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Two Things To Remember

Having completed 7 weeks internship in Chez Panisse Cafe's Savory Department, here's two things that stick out in my mind. It's two comments different chefs told me during the course of prepping and cooking menu items there:

"Taste Everything." When I first heard that, I kind of wrinkled my nose, "Really?" But how else could I tell if the chicken stock's gone bad, or if cardoons are cooked properly, for example? By tasting things, you are checking on the food you're handling, and simultaneously, widening your palate. Had I not heeded such advice, I wouldn't have experienced the mind-blowing taste of beautiful, organic, oftentimes raw vegetables (fennel bulb for instance - just sweet and delicious by itself)!

"Know Where You're Going to Land." It's one thing to start on a project, but where do you want to wind up? Oftentimes, I embarrassed myself in front of the restaurant cooks, trying to juggle way too many things. Too much multi-tasking and not enough thought. Learning to know where I want to land forces me to conceive of my task and set-up as a whole. From A to Z. A much more efficient, and less clumsy way of maneuvering around the kitchen...!

I'm now in Chez Panisse Cafe's Pastry Department. The above two mantras have proven useful already. Only two days in, and I am learning how to handle fruit for perfect ripeness. Ripe, under-ripe, over-ripe -- each state makes a vast difference in a piece of fruit. So far, I've been handling Hachiya persimmons (super over-ripe makes a great puree), Kishu mandarins (so tiny and darling), and Lady Williams apples (ooh, when firm, they are tart. When ripe, they taste like pears...!).

Also, as the intern, I'm in charge of all cookies. Just today my Pastry Chef said, "Each cookie is different," when I asked her when my chocolate wafers would be done. Each. Cookie. Whew, that is taking things down to a microscopic level!