In recent years it has become normal for people to think of commercial kitchens as war zones and Executive Chefs like dictators who have the right to yell, belittle, and even assault their staff in order to make ‘the perfect’ meal. Reality shows like Hell’s Kitchen, Cutthroat Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares and new movies like Burnt with Bradley Cooper portray commercial kitchens as battlegrounds and places that are run like military operations. But is this the best way to run a kitchen and produce great food? I submit it is another one of those Hollywood created ideas that there always needs to be conflict to keep things interesting.
Certainly there are many fans of those shows and movies. And cooking does have a real sense of urgency. When executing a meal there is pressure to be timely, precise, and consistent which can make for a high stress environment. After all, if you can’t stand the heat… But the implication of these shows - that regular, intense, conflict is part of working in a kitchen - is wrong. I’m sick of it. These forms of entertainment influence the beliefs of chefs, cooks, servers, kitchen managers, and owners in our society and lead to mistreatment of staff, the inflating of egos, creating bad working culture, and in my opinion make for bad food.
I have worked as a chef/cook professionally in many different venues. I have cooked meals with and for celebrities, cooked meals for people living and working in the jungle of Hawaii, and for people who were homeless in San Francisco. I have worked in kitchens that were run like the Third Reich and I have worked in kitchens that functioned with harmony, respect, and I even dare use the L word. I can say unequivocally that the latter is much better than the former and that the food comes out just as good if not better when there is harmony.
So I submit that it is time for us to start a new era in cooking - one where people are respected, happy, learning, loving, joking, challenged and making food that nourishes the body and soul.
I have worked as a chef/cook professionally in many different venues. I have cooked meals with and for celebrities, cooked meals for people living and working in the jungle of Hawaii, and for people who were homeless in San Francisco. I have worked in kitchens that were run like the Third Reich and I have worked in kitchens that functioned with harmony, respect, and I even dare use the L word. I can say unequivocally that the latter is much better than the former and that the food comes out just as good if not better when there is harmony.
So I submit that it is time for us to start a new era in cooking - one where people are respected, happy, learning, loving, joking, challenged and making food that nourishes the body and soul.
