Kitchen duty

This week I am on the chef's station. People working here make gravy and stock as well as preparing and cooking the raw meat. There are ovens, a large flat griddle, deep well frying oil, and a couple of multi burner gas stoves. The stocks and gravies stay warm on these stoves in double boiler type water baths. It's pretty warm in the area, even with overhead exhaust, and faces are pink most of the time. It's interesting to watch the various people present around the kitchen and their participation. Not everyone functions with the same level of interest. The second year students are taking management classes, so they are usually pretty efficient.

Apparently we do not wash the pots and pans or run the dishwasher. There are carts for dirty whisks, ladles, and pans, and a room where several non students are busy cleaning. We only wash(and sharpen) our own knives.

Class is from 8-9am, and today George is going over jobs to be had after one finishes culinary arts classes. As he describes them, he reinforces my hunch that all of them are tough and very few people make a fortune. It's like the lottery...if one has an idea that takes off and sells, there is a chance for the big bucks. He tells us about a friend of his who is a success at making and selling soup. He pays his son $2,000 a week and the kid refuses to take over the business. (I wonder why)!