Life in the Culinary Industry
When any of us decide to pursue a culinary career the only thing we think about is making great food. Even just setting foot into a culinary school I had no idea just the amount of stress you put on yourself to make decent food. Another thing we don’t really think about is the physical aspect of this job. There is standing yes, but there is also running, cutting, lifting, cleaning, all while in a sweltering kitchen for 12-14 hours a day- on top of all of the noise and stress it’s a wonder anyone stays sane at this job at all.
I do believe you need to have a certain frame of mind when cooking for a restaurant. People don’t want their food now, they want it RIGHT NOW, and it better be perfect while you’re at it too! You must really love adventure and adrenaline, heat and close quarters. If you are lucky you have a great team of equally insane people to back you up and get you through the very long day/night.
There are also many hazards to be considered while working in a kitchen. As I always put it: We work with knives and fire. If you are like me, you like a sharp knife…a really sharp knife. Sometimes we forget to keep our boards dry, and bam! A slip of the knife, and say bye-bye to your fingertip! Lucky for us though, we learn how to properly dress a deep cut after about two gashes or so. The same goes for burns. How many times have we grabbed a pot that’s been over high heat with our bare hands? Or reached into the convection oven and grave our forearm on the grates? It’s dangerous stuff!
On the more subtle side of working in a kitchen: being on your feet. Even if it isn’t crazy in your kitchen, you still have to stand up. All day. Of course you do build up a tolerance to it to some degree, but after about ten years or so, your knees and ankles (and lower back) will remind you just how precious sitting actually is. Make sure you buy really good shoes and socks with support. They aren’t glamorous, but they will save you a world of pain.
Let’s get to the real heart of the matter: you. So you manage to avoid the slings and arrows of your work day. What’s left? Time at work is time away from friends and family. A lot of us become part of a “work family” and hang out with our coworkers after work.
After a long day, you come home to your spouse and maybe your kids (who missed you!) and your responsibilities at home. Even with all the stress at work, it doesn’t make the things you need to do and the people you need to care for go away. It can be tough, and I highly recommend making the most of your time off (which also is hard to come by especially during the holidays). Saying goodbye to your weekends and holidays is probably the most difficult part of our jobs. Even taking time off can be difficult because you feel like you are letting your work family down. In order to avoid getting burnt out, take time off and bask in the glow of taking a moment for you. You’ll come back to work refreshed and even more capable to deal with the whirlwind of fire and knives and food.
