Last week I did a stage (a practicum) at a local artisan hand-made chocolate company. I can honestly say that I haven't worked that physically hard since renovating our condo from top to bottom a few years ago. Laying tile, spreading grout, sawing and installing laminate flooring and baseboards, replacing the kitchen and bathroom, and painting was just as tiring. In the industry, long hours are spent on your feet and your hands become your most cherished asset. Every knuckle feels as if it couldn't possibly bend again by the end of the day. No, these aren't my hands but they felt like it!
I remember making chocolates out of my home years ago but obviously that was on a completely different scale. In a production kitchen, there is always something to do even if you are a newcomer and feel clumsy and out of place. I lost count at how many tools I had dropped and people I had bumped into. My head was trying to keep track of so many details: where things are located, where to put and not put items, what is ready when 1 of 5 different timers go off, etc. I did enjoy it, even though I yearned for that cushiony office chair under my butt! What did I get myself into?
In that short week I was happily covered in chocolate, helping to mold chocolates, mix ganache recipes, create transfer sheets, pipe truffles and dip lots and lots of chocolates. One of the things I really enjoyed was lustering chocolates with different edible shiny powders, which give them a gorgeous color and sheen. Perhaps I enjoyed that task the most because my little hands got a bit of a rest.
Compared to working in the industry, culinary school felt like a vacation and there were days in school that I felt wiped out from studying! I probably sound like a big baby but I assume (and desperately hope) that one's body gets used to it, bending down, and leaning over tables to study what you are doing while keeping a steady hand.
I am most impressed with the amount of organization that has to happen to get a day of work completed. I guess it is like anything else. Everyone needs to be on the ball and it certainly helps that the head chef has a complete grip on the order of the tasks and what has the most priority. It is also intriguing to see how a small business is run and the amount of equipment and staff that is needed to make it successful. A strong team is key.
Even with all of my education thus far, I still get surprised at the amount of work and skill that is put into a product that is truly artisan it isn't easy. If people that go into the industry are astounded, I can only assume that the general public has little awareness or appreciation for the way our food comes together. When you pay $1.75+ for one handmade truffle that looks beautiful and tastes delicious, it is well worth it.
I received an e-mail a short while ago from a student that has just started culinary school. His first few days were incredibly exciting and by the end of the week, he felt completely humbled. I told him that we have all been there. I think I can speak for most students when I say that they may go into the program thinking, how hard can it really be? But you soon come to realize that this job is not a simple one. Sure, anyone can learn how to make something really beautiful in his or her own kitchen but try to pump that same item out in probably a tenth of the time in the industry, with the same standards, and you will appreciate it even more.
Tagged as: [
career
chocolate
food
industry
practicum
professional
]
Posted by Kimberley Slobodian on January 15, 2007
[
Add Your Comment [0]
]•
Email This • Permalink • Add to del.icio.us
Subscribe now with RSS or receive my posts by Email.
