Carrot Top

I feel like such a slut. (Sorry, couldn't restrain myself any longer. It is still better than the other lines I had in mind...)

chefette...here is a more serious answer to your thoughts. It seems to me that when one starts in the kitchen, obviously it is vital to spend an immense amount of time and effort learning every possible thing there is to know. Each station. What can go wrong. What can go right. How to make things better when things do go wrong. Food. Beverage. Wine. Equipment. Plating. Endless amounts of things to learn. But when the time comes, if the situation is such where there is an Executive Chef...the responsibility of that person is to direct and train others and to maintain the support systems that will enable them to do their jobs in a pleasant and fruitful manner. It is important overall, for a restaurant that prides itself on consistency and excellence, to not be dependent on one person that is the technical star. What happens if that person gets sick? Therefore the job of an Executive Chef is to bring as many cooks right up to the same OR BETTER capabilities that they themselves hold. This means that everyone grows. Everyone profits. Also...it is good to remember that the experience of a meal is not just about the food. It is about feeling cared for. People do want to see and shake the hand and see the face and feel for themselves whether the care they saw in the food was a technical spoof or whether it came from the heart. Technique and hard work matter. But overall, the bottom line experience is to make the guest feel just plain loved...if that can be swung. That's what food is all about, to me. There's too little of this 'nowadays'. But then again, there probably always was....

I don't know what NSH means, andiesenji, but I double your sentiment.

Rogov...I admit that in this thread the original questions and responses that you posed in your article have been braided into a somewhat different loaf at times by my persistent and neverending aggravating (even to me) posts. I saw an opportunity to follow the path you had opened up...and rather to talk of the more basic parts of becoming a 'great chef', I took a bit of a turn and used what I perceived to be a chance to talk about things that usually we do not talk about out loud. What can I say? My sense of direction is bad, I get lost easily. So chefette's comments could be perceived as being 'right on the button', at least in terms of my posts. I did not go deep into the psyche of 'why' we want to cook...which of course is really the point of wanting to do good at anything... the reason for which seems to me to be an outpouring of the soul in a giving way. That, for me, is the basis of all interest in food at all. There is something sort of 'yucky' about the whole 'chef as a great thing' idea. But the people out there in the real world seem to like it...it seems to entertain them...therefore creating a sort of 'theatre' about the whole thing. Inescapable. Anyway...just wanted to clarify...whatever...a bit. Oh, plus. One of the original reasons for my getting lost down the path of 'how-to's' rather than 'why's' was that I got several PM's and emails from women who were unwilling to post for themselves in the thread, because they were afraid to expose themselves to possible criticism for the (natural) worries and fears they had. So I got mad. For them. Don't get a redhead mad.

chefette...I didn't copy your full post here, but I must say I love the way you express yourself. 'The sexy long hours'...different 'hair growth and appendages' really, I can't read this without laughing out loud, with real pleasure. Thanks...beautiful post.

I would guess that that is where all else would have to flow from, or it would be total bullshit, wouldn't it?

Burdock root is also used by Italians, though I am not sure if it is sold...or merely gathered by people in rural areas. It is cooked like fennel (though blanched first to remove bitterness), braised in chicken or beef broth in the oven or top-of-stove and served in the reduced broth with grated Parmesan on top. Good...earthy and hearty.

Your thoughts seem accurate and knowledgeable to me...and as it seems I have to keep poking at this to best understand it...some further thoughts came to my mind in response. There is this 'healthy activity in the middle' in both professional kitchens and other sectors of the economy in general, but the leaps to the top are not happening as much with women as with men. Recently I came across an article (might have been in the WSJ) that was discussing this phenomena, and the overall thesis of the article was, that after interviewing many 'top management' types in business as to why men were continuing to be promoted to the upper echelons over equal numbers of women, one vital fact was cited. When analyzing the skills needed to to operate well at the upper management levels, in performance evaluations the women overall were coming up short in one particular area...that of being assertive in business situations. Men, overall, scored higher in areas like...having a 'take-charge' attitude....being able to take an unpopular stance when they believed it and standing up for it within the corporate structure rather than being 'yes' men, and overall sheer assertiveness in business situations. This may not seem like it is something that would be required in a woman that wished to be a 'great chef' but unless she is going to be doing all the cooking, prep, service and every job in the restaurant herself, she has got to be able to delegate and lead well, so the comparison is valid, in my mind. When I read the article, immediately a bell went off in my mind that said "Yes! Exactly." For I remembered seeing this myself, in business situations. Taking this a bit further for comparison purposes, I ran three scenarios through my mind, all with women and men in the same situational arena. Let us imagine we are in Goldman Sachs, in the Private Dining Rooms, at lunch time. Again, I can compare this business atmosphere to the stressful atmosphere of a professional kitchen, for though it is quieter and much more 'elegant', the demand for 'now' and the demand for excellence exists here. In the first room, we are looking in on about twenty five people. Most are in their mid-twenties. They are all well-prepared for their work, all well-educated with newly-minted MBA's from Harvard or Wharton or wherever, and have been hand-picked for inclusion in this business. Right now, however, these well-educated people are actually the 'newbies', and they will undergo massive and stringent tests of endurance and smarts to see how they measure up and who will last. (For a good read on this particular subject, Jim Cramer's book 'Confessions of a Street Addict ' is wonderful, not to mention scary and hilarious. Jim was a 'newbie' when I was Executive Chef at GS...and he was in these meetings...) The meeting is started, questions are raised, comments are asked for, and the participation of the attendees is waited upon. You will see mostly men jumping in, talking, insisting something should or should not be done a certain way...being the 'squeaky wheels'. The women do not, on a comparative percentage level, raise their hands as much, insist as much, or jump in as much. Next room we will view a room of VPs...mid-level...men and women...dining with a client. Let's say its Bronfman. Or both Bronfmans. Two Bronfmans are always better and more entertaining than one. Here, you will see the women that have made it to this level, participating in the sense of 'outgoingness', in the sense of directing the conversation, much more closely equal to the men...but except for rare times (and rare...women...) still the men seem to dominate a bit. In the last room we will look in on...well let's imagine someone like (of course now we are just imagining, we are not speaking specifically and in no political sense whatsoever) ...let's make it two women and two men. Let's make it Henry Kissinger, Edward Kennedy, Golda Meir, and Geraldine Ferraro. In this room, you will find that there is no dominant male or female speaker...it is almost exactly equal in terms of who is taking the floor and who is directing the conversation in the ways they each individually wish. (There is one unbalanced tone to this group of people, and it is the intensely dominant male voice of Kissinger...a filling of the room happens when he speaks and it is dominant. But the other speakers compensate by lowering their tones, and speaking clearly and at a good level, giving impact to their words, so this dominant male thing does not take over...) What this says to me, this viewing of women and men at various levels of 'climbing the ladder' is that unless (again, sorry here I go) a woman has sufficient 'fire in the belly' to be somewhat assertive when in the company of men, the men will continue to dominate, for assertiveness is valued in the doings of business. It can be quite fearsome for most women to be assertive. It makes them feel like people will not like them, and that they are doing something 'wrong'. Could be true, that they won't initially be 'liked' for it. But if a person wants to head for the top, being 'liked' is not on the top of their wish list. Being respected, is.

Ouch. I just realized I'd better change my 'signature' quote.....

Unfortunately, I must say there are not a lot of great restaurants to go to here. That is an understatement, actually. University town, lots of pizza places and some coffee shop/diner/vegetarian places that one would not want to look too closely at, I fear, in the kitchens where the college kids/cooks turn over with great regularity and have little sense of either ownership or sanitation. One new restaurant has opened with a hype of being 'New York Upscale' type and it is doing surprisingly well. Technical capability in the kitchen, usually good service out front, and a bit of style overall. Thank goodness. Other than that, Roanoke is close by and has one each good Japanese, Indian, and 'Brazilian' (in quotes for the food has such a French angle that it is somewhere in between) restaurants. For a fine dining experience, The Greenbrier is about an hour and a half from here...and there is a small restaurant in Monroe County, WV owned by an ex-Greenbrier Sous Chef which is very good too foodwise but shaky in service and atmosphere.... Well...you know....I even get exasperated at the grocery stores....

Yes, it is in small self-owned food businesses where women thrive, it seems. It also would seem to make the most sense, in all ways, to take this route if one wanted to do something well and avoid a lot of mess and do things their own way. But then, of course, we come to the question of where a woman will get the start-up money in the first place. Here, in the US we are lucky to have SBA programs of all sorts that help people start businesses.Even some programs specifically for women wishing to start small businesses. But if for some reason one does not qualify for an SBA loan (you do need some of your own money at the very least), then one either has to have personal financial resources or someone to sign off on a loan. We are luckier than women in Israel, it seems, for Rogov stated that women there generally need two men as co-signers to apply for any loan. We don't need that here, but we do need some form of collateral. The forms of collateral that a loan would be assesed as being worthy or not to give, is both financial (which means one generally has had to work to get it unless one has a trust fund or family resources) and quantitative business experience which would state capability in the business being entered into. There are ways around this if someone is extremely canny and determined, to start on a shoestring and work towards more.This is becoming more difficult than it was in the past, though, for not only are customers demanding more in the way of how a place looks and the chi chi it gives off...but even health regulations are growing tighter and more restrictive, to the point that in some places, the older businesses are being grandfather'd in as exceptions to the newer rules, for many of them would not be able to remain open without total retro-fits. The equipment being demanded and the regulations of things like plumbing and even ceiling levels can turn into a budgetary nightmare. Even otherwise the amount of money needed to start up even the smallest food business is not small change. Rent or lease....insurance of various sorts...overhead....labor....equipment...smallwares....stock food items and fresh food items....decor....seating....more insurance.... The bank will require that the person taking the loan be viewed as capable of managing all these things in a capable manner. So therefore, it goes back to being able to attain...and show accomplishment...in the workplace, to begin with.

Yes, Fresser. It is most definitely traif. With all that infers...( )

Quite often the flavor of a grilled steak is enhanced by topping at service time with a small piece of softened butter that has been blended with minced herbs and lemon.... And of course Bearnaise Sauce, which is traditionally served with beef, is major-time butter madness. (Of a wonderful sort, to my mind ) But a burger...there is something about the texture that says 'no' to butter in my mind. Though there might be a way....mustard butter, maybe...

There is one aspect (at least) of Sinclair's philosophic viewpoint that I feel should be thoughtfully addressed...and that is the philosophy that bottom-line, there are things more important than aiming to build a career, which of course would be one's family. And she also noted that her feelings on this had evolved over time, in coming to this decision. Sometimes age, and time, do make changes in how one approaches this subject. In general, people in their twenties are not thinking...about the same things someone in their thirties forties or beyond...would be thinking about, or in the same ways. The thing is...that life is a progression, and if there is something 'important' in a way of finding truth... to learn, we each must do it themselves. And one person's truth might finally, not be another's. .................................................. I fell across a quote that seemed appropriate for this discussion yesterday...Picasso....(an old guy, you know, and perhaps his personal life was not what one would consider 'ordered' but nevertheless he did bring certain other things into the world)..."People ask me how I managed to do the things I did. My answer is 'I just did them, that's how'."

He's a doll, Rachel. What a smile!

I am curious as to whether there are discernable taste or texture differences between these. Also curious as to whether one stands head and shoulders (though really we should be looking at the other end of the animal in a ham but I am trying to be delicate ) above the others?

Or it could just be that is what they have come to expect from long-standing useage. One more thought came to me on this. During the final processes of consulting on the menus and operations procedures of a restaurant that was to be opened here (in the Southeast) I was showing the owner how to draw up the initial orders lists, with all the zillion details such as table butter that ones takes for granted. As I started to check off what she would need, while discussing it, she said "Butter? For the breads? Oh, no, don't order that." I was rather stunned, and asked why. For the breads...were to be brought in every day from a good local bakery. "It's not healthy for you" she said..."and plus, it costs too much." All the other menu components were headed towards 'upscale' (at least for this geographic area) so I continued my arguments for butter. No dice. She would not be persuaded. And there the place is....serving...margarine. Pah. I think there is a generation of people who grew up believing that margarine was somehow better and healthier for you...and can not change course from this belief no matter what would come along to say otherwise. Habit.

I've read some things like this before....telling us how guilty we all feel. I haven't noticed it in anyone.

Now I'm really getting mad, because not only have you reminded me that there is no real butter to be had out there, but worse...even worse...there is no MILK TO BE HAD FOR YOUR COFFEE. Sorry. Just had to let that out. I wonder now. Are the cows I see in the fields here still real?

My guess would be portion control and labor issues...i.e. the time (however short) it takes to prep butter for service. I have often heard that there is an unfortunate dearth of skilled and willing labor for the (smaller or Mom &Pop) restaurants in the areas of the South I've lived in. On the other hand, one can still often find 'real country butter' (you know, the stuff that really smells like a cow) in the local stores, and it seems to sell well enough.

Astonishingly beautiful photo....again! I am simply stunned.

OK I promise this is my last post for a while. This promise is to myself as much as to anyone else... I can not get any further in thinking about the ratings systems or critical acclaim because it is not my subject. Hopefully some one of the 16,000+ members of egullet will be able to shed some light on this if they hold any knowledge about this subject. Here is my final thought. In Rachel's blog this week (rsincere) she made the comment about a certain dish that 'You can't polish a turd'. Great line...and I hope she will not mind if I take it and twist it a bit for my own purposes. Sometimes all we have is a turd. (It might be said that the idea of women entering the world of professional kitchens and aiming for the top as in 'great chef' has certain turd-like aspects to it....) If there is only a turd, personally I would rather set to work on figuring out a way to polish it....rather than sit around and stare at it in endless fascination, discussing its shape, size and general stench. There's got to be some way to polish a turd.

Here is an exercise I entertained myself with last night. I imagined myself as different people. I was first a business person...first a male one, then a female one, taking clients out for a meal. Then I became a man taking a woman out to dinner. (P.S. Why do I say man taking woman out...because that is still the 'norm' and I must say it is staggeringly impressive to me how a guy ever gets the guts up to ask a woman out in the first place....that is one task most women do not usually approach...so thank you for those that undertake this daunting thing --or so it seems to me--). You could substitute woman taking man out, though, too, for purposes of the exercise. Then I became an individual woman or man going out to dinner. And I thought about...which I would choose, and why....if the option of two equivallently excellent restaurants were placed before me, one with a woman chef...and one with a man chef. This was an interesting internal exercise to do. Try it, if you like.... Tell us what you came up with, and why....

Yes, Katharine....one might want to add that 'hyperactive' category in there if you think about it... But not all men are like this, not even most younger ones. My belief, anyway. And let's face it...unless the guy is homosexual, there's a female in this equation somewhere. It is very amusing to me, that the idea of this ADHD thing in this situation actually came from my own ex-husband...who suddenly decided he had this disease, then insisted to me that this was the root of his 'problem'...in an attempt to persuade me that being married to him would be a good thing to do....and indeed, I would even be 'helping the world' by feeling sorry for one such afflicted person. I tell ya, life is a hoot!

Yes...and I have read of studies where people were asked whether they viewed a tall man vs. a short man, or a woman vs. a man...or a good-looking person vs. one that was not considered so....any number of these comparisons...in terms of what level they felt the effectiveness of the subject(s) would be in a number of different categories. This is real stuff, and not to be dismissed in any way. It is a part of everyday life so much that we mostly don't even notice when we do it..... But for someone who does not fit the 'winning' categories, there has to be some way to sort of improve their odds....no? Your comment on balance rather than 'role exchange' is fascinating. Do you think that the cultures that seem to support this (you mentioned Italy/Austria) hold something that perhaps other cultures might learn from if they wanted? (Though on this point....that one culture will look closely at another and try to change.... I find myself somewhat pessimistic, though I am willing to be persuaded otherwise... )