One thing that I have talked about a little is what it’s like to be a female in the world of kitchens, which ultimately means, the world of men. Any kitchen that I have been in has been full of males who burp, fart, curse, name-call, degrade, joke, and divulge sexual encounters. For me, this experience becomes more dramatic because I am a female and because I am a lesbian. What results is a unverbalized invitation to more sexual dialogue and more questions aimed at what I like to do with my partners. First of all, what?! What completely blows my mind is that, had this type of conversation took place in an office, Walmart, Safeway, or Starbucks, the person making the comments would not only be fired, but prosecuted! What is it about the chaos of a kitchen that makes it acceptable for males ( and at times females) to throw away every rule in the book when it comes to sexual harassment in the workplace? What is even more amazing to me, is that I am willing to justify their behavior because it’s a kitchen and because I like the people I work with? Why does that make it okay, especially since I am a female and a target? So, obviously I am choosing not to divulge where I work or who I am speaking of in order to protect myself and I want to avoid making my co-workers the poster children for bad behavior. The truth is, I indulge in their humor so in turn, I enable them. The point is, it fascinates me. I will give you an example for the sake of my topic. My first week at work contained many intense feelings and fears about the new environment and general fears about meeting new people. Within the first week, my sexual orientation was divulged because I don’t feel the need to hide it and I wanted to avoid becoming the prey of horny males. ( one in particular was really creepy, luckily he’s been fired.). Immediately, without knowing it, I invited in a plethora of really sexual conversation. I was immediately asked about scissoring…by my sou chef! Let’s say I was employed at IBM and my supervisor asked me about scissoring. Human resources would have fired him. End of story. Technically, after that comment I could have taken action, but i didn’t. Why? Because it’s a kitchen and I expected it. I was warned about it. Fair enough…right? I have even been called a bitch by my boss (he was of course joking) but again, this just reinforces my point that all rules are now out the window. What if the kitchen was full of women? Would they go around making sexual comments to the one or two males who worked there? Would they talk about their periods and orgasms like males talk about blow jobs? Do not get me wrong. I love the people i work with and have never laughed so much in my life. I have even had the opportunity to learn a lot from really talented people. I just provide this information as a fair warning to any female. I actually find this topic to be really interesting and funny. I enable what I detest and even enjoy it at times…what? What does that say about me? I want to work in a kitchen. I want to own my own restaurant someday. But what I have come to realize is that the kitchen is a separate culture. This culture sets its own boundaries, rules, and guidelines in which exploration is limited. Millions of people work in kitchens yet the culture hasn’t really been explored. Until now that is.

So I finally got myself on the payroll and am no longer an intern!  This has really been the most amazing experience and I couldn’t be getting more talented mentors.  The restaurant that I am working at does high quality sugar work, cakes, and custom ice sculptors.  They also do catering and tasting events throughout the city and I have been lucky enough to work most of those. 
To the ladies who may be reading:  I am not going to pretend like the kitchen is a haven for appropriate professional behavior.  If you are a female and cannot stand sexual comments then you might want to think about becoming a food critic instead.  The guys I work with are some of the hardest working people I know but they are also some of the raunchiest people I know.  Just a fair warning.  If you go in with the attitude that you will not take anything personally, then you will be just fine.
Anyway, this job has tested my emotional capacity to the extreme and it’s hard not to lose it when things start getting tough.  For example, how do you deal when you have 8 desserts being ordered at once that cannot take longer than 10 minutes to plate, and you’re working by yourself? 

The part that has been the hardest is getting used to the late night schedule when I have classes the next day.  I am finishing up my degree in English and find it nearly impossible to find the mental stamina to sit down and write a paper concerning Virginia Woolf.  When I get off of work I am ready to go out because you literally spend your entire night socializing in one way or another with someone.  I like the energy I get and it is definitely better than the groggy feeling I have after 8 hours behind a desk.  But, it sucks for school.  So, take my advice.  Be prepared to be in college hell if you want to work in a kitchen.

I am counting down the days for my acceptance decision @ the CIA.  Keep your fingers crossed for me!

So my application for culinary school is ready:
1. Paid $50 application fee
2. Sent in application
3. Sent in all transcripts
4. Sent in essay
5. Passed Compass exams
6. Internship
7. Send in letter of recommendation
8. Wait for November acceptance decision…

So my internship has been great.  I have learned a lot from a lot of really talented people.  The chef does sugar work that no other restaurant in the city does and it’s amazing!  So far I have gotten to just sit and watch what goes on at the front line; I even got to work the skillets making scallops, sea bass, chicken parmesan, and eggplant. You cannot imagine the pure adrenaline you’re on when there are like 15 people waiting for food and orders come in all at once.  Plus, being a new person you realize that you can easily screw up.  You also realize that there are about a million ways to severely hurt yourself.  I have already been cut, burned, and been knocked in the head.  The last few nights I have been on salads and desserts and that has been nothing but fun.  There are more ways for a new person to help out and our salad station is in the back of the kitchen so the traffic is relatively low.  The desserts have been really fun to do because of the way this place plates their dishes.  The chef will draw lines of chocolate onto the plate in circular designs and then let it sit and dry.  When it comes time to plate a dessert, all I have to do is color in the circles of chocolate with colored and flavored gels.  The only draw back to working in this section of the kitchen is that you are surrounded by the desserts that got destroyed one way or another.  If you’re a  lover of sweets then the little slabs of tiramisu or panna cotta that are just lying around are nearly impossible to resist.  You can get fat quickly if you don’t watch it.  The up-side is I have never had a job where I end up with a professional meal at the end of the night that is always loaded with flavors.  This is my dream come true =)  So far, no mention of possible pay or employment other than an intern, however I think I am getting some really good experience.  Maybe even enough to get a paid job somewhere else…or at least getting an offer so I can convince the chef where I’m at now to actually hire me.  But who knows.  For right now I am just enjoying the ride.

So, before I was having a lot of trouble finding an internship because I was not associated with a school.  Anyone that is like me and trying to get into the Culinary Institute of America and not currently in any culinary programs, may also have trouble. The reason for that is that chef’s have legal worries when you are not associated with a school work program.  I believe they are entitled to certain insurance when they are using students from a school as free labor.  BUT, don’t let this deter you.  I found a place that was willing to help me out with no questions.  I also had a very helpful hookup to get my foot in the door.  So, you also need to start talking to people.  Throw your name and intentions around to people in the business because, trust me, they remember you. =)

Jim Davis

Pizza made by me…with home-made sauce, fresh olives, fresh basil, mozzarella, parmesan, and crust from Lotsa Pasta.  (I Obviously have little skill with photography, otherwise I would have cared enough to move all the other stuff out of the way! oops)

Okay so I know this may sound ridiculous but a while ago I bought a pack of CD’s from Borders that tries to teach you Italian while driving.  I picked it up thinking it would be fun and I immediately put it into the CD player of my car to see what it would be like.  This system is like Sesame Street for language learners with songs and hokey skits.  The lame thing is, it totally helped me to learn some stuff. =)  I have a freaky good memory if things are presented to me in song form.  What sucks is that I lost the other disks in the pack and only have the first one now.   =(  I figured learning Italian would be helpful because I am planning to study there either for my externship or after I finish school.  I should probably update and mention that I applied to the Culinary Institute of America (which to me seems like the only option).  I looked at a few certificate programs that focused on Italian cooking, BUT they don’t teach you about management and hospitality.  Plus, the CIA has got the best reputation in the business.  I also read in a book that in order for your education to look more prestigious, you should go to the best school and study in other countries while you are still young enough to be dirt poor.  See, right now I am single, have no children, and no financial obligation such as a mortgage.  I totally love the idea of traveling and who cares if I don’t have a lot of money.  Could you imagine…?  Studying Italian cooking in Tuscany or Parma?!  This is not to say that anyone who reads this blog is interested in Italian food but this goes for any taste bud.  Say you’re interested in Chinese cooking; the next step would be to study in…you guessed it…China! =)  I have also decided I’m going to use the student loan system, although it is corrupt and built to put students into irreversible debt before they even start their careers.  But, such is life.  I will not let money stop me from having some kick ass experiences.  Besides, I’m in my 20’s and this is the time to party.  I even think you could get away with doing that in your 30’s because today, 30 is like the new 20.  (Or so I’ve heard!) 

Obviously my school choice won’t be right for everyone but make sure you do your research!  My case was a little tricky because I am graduating from college this December and am getting B.A. in English.  (YAYYY!)  I wanted to pick a college that wouldn’t require me to go through all the general ED again.  I am choosing the culinary arts associates program (2yrs.).  Because I love pastry, I might look for a certificate program in, lets say, ITALY! But you can tailor your experience to fit your lifestyle and goals.

By the way, I would totally recommend the magazine, “La Cucina Italiana” for Italian food lovers.  This magazine is AMAZING and gives you the best recipes I have come across. 

Just cook something…trust me.  The success of cooking a delicious meal will ease some of the heart-break you may be feeling. 

SPINACH AND PANCETTA STRATTA! 

A couple of days ago, I made the most delicious recipe suggested by Giada on Food Network. (although this depiction of chef life is completely glorified and inaccurate).  I have come to find that Giada has been ultimately responsible for providing me with the best dinner ideas I have ever successfully created.  The spinach and pancetta stratta was particularly good…if you like ciabatta, parmesan, pancetta, spinach, onions, and garlic.  All you do is brown the pancetta and add it to some cooked spinach, onion, and garlic (mix in some salt and nutmeg too).  Then you line a baking dish with cubed ciabatta, add the spinach mixture, more bread, more spinach (as much CHEESE as you like ;), and on top add a mixture of 10 eggs and three cups of (soy)milk.  Refrigerate for 2 hours then bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.  YUM!  I live alone and so far this has fed me for an entire week.  Let me also say that this is the perfect food to cure PMS cravings. 

I think I might post my AWESOME (if I do say so myself) recipe for Dumante Ricotta pie!  I will also have to post something about Dumante, because it is a travesty to do otherwise. =) 

I said earlier that many people told me I would hate working in a kitchen.  So I thought it would be important to tell someone who is interested in getting in the business, what it is like for a newbie.  

IT’S HOT!
IF you don’t like hot environments, turn around right now!  Professional kitchens are hot as hell!   I’ll never forget standing in front of the neatest looking stove/grill I have ever seen and thinking my skin might melt right off because I was standing so close.  It takes time getting used to and it really scary to be around at first.  There are huge flames coming out of the stove tops and about a thousand ways to burn yourself if you’re not careful.  You sweat and smell like all sorts of foods at the end of the night.  

If you are a girl, then you will most likely be one of the only in a kitchen.  It’s a little weird at first because guys don’t really know how to add a female into their kitchen space.  One of the first experiences I had involved this big burly guy talking about some celebrities tit’s.  Nice huh…?  You have to know how to hang with stupid guy talk.  On the upside, it can be hilarious at times.  

Some things I found out pretty quickly:
The floors are really slippery and you have to buy ugly non-slip shoes, you will cut/burn yourself at some point, someone will criticize or yell at you (but don’t take it personally), you will start hating foods that you used to like, (I don’t think I can ever eat bacon again after seeing how some places cook it), you sometimes have to do five things at once, your hands will be covered in vegetable sludge that eventually crusts on making it nearly impossible to remove, you will have food shoved so far up your nails (so no long nails), and you will stink by the end of the night.  (I usually smell like onion and garlic mixed with meat)

Interning is really important:
If you think you can handle all of that mess mentioned above, then you should think about looking for an internship.  I read some articles that suggested getting into a dish washing job so that you can see how a kitchen functions, but I would personally recommend against that.  I think it is better to offer free labor because you get to work right along side of some of the most talented people, get to ask any question you think of, learn a ton, and make actual food!  This experience is priceless because it pretty much ensures that you can get a paid job.