It feels like a lifetime since I first arrived!
Today the head Chef was having a creative moment in the prep kitchen which felt quite new and special to me. And I was standing right next to him picking criollo and slyly watching intently. We had received the most beautiful tiger striped langoustine I’ve ever seen. He decided to stuff the beautiful heads with their own meat (normally served in sliced zucchini). They’re served as a finger food on a black plate with little flowers lining the belly. Stunning!
Once again the smells in the kitchen are just amazing. While I’m doing one of my little menial tasks I love just sitting there and absorbing everything – trying to guess what the different smells are – brown butter, habanero that makes you cough, incredible onion/chicken reduction, all the amazing herbs or even just the fresh lime in the morning.
I’ve almost cracked tomato peeling today. Super hot boiling water for 13 seconds, then straight into freezing cold water. It only took me 1 hour 40 today… Tomorrow I aim for 1 hour. I also managed to screw up the damn vinaigrette… again.
While peeling tomatoes I tend to be hanging out with my dishwasher mate Roberto and this other guy Iban who is quite funny and generally comes into cook something on the stove. He’s always teaching me bad words. He also sings a lot which is fairly funny – mainly backstreet boys in a high pitched voice.
As I do my tomatoes, I also love hearing noises from the service kitchen drifting up the spiral service stairs – as they shout “Oigo!” in unison to Chef.
I haven’t seen the sun in 5 days… bring on Sunday (my day off)!
Another little note – I love leaving the kitchen and peaking into the restaurant in all it’s swanky glory. In all the chaos upstairs it can be easy to lose sight of the finished product and the polished facade.
After work I was walking home and feeling well chuffed as I waved to my new friends at the next door shop and then saw a little party for a shop opening across from my flat, so I popped in and found my little *fabulous* friend, also from the shop next door, singing old Mexican songs. I said hi and he recognised me! Wahoo! I bought a beautiful little bead ring for about £6. What a friendly city.