4

There were three tables again last night. I went home around 11 while the two who stayed left closer to 12 because of one person. One person came late to the reservation… the other 8 made it on time. Then ordered dessert… The nerve! Hehe… I’m so often that person. Here I am looking at it from the other side….

I took a lot of pictures but today when I was trying to transfer them to my laptop I couldn’t. I inserted the card took it out, reinserted it, but my computer will not identify the card. I’m really annoyed since I have all my marzipan animals, a series of pictures from one of the prettiest walks I went on, and then the plates from The Silver Distal…. Bah humbug. I looked at the card and there is a small crack. I don’t know if this is the reason... it still works in my camera and I “ghettoed” it with a piece of masking tape just to be safe … but my laptop still didn’t like it. I have a cord to transfer, but it is at home… Arg.  I’m sorry to say I don’t think I’ll be posting any more pictures till after I get home!

I spent the first 2 hours of my morning peeling peas. A few days ago I took these peas out of the pods. Today with one of the other chefs I was peeling each, individual, single, solo, solitary, single pea. Two hours people. Two hours. Yes, the carrot situation yesterday was nothing in comparison. This is two hours of peeling peas. At least with the carrots you see the final product… the perfection… the consistency… Here it is just peeling this little skin off this little pea. If it was up to me I would be providing more fiber in people’s lives and leaving this skin on. But it is not up to me… and I am still trying to wrap my mind in this mentality of absolute and complete perfection. I thought I was a perfectionist… Now I am not so sure! It is one of those details that someone who knows food would notice and you would hope some idiot doesn’t chose to come eat because he / she was bored. This is where a chef is allowed to storm into a dining room and yell at the guest for pushing an ingredient aside and saying, ”eh… it’s just a pea.” I can imagine myself now as the round red faced chef looking at the timid waiter holding the plate with a few morsels left on it. “Just, a pea! No..... This is not, Just a Pea! This is cuisine at its finest! The hours, the effort, the favors, the textures! Just a Pea!” … That was the little cartoon playing in my head to keep myself sane during the pea peeling… I understand why some of the best chefs can become so cranky. Not that it justifies their rude behavior, but I can see where it can be ignited.

Even last night I had to laugh (inside) when one of the waiters came back with a plate. It had 3 untouched slices of truffle left. The chef stopped the waiter, shook his head and ate them. He then looked at a small cup of leftover truffle jus – “Do not throw that out.” These weren’t just any truffles they were a special truffle from France and the chef had the proudest look on his face when he opened the container and passed it over to me to smell. He was so eager to use it… and here it was rejected and pushed to the side as if it were nothing. I understand his reaction… For it really was a waste.

There isn’t much I can do in the kitchen except watch and stay as much out of their way as possible. I’m going from chopped liver to don’t even bother with the chopping… just be the liver. Yes, it is awkward and the kind of position I truly abhor being in, but I can do this. Tonight was better than last night: 29 guests and a bit of a rush to enjoy watching. I was able to plate the first 2 courses since they are small and don’t require me to move around too much. Then I cleaned some mini lobsters and then watched. Soon in died down enough for me to help with the Entremetier side of things and taste around the different pots of sauces. It had its moments of fun between the awkward pauses, but overall it was good.

… It’s only four more days. Crazy! I see that number four and can hardly believe it. Three days till I see my parents… Then I am gone.

And it is here I must insert……. um…………………………………… where is my snow?

How rude.