So…About this EXTERNSHIP!

So I’ve been quite aloof about my externship experience thus far, and intentionally so. Even now I’m not quite sure I’m ready to reveal the name of the Restaurant that I’m externing at however, I will say this …I am loving it! First of all let me back up and explain something about the externship. It is the last part of my Culinary Degree. In order to receive my Culinary Diploma (You know, the piece of paper that cost you some ridiculous odd thousands of dollars that seemingly regardless of what you‘ve learned, you are nothing without!) I have to first complete 210 work hours in a restaurant or some food related environment. There were various avenues taken by my classmates in this respect- including Test Kitchens, Volunteer Organizations as well as Magazines! But I chose to opt for the straight route- The Restaurant Kitchen!

It is a grueling 11 hour shift of blood, sweat and tears! Literally! I slice, mince, blanch, STAIRS, peel, chop, cut, STAIRS, poach, mix, plate, STAIRS, taste-taste-taste, puree, heat, plate, STAIRS…and so it goes! Day in and day out I sweat like a slave in a kitchen hotter than the Devil’s breath after a bowl of Chili in the depths of hell!! Seriously, it’s HOT! I run stairs maybe 10 to 12 times a night, carrying anywhere from 15 to 40 pounds of produce, meat and/or bins while I do it. At the end of the night my feet burn, my knees ache, and my back cramps and at the end of all this misery…I’ve never been more satisfied! This is what I came to do! I love the pace, I love the hours, I love the creative process; I love it all! I love seeing how separate components come together and create something not only aesthetically beautiful, but that tastes incredible as well.

I’m fortunate to be working in a kitchen where I am not being screamed at and generally, am appreciated! It’s a kitchen where everyone is laid back, and confident and just goes with the flow, all while putting out consistently beautiful and delicious food. It’s a tiny kitchen! On any given Wednesday there are only three of us, though on other days there are four. There are only three stations: Garde Manger, Grill and Sauté. Garde Manger is responsible for the Amuse Bouche and Petit Fors (complimentary bites at the beginning and end of the meal respectively), Cold Appetizers and Desserts. Grill takes care of Hot Appetizers, and grilled Entrees, while Sauté consequently is responsible all other entrees. I spend my time at the Garde Manger station (I actually run it alone on Wednesdays) and am fortunate enough to have an awesome array of items which I get to create each night- from Tartars to terrines; I get hands on experience with quite a bit in the kitchen.

The main incentive for me choosing to do my externship at this particular 2 Star, fine-dining restaurant, was undoubtedly my chef. The chef/co-owner of this restaurant is a woman after whom I would love to mold my own career. She worked in great kitchens before cutting out on her own, but all the way she was an amazing influence on the industry as well as the community around her. She has a record that speaks for itself! She owns/ co-owns a few restaurants around the city. Her dishes are amazing; I mean her skills and talents are unquestionable. I watched her breakdown an entire large duck (with Foie still intact) during a night of service and create a glass noodle soup, utilizing every part of the duck from the bones and the skin, to the testicles and the kidneys, in time to feed the entire staff at closing! But what really stuns me about her is her almost naïve humility. She is so laid back and approachable and completely open when it comes to speaking about her experiences, both professional and otherwise. She is truly someone to look up to, and certainly someone that I respect. I often found myself unable to speak around her in all of her quiet reserve in the beginning weeks of my internship. But that, much like my other concerns about being in the kitchen have long since faded. I was worried I must confess that I would get in the kitchen and feel like I couldn’t cut it or keep up. It was the test for me as to whether or not this was really what I wanted to do. Considering that I still get the grunt work of the kitchen, and do it all without complaint…I’d say that my heart is still in it.

I can’t wait for the day that I can own my own kitchen, create my own recipes and run my own show. But until then I play my position patiently, grateful for the opportunities that I have been afforded. Until then, I sweat, run stairs, and take direction with bated breath! A veritable sponge, absorbing all that I can so that I too can one day make my mark! Until then… Forks up!