Christmas

My second day of Saucier started with salmon. I don’t think I have ever dealt with such fresh fish. They were exactly what they should be: clear eyes, no smell, and still had their natural layer of slime. I was given one demonstration…. Eh.. Not so good. But someone else came along and showed the easy and even better way I had learn last year when I first started training for competitions. It is terrible how much I forget from classes, but once I remembered, I was able to clean the next salmon quickly and efficiently.  It helped too that I borrowed a delightfully sharp knife perfect for cutting fillets. If nothing else I can do salmon. The pin-bones... they took a bit longer to take out. I didn’t have tweezers so I had to use my fingernails… but in the end, it was not a fish massacre! Relief!

I feel a little bad for the Saucier chef since the things that need to be done need to be done reeeeaaalllly well.  I am still in the kindergarten stage of dealing with meat and I honestly feel very uncomfortable doing the prep for the station since things need to be done the right way the first time… you can’t un”hack” what’s been hacked, so I am working at a much slower and tediously cautious pace. Even then I know I am making mistakes, but I know they know I am trying my best, and maybe by the end of these two weeks I’ll be able to touch more than just fish.

Another thing I need to get used to is working across from Entremetier. The protein and sauces are introduced to the plate last. I wish I had paid more attention to the flow between Saucier and Entremetier. Everything has a system and a flow. The Entremetier places the plates on the station then the vegetables and then Saucier comes in and adds the sauce and meat. If the sauce isn’t hot and properly foamed at the right time it can hold up the protein or the next round of plates on a ticket. If the protein isn’t properly cooked it holds up everyone. You can’t get ahead of Entremetier and you can’t get behind with the meat either. It is actually quite fascinating to watch, but even more so be involved in. It literally is like a symphony… Nope… It’s more like an opera with four-five different singers singing different words -but if done well and right, blends into a pleasing performance for the ear. The busier, the more plating, the higher the stress level, the greater possibility of a tragic outcome, but if perfectly timed: pretty darn awesome.

Today is the first of my two free days. I spent last night at one of my new friend’s house. Late night talking over a cold beer and mango gummies: She speaks really good English and we have a lot of thing in common. It’s lovely to have a friend with whom you can laugh over really stupid stuff and ask advice on how to be here. Sometimes I am not so sure if I should do or saying something around the Germans. I don’t want to accidentally insult someone or do something very un-German .  An added plus: I got to sleep on a comfortable mattress :). I met up with her again during her break today we had some coffee and cake sitting on her back patio and listening to the sounds of lawn mowers and laughing some more. Tonight, Maya and I plan to go get some pizza at the nearby restaurant and tomorrow we will probably end up walking to Sonthofen for more exploration and probably some more cheese and Tupperware for better and not so stinky fridge storage.

I’ve been here for 3 weeks today… Goodness.

The more I go to work and the better I get to know where everything is, the more I am enjoying the time here. There is an obvious majority of guys to girls here and I know that has effected how much I am able to get to know them professionally and within the overall properness of things. I know it is much easier for guys to come from America since they can immediately jump into punching the guys and hanging out in the smoking room with the other men. The guys here are doing their best to make us feel comfortable and to include us in the conversation by translating more of what is going on. There is a balance and boundaries to keep with them, which makes time with my German friend that much more encouraging.

Working in a kitchen is almost like working in another culture. Chefs work when others are out having fun: While most people take Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter breaks: chefs work. While most people work during the week and enjoy the weekend: Chefs play during the week and work hardest on the weekend. go to bed sometime between 1-2 maybe even to 3 or 4 and wake up around 12 or even later depending on the schedule. There is another type of humor, another type of language, overall another type of people in the kitchen. It is a mixture of arrogance, pride, teamwork, keeping up in good spirits, and bonding over painful burns, steaming food / melting frozen food, and organization of timing. Work to provide the guest with what they paid for: A delicious and stress free meal.  It’s the same here as in America that doesn’t require a translation.

Chef is always telling us to ask if we need anything, but I just feel really awkward asking for more than we have already been given. For example: cups and plates. I think someone has been reading my blog since the other day Chef walked up with a box full of plates, cups, glasses and silverware for the two of us to use during our stay here. Each of us got a pot to bring to our rooms too. Instant joy! I had another moment of keeping myself from hugging Chef! I am going to town and buying a bunch of tea and sugar for the coming cold! I’m very, very, Oh so very excited to see a cabinet of dishes and cups. It feels like I just had an early Christmas. =D

So, if you are reading: Thank you Chef :)