Walk the Line

It's the oldest opening question when you're at a bar- "What do you do?" A general inquiry to suss out what you've chosen to do with your life. It also provides insight as to where your mental situation may be, and future prospects. After all, if you're in the dating game, you wouldn't want to saddle yourself with an unemployed bum, right?

I am a line cook. Generally, that means I need to explain a bit more to the random people I meet. The layman doesn't realize that cooking professionally is more complex than just, "make food". There's catering, private cooking, cooking instructors, chefs, etc.

Line cooking is what happens in restaurant kitchens- it's a team effort to put together meals for the guests. There's generally different stations to focus on different plates- it's just about impossible for one person to put together hundreds of plates together by themselves in a night.

I love line cooking. In a good restaurant, it's fast-paced, challenging, and keeps me on my toes. And when I have the opportunity to get a bit more creative, it's ludicrously fun.

At the end of a good night, I am exhausted. I would have been on my feet for at least 8 hours, in constant motion. Lifting, chopping, wiping, reaching into fridges. I'm sweating from the heat and the pressure, and my focus is laser-sharp. It's a tough environment, but it's never boring. It's perfect for my short attention spam, constantly evolving and changing. My hands are marred with burns, scars, and calluses. My nails are short out of necessity, and never polished. My hair is pulled back and tucked under a skull cap, making me look like an adolescent boy if it weren't for the eyeliner I wear.

Women on the line is a rarity- for whatever reason, they aren't as prevalent in professional kitchens. Many that ate, though, feel the need to overcompensate with an excessively macho attitude. I did that myself for the first half of my career. I wish that there weren't any gender distinction in kitchens, that we could just gain respect as just cooks instead of male vs female cooks. However, at the moment it's an unavoidable divide, and I'd rather celebrate the fact that I *am* a girl, and I *am* kicking ass at what I do. It's tough, but worth every ass-kicking night!

I wonder why the stereotype even exists? The "pro cooks=men/home cooks=women" one? Honestly, I would think moms would make the best professional cooks- they're used to being on their feet long hours, multitasking all the time, and to be frank, used to a lot of whining. Thoughts, everyone?