a fire fighter with the local volunteer fire department,
a certified nursing assistant at a local nursing home,
and even a snow plow driver.
This weekend, I've been able to pretend to be a chef at a real restaurant.
I've been managing a restaurant up in the northwestern part of the Colorado Rocky Mountains for about 3 years now. I love my job. I get to chat with folks, serve good food and watch the deer, moose and bob cats outside the big windows. But lately, we've been a bit short in the chef department. My last chef left us to go be a rough neck for the oil wells of Wyoming. It is not easy to find a qualified person who is willing to live in the middle of nowhere for a very moderate income. This conundrum has allowed me to realized that I know just enough about restaurant chef-ism to keep the restaurant open and not kill anybody. I've also learned that although I am able to do this job, I do not do it gracefully and I do not want to do it every day. It is hard work! Luckily for me I have a great staff who help me when things get tough.
Tonight, I surprised myself with a yummy special. I made a chicken parmesan served over a bed of noodles with a garlic-tomato sauce. I wish I had taken a picture or saved some for you to try, but you will just have to believe me- it was just like a real chef's special.
