Where I Ended Up

So maybe the kitchen manager thing to work out so well for me, but I don't give up that easily I am a cook and that is what I want to do and nothing will stop me. So I went up the street and applied for a job at the Fairmont Algonquin I know your asking yourself there has been a Fairmont there the whole time and she never once applied. Well in my mind it made sense I am not one to follow corporate rules and regulations I figured if I stick with the small guy it would be a better fit and I could still be successful, well that thought may work for some just not me. So off I went starting at the bottom I was hired as a third cook working in the pub, (note: still not fine dining, what does a girl need to do) prove myself that is what I needed to do and what I did within two years I went from being a third cook to a chef de partie and I even got to work on the line for the Passamaquoddy dining room, what is that supposed to mean you ask, fine dining finally, oh how I loved it spooning delicious demi over game meats, different sauces for different proteins building tall salads and one of my personal favs risotto. Oh how I loved it but one thing I realized was how much I just enjoyed working on a line being it flipping burgers or searing the perfect scallop I loved to cook and it didn't matter what it was as long as I was doing it, it was going to be the best I could make of it. Not only did I gain lots of experience as a cook I also meet my future husband Ken.



Did I know right away that this was going to be the man I would marry not at all, actually we didn't much care for each other, not disliked but really weren't sure of each other. I was the first female cook he had ever worked with outside of school, so all he saw was this head strong female who wasn't going to be told what to do and for me I was training this guy for a higher position that I should have. Was I little bitter maybe, but got over it eventually, I showed him I knew what I was doing and gained some respect after a bit of time, and he showed me he knew what he was doing and probably deserved the position he was given as hard as it was for me to suck up. So after a bit of time we became friends then one thing led to another and we became a couple and eventually moved in with each other. Now as hard as I worked for my promotions I owe Ken a bit for them as well, he taught me how to stick up for myself and to not be afraid of telling people what I think.

So after two and half years of being what we like to call a Gonker it was time for us to move we went on a search for new jobs and inquired about a couple positions at Delta Sun Peaks in beautiful BC. The Exec. Sous at the time had been our Exec. Sous at the Gonk the year before, so he was quite excited about hiring Ken me I wasn't so sure of we had our battles in the past so I wasn't sure if that may be hindering my hiring. But in the end he hired us both Ken as a 1st cook me as a 2nd, time to prove myself yet again and I eventually did. A few CDPs and 1st cooks later I said why not promote me to 1st cook instead of hiring one, so they did, this where the sticking up for myself pays off, unless your willing to say something most people will just let you stay at the current position our in, not only do you need to work hard you also need to let the Chefs or whoever is in charge of giving promotions that you are interested.

So we stayed in Sun Peaks for a year and a half gained a lot more experience, made a lot of great friends. We even got engaged and went to Las Vegas and got married. But soon decided it was time to move on again. So here we are for the last 6 months we have been in the Oil Sands of northern Alberta, Fort McMurray. We work at a local hotel called the Sawridge, Ken the banquet CDP and me a 1st cook on the line, will I ever become a CDP again, probably time will tell, it doesn't seem to matter where we go or where we will go we will always have to prove ourselves. Although that is one of the perks of being a cook and a cook's wife no matter where we go to work as long as it is the same place we will always have the respect and trust of one other cook right from the beginning, each other.