Hello to everyone reading this! I hope you are well. Every year around this time, I feel compelled to send out my annual, “please take care of yourselves while you are working in kitchens in Arizona in the summer” message. We all know that even in air conditioned kitchens in Arizona, it’s still gonna be hot, so hydrate, eat, put some electrolytes in your body, etc. Especially when those monsoons hit and we have to deal with that touch of humidity on top of the heat. I don’t know about you, but I’m really looking forward to my completely soaked t-shirt under my chef jacket for a few months straight!
On a happier note, I’ve been taking some time in between teaching classes to add some pictures to accompany the classroom portion of the Basics 2 curriculum. When I’m not teaching it really gives me the chance to dwell on making all the prep and all the finished products look as pretty as possible so that my pictures look as pretty as possible. It’s also giving me a chance to appreciate the craftsmanship of what we do every day. It might sound stupid, but even after all these years, I step back and look at the things we create, and I marvel over the fact that we even have the knowledge and ability to create such beautiful and delicious things. It also makes me appreciate the years of trial and error on the backs of all the cooks who ever came before us who tinkered endlessly to pave the way for what we do today. Sometimes I legitimately even say to myself, in my head, “Wow. I know how to do that”. It’s cool. It’s super cool.
I hope you take the time to appreciate your craftsmanship from time to time. We could always be better…every one of us. But, we have skills, and they’re cool, and they’re useful, and that makes all of US cool and useful too. So until next time, give yourself a little credit, find joy in your work, and keep being cool.