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Back to College
Against all odds…
One of the happiest days of my life was the day I finished college. I looked forward to college every week like a dog awaiting castration. It was a miserable time, three long years of listening to a washed up ex military cook read from a textbook, I vowed never to return. But I did.
Back to the Lake District, I’m in my early twenties and having the time of my life. Mornings spent preparing food and shouting at waiters, afternoons spent fishing for pike and evenings cooking my arse off interspersed with more shouting at waiters followed by speed beer drinking before last orders. I used to cook the main courses back then, it was my favourite section bar none. By then I’d seen enough vegetables to last me a lifetime and there was far too much work on the larder section for my liking. I had dabled with pastry but circumstance prevented me from taking it further, although I’d be a liar if I said that bothered me. I hate measuring ingrediants out for a recipe, when I am asked how to cook something I tell the person the method but never the quantity because I never know. I just cook.
My Executive Chef at the time was a proper pastry chef, he’d worked in some big hotels and ran huge pastry sections. I hadn’t. He had every pastry qualification you could think of and then a couple more. I hadn’t. We had a very good working relationship, he told me what to do and I did it. When he wrote the rota it was Russian roulette, sometimes I’d get a day off, other times he’d forget to let me have one, sometimes I’d be told on the Saturday that I was on holiday the following Monday. He was full of suprises, “What are you going to cook at the Manchester Salon Culinnaire next month?” he’d ask me. “What Salon Culinnaire?” I’d reply. “The one I’ve entered you in”……
One evening he told me he’d given me the following Thursday night off. Barely hiding my joy I thanked him and went off to shout at more waiters. “Let me know how you get on” he said. “I’ll tell you now” I replied, “I’ll drink my way to Ambleside and back again!” “No” he retorted, “At college”
I froze, he didn’t really say college, it must be ear wax I told myself. But then I saw him grin. “Sorry Chef, have I missed something?”
Such was his desire to turn me into a pastry chef he entered me in a college course. “Don’t worry, I’ve got you in the advanced one” he told me. Nice one, I’ve gone from pre-basic to advanced without setting foot in the place. First lesson would be cake decorating he told me. I couldn’t remember how to make a sponge, I usually played truant when it was a pastry lesson and now I was cursing both him, myself and all things pastry in equal measures. This was going to be agony……
Miles,
Between you and your erudite followers, it always takes me quite some time to get through your blog posts, dictionary in hand. This one took some time and I enjoyed every minute. I had to go back and read “School Days” which was absolutely wonderful. What a great story and you brought so much life to it, from Sarah to D’Artagnan to your string of awards (I even looked up what all those meant).
You are an excellent writer!
And I see Cid has always had a flair for the theatrical, fancying herself a musketeer, feathery hat and all.
Now, back to present day — I love “I just cook.” Perfect, absolutely perfect.
What a great post, Miles! I’m anxiously awaiting Pastry, Part 2.
:-)
Skint. That’s a new one for me. I like it and it’s certainly appropriate now-a-days.
Melissa
May 12, 2009 @ 10:39 pm
Melissa,
The only reason you need a dictionary is because we Brits can’t spell!!
I could write plenty about more recent years but for reasons I’m sure you can understand much of it is best left untold for now!
Glad you’ve got a new word, save it for dinner parties when you can amaze your friends with some modern Shakespeare
Miles
May 13, 2009 @ 6:22 am
Miles,
Perhaps that chef saw in you what we all see in you… the natural ability to cook all things even pastry without training? Like Melissa, I’m longing for part two of the story…. will chef get a ball of pastry in the eye? Will there be flirtations over the choux buns or will there be a grinding of the nashers over the ganache?
Cid
May 13, 2009 @ 8:20 am
Miles,
I absolutely love these autobiographical pieces you write. They’re nothing short of professional writing and seriously engaging.
I look forward to tomorrow’s post of butterfly cakes, with weights and measures of course.
GDave
May 13, 2009 @ 9:04 am
Miles,
I agree with Melissa and GDave. These tales of the unexpected are very well written and one just wants to go on and on.
I just wondered whether or not you now agree with your former executive chef and if you employ the same sort of tactics from time to time?
Anne
May 13, 2009 @ 9:28 am
Ugh - baking. It’s why God created fussy French chefs with their ridiculous hats. If I never have to handle a pastry bag again it would be too soon.
“I looked forward to college every week like a dog awaiting castration.” - that’s form King Lear isn’t it?
May 13, 2009 @ 12:52 pm
All,
Thanks for that, need to get my memory working, that and my internet connection which is playing havoc
Miles
May 13, 2009 @ 9:03 pm
In the weeds almost from the get go tonight. I don’t think we caught up until after 10pm. How you manage several restaurants, create menus, and write this blog I will never know. I have a hard time just keeping up with your posts. It fascinates me how we all eventually come to do what we do - everyone has their own story - but you are more generous than most. I love reading these insights into your past. I fear to say most chefs would choose GR’S route and invent a history. It’s a pleasure reading this blog Miles, thank you for all of your effort.
May 14, 2009 @ 5:11 am
Dave,
Thanks for that, means a lot coming from you. I can’t stand bull, I know you’re the same. What I write did happen, I smile about it now and the way I was sometimes treated, You know what it’s like, you can’t write everything, much of it was unpleasant at times and not suitable to write about on here.
Glad you got caught up in the end, I know that feeling!!
MIles
May 14, 2009 @ 7:30 am