The Recipe of Comfort
Most of my childhood memories are of my family, cooking together. I grew up around good food, watching my parents cook, and was always taught to appreciate and enjoy food. This example has influenced my love of cooking and the desire to be a part of the culinary world.
When I was 15 years old, I started working as a busser in a restaurant located in Deer Isle, Maine called the Whale’s Rib Tavern. Every day spent at work, I found myself growing more and more intrigued with the inner workings of the kitchen. I longed to be inside, immersed in the chaos. I secretly found comfort in the idea of constantly having to be on your toes, anticipating the next move, and working together with fellow employees to accomplish the task at hand. I only spent one summer as a busser before I asked to be thrown into the fast-paced intensity of this seasonal restaurant kitchen, and it became one of my favorite places. The mixture of the people, the energy, the craft of cooking, and the commotion actually created a recipe of peace for me. That summer became one of the greatest learning experiences and solidified my determination to seek out an education in the culinary industry.
At the Whale’s Rib Tavern, I started off in the pantry, focusing on salads and desserts, moving on to exploring other areas of the kitchen, including the oven/fry station, grill station and expedite station. I enjoyed and did well in all of these areas, but knew that my focus and passion have always been in the sweet side of production. I love the structure of baking; I find a sense of calmness hidden in every recipe, and I like knowing that if I follow certain steps I will get the same result. The ability to combine a few simple ingredients and transform it into something not only delicious but surprising is one of the most thrilling aspects of baking for me.
Most recently I held the position of summer lunch cook at The Seasons of Stonington, in Stonington, Maine. Since working there I had been given a position that required more leadership. My responsibilities included helping with menu selection, food preparation, and food service.
Through cooking in close proximity with my family, I have seen how food can bring people together. It allows people to experience collective pleasure in what they have created, having the ability to make mistakes, fix them, triumph, and rapture in something they created. Baking something that people enjoy and can take with them out into the world to share with others, whether it is a warm piece of bread with butter, or a fresh berry tart, results in my personal sense of satisfaction. I know that culinary school will give me the baking skills I desire and will open doors for me to achieve my goals.
When I was 15 years old, I started working as a busser in a restaurant located in Deer Isle, Maine called the Whale’s Rib Tavern. Every day spent at work, I found myself growing more and more intrigued with the inner workings of the kitchen. I longed to be inside, immersed in the chaos. I secretly found comfort in the idea of constantly having to be on your toes, anticipating the next move, and working together with fellow employees to accomplish the task at hand. I only spent one summer as a busser before I asked to be thrown into the fast-paced intensity of this seasonal restaurant kitchen, and it became one of my favorite places. The mixture of the people, the energy, the craft of cooking, and the commotion actually created a recipe of peace for me. That summer became one of the greatest learning experiences and solidified my determination to seek out an education in the culinary industry.
At the Whale’s Rib Tavern, I started off in the pantry, focusing on salads and desserts, moving on to exploring other areas of the kitchen, including the oven/fry station, grill station and expedite station. I enjoyed and did well in all of these areas, but knew that my focus and passion have always been in the sweet side of production. I love the structure of baking; I find a sense of calmness hidden in every recipe, and I like knowing that if I follow certain steps I will get the same result. The ability to combine a few simple ingredients and transform it into something not only delicious but surprising is one of the most thrilling aspects of baking for me.
Most recently I held the position of summer lunch cook at The Seasons of Stonington, in Stonington, Maine. Since working there I had been given a position that required more leadership. My responsibilities included helping with menu selection, food preparation, and food service.
Through cooking in close proximity with my family, I have seen how food can bring people together. It allows people to experience collective pleasure in what they have created, having the ability to make mistakes, fix them, triumph, and rapture in something they created. Baking something that people enjoy and can take with them out into the world to share with others, whether it is a warm piece of bread with butter, or a fresh berry tart, results in my personal sense of satisfaction. I know that culinary school will give me the baking skills I desire and will open doors for me to achieve my goals.