Gone are the days when individuals think of cooking as a job that should be done “only by women.” In the past, ladies were traditionally relied upon to cook the meals for the family, do the dishes and clean the house, and be in-charge of just about every domestic job there is. However times have changed and women now play really various roles in society unlike what women of the previous years had been used to. This change in gender roles has affected both women and men — especially in terms of taking the lead kitchen. Today, both men and women now appreciate the art of cooking. People with exceptional culinary abilities are highly rewarded. For that reason, it is no wonder that the tension that used to component and parcel of cooking is now experienced by both men and women. Food, following all, is about pleasing the senses of people who partake of one’s kitchen creations.
Cooking and stress aren’t frequently associated with each other. The word “cooking” easily connotes gustatory pleasures and not stress which is often associated with one’s work at the office or to issues at home. However it should not be a surprise to know that stress and anxiety now affect the men and women who do the cooking as much as the salesman who attempts to meet his daily quotas or the manager who faces massive organizational challenges.
In restaurants, for instance, you will find now more male cooks or chefs. These kitchen specialists follow a so-called “chef’s ladder” that defines the positions and particular duties of every person in the kitchen. There is the head chef or “Chef de Cuisine” who visualizes the dishes in accordance with the restaurant concept of dining. Next would be the Executive Chef, who really runs the whole kitchen, manage the expenses, hire and fire staff, revamp the menu, do particular administrative tasks. Under them would be the Sous Chef who make the daily specials, takes inventory, watches over the staff, and does the hands-on work in the kitchen. Also called the “Expediter”, the Sous Chef makes certain that the food gets to the table in a timely manner, a job that requires coordination and time management. With the same level as the sous chef, the pastry chef is in-charge of the pastry section of the restaurant. Mainly women reserved for women, this job requires preparation of chocolates, souffles, and sweet pastries.
Under these chefs could be the line cooks who are the ones who actually cook the food. The line cooks are divided according to certain cooking specialty. An additional key person in the kitchen will be the Chef de Garde Manger who manages the cold food section that consists of the salads and desserts.
If you have watched an episode of the t.v. cooking show, Iron chef, you would probably know how stressful it is to work as a chef or a line cook. In that show, the cameras usually show the stress and anxiety in the chef’s faces as they attempt to prepare a certain number of meals under time pressure. Anxiety is also seen on the chef’s faces when the judges are tasting their dishes.
In another popular reality-based television show known as Hell’s Kitchen, several people enter as contestants in a game that is supposed to select the next “big chef” in town. Being a reality show, Hell’s Kitchen frequently shows the stress and anxiety on the faces of the contestants while the host shouts and gets mad at them for not doing particular things right in the kitchen. Anxiety grips every contestant as they try to battle out to win the throne of being the next best chef.
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