I just read the last post of @eveuncovered ( read it here) about her days as a chef in a restaurant and how glad she is she got out of that business. I can agree with that one and I am gonna tell you why :)

My time as (and becomming) a chef

When I was young, highschool age, I was at a school which was focused on the practical education, which meant that the profession you wanted to learn was mostly learned in practice in stead of theory (reading books). For me a great way to learn because I really hated learning from the books (which I catched up later on, but that is a different story).

The professions you could choose from where:

• Bricklayer
• Carpenter
• Electrician
• Painter
• Car mechanic
• Beauty specialist
• Baker
• Chef

As you can see the most technical/construction professions where present and to be honest that was really nothing for me so I choose the Chef course. I (at that time) didn't have any affinity with cooking, yes only eating the dishes my parents cooked :). But it seems like fun to me.

At school there was this big kitchen which was the classroom for the cooking lessons.

Besides the kitchen there also was this restaurant in which people could really eat the dishes that we prepared. The waiters and waitresses where also students from school and we switched ever week. So one week we were cooking and the other week we were serving. It was also one of the schools that had evening classes (because of the openinghours of the restaurant of course). In the beginning I had a bit of a problem with that because it was really strange to go to school at night, but after a while we were used to it.

It was always fun, in preperation to the menu's and work we always eat together with all the student. I remember when we cooked and you needed something from the pantry often we took a zip of the wine or other alchoholic beverages that stood there, hiding the smell of alcohol :P.... We had fun...

we had two teachers for cooking Mr. Ten Wolde and Mr. Ten Dam and one for the restaurant Mr. Piron

Mr Ten Wolde
In the beginning I had much problems with his way of teaching. He was very straight forward and his view was the only possible view. That gave me a lot of problems in the beginning because I often had my own view and wasn't afraid to discuss it. When I look back at it he wasn't that bad I thought he was, he was a highly skilled teacher who had worked in a lot of great restaurants and was eager to pass his knowledge on to us youth.

Mr Ten Dam
This guy I will never forget. From origin he was a baker, making bread. The man was about 160 KG and he was HUGE. It didn't concerned him at all. He was a real pro when it comes to creating great things in the kitchen and bakery as well. He tought us a lot about ingredients, special bakery styles and some nice receipies for in the kitchen. But most of all we had great laughs with him. He had a great sense of humor. But if you got to manage to get him angry, angry he was. He would explode and use language which is not proper for a teacher. But people accepted that and tried (not always achieved) to not make him angry.

I remember going to the HoReCaVa with the class. The HoReCaVa is the professional fair for the restaurant and bakery business in Holland. We had a great time, there were a lot of Dutch beer brands on the fair, so we could drink for free the whole day. (that time it was still legal), and Mr . Ten Dam approved it as long as we kept in control... Great guy.

Mr. Piron
Mr.Piron has been a sommelier (wine specialist) in some great restaurants. He was a good looking guy so the girls in the classes where very fond of him ;). he was a kind of show-off in a fancy car, always dressed correct and using populair words. But besides that he was real pro. We got the restaurant lessons of him as wel as the knowlegde of beverages course. (all about wine, whiskeys, beers and stuff). With that class we visited the Beer Brewery in Arcen from the Hertog Jan brand and a mushroom nursery. I remember having a great day with the class, again loads of beer ;) but a interesting learning day.

The duration of the education was two years. When I got my diploma I was still to young to go to further education so I decided to improve my school profile (level) and chose to follow also the bakkery class for one year. This way I got my (basic) chef diploma ánd my Bakery diploma. I thought a good spending of time...

After the high school I went to the Hotelschool for the Restaurantchef education. It was in Arnheim so I had to go by bus and train to school. I had to walk every day trough the red-light district of Arnheim.That was always fun, especially in the afternoon when there was much going on overthere.

This education was two years too, I had to follow 3 internships of 8 weeks each in three different restaurants.
My first internship was at "Restaurant Polman" in Klarenbeek. Klarenbeek is near my hometown but poorly accessible by train, bus or other public transportation. The restaurant was runned by the Polman family. The owner was a man of middle age and his second wife, she was not a real nice person but lucky for me she was responsible for the restaurant and not the kitchen. Mr. Polman was responsible for the kitchen but didn't do any cooking himself. He hunted for a hobby and brought his trophee's to the kitchen for us to clean the hare's and rabbits. Not the most nice job I recall.

I did learned a lot in the restaurant, epsecially the things I didn't want to do the rest of my life. Clean the kitchen (every single day on my own), making "mise en place" for the other chefs. I really had the feeling being abused as a internship follower. The real deal (making great dishes) I have done a little overhere.

My second internship was at "Restaurant de Timmerie" in Warnsveld. This restaurant was a small but cozy restaurant with a lot of region dishes. It was a small brigade of employees and for the most busy in the weekends. I had worked there during the week and often there was really nothing to do, I just sat there or ordered the goods, prepared stuff etc. But they gave me during those days a lot of time to practice my skills, that was really awesome. The owner was a young guy who lived above the restaurant with his wife and kids and passioned about the restaurant business, and he really brought it on to his crew. Very nice to see.

In Holland you have ever season new asparagus's , it's a delicatesse in our region. And of course De Timmerie served them. Cleaning those things is hell, with a special tool you have to peal them, and if you don;t do it right there are awfull eating :) So I have pealed thousands of them overthere, with a little music on...no worries.

When I finished the internship they gave me a real Sabatier knife, a professional knife for in the kitchen. I thought it was a great gift for my effort, but I also bought some gifts for them, to thank them for the things they have learned me. I had a great time overthere, the timmerie wil come back later on in my story.

Well, I Think I have to write a follow up on this post, it is already quite long..

So stay tuned for the econd part soon :)

Have a great day !!!

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