One post that I have been meaning to write for quite some time now is about bloggergal Rachel of the The Metaphorical Magpie. I met Rachel a year or so ago at a get-together at Kristin's house. At the time, Rachel was a night photo editor, photo assignment editor and a video journalist at The Star-Ledger, one of the popular newspapers in New Jersey. I found her opinions on current events in the news and the world of photojournalism to be insightful and interesting. Since then we've met up a few times and I've discovered that not only is she a smart cookie but she has a terrific sense of humour.
Last summer, Rachel and her husband grew a garden in their front yard. I had recently read Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life and I was curious to read about Rachel's experiences in growing her own vegetables. It was an abundant success.
Around the same time Rachel was harvesting the vegetables of her labour, the newspaper where she worked announced that they would be downsizing; some employees would be laid off while others would be shuffled into other positions within the newspaper. Rachel wrote about that sad day on her blog:
"Sweets (Rachel's husband) and I have some serious number crunching and soul searching to do right now."
Naturally, when most people receive such bad news, worry sets in with how their lives are going to change. Some people may look for a similar job in their field or take a temporary job that will pay the bills. Others may decide to go into business for themselves. And still others may decide to return to school.
When I read that Rachel had decided to attend culinary school, I thought, "Well of course! That's her passion." After all the posts that she has written about gardening and buying locally-grown food, it seemed natural that she would pursue a new career in that industry. I found her story inspiring, especially during these current economic times, and I was curious to ask her a few questions.
Had you thought of becoming a chef while at your previous job? Was
it a life long dream or did you recently consider becoming a chef?
I
always was a food nut. My grandfather was a chef, so I got to watch him
on the rare occasions he cooked at home. I was so intrigued by how he
never used a recipe or oven mitts! Honestly, when I was in school, I
was pushed toward a “white collar” career. My interest in English and
the arts was fostered by my family. Cooking was more of a serious
hobby for me for a long time. I loved to entertain.
When my grandmother’s health began to decline, I took on role of personal chef for her. Each week, I’d shop and prepare meals and drop them off for her. I began to realize the most satisfying thing in my life was cooking. I did wish I could spend more time in the kitchen.
Switching careers was something I thought about but it seemed to be an unpractical thing to do. In a way, I was trapped by having a job that was high paying and had amazing benefits. It seemed foolish to leave. Although I did consider it. In 2007, I got married and started looking into culinary schools to see if I could squeeze in classes around my already tremendously busy schedule. Nothing seemed to work, so I consoled myself with reading stacks of cookbooks and culinary related memoirs. I tried to educate myself as much as I could.
Why did you choose that particular culinary school?
I looked at
several schools, ranging from the local community college level to the
French Culinary Institute and the Institute for Culinary Education.
Some programs took several years to complete. Others cost an exorbitant
amount of money. I really wanted to transition to a new career quickly
and without going into a huge debt. I came upon this program, the
Promise Jobs Culinary School, run by Elijah’s Promise, a nonprofit in
New Brunswick. The program is quick, costs a fraction of what the other
courses do and it has a deep commitment to the local community and
sustainability. I decided if I was going to make a big change in my
life, I should do it with an organization that is also helping to make
a positive change for NJ residents. If I went to school in New York
City, I may meet fantastic celebrity chefs but not have any connections
locally. I’m hoping that by going to school, here in NJ, I will be
better positioned to find work after I graduate, working for a place
that is committed to using local products. The farm-to-table movement
and sustainability are very important to me.
What was it like to return to school, to be a student again?
Being
able to focus all my energy on culinary has been a tremendous gift.
It’s very satisfying to be around other food nerds. It is humbling
having to essentially unlearn everything you know, being told you think
you can cook but you can’t. From now on, the only things you do are
what the chef tells you to do.
I’m reminded of that scene in Fame where Debbie Allen is challenging her class “You got big dreams. You want fame. Well fame costs. And right here is where you start paying. In sweat.” Definitely in sweat and cuts and burns- some on your hands and some on the food on the stove. Starting from square one, every new building block that comes is better than the one before.
Becoming a chef is sort of like joining the military. There is a lot of discipline involved, genuflected to authority and rule following. That can wear the spirit down a wee bit. Having to wear a uniform is not something I love. Some days I really, really, miss wearing fuschia and glittery shoes. I’m learning restraint. Presenting attractive food has become far more vital to me than my own outer attractiveness.
Where would you like to go, what would you like to do after your graduation?
I have so many ideas about my direction after graduation. First of all, I want to continue my education. This course will give me a solid foundation to get started in the industry but there is an infinite amount of things I’ve yet to tackle or master. Some things I’d like to learn more about include charcuterie, how to make cheese, kick-ass ice cream and great pizza.
I’d love to find a chef to work under that is committed to utilizing organic, local and sustainable product. We have such great food at our disposal here in NJ, I want to explore that.
Having a long background in print media and just about five years as a blogger, I’d like to begin producing freelance food and lifestyle content. There is also a new food blog I’d like to launch after I graduate and have some more free time to focus on that. I’ve got some ideas for a line of yummy food products that I also need some time to develop. (And of course, some recipe testers!) Catering and personal chef options are also of interest to me. So basically, I have many ideas at the moment, I need to see which ones are going to stick as viable options.
Favourite dish to prepare?
Just one? Wow? How can I pick just one? For you Susanna, I’ll try. :) I’m a big fan of rustic dishes. I like food that has big flavors that isn’t overly wrought or under portioned. Osso bucco with cassoulet is the kind of dish that seems like a lot of work but it isn’t. It just takes a little time and a little love. The outcome is a terrific soul satisfying dish that is thoroughly comforting, crazy delicious and relatively inexpensive to make.
Am I missing any basic reporter questions?
Well, let’s see. I’m 36 years old, which is incidentally the same age Julia Child was when she entered Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. So I feel like I have Julia’s blessing in that respect.
I am an avid if sometimes hapless gardener. Last year I began experimenting with growing vegetables in my front yard. We had to buy a freezer to handle all the garden goodness. This year we will continue growing and I hope to screw up the courage to start canning.
I want to note that I have an incredibly supportive husband and friends who encouraged me to take a chance at living my dream of becoming a chef. Leaving my newspaper career was a hard decision but now that I’m spending my days in the kitchen, I am so much happier and fulfilled that I know it was the right choice for me.
Thank you, Rachel. Readers, the photographs were taken during a luncheon at Rachel's culinary school. The food was amazing!
