Half of my day is spentgetting ready for dinner.The prep list hangsfrom the ticket holderand I pull my Sharpiefrom my sleeve pocketto mark my progress:green beans, succotash,gnocchi, Swiss chard,cod, swordfish, halibut,butter sauces. There is a certain wayto do things.The aim is consistencyrather than conformity.Each portion of salmonshould weigh eight ounces.The chives should be dicedto be…

When I get to work, one of the first things I do is change into my white double-breasted chef’s jacket and don an apron to begin my prep work for the day. (I provide my own chef’s pants and shoes – and there are both made specifically for the professional kitchen.) Chef does not require…

the lie that isthe conformityof the supermarketis unearthedin my garden;the tomatoes herehave names:lemon boy,early girl,cherokee purple,green zebra,roma, sun sweet – and shapes,and colors,and tastes –oh, the deliciousnessthat burstswith my biteas I standin the dirtby the vines;I can’t even waituntil I’m backin the kitchen. their talentsand usesare as variedas their tastes:sauced, sliced,sandwiched,saladed;summer’s giftfrom spring’splanting –and enoughto…

When I got to work yesterday, Chef said he wanted me to work garde manger, which is the salad and dessert station, since I knew the fish station well. Over the next week or two, I will learn the remaining stations – grill, appetizer, and pizza – so I can move and cook wherever he…

I’m on my way out the door to work and wanted to take a moment to say I haven’t written because I’m adjusting to regular work shifts and trying to carve out writing time between work and the rest of life. I’ll figure it out soon. For today, I leave you with lyrics to Patty…

Wednesday night was a good night for me at the restaurant. Three weeks into the job and the learning curve is beginning to flatten a bit: I’ve learned the fish station well and have begun to pick up on the appetizer and garde manger stations. (Garde manger is the station that assembles the salads and…

Christine posted this wonderful picture a couple of days ago with an invitation to respond. Here’s where the picture took me. empty chair what isthe differencebetweenopen spaceand emptiness?vacancyand opportunity?barrennessand belief? in one ofmy favorite stories,Ian had a chairin the shapeof a handan open handa tender handGod’s handto hold him I drive byfurniture storesyard salessometimeshoping to…

On the same Saturday morning, while I was out running errands, I learned of two endings: the Weekly World News is ceasing publication and Annie Dillard is not going to write anymore. For those of you who may not frequent supermarkets, the Weekly World News is the tabloid of tabloids, leaving behind celebrity gossip for…

Every so often, when I sign my name,the person behind the counter says,“That’s quite a signature,”as though I’ve done nothing but scribble.“No one else can imitate it,”is always my answer,“that’s what makes it my signature.” My morning movements are as mucha signature as my recognizable scratch,my hands moving from musclememory to trim the strawberriesand stand…

I’m not in the habit of posting more than once a day, but I can’t keep today’s poem from The Writer’s Almanac to myself. The poet is Eleanor Lerman. She rocks. Starfish This is what life does. It lets you walk up to the store to buy breakfast and the paper, on a stiff knee….