I'm not what you would call the most graceful of cooks. Even during my best nights on the line, I'm constantly searing the undersides of my arms on the oven door or tripping over uneven mats. And at home in my own kitchen? Basically all hell breaks loose. Curses fly effortlessly from my mouth, splatters manage to hit even the farthest of walls, and if there is an open container anywhere within my vicinity I will find a way to spill it.
Let me tell you, it takes serious focus to maintain the semi-grace that I do manage to achieve while at work. But even with five different pans blasting away, a myriad of sides to finish and plate, and my own clumsiness; somehow almost every dish seems to magically come to together in perfect harmony on the plate. Of course, there are the times when a dish does not come together, not even close. But so much more often they surprisingly do. From the beginning cooking has felt natural- almost ingrained within my bones. Everything in the kitchen makes sense to me and every new recipe I attempt, while perhaps chaotic during the process, seems to work itself out wonderfully by the time it is served. (For the most part!)
I truly believe that cooking can be like this for anyone, and my mind is always boggled by people who swear they can't make toast (although I admit, toast can be seriously challenging at times.) Cooking is such a fluid and natural thing; all you really need to do is relax and trust that everything will come together in the end. So many people (myself included) want to constantly fix and fiddle with their ingredients, but instead, should just step back and observe. Rather than add more roux to your sauce immediately because it's not looking quite thick enough, wait a minute, see what happens after it sits on the heat for a little while longer. Of course there are terrible recipes, and mistakes that can't be corrected- which is where the 'different place than you planned' part comes in. So you opened the oven because you just couldn't stand not checking on your cheesecake, and as a result it is now sporting a fissure the size of the grand canyon? Looks like it's going to be a chocolate ganache covered cheesecake now. Winning.
The same can be true of life. Looking back to just six years ago, I had absolutely no clue what I wanted to do with my looming adult-hood. I would never have dreamed I would end up working in the food industry! At that time I was a junior at Berkeley who had still not managed to pick a major, let alone begin completing all the required classes for one (despite my wide ranging collection of credits). When I decided to take a year off and really explore what I wanted to do for a career, it felt like everything was falling apart. I enrolled in even more diverse classes at a nearby community college, including photography, archaeology, and fiction writing. I filled my extra time working part-time at a restaurant as a hostess, and regardless of all my schooling and array of classes, this was where I found my place. Ironically, it was in the lobby of a Cheesecake Factory that I realized my passion and my path in life.
During the past year my dabblings in the kitchen had morphed into something I constantly thought about and obsessed over. When it struck me that I could create a career out of doing something I had grown to absolutely love I was stunned, but somehow deep down inside, I knew it was right. I took that feeling and followed it through, trusting that everything would fall into place. Even though it wasn’t what I planned, I now have a job I can’t wait to get to everyday, a passion I love spending every minute at work as well as at home doing, and an amazing community of colleagues and friends that never cease to inspire me. Sure, it is not the place I thought I would end up, but it’s certainly the right one after all.
Until the next bite,
Jenn
Let me tell you, it takes serious focus to maintain the semi-grace that I do manage to achieve while at work. But even with five different pans blasting away, a myriad of sides to finish and plate, and my own clumsiness; somehow almost every dish seems to magically come to together in perfect harmony on the plate. Of course, there are the times when a dish does not come together, not even close. But so much more often they surprisingly do. From the beginning cooking has felt natural- almost ingrained within my bones. Everything in the kitchen makes sense to me and every new recipe I attempt, while perhaps chaotic during the process, seems to work itself out wonderfully by the time it is served. (For the most part!)
I truly believe that cooking can be like this for anyone, and my mind is always boggled by people who swear they can't make toast (although I admit, toast can be seriously challenging at times.) Cooking is such a fluid and natural thing; all you really need to do is relax and trust that everything will come together in the end. So many people (myself included) want to constantly fix and fiddle with their ingredients, but instead, should just step back and observe. Rather than add more roux to your sauce immediately because it's not looking quite thick enough, wait a minute, see what happens after it sits on the heat for a little while longer. Of course there are terrible recipes, and mistakes that can't be corrected- which is where the 'different place than you planned' part comes in. So you opened the oven because you just couldn't stand not checking on your cheesecake, and as a result it is now sporting a fissure the size of the grand canyon? Looks like it's going to be a chocolate ganache covered cheesecake now. Winning.
The same can be true of life. Looking back to just six years ago, I had absolutely no clue what I wanted to do with my looming adult-hood. I would never have dreamed I would end up working in the food industry! At that time I was a junior at Berkeley who had still not managed to pick a major, let alone begin completing all the required classes for one (despite my wide ranging collection of credits). When I decided to take a year off and really explore what I wanted to do for a career, it felt like everything was falling apart. I enrolled in even more diverse classes at a nearby community college, including photography, archaeology, and fiction writing. I filled my extra time working part-time at a restaurant as a hostess, and regardless of all my schooling and array of classes, this was where I found my place. Ironically, it was in the lobby of a Cheesecake Factory that I realized my passion and my path in life.
During the past year my dabblings in the kitchen had morphed into something I constantly thought about and obsessed over. When it struck me that I could create a career out of doing something I had grown to absolutely love I was stunned, but somehow deep down inside, I knew it was right. I took that feeling and followed it through, trusting that everything would fall into place. Even though it wasn’t what I planned, I now have a job I can’t wait to get to everyday, a passion I love spending every minute at work as well as at home doing, and an amazing community of colleagues and friends that never cease to inspire me. Sure, it is not the place I thought I would end up, but it’s certainly the right one after all.
Until the next bite,
Jenn
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