One More Week

I bet you're anxiously awaiting to hear why I had to go in yesterday at 2 pm. It was cold, raining, and minimums have been over for almost a week so what possible reason could there be to have me in three hours before schedule? I am not sure. Neither does the Sous-Chef who took one look at me when I walked in and said: "what are you doing here? You're not supposed to start till 5!"

I patiently explained that Chef sent me a message telling me to come in to work for 2 pm, and promptly produced said message on my cell phone. Her answer: "I will talk to him. There's nothing for you to do here, it's dead. Go home, come back at five." Would you have been angry? The fact that I live 7 kms away should have no bearing on the fact that I was made rearrange my day and go in early only to turn around and walk home. So what if I didn't have to drive 45 minutes to get here? It doesn't mean my time is not valuable. I left fuming. Came home and composed a polite, to the point email and promptly sent it to the executive Chef. The email ended with " I understand the challenge you face with labour costs but I ask for a little more notice when being called off work." Two minutes later my cell phone rang but I was in no mood to discuss the issue so I turned my phone off. Three hours later I purposely delayed leaving the house for my five o'clock shift. I had stuff to do and since I was sent home earlier because my services weren't needed I assumed the world would not be coming to an end if I was half an hour late for work.

When I did turn my phone back on and checked my email, there was an apology from the Executive Chef. He also called me at the end of the night to see how work was. He's never done that before. I heard he told the Sous I was pissed off. I was. I almost ended the email with "since it's the end of the season and my services are no longer needed I would be happy to relinquish my remaining shifts effective immediately. See you next year". I decided against it. He's lucky.

No TGIF Here!

I haven't been in the work kitchen since last Sunday. It feels like a long time. It is not good to be away from work for this long. I think I am beginning to understand those workaholics who do not take holidays for years and years. Once you're away for anything more than three days you start begrudging going back to the same job. Somehow in those three or more days off you forgot about the monotony of the job (in my case the mise en place, or prepping) and getting snapped back to reality gets you a little annoyed. That, coupled with the excitement I feel for my new job and the fact that the current kitchen doesn't lay me off until Nov 15 is enough to make this generally kitchen-happy girl a little cranky.

Crankier still when the phone bleeps and a text reads: "how soon can you be at work today?" I will be going in early, three hours early. Three hours is exactly the time it takes for a black-box test. Since we cannot possibly be busy (it's cold and rainy and minimums are over) I have to assume that I am being ambushed into doing a second black-box today. We've been warned by Chef that he is trying to get a second one in before the season is over but I was truly hoping to get away without having a second one. Fat chance. Others have already done their second one so I don't think I'm getting away. Since Chef knows that as of next week I am starting my other job and he might not be able to get me in, I think calling me early to work is a poorly diguised way to get me to do my blackbox. I should have said no.

It's hard to cook with what's in the box only. There is no chicken stock to make a proper soup to serve as an app. There's never baking powder or baking soda or yeast to make a dough for dessert (even if I knew how to make those things). There's no variety of herbs and potatoes, there's no cheese to make gratins. Preparing for it is almost impossible and this is why this time I refuse to prepare for the test. Oh, ok, who am I kidding? I'll probably chicken out at noon and start frantically searching for dessert recipes.

I should take my camera this time if for no other reason but to show Chef that I knew what was up his sleeve before I even left the house. He thinks he's so clever... Hah!

Sir, Yes Sir... errr.. Chef!

Yesterday I went to meet the man who is the head Chef of the opening-soon restaurant I'll be working at. This former U.S Marine says part of his experience includes working at The French Laundry, Bouchon as well as Canoe. The rather inexperienced apprentice/cook in me is impressed. Because I read, sometimes about food, I am quite familiar with Thomas Keller's story and the reputation he has. In addition, dining at The French Laundry -- or Per Se, as getting to NY might be cheaper than California -- is on my bucket list.

The resto was going to open next week but due to the fact that on Nov 7 both Chef, myself and another cook have other engagements that we can't get out of, the owners have no choice but to push opening date to Nov 8. It wouldn't do to have the restaurant open on Nov 3rd only to be open for three days and then close for the day on Saturday Nov 7. So I have to stew in my own juices for a week.

I am excited and nervous. Although I have been honest about the length of my experience and my cooking knowledge, I am picking up on this vibe that my friends and the head Chef seem to think I know quite a bit. They speak of the other line cooks as being "boys", and "junior line cooks." I want to say ... err, excuse me, I have a year of kitchen experience which makes me junior also! Sure I cook at home and have been for years and maybe I have a leg up compared to some 20 year-old that lives with his/her parents and eats mamma's cooking still but I am not sure I am worthy of the confidence placed on me. Our head Chef is a big guy, exactly what I pictured a Marine to be, and I have a feeling I'm going to be getting my ass kicked when I under perform. My only hope is that we don't get slammed for the first couple of weeks while I learn the dishes. It's easier to cook fast when you know what you're cooking, when you're almost on autopilot, instead of having to search your memory about a particular dish. The menu is nice, quite varied but maybe a little too big for the handful of kitchen staff and the smallish kitchen. We'll have to wait and see, I guess, and work out any kinks as we go.

I went in today for a couple of hours and Chef and I got the kitchen clean and ready to receive food. You know... scrubbed the sink, put things away, lit the pilot lights, put up some shelves, swept and mopped the floor (yes, that again!). It was nice being there, I think the place has a good vibe. Since it was just the two of us for a while we had time to chat a bit. I like the guy. I also learned that since he and I live the closest (as I mentioned, I'm around the corner and he seems to be just one street away) we'll be doing most of the closings. I'm fine with that. Honest. Just don't yell or swear at me, Mr. U.S Marine, Chef guy.

Happy Birthday To Me

The danger of celebrating one's birthday in advance, and for more days than the actual birthday day, is that when the day actually comes it almost feels like an ordinary day. It feels like an unbirthday, as Alice (from Wonderland) would say. My in-laws are coming over today. They're not coming for me, that's just a coincidence. They're driving to South Carolina tomorrow so they're dropping off their dog here for the month that they're gone. I'm making Boeuf (Beef) Bourguignon. All hail Julia Child! Before that I am going for the mandatory daily Starbucks (no change in routine there) and I am meeting the Chef with whom I'll be working for the next few months. Nothing special there either although I am excited about it.

I am sure somewhere in there I'll be doing some birthday stuff -- like receiving celebratory phone calls, opening the cards that I have yet to bring in from my mailbox, and whatever other birthday hoopla comes my way.

I wish I could go to Zelda's, the place where I celebrated my birthday five years ago, but it's no longer there. Although Zelda's didn't actually "go under", it merged with another locale and also changed locations. I believe it is to be called Zelda's Living Well, or some such thing. Jen and I had our first date at Zelda's the night of my 30th birthday. We had met on a previous occasion and had coffee, which later turned into dinner, but as we didn't see it as a date at the time it doesn't really count as one in my book.

I begged off work and Lauren who wanted an extra shift took mine. As such, I am off today and tomorrow leaving me wide open for partying. Perhaps on Thursday after the in-laws leave I might venture downtown for a beverage or five to forget that I am getting old. Well, maybe I'm not. So far, 18 minutes into it, I don't feel old at all!

Officially An Apprentice

This morning, after a brief message from our Executive Chef, a woman from the Ministry of Ontario showed up with apprenticeship enrollment forms as well as apprenticeship packages for those of us entering the program. We filled out the forms together and she thoroughly explained the requirements to completing our apprenticeship program. It all sounded very serious. Not that I wasn't taking this seriously before she came but her being there made it all finally seem real.

A condensed version of what was explained would go like this:

• there are 6000 hours that an apprentice is required to have worked in order for the apprenticeship to be considered completed
• of the 6000 hours, all kitchen experience prior to the formal schooling is considered (so our breakfast cook who has been with the club for 5 years has fulfilled that requirement already before even entering the program)
• your Employer (read: the executive Chef) is to sign off on all the sections within the apprenticeship booklet that the apprentice (me) has completed.
  
• Do not wait till the end of the year to have your book signed because no Chef will be willing to sit down for an hour to sign off on all your units. Go through your book periodically and ensure that as you complete your units your Chef signs off on them.
• If you already know you will be out of town during the 10-week school period, do NOT enroll in the program as no more than two absences are allowed unless death or dismemberment. (ok, I added the dismemberment part, but that's it in a nutshell)
• Your schooling counts toward the 6000 hours
• There are no OSAP loans for this apprenticeship program
• The cost to you (in my case covered by the employer) is $600. The Ontario government foots the bill for the other $6000 that a culinary program costs.
  
• Upon completion of your first year you qualify for a $1000 grant. It is not a scholarship, therefore a mere completion is all that's required for you to get $1000. Another $1000 is given at the end of the second year with an additional $2000 when finishing the apprenticeship program in its entirety. Total grant money per applicant $4000.
• Do not switch employers during your apprenticeship. If you do, be sure to notify the ministry and have the proper forms completed so the Ministry is aware.
• Do not change residences during your apprenticeship. If you do, see above point. If you live at home, be nice to your folks because you'll be there a while. Being an apprentice earns you minimal wages so you can't afford to move out on your own.
  
• I assume you all have a grade 12 education and expect a fax with proof of same. (**raised hand: sorry ma'am, will a University degree do?"
• Do not assume you are enrolled in the winter 2010 program as seats are limited and notices have already been sent to those who applied. We guarantee you will go to school, it just might not be in January. (well, f**k me, how come I didn't know this part before?)
• Go home and wait for your notice.
  
• Thanks for coming out.