Julia, Tony and Me

Since making my seminal decision to enrol in a culinary academy and become a chef, I have really become transfixed with the entire concept of cooking in a manner I have never before experienced. More of an indulgence than an experience.

Two weeks ago, I paid my $420 deposit at the St. Pius X Culinary Academy and a seat will be held for me once classes begin on August 26, 2010. And I can't contain the sensation of excitement that has empowered me, it seems, to learn as much as I can about cooking throughout the coming summer.

A bit about me until now, weeks away from turning 53. I never saw myself as a chef, but I have enjoyed cooking during my lifetime. When I was quite young, I would curl up with my mother and watch The Galloping Gourmet, Graham Kerr, whip up all manner of gastronomic delights. My mouth would water as he prepared meals and then offered samples to audience members whose months had also been watering once he took the first bite and expelled his trademark carnal-like grunts of absolute pleasure.

When I was a teen and my parents would go away on their annual one or two week-long summer vacations, I would rush to the grocery store and purchase various foods that I could whip up into culinary feasts of my own. What I remember most was the sausages pan-fried with Martini & Rossi Vermouth and onions, served with an omelette on the side, a most delightful dish that I recall fondly. Or I would take chicken pies, heat them up, then slice them open and layer tomato slices, mushrooms and several spoons of Cheese Whiz over the tops and oven bake them until I had a delicious dish I also think of with my mouth watering... and my heart thankful I stopped.

As an adult, I have enjoyed many food shows on TV, though I have been without the Food Channel for a while now and really must add it to my account. I have also learned that I am great at following recipes and have made Tarragon Chicken Flambé, various soups including lip-smacking corn chowder, and other dishes.

So, when everyone asks me that first question "Oh... were you always passionate about cooking?," I can't say yes with complete honesty, but, yeah, I have enjoyed it a lot. I really do believe I will become passionate about it the more I learn how to do it really, really well. Give me a large kitchen with plenty of counter space, all the necessary pots, pans and utensils and turn me loose on an unsuspecting planet, please!

The past two weeks, I have actually started discovering that I really LOVE to cook, as I prepare more and more meals for myself with my stove rather than the microwave I have relied upon the past five years. And I bought two things that have augmented my perspective on the subject: the DVD Julie & Julia, which I am currently watching and enjoying tremendously scene-by-scene, and the book Kitchen Confidential, by master chef and bad boy Anthony Bourdain.

I am still laughing at my initial belief that he was trained to cook at the Central Intelligence Agency, when in fact it was the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, the letters CIA being so imprinted on a brain riddled with stories of international intrigue.

So, I think my need to write regularly will result in more of these cuisine-addled blog entries once I begin the 1,400 hours of training that will culminate in the fall of 2011. But till then, I request your indulgence and also your assistance... as well as your patience... as I learn about this new chosen field. I am sure many of you are foodies and I would like to learn from you. What I promise is that if I ever write a book on my experiences, I will include your names on the list of acknowledgments... as well as the ensuing feature film credits...

My first request is quite simple: if you know of any great books on the craft of cooking that you can recommend, I'd really appreciate your passing on this information. Books... the best shows.... films (the 1996 film Big Night, starring the incomparable Stanley Tucci, is one I really recommend to you), please, let me know. I will think of you with every slice and dice of my finely-honed kitchen knives.

Also, if you know of any restaurants looking to hire an apprentice, so that I can get experience, I am eager and willing. I am taking this very seriously, as you can see. Though it won't be easy, I know it will be the thrill of my lifetime.

Bon Appetit!

Never too late to change your career

Losing my job at 52 has really been an eye-opener in so many ways. You hear so many people tell you that after 50, the job market is pretty much downhill and, as long as you are on the “cooler” side of 50, it doesn’t pertain to you and you simply think it’s nonsense.

Try turning 50 – and then lose your job - and see what happens. It’s not fun, I tell you, because it’s hard to find a job. I know. I have a lifetime of experience and experiences to bank on. I have people skills, talent, smarts and that” je ne sais quoi” that you simply can’t possess at a young age. I don’t know if such commitment is born of fear, or simply commitment by rote, but older workers take their jobs much more seriously and unless you work for a totally anal, micromanaging creep who is adversely affecting your health, you hold onto your job no matter what. Chances are, by 50, there is no place to go but down if you fail. You will let your family down if you are married and have kiddies to feed... or if you are on your own, as I am, the next place to go is straight into the welfare line.

It was while imagining my possible life as a welfare recipient (and I’d really prefer to die first) that I decided I needed a career change. Actually, the thought germinated following a conversation I had with a former boss, who commented that “your line of work is the first job to be cut during hard times.” It didn’t hit me till later that she was right. I am a writer, one with PR experience, but a writer pure and simple. If you look back through history, the pathways of cemeteries take you past the graves of untold numbers of writers who were tremendous craftsmen... and who died either relatively unknown or paupers, likely both.

They “made” it after death. Irishman Bram Stoker was huge after he died, but during his lifetime the author of Dracula, Lair of the White Worm and other tales made his money first as a clerk and later as the manager of Europe’s greatest thespian, Henry Irving. Providence, Rhode Island’s H.P. Lovecraft, arguably the author of the most frightening and disturbing literature ever, died almost totally unknown, his stories published post-death by friends who made them extremely popular from the 1940s onward.

I am a very good writer and have had a modicum of success at it throughout my life to date. And if I keep going in this direction much longer, I’ll die a pauper, too. Not what I want for myself and, so, I realized it was time for a change. A good friend works at the English Montreal School Board and he apprised me of courses offered by the EMSB that assist people in changing careers. You can be an auto mechanic, he told me, as my eyes glazed over instantly... or a chef. Chef? I have no idea why I reacted so strongly on the spot - maybe I’d been watching George Costanza’s attempts to realize his architectural ambitions for far too long, or maybe my inner Chef Ramsay was outed - but when I heard I could study to become a professional chef, basically at no charge, I decided there and then that was what I wanted.

I enrolled at the Pie X Culinary Institute yesterday and people have told me they haven’t seen me this excited about anything in a long, long time. I feel excited, on top of the world, in fact. And even though I know this is going to be a veritable “battle royale” (classes from 5-10 p.m. Mondays – Fridays for 14 months, 1,400 hours worth, starting in late August), I know I have it in me to bare down, grind it out and come through with flying colours. Many people are thrilled for me and quite encouraging, while other comments range from “HUH?” to “Are you crazy?” I spoke with an acquaintance today, a restaurant owner here whom I respect and who has always seemed to truly care about my welfare and I discussed this career choice with him. He told me that the only thing that mattered is how much I enjoy my training and the subsequent work I do. “In the end, you may find you hate working in commercial restaurant kitchens, but the good thing about being a chef is that there are 50 ways you can go... as long as you enjoy it, you will be okay.”

And, you know, he is so right, and I thank you, Peter, for your insight. I can work in a mainstream restaurant or a hotel kitchen. I can find a backer and start my own establishment, which is where a mature age comes in quite handy. I can cater. I can give cooking classes. I can become a professional critic who really knows his stuff. I can write my own cookbooks. And I can certainly cook really, really well for myself, booting my trusty microwave into oblivion. I know I won’t be unemployed, because I can cook anywhere in the world, a logging camp if need be.

The fact is, I will have a career that I can bank on. I will always be a writer, till I die if I keep my brain sharp enough. But chances are better that you won’t meet me on the street one day, begging for loose change, while I am wearing my chef’s hat. No, it really never IS too late, and I am going to prove it to you. Beef bourguignon, anyone?