Ms. Glaze's Pommes d'Amour

It's Just Food

"Amy stop freaking out. It's just food."

"I'm not freaking out."

"It's written all over your face. It's just food."

"It's not just food. It's NOT just food. How can you say that? I have tons of mise en place to finish by 4:30P.M. and I'm not even close."

"It will get done."

"Yeah, but not by 4:30 P.M. and I have to set up the station and I don't even know where it all goes yet and I haven't even toasted the croutons or plated the..."

"Look. It's just food."

"Are you crazy? If you have nothing to do then why don't you help me out?!?!"

(laughs) "Sorry, I have to get back to my station. But Amy, really – it's just food..."

"Don't talk to me."

"Relax."

It's irritating when a 25 year old hot shot departs sage words of cooking wisdom to a freaked out in-the-shitz 34 year old. Even more enlightening when he's absolutely right. Damn, I hate that.

It's just food.

This new cooking mantra, as I've learned, can be applied to everything that is spinning out of control – it's just a haircut, it's just money, it's just work, it's just New York, it's just ...

Of course the reality is that food is not just food. You've got to care deeply about it to spend day and night in a kitchen. And we all care. But it's not a life or death situation either. It might seem that way at the time, but it's not. Hence, the beauty of the "It's just..." mantra.

Some cooks have mastered the art of making total chaos look like a beautifully choreographed tango. Some enjoy it, live for it, get high on it. And then there's me who, if not 100 percent prepared by the time the first reservation rolls around, starts to panic.

Panic and fear helps no one in the kitchen. Or in life. When I start to freak in the kitchen here's what happens: I do everything ass backwards. Even the muscles in my hands that know how to chop, cut, dice, and slice better than my brain ever will start second guessing themselves and all my preparation turns out like merde.

I make bad decisions. I don't finish tasks completely. I spend half my time going and back and forth to the walk-in refrigerators to grab items I should have taken all at once the first time around.

I waste time.

I cut corners causing myself to re-do things I should have done correctly to begin with. Like maybe I should have dipped the apples in the lemon water before cooking them and letting them turn brown? Or perhaps I should have used the baby carrots the sous chef talked about the previous day instead of the regular carrots? How about making the brunoise a brunoise not a mish-mash of different sizes? Or plating the salmon like I was shown – not like I was in a hurry?

I can't think, prioritize, or organize.

My inner voice starts screaming: I am a complete and total failure. I suck. Shoot me now. Why am I here? You're too old. Too slow. Too, too, too...

But really, it's just food...

(sigh)

The Professional Edge

My first day on the job I took a look at what knives all the chef's were using and sure enough everyone had Japanese cutlery. After questioning the saucier about whether or not Japanese knives really do make a difference he put it to me like this:

"It's your profession. You use a knife all day and you should have one that you can sharpen easily and that stays sharper longer. Japanese knives are expensive but it's like – why race in a Pinto when you can win in a Porsche? Why wear a Timex when you can sport a Rolex? If you're cooking at the top level then don't you want to have the tools to take you all the way?"

Why, yes I do want to have the very best tools.

So I took his advice (and many of you who left comments on my last post) and headed to Korin's knife store in Lower Manhattan.

Wow! I knew nothing about Japanese knives. I mean, I had heard of Shun (which they don't even carry) and Global (which they do carry, but they don't display) but Masamoto? Nenox-Honyaki? Misono?

These knives have tradition behind their names. Serious tradition. In some cases dating back over 800 years. Many of these families made samurai swords and now have turned their attention to crafting knives.

I asked the sales lady to show me a range of chef's knives in different prices. She pulled down a ridiculously expensive Ninox that was beautiful but out of my budget. The next one she displayed was a Masamoto Virgin Steel (first press steel that is handmade and not reformed over) that was sharp enough to split hairs but also too pricey.

And then she laid down a mid priced one and I knew immediately if was for me. Yes, I might be a sucker for marketing, but the dragon etched in the blade caught my eye. I had heard of the name, Misono, which is known for making excellent blades with pure Swedish steel – some of the purest steel in the world right now.

I picked it up, felt it in my hands, and handed over my credit card.

My knife is amazing. I had no idea how much difference it could make in daily preparation, speed, and accuracy.

It's true they require a little more care. Mine is carbon steel which can rust and should not be used to cut acidic foods. Also, they need to be sharpened on a wet stone preferably at the end of ever 12 hour day to keep the edge sharp.

Any sharp knife serves it's purpose. And nothing is more frustrating than a dull knife in the kitchen. What might be right for me, is not necessarily going to work for a home cook.

But after using Japanese knives I will never go back. Now I open my after shift beers with my Wûstof knives – at least they're still getting some action ;-)

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