Frycook?

This is my 100th post on this blog. I would have preferred to write about something a little more exciting than frying rice balls. Did I pay all that money for Culinary school only to end up as a frycook deep frying rice balls all day? Let me back up.

I got a call from the winery chef to work a food and wine event for the weekend. I am always excited for winery jobs since each one is different. The Chef emailed me a detailed summary of the menu, my tasks, and logistics. Another chef and I would be working the event. The "menu" was really only one item - arancini. Arancini is a rice ball which is made with risotto and various other ingredients. The flavors in the arancini were designed to pair nicely with the winery's pinots and merlot. For this event, the Chef and his assistants had spent the week making 4000 heirloom pumpkin and braised short rib arancinis. Our job was to deep fry them and serve them individually and unceremoniously on a paper napkin at the winery. So much for improving my culinary skills with cutting edge techniques. A 16 year old kid at McDonalds could do this one.

It would have been nice to have been a part of the assemblage of the arancini. It's actually a nice little process. Basically, make risotto and place on a sheet tray to cool in fridge. Bake pumpkin and puree. Cool. Braise the short ribs in veal stock and wine. Shred or chop the meat. Fold the pumpkin puree and short ribs into the risotto. Roll individual balls. dip each ball into flour, eggs, and bread crumbs. Then deep fry. Viola! I mean Presto!

Maybe there is a significance in this blog entry after all. There is a lesson to be learned from any experience no matter how trivial. Frying something all day long, although boring, taught me to recognize the exact color and feel of the end product. I experienced some things that are impossible to "see" without doing a task all day long. I played little games with trying to do each batch just a little faster. I tried to be more efficient with my movements. I tried to make the next batch even better. These games kept me engaged and interested allowing me to survive the day. Perhaps the biggest lesson learned is that professional cooking for the most part is unglamorous and very repetitious. It's through this repetition that cooks become so good at what they do. Whether It's cooking rice balls or a high end product such as foie gras or lobster. The learning process is the same. Plus, how can I possibly complain about a job where I am offered an occasional taste of wine while I cook. Not a bad gig!