Heres a story you all might like
Since I was a little one have always enjoyed cooking, early 70s was cooking for the family mom taught me well. couple years later I wanted my own phone, dad told me son if you want a phone you need to get a job.
ok was 15 at the time back then you could have a motorcycle license before getting one for a car, so applied for a dishwasher job at Clementines , got the job and kept up my scores up at school, got the phone..big dog on campus. So thats how I got back and forth to school and work
After 2 two years slowly moved up from dishwasher to prep cook to asst cook to head cook in my junior year. Mr. Lieberman was a wonderful person and took the time to teach me.
had all my points so to kill time took home economics <cooking class> Mrs. Heinz was showing how to make a soup, and I ask what if you add this and that, could see that she was ruffled about my question and asked if I would like to do the class<she had no idea what I did in the evening> so I said yes.
The following week made presentation in detail on making a 3 course dinner.
Starter was a Caesar salad with the dressing made from scratch
Main course was shrimp scampi over a bed of chicken and saffron rice
For dessert was a apple crisp with vanilla ice cream
Mrs. Heinz was impressed as well as the whole class. Cynthia bladwin said you know thats what we get down at Clementines, finally fessed up that I what the head cook there. Well of course got a A+ and for course my senior year as well<teacher aide>
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Too move along a few years<20 years> had the privilege to be trained under some of what I think of the best chefs in the area, was trained in Swiss, German and Italian old school cuisine cooking. Finally have to say but I got burned out on cooking. Became a otr truck driver for a couple year, now the director of maintenance of a tire retread plant, but still to this date I love to cook not professional but at home.
But after 12 years of doing maintenance, lately keep hearing in the back of my mind go back to cooking. You know in the long run its just not worth it, the children coming out of community collage culinary classes, being paper trained have a better chance then myself to get a job, would rather spend all day cooking for my friends and family and have a smile on their face is payment than go back to a 15 hour day.
So yes there is always time to cheat in the kitchen, if you do it right. But there are times you do not want to change it.
By the way you remember ms. Baldwin? We have been married since 1985
and yes there are day's we go comfort food and then there are days stay out of my kitchen ....