Coffee Musings - 090507

It's not what I would do. It's what my boss told me to do. This is a quote from Heat by Bill Buford. This is exactly what is wrong with the professional culinary industry today. A rigid hierarchical system based on hazing parallel to what happens in fraternities. The mindset I'll treat my employee like shit as I was treated like shit, and look how good I turned out on par for the course in most professional kitchens. I remember getting yelled at by a cooking instructor at pastry school, and I was so shocked I didn't have it in me to yell back. Of course, at that time I already reported one cooking instructor who I didn't think was good enough. It was a draining experience, and happily for all involved I didn't complete the program.

Heat is bringing back memories of that horrid pastry school experience. Karmically it's good that I didn't complete the program. No matter what all the ills of society seem to be exacerbated with the kitchen; sexism, racism, classism. No matter how they are portrayed on TV, no chef is close to being a saint. The fucker just knows how to turn the grill on better than most. Ooooooh! This book is inspiring me to never eat out again, and support that bullshit system of treating people poorly.