the crusty sandwich

the otherside begins…

Initially I had an idea for a book that contained snippets of my life in industrial kitchens and hospitality in general. It was to be like kitchen confidential only a lot broader in scope. Less crass, more crass, more detail. Just more…

It was to be a start of things I wish I had recorded when I first started cooking.

eg. A map of all the injuries I have received on my body especially my hands as a result of cooking. Thankfully apart from the odd splash burn most have been my own fault. Or as a result of inexperience. Most would have been more than enough for the average worker to take at least a week off paid. Instead like most in the industry I just wrapped a tea towel around it and carried on. You have to otherwise your mates are in the shit!
Or the amount of mushrooms, chicken, beef etc. I have handled in my life. The most mind blowing figure I would love to know is how many I have cooked for and of that what percentage walked away truly happy or dissapointed.

Another would have been how many people I have worked with. I know that if you were to line them up there would be those I love, those I don’t remember and those who I probably wish I could remove their heart or as the favourite saying in the kitchen I am currently in goes

“I just want to see the pink mist, man!”

-Jarhead

although that is generally reserved for the ‘idiot customer’ (much much more on them later).

Although the otherside initially spawned out of my frustration with hospitality and the path food is taking I would like it to take a positive angle as well.

funny moments, great friends, lots of images of chefs, waitrons and of course the food.

As a book it was to be a way I applied the design degree I achieved from Otago University. Although as I get on I realise that my calling is food. However this doesn’t stop me calling on all that I learnt everyday. It is possible to design the desired outcome.

I am aware there are those out there doing this already. The most noteable would of course be ‘the ranting waiter’. I do not pretend for one second that I will write with the panache of the waiter but it will be with a chef edge so be prepared to be offended and enlightened.

Enlightened you say. Oh! Didn’t you know god was a chef!

This site will be dynamic (even this post will probably be updated) so if you have stories to share from the otherside let me know and I will set you up an account.

This site is dedicated to all the people I see dressed in black waiting at bus stops, all those crawling to work at 5.30am not driven by money but the quest to be part of the perfect service. The service where we all keep the illusion that this job is easy so at the end of it we can all sit down and laugh at the other otherside. The other otherside that ques in rush hour traffic twice daily, the other otherside that can only get to the bank in their lunch hour. The other otherside that does this voluntarily! The other otherside that takes it out on us! (Sometimes).
So let the insight into the otherside begin.