural
talent, training, and deep feeling for act of preparing food for people as
individuals, that will win you a place at the head of kitchen. It matters
not the size or style of restaraunt, but what you bring as an individual
to the table of your guests. IMOHO.

[Suzanne]

Originally Posted by schoolproject

I don't know if anyone will even see this, but I am writing a paper for my Anthropology class on how traditionally people have seen the kitchen as a women's place but majority of top chefs are male. Any thoughts on this would be really helpful. Thanks in advance

If you haven't already, get thee a copy of Ann Cooper's "A Woman's Place is in the Kitchen." She surveyed the membership of WCR (Women Chefs and Restaurateurs) and interviewed quite a few of the respondents.

[Jock]

I suppose you all heard of the two guys who found a magic lamp. They rubbed it and a Gene pops out offering each guy a wish.

The first guy says I want to be the smartest man in the world and lo, he becomes just that. The second guy says I want to be smarter than the smartest guy in the world so the Gene made him a woman!

Jock