June 18th, 2010. The start of the change.

On the 18th I walked into "the day job" and walked out at 5pm an emancipated man. Free of the cubicle, Free of ActionScripting, HTML, CMYK, RGB and Storyboards. Was it MY choice? I wish I could say that I was that brave. I wish I could be as brave as to get up one morning and take my passion by the hand and walk out. That was not me, but now the change has been thrust upon me and I am going to run with it.

Any of you loyal followers out there know that food is the real fuel for my fire. Chopping, slicing, pureeing, baking, frying, sauteing....I love it all. Ok, maybe a little less on the baking, but you get the idea. As the dust cleared over that weekend I started trolling around CraigsList and saw a listing in the Food Service section that resonated with me. Fine food, cooked rustic and fresh out of a garden! WHAT! COME ON! The only thing was that it was catering. What did that even mean. What would that situation even be like? Was it going to feel like the high school cafeteria? Was it going to be boring antiseptic sammies and lack-luster cheese puffs? Not with an ad like they had posted right? Well I was right and wrong.

I took my new commute of the N, to the 7, to the G and landed at the front door of this new opportunity. Sharp knives, sharp mind and was wondering what was about to happen. It had been a few months since I had left the fine dining restaurant where I had interned and was Garde Manger. I have to admit, I was really nervous. I know I cook damn fine food but for a while it has been in the home setting. My speed was off, my pace was off and I hadn't had to answer to anyone but me (and my Sous Pug Moli). Would it all click, would I still be fast, accurate, and was my palate as good as I thought. It turns out yes. After a 10-2 trail I was offered a Prep/Catering Chef position.

In the last 2 weeks I have come to the conclusion that I dig what I am doing. I love food, I love cooking, and I love to see people enjoy it. The day to day pace of prep prep prep leading to a service of some sort at the end of the week is different, but not bad. I was worried at first that not having a service to look forward to might make things "boring". The service that we ran was exactly what I needed. That spark of "getting the food out" was there and that satisfying RUSH was appeased.

The timing is the one thing that I need to figure out the most I think. The planning for an event is a far longer concept than planning for service in a FD restaurant. Prepping the 4-8 dishes you are responsible for is a whole different monster than the prep for a wedding at the end of the week. Breaking down 3 cases of chickens is a bit different than the 30 portions for a nitely service. Again, not in a bad way. There is a certain tranquility to fine tuning a set of motions until it is second nature. Almost like the first time playing a song from memory on the guitar, the first time you break down a bird in 2 minutes, oyster intact and clean breast...it is an accomplishment. A tangible result. Not 0's and 1's on the screen but something in a hotel pan that someone later is going to say is the best chicken that they have ever had.

Maybe that is the whole thing. The result. Something to see at the end of the day. A rolling rack in the walk-in half full with ingredients that will soon make a lot of great grub!

So here we go. Same guy, new road. Look out food world I am on my way.