Nov 16 2009
A Day in a Life of a Chef
I have always liked to cook. The smells, the different tastes and even the feelings food can evoke.
I am a ‘Top Chef’ junkie and like to spend time in the kitchen with the Food Network Channel on, but when it comes down to the dish, my expertise are very little and my food, even thou it is good, it is no Bravo material.
So, when I decided what to do for this project—following a chef for one day—that was no hard choice.
I spent a few hours at Garfield’s kitchen; the restaurant is located at the Desert Shores in Summerlin (2620 Regatta Drive Suite 116). The Executive Chef Jean-David Groff-Daudet, “Chef JD,” was who I was following around trying to capture every moment.
I have spent time in a kitchen before while waiting tables, but never have I had the chance to keep all my eyes on the chef—excluding ‘Top Chef,’ off course!
Chef JD is extroverted and full of energy. He is also on top of everything that happens in the kitchen. When the food is the subject, there isn’t much time for jokes and laughs. That doesn’t mean he can’t be funny, only not around firing a burger and making a plate look its best.
He didn’t cook most of the food that came out that day, but he had eyes of a hawk to make sure they met his standards. He trusts his sous chef, who stays where the food get prepared, to deliver the best.
The dynamic of the kitchen is amazing. So many people coming and going and no one gets on each other’s way.
It is fascinating and I hope I can show a little bit about this world to everyone who wants to learn about it. Often times, people don’t think about the effort that is put into a dish. Waiters get the blame and the complements, but the chefs and helpers who stay in the back of the house too many times only hear the criticism.
After all this talk about food, I’m heading to the kitchen to prepare a risotto a learnt the other day. Bon appetite!
I too am a Food Network junkie. I’ve never spend time with an actual chef and it sounds like a unique experience. I look forward to looking through your photographs.
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Renata, these pictures are so fun! I never thought about going behind the scenes of a place like a restaurant to show the world. This is something that we usually only limit to television to show us…I used to work in a restaurant and many people take for granted what goes on in the kitchen. Everyone is a busy bee but it’s also a lot of fun at the same time. Great idea and great album!
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