“You work like you feel.” ~ John Carroll, father of Chef Charles Carroll
“I have always been a stickler for uniforms. I believe you have to look like a chef before you can be one. You have to act like a chef, and practice being a chef, before you can be a chef. You don’t have to know what you are doing to look good! Image is very important… Chefs can’t wipe their hands on their apron, , use their aprons as side towel, … and expect to look clean and crisp”, wrote Chef Charles Carroll, in his book, Leadership Lessons from a Chef. This book resonates with me as I start out as a student with Culinary Institute Alain & Marie LeNotre. Chef Carroll is the Executive Chef at the River Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas, which is among the top country clubs in the United States.
Chef Kris Jakob, Chef of Chefs, during his ServSafe lesson with level 1 students highlighted Chef Philippe as an example of discipline and professionalism - he comes out of a chocolate class with his white apron still white. Chef Kris assured us it will take time to get to that level if we work at it. Earlier, Chef Kris has also mentioned during Chef’s Topic Mise En Place – the mindframe determines the result. The preparedness includes our appearance.
Mr LeNotre reinforced the sentiment, “Want to be a chef, dress like a chef”.
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I have this fascination with discipline and carrying myself well as soon as I don my student chef uniform. (Oh, I believe I do pretty good in other aspects of my life without donning the uniform too). No, I do not think it is an obsession even though I use it as a reason sometimes. It is simply my expectation of myself. Chef Sebastien had told us after a chefs’ meeting that Mr LeNotre would want all students to wear the neckerchief with the uniform, hair nicely tucked in the chef’s hat, and pants ending just at the ankles. We did just that last week onwards.
The class looks more alert - those of us with long hair scrunged them up into a bun and fringe nicely pulled back into the chef’s hat. The red neckerchief which level 1 students wear adds a nice touch of colour to our white uniform. It took a little getting use to on day 1 as it could get stuffy as we got into action in the lab, it remains a non-issue to most of us after.
My uniform and apron are pressed daily, and placed nicely folded in my bag pack. I don the uniform only in school and take about 10 min getting everything in order – with my sleeves rolled up twice (there is no standard for this, so this is my own standard to keep my sleeves off the working top), red neckerchief tucked into the collar, hair tucked neatly into chef’s hat, and apron knotted neatly to the side.
My goal was to come out of each class looking just as I have started at the beginning of the day. Even when we were tempering chocolate last week, I came out of it spotlessly clean. I intend to keep at it, work on it continously, and make this my first point of perfection. When my classmates made comments about my white apron, I felt proud about it and learnt to make no excuse for being clean. I can only get better.
Habits start in school, Mr LeNotre said to us, and I believe in it totally. I believe a high standard in cleanliness as a foundation will show in my end result ~ slick and great tasting pastries, to satisfy not just your palate, they will touch your heart and tickle your soul! Awesome!
