CHAPTER 2
With
the help of my parents and my boss Herman Himmel, we assured a
continuation of my goal to become a chef. We found a first class
boutique hotel in the French part of Switzerland to complete my
apprenticeship as a cook. That was my chance to learn French beside
cooking. Living there and going to school there I had no choice but
to speak and write French. I'd say 85% of the population in that part
of Switzerland could
not speak Swiss-German!
Hotel Restaurant "Les Deux Sapins"
This is a picture of the original building when I arrived
in 1962
After celebrating my certification for 1
week, my mother and father drove me on May 1, 1962 to Montricher and
dropped me of at the Restaurant Les Deux Sapins.
Le Patron (Owner, Chef) was very nice and spoke
some broken German and I new that will help me. At that point I was
very nervous and insecure of myself. Only 19 and for the first time
at least a year away from home! I remember getting a room assigned,
getting changed in my uniform and start working the same day!
Believe me, the beginning was tough! Especially not being very good in school at the French language and then not using it
for 3 years, I was totally lost!
But this lasted not very long. I met this awesome person who started his apprenticeship a year earlier. His name was Heinz, he was born and raised in Bern, he was here for the same reason as me , to become a chef.
But this lasted not very long. I met this awesome person who started his apprenticeship a year earlier. His name was Heinz, he was born and raised in Bern, he was here for the same reason as me , to become a chef.
We where room mates and became best friends. Being
here a year he spoke French perfectly and also could show me the
ropes of this new territory I found myself in.
The hotel got renovated in 2002 and even changed the name to
"Auberge Au 2 Sapins"
The window with the open green shutters was my room for nearly two
years. Of course I had to share again with my “Oberstift” Heinz.
The working schedule is totally different in a
restaurant than I was used to. We had to work from 9am to 2pm, rest
for 3 hours and work from 5pm to 9 pm. Usual I was off on Monday, and
also every Wednesday we had to take the train all the way to
Lausanne studying at the Ecole Culinaire. Of course, it is without
saying, on Friday, Saturday and Sundays you can't count with your 3 hour
rest in the afternoon, There was always to much prep to do. Also I
can’t think of one day on these weekends we finished at 9pm. I know
this sounds kind of tiring and harsh but believe me nobody ever
complained or was even tired. We had on awesome team and for some
reason we were always happy and the adrenalin kicked in when you see
all this happy guest leaving and getting lots of compliments. This
satisfaction will be a part of your salary all your life.
Heinz
and I had to take this train to Lausanne and back every Wednesday
for one and a half years starting April 1962
Going to school on Wednesday was like a day off to to us, the two
hour trip to Lausanne was, rain or sunshine, always very pleasant
with beautiful scenery. We had to change trains in the city of Morges
on the lake of Geneva. Of course we took advantage of that and
always grabbed some fresh coffee and croissants from a famous bakery
across the street from the train station. Unforgettable memories!
My buddy Heinz
All trade apprenticeships last 3 years in Switzerland,
but since I was on my second I got 1.5 year credit and believe me
this one and a half years flew by! Unfortunately, something happened!
Part of the apprenticeship is keeping a controlled recipe book, menu writing, purchasing log, and food cost control. I had no problem with the menu writing because it was fairly simple. Purchasing and food cost are mostly numbers and I had no problem with that. Different was all the recipes. I have to admit, my recipe book, written in French, was a total disaster. It was full of wrong words and mistakes. At that time in Switzerland the culinary teaching was based around Auguste Escoffier’s “La repertoire de la cuisine”. This books we have to present on our final exam and are one quarter of our final grade.
To make the story short, I met a girl and she offer to rewrite my
entire recipe book and I accepted it gladly! On September 18th
we had the theoretic exam and turned in our books .
On September 25, 1963 I had my final exams in the culinary school in Lausanne. There where 6 of use and at 7am we each had to pick a different 4 course menu out of a basket, write a order list, go get all the ingredients from the storeroom and start cooking. They left us by ourselves, only occasionally checking if we needed something. We where permitted to help each other and I remember clearly making all 6 dessert. At 2pm to 3pm we each had to present our dishes to 7 judges sitting in a big empty room like kings! Very intimidating.
So far so good, I came out on top and was praised by
all 7 judges. After we could take a break to 5pm and were asked to be back for our
grade!!
Finally we were all sitting there anticipating receiving our cook diploma and to get ready to go party. Everybody got called up to get their diploma and left the room. Everybody was gone
but me, I knew something was wrong and I was very nervous. I was
called and informed and interrogated at the same time about my recipe
book. They assumed it belong to somebody else. Believe me, I had
the most attractive recipe book of all the apprentices and that was
the problem, I think, that's why they compared it with my other paper
work.
I was exactly 20 years old and demoralized at that
moment. My explanation was not accepted and the book has to be
written in my own hand writing. (What a joke, in today's age, with all
the computers, some kids don't even know how to hand write
anymore, ha)
Anyway, I had to extend my apprenticeship another 6
months!! and rewrite the book.
My boss and owner working in the rotisserie at the hotel
seating capacity was only 18 people, very exclusive and reservation only.
The main restaurant had 60 seats and we had a
banquet facility for up to 150 people
I finished the last 6 month in the
Buffet de la Gare in Lausanne. I started November 5th and finished
April 15 1964. There is nothing worth mentioning about this short
time of my career, but there was one very sad event I will never
forget! Only in my second week there I walked home and there where
vendors in the street selling news papers . (They never sell news
paper on the street before or after this time in Switzerland) At that
time the whole World got informed about John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s
assassination! Everybody, not just America , loved him!
I finely received the diploma without anymore exams or tests,
I only had to present that faithful, idiotic recipe book!
And I worked 6 months without getting payed.
It's time again for the recipe:
It would definitely be the montricher dressing but that recipe is already in this blog. Montricher Dressing was loved by the people then and it seems to me they still love it now. I remember from my time there of a big successful dish was the Croute aux champignon. We used Champignon, chanterelles, morels, boletus or any other available mushroom according to the season or personal preference.
Fry the french bread slices in butter until golden brown. Quickly saute some mushrooms and a little chopped shallot seasoned with parsley and thyme.
Deglaze the pan with a little dry white wine and reduce slightly. Add heavy cream and reduce until sauce is getting thick. Finish with a pinch of curry powder and some Cognac. Pour over the fried bread.
Always delicious!
