Saturday, October 1, 2011

Oh My Aching Thumb!

While working at my daughter’s catering kitchen, I have always admired the professional way she handles a knife and chops and slices meats, fruits, and vegetables. She makes it look so easy. Of course I can slice and chop. Not as fast though. I would love to chop away quickly but I’m always afraid that I am going to look down and see one of my fingers lying in a pool of blood along with whatever I am working on. I prefer to see my fruits, vegetables and cheeses on the cutting board and not one of my fingers. I want those in tact, still attached to my hand, so I cut the foods that I am working on slowly.

But lately my chopping is starting to look like I am a professional. I love it when my knife is sharp and slices cleanly through the foods that I am working on. I actually have gotten quicker with my cuts and slices.

Today, I worked my way through an entire box of cucumbers. I had to thinly slice a few for a vegetable tray to be used at the Saturday’s wedding. Then I moved on to a few more cucumbers where I had to peel them, cut them lengthwise and remove the seeds. I chopped them, finely, and added sour cream and salt and pepper for Tzatziki sauce.

My final job was to slice the rest of the cucumbers for a huge wedding salad for the Sunday wedding. To be frank – I’m not that crazy about cucumbers. I must have cut up well over 25 of them. Besides, losing my appetite, I now hate cucumbers. My thumb on my right slicing hand is in actual pain, and so is my wrist. I guess that’s not so bad because it actually took my mind off my aching toes, feet, ankles and legs.

Being a chef or caterer is tough work. Ask me – I’m the chef’s helper…even if it is only for a few hours.

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