I was just inspired to write this and I'm sure there are many more things that you all can add to this list.
Why I love the kitchen
Flaming sauté pans, razor sharp knives, burned and blistered hands with nicks and cuts all over them, phone calls in the walk-in, pallets of fresh produce, fruits and veggies arriving weekly, controlled chaos and energetic confusion, the smell of meat roasting in the oven, the clatter and scraps of pans hitting the burner, the loud metallic clank of spatulas on the flat top, precision knife cuts executed flawlessly throughout service, the ticket machine churning out tickets at a steady pace, the chef calling for orders with the ferocity of a General leading his men into battle, the cooks reply in unison “Yes Chef!” to signify an order understood, the sizzle as another steak hits the grill, the strong smoky smell wafting from every delicious item being cooked before its quickly sucked up through the hoods, the hiss made as a handful of shallots are tossed into a smoking pan, the gallons of espresso, energy drinks, and caffeine that’s ingested by every cook before and during every service. The energy that begins to build as you and the brigade push hard through the dinner rush, and the feeling you get as it dies… The cleaning up and beginning of tomorrows prep list, closing the kitchen down to catch of few hours of sleep before you do it all again tomorrow, this, this is why I love the kitchen.
