Tide is high

The picture above is a note written by another female chef during times when she questioned whether becoming a cook was the right thing to do.  It’s written by a very talented Chef friend of mine by the name of Susan Burrows.   While studying abroad in Russia, Susan fatefully decided that she would  start her culinary career…she then jetted off to Paris where she worked on the line with men who gave her “twisties”- we can only imagine.  She now calls the Bay area home and works in San Francisco.   The original sentences of the photographed note was in Russian..she kindly translated the note for me and for those that did not study Russian Literature.   She wrote these words to remind herself WHY she continues to cook.   In the end it is always “…you have to love it.” Susan now works at Sebo Sushi and has become one of the most influential women chefs in my life.  GO SUSAN!!!!!!!!!!!

You have to remind yourself why you are doing what you do, from motherhood to cooking to dancing to writing to planting to painting…

It all requires a feeling of satisfaction….A soul worthy jolt of love.

I start a new job as well as a new position on the line.  Learning new ideas and all while trying to dominate what insecurities that I may have with gaining more experience.

When life launches you such bold and shocking internal questions…I suppose you have to ignore them and make a list like Susan did and what I have done to make sure that you are doing the right thing…true ambition…become completely immersed in your craft.  This happens to most women…as always we tend to THINK TOO MUCH.

Woman have it hard in the kitchen…on the line…I was once told that I needed to “…work ten times harder because you are a woman…show those guys.” I didn’t know how to take that comment…or was it criticism???   Was he commenting on how I act??  This wreaked havoc within me for weeks because I kept internalizing the comment, it made me question my worth and abilities… But more women are learning to battle through such comments and those women eagerly await the sweat and limitations that face them.  I suppose you just have to grab what you can and consider it a lesson…I’ve told some men line cooks about this and they agree with what he has said…women on the other hand think that it’s completely absurd.  All we can do is cook and ignore all external activities I consider a comment like this not only a lesson in patience because honestly I felt like I wanted to punch him…but it’s really a blemish that can easily be cleaned of.   It also creates character.

Below are pictures of a cake that a co-worker of mine gifted me.  The cake reads “dang girl i’m gonna miss working with you“.   Kim is so great!!  She is another dedicated Chef friend of mine that is loving every moment becoming a woman chef.  She currently works at Zuni Cafe.    Kim has a beautiful voice and was once classically trained to become an opera singer.   I sat down and listened to Maria Callas with her, as she explained to me why this woman was so magnificent and skilled…she got a bit emotional and it was one of the prettiest things that I had seen.

The cake was a DELICIOUS!!! It was a Red Velvet cake with Chocolate Ganache and a Cream Cheese frosting.

It’s women like these that become my pillars of strength.

P.s Mom I didn’t forget about you because you are my strongest and thickest pillar to date.