Decision Points: and I thought cooking was stressful

For today's entree I decided to go non-conventional.

In all my 10 fabulous years of cooking, I thought I had the most stressful job in the world. Working in a high heat environment, sweating like a pig, smelling like a combination of marinara sauce and vomit. Arguing early in the morning with various purveyors for better prices, having my competitors restaurants fax me their daily menu, dealing with staff and customers. It just didn't seem like anyone had a more stressful time.

Enter 2008.
I started working for an airline where the highlight of my "stress" would be how to pour a diet coke. I wanted out of the restaurant business after a few botched attempts with relationships that thought I was overly obsessed with my job.
I enjoyed this non-challenging peanut brain job for about 4 months. Then I got bored. So the thought of returning to the kitchen occurred to me, but then  I remembered the good and the bad .... but mostly the bad. I figured I have to do something else with my life, something challenging.

So I started school at a local community college, got my AA in liberal arts while working for a major airline. I then transferred to a 4 year big boy college to get my bachelors in "Media Studies" (it was the easiest major according to my guidance councilor so I went for it).

Today we are in 2011, and I will be graduating May 18th from A NYC College. My attempt at landing an internship is so far proving to be unsuccessful and my internship advisor advised me to "dumb down" my resume.

Enter plan B

I have always toyed with the idea of going to law school, it was always in the back of my mind, especially since I sued my former boss and won some $$. I spoke like a champion in court, wearing a suit and tie, addressing the judge with words like "your honor" and "I object".
My dad happened to be there in court with me just in case my former boss tried to "put a hit out on me".
Even though I have struggled to maintain a good relationship with my father, the way his eyes glowed when I walked out the courtroom. He had a smile from ear to ear, I could finally see what he was proud of, what he wanted his son to be. He never said anything but "good job" to me. But to my mom he raved later (at least according to her). He told her he was so proud of me, and how professional I was and how well i spoke.

So anyway back to the topic.
I've been thinking of going to law school now that my media career doesn't seem to be blasting off. I consulted with my News Analysis and Journalism adviser, who is also a retired lawyer, and she told me that being a lawyer is written all over me and I should pursue it full force.
So I'm thinking I'm gonna go ahead with it. But I can't lie, school, work, decisions has put a huge burden on my social life. I seem to have none of that left. The stress of taking out huge loans, going into a field I know little about and working in a job I'm not sure I'm even going to like, all while devoting 3 years of my life, so at 31 i'll be a lawyer and I may love or hate my job but have to stick with it.

WHOA

Now that's stress.

The lost definition of a "Chef" due to new media

My new rant is about the word "Chef" being tossed around like every amateur likes to call himself a chef. When I was brought into this industry, earning the title of "Chef" was nothing but sweat blood and tears. One would be hopeful to finally work his way up from dishwasher, to prep cook, to line cook, to sous chef and finally executive chef

The term Chef has such a strong meaning to me and the other old-schoolers (or whats left of them, thanks food network you @$#%@$%$%@$#%4). Chef means you have mastered all the aspects of running the kitchen. Everything from food cost, to recipes, to working under extreme pressure, to peeling a box of potatoes in record speed, to maniac infatuation with your competitors and your food, eating living and breathing all aspects of your baby, your restaurant. So many countless nights I have been in my dungeon of a kitchen at the various restaurants i've worked at. So many nights where I would work till midnight then go home, only to return at 3am because I just thought of a recipe in my head and how it might be amazing so i go and experiment.

The dreaded food network and youtube in part is why I am frustrated with people throwing around the word Chef. It's as if everyone can call themselves a doctor because they visited earthclinic.com

Food Network and YouTube, allowed viewers their chance to shine and learn recipes from cooking amateurs that did a few favors to make it on tv. I have no respect for most of them.

Thoughts on Risotto.

I am one of the best Risotto makers out there and I can say that with pride(so can TimeOut Miami, per when I was the sous chef of talula restaurant in South Beach and the magazine dubbed me "Risotto King"
Risotto is a love process
you have to feel when its just right to add the liquid to the rice
slowly stirring with a wooden spoon
having a heavy bottomed pot
doing each order a la minute (20 mins average per order)

you have to put love in it, constantly adjusting the flavor, adding ingredients to modify it... and finally finishing it with lime zest and rock shrimp, or lobster, or mushrooms and truffle oil, whatever you fancy. and dont forget to ADD BUTTER ! the end result is a not too stiff yet not to runny product which tastes like heaven dancing on your tastebuds. perfectly al dente.

There I'm done with my rant. Fucking Cheers !