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Today let’s talk a little about kitchens and traditions. Cooking is probably one of the oldest professions and over time has developed into somewhat of an art form. Good Chefs take pride in their education and training, and apprentice for several years, before they take command of their own kitchen. This is more typical in Europe than in North America, but I am pleased to say that this is changing there rapidly.
As an apprentice you work through all the traditional stations in the kitchen, but you are also the gofer and an easy target for the other kitchen staff. Especially the Chef and the Sous Chefs. I recall being sent into the backyard to dig up snails for that night’s dinner. I gave it my absolute best effort and actually came back with a small bucket of snails only to be greeted by the entire kitchen brigade killing themselves laughing, because I actually went for it.
If you goofed up, you got the pleasure of cleaning kidneys by hand. Let me tell you that you were able to smell the kidney on your hands for days. Peeling grapes, hand-slicing onions for onion soup were some of the other favorites amongst the apprentices.
But even with all that, it was an excellent experience. It taught discipline and the fundamentals of good cooking. Next time you see a Chef, just think of all the kidneys he or she might have cleaned.
This is only a small part of our traditions and I look forward to sharing more of them with you. In the interim stop by my forum and ask questions.
Remember cooking is a pleasure, so have fun at it!
Uli
The Fun Chef
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Date Listed: 2003-10-03
More articles:
 Dining
Chef Uli
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