Phew, the last six weeks have been utterly crazy! I’m sorry that it has been ages since I posted anything, and even longer since I wrote about school/the externship. To be 100% honest, I just have not felt like blogging or writing, but today is the day 
!
My time at Vinifera has been more than I could have ever imagined! I was really nervous starting the externship because, unlike some of my classmates, I have never worked in a kitchen before and therefore was unsure what to expect. But from day one, the crew accepted me with open arms and I was put to work.
For the first two weeks I worked garde manger (the cold appetizer and dessert station) and the fry station (most hot appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, sliders, amongst other things). Soon after I started, Chef Bo and Karen (the sous chef) told me that I would slowly start learning the sauté station (ahh!!!). How scary is that, right? I started to work with one of the other sauté guys. It took me a few days, but gradually remembered all aspects of each dish, and before I knew it, I was working the station alone, with help from chef or Karen only when I needed it.
The sauté station is pretty crazy! At Vinifera, the station includes all proteins (fish & meats), every side that goes along with the dish (vegetables, sauces, potatoes, rices, etc.), a few hot appetizers, and even a dessert. So when an order comes in, I have to cook the protein to order, assemble all other elements for the plate and then plate each dish. Most days I am scared to death when I work the station, because I never know how busy we will be.
The craziest day so far was last week when I was running the sauté station and we got slammed out of nowhere. Chef was calling in what seemed like a million appetizer and entree orders, while also asking to pick up food. I was slowly but surely drowning. There came a moment when I stopped what I was doing, looked at chef and said “Chef, I don’t even know what I am cooking right now!” I didn’t think I would survive the night. He looked at me and told me to not lose him, keep my head clear and cook. He eventually jumped on the line and helped me plate the food and get it out. After the rush was over, I walked up to chef and told him how frustrated I was with what had just happened. He gave me some advice and then told me that the only way to learn is to be thrown in, and that no matter how much experience one has, there will always be that “oh s**t moment“. He said he knew exactly how far he could push me and that I did great. Chef made sure to tell me that no food went out late or wrong, he even had some guests come up to him the next morning (Vinifera is in a hotel), to tell him how great their dinner had been. The talk with chef lifted my spirited a little and made me realize that I had survived. Each day that I work, it gets easier and I am increasingly picking up my speed and confidence.
I have always said that watching a line is like watching dancers perform or an orchestra play! Today, when I met with my externship coordinator at school, I told her that I am gradually feeling like I am learning the dance .
So now you know the reason I have not blogged in a while, sorry! I promise that I will soon write a post about what my average day looks like, what exactly I do when an order comes in, any anything else you guys want to know. Send me your questions!
Until then, thanks for all the support!
