Just registered after lurking for ages

[Whitey Ford]

Hi---

The board where I was a regular denizen is closing down, so I'm shopping for new ones. I've been lurking here for a long time.

About me and food service:

My first job at 15 or 16 was as at a Dairy Queen; I was really good at the curlique at the top of the ice cream cones. I worked in various hohum restaurants as a waitress, even tho I am not a very good waitress. Went to college for art, grad school for political science. In the lean times, tho, I could always waitress.

I always knew about good food because my mom is a very good cook---she was making pates from Julia Child when I was a kid. Sustained myself in New Zealand for nearly a year working as waitress in an upscale place. After I moved back, I started going out with an executive chef in the States---he was working as a rounds chef at a big resort upstate NY when I met him, but he had been an exec. chef at a big resort in the Caribbean for years until Hurricane Marilyn wiped everything out. We moved back to the Caribbean---he worked at a small resort as exec chef for a while, but then we fell into a situation where we leased a restaurant and ran it----16 tables and just the two of us---lunch and dinner---had to boil water to wash dishes. He's a grad of CA Culinary in SF. Owns and runs an upscale successful restaurant here in the states now. (Great chef/lousy bf)

Then I worked as a daytime prep cook for one restaurant during the day and garde manger at another by night. Moved back to NYC and had a hellish 3 months working as waitress at a very trendy and popular restaurant run by a famous husband/wife team. Made lots of money, but the scenes I witnessed there....well, let's just say that I once went to pick up and no food and no sous; I peered over and the sous and a salad guy were in fisticuffs on the floor punching and kicking each other on the line. Yikes! Was up the street from Po, so Batali came in often and I'd serve him three cosmos in a half hour.

Then I was working for a political campaign and met a guy who was a burned out chef---grad of French Culinary in NYC, had his own restaurant in Orange Co. NY that was successful for 4 years, but business died after 9/11. Hey, at least I knew he was a Democrat! We do catering jobs when we can get them and cook fabulous food at home.

So that's me! Oh, and my name here---Whitey Ford---homage to the famous Yankee ballplayer.

[Mezzaluna]

Thanks for the great intro, Whitey Ford! Sounds like you could write a book. I think you'll be happy here- we're friendly and respectful of everyone, regardless of experience, age, etc. (Just like the table at a dinner party, we just don't do politics or religion. )

Have a look around at the cooking articles, cookbook reviews and recipes. The special guest forums have some great stuff too, with some great guests: Harold McGee, Sid Cook, Rick Bayless and more.

We'll look forward to your participation here. Welcome!
Mezzaluna

[OregonYeti]

"we're friendly and respectful of everyone, regardless of experience, age, etc."--yes, they even treat me with respect I have fun here.

[Whitey Ford]

Thanks for the warm welcome. Yes, I could write a book, or a few.

Here's a funny story from my first day of work at the Dairy Queen:

Stacey, an older girl (oh, she was maybe 17), asked me to go to the walk in and get the big jar of hot fudge sauce and refill the hot fudge sauce warmer out front. I was sorta scared of the walk in, but I overcame my fear and ventured forth for the hot fudge and successfully refilled the warmer.

Then I had to return the giant glass jar to its place in the walk in. As I was lifting the jar, condensation had formed making it slippery. Just as I was attempting to place it on the high shelf---it slipped and I ended up bashing the bottom of the jar against the shelf. It shattered. Broken glass everywhere. Long strings of fudge sauce were dripping thru the wire shelves onto the hamburgers and precut fries, then streaming onto my brand new white shoes.

I didn't know what to do. I started crying. I was afraid to leave the walk in and thought I'd probably freeze to death in there. Finally, Stacey came looking for me. She laughed and got a broom and a mop and we cleaned up the mess. Ever have a chocolate flavored burger?

I tell this story to young nervous waitresses.