"Taste everything."
That was what the first head chef that I worked for told me. I was new to the industry, fresh out of culinary school. And, I was the only pastry cook in the kitchen. Also, I was the only woman, besides my boss. I entered this world of hot kitchens, fiery stoves, and ticketing machines at the height of the holiday season. I was excited to start my new job. I dreamed about working as a pastry chef at a high end restaurant. But within the first weeks of my new career, I found myself wide-eyed and with a mind full of doubt, wondering if this was what I signed up for.
Burning cookies (which I have never done before), getting yelled at by my boss, and waking up at 4am to get ready for work were all things that were completely new to me. I found myself questioning my skills as my boss would ask " Did you learn anything at all from the school?"
I found myself wishing to be swallowed up by the earth when I had to be at the restaurant for 14 hours. But despite all the challenges that I faced, deep down, I did not want to give this up. I did not take this leap of faith and go through months of culinary school to give up before the end my first year.
So I pushed and endured. I endured the erratic work hours, the continual corrections from the head chef, and the doubt. And three years later, I am glad that I did. I have learned so much about pastry and about my character working in the pastry kitchen. And I am really glad for all the support: from my husband, my friends, and my family. I am even grateful for those times that my boss yelled at me because she pushed me hard so that I would know how to work in the kitchen. I've always enjoyed baking and pastry. But, a big part of the picture has been the experience and the character that I built along the way. And I have started this blog to shed some light into the lives of us who work behind the line, away from the trendy dining rooms or welcoming store fronts, for those of us who strive for perfection in taste, and for those of us who do it because we love it.