A SWISS CHEF'S CAREER: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE YUMMY (6)

Chapter 6

Our home in Vogelsang, Switzerland

My mother is working in the garden

(Sorry, I took a picture from a 1980 ish Picture)

Mother, Father, my brother ,Toni and me

This was on my mind ever since I was ready to drive back to Switzerland

   

This 8 Months in Cumberland, in the lake district of England flew by in no time, but left me with a lot of first impressions pertaining to my life, good and bad. First of all, I was the proud owner of a car (an accomplishment in Europe at that time in my age) and  I was driving home to Switzerland.  

                Most employees had an agreement during the season to not get a pay check until leaving at the end to avoid leaving the money in your room or opening a bank account like 50 miles away. If you need some spending money you could get it from the front desk. I can only tell you, I got a huge paycheck on my departure. (If I had more money in my pocket during the season I would have spend much more in the betting office on champion jockey Lester Piggott and the bloody horses!! My Chef Kurt would  know all about it).

                 It was over 50 years ago but I still remember the great feeling I had when I left the hotel and I new then It will be a great homecoming. I talked to my mother only once in the last 8 months on mother's day. I had to go to the post office in Keswick, give them my Number in Switzerland and about on hour later they send me to one of numeral cabins and I had exactly 3 minutes to talk to them before I got disconnected.

                  The best part careerwise definitely is the fact that now in a short time I learned to communicate in english. I knew then it will help me a lot for my future endeavors.

                   I left after the first week in November driving past Manchester, Birmingham, Northampton all the way to London, where I stayed for two nights. I couldn't leave England without checking out the Buckingham Palace!

BUCKINGHAM PALAST

LONDON

Car Ferry to France

 From here I drove to Dover on to the ferry. This was exciting and a short ride to Calais in France and of course the big change driving on the right again after I just got use to drive on the left. O well, after a few miles and hunderts of warning signs I was fine again.

                    It was already afternoon  and I had along drive in front of me and I decided to stay overnight in Dijon. Early in the morning I left over Besancon, Le locle, La Chaux de Fonds, Neuchatel, Bern, Olten to Vogelsang. I arrived on a sunny afternoon and we had a fantastic family reunion! We had a wonderful few days before I had to report to the Park hotel in Arosa. I guess this is also part of the benefits of a chef's career.               

                      

                    End of October 1967 I parked my Car, packed my suitcase with my uniforms. worktools recipe books etc. and I grabbed my still brand new Skis (I had them stored in my parents home in the attic) . My Parents promised me to come to visit me one day during the season. Arosa is only 2.5 to 3 hour away with the train from our house and it is a gorgeous winter resort! 

                    I said by and walked roughly a little bit over a mile to the train station in Turgi. I had to change train in Zurich  and then again in Chur and 3 hour later I arrived in Arosa.

AROSA

Park Hotel

                 I knew really nothing about what I was getting into on my new work place! Not like today there was no internet you can check everything out. You just had to go with the surprises. I saw the the job in the hotel news paper, send in my resume and got accepted. That's why I was standing here outside the Arosa train station with my stuff trying to figure out what is my next move. I did ask around and find out directions to the hotel. I took my time to get there checking out all the beautiful surroundings on the way to the hotel, also stopping for a beverage in the "Poestli", (only later on this actually became our favorite hangout).

                   I arrived in the lobby, the hotel was not open until December 4th and there was nobody around. I found a person in a backroom but he would not know what to do. He told  me to hang around in the lobby until he's boss comes back. I still needed a lot of experience in my career but right then I new that this company really don't care much about employees. I should add, it was 3 pm and they knew about my arrival!! Needless to say I was not very happy.

The tunnel before you get to the Station of Arosa

                             Hopefully it was getting better now for my sake. For a fact I remember a man my age walking through the lobby around 4:30pm, he saw me and introduced himself as Rudy Egli. He was also a Kitchen employee being here for his second season. My mood improved again. I got lucky, Rudy had all the answers to my questions and more. I actually was assigned to the same room in the staff housing. To make the good news complete he introduced me to Xaver Odermat who arrived at the same day to be the Pastry Chef.

                              We had like 2 days before we had to start working in the hotel, so of course we spend all day on the slopes and nights "after skiing", which means partying!

     

Weisshorn

  

                                                                   

                      

This was my season ticket for all Ski lifts and gondolas

I still have it after exactly 50 years

                   As you see my social life started not bad. The Weisshorn, Tschuggen and Hoernli became familiar sights pretty quick.  

Hornli slopes

Tschuggen

                 All employees arrived by the first of December and we got familiar with our work station, schedules, menus and rules and regulations. Right from the beginning I had the feeling that the Chef did not like me or none of the other new faces in the kitchen brigade. He always prefer to his people buddy's, meaning the cooks working with him in the sister hotel in the summer in Germany and here in the winter. To me the chef should run a kitchen and the  startup of the new season. You have some questions how he would like certain things to be done. Not here. You ask, his answer; ask my buddy. Beside he was never there. I saw him 2 to 3 times a day for a few minutes. He spend the rest of the time in the hotel. I believe he had to help to run the front desk to.

Barbeque on the roof of the hotel every Sunday

The so called Chef in a suit and his buddies

                  I found out quick to organize myself and do my own thing.  I was better off than asking any of his buddys for adwise.  Example;  What wine can I use for cooking? Buddy: what ever you like, just grab a few bottles, they don't care!    Or; You think the chef would like a hint of mustard in the caper sauce or not. His answer; I really don't no, what are capers? This did not lasted long. I also realized the menus been very simple and there was noting new for me , so I just went with it. Beside I had my best new friends on my side Rudy and Xaver. ( I still don't know why they liked the Chef?)

                    We started to be very busy during the 2 weeks, starting before christmas until just after New year. Even then I had a few run-ins with the chef. Only little things but I was unhappy in my Job. Instead of further my career and learn something I teach everybody else and on top of all this I did not get one thank you since I started!

                  Something always works out. Rudy, Xaver and I joined the Union Helvetia beginning December, a social club for hotel workers. We meet once a week and during the season we are organizing  a ski race, Ice hockey match between waiters and cooks, a Sledding  outing and a foot race around the racetrack on the lake, all this to help attract more tourists. One of the People I met on one of the meetings was Rolf the Chef of the Kulm Hotel (Number 1 Hotel in Arosa). He Informed me that he lost his chef to the Stueva Grill. He broke his leg skiing. Rolf was very happy when I offered him to take over.  

                   I was happy too. That same night, it was the 24th of January,  I was preparing diced veal Zurichoise when the "impossible" chef passed by and did not approved of me using shallots in my recipe and he actually try to make me change it to chopped onions. That was it for me, politely I told him to take over because I will not change it. He did not took over, he stormed out of the kitchen. Rudy and Xaver just standing there watching  and knowing  that I will quit my Job here tonight. 

                   I went to see the Chef that night and turned in my 2 weeks notice (unhappy or not you always have to give at least 2 weeks notice) I was kind of hoping he will let me go right away after just what happen tonight. No Chance! Unexpectedly he apologized and we had a long 2 hour talk. He actually try to convince me to finish the season here with lots of improvements on his parts. I was already committed and ready to go!

       

               On the 8th of February I moved out of the Park hotel staff building and in to a little nice room in the Kulm hotel. I was happy again. What a difference, Chef Rolf spent the next 4 entire day with me working in the Stueva Grill.  I felt absolutely secure about the Job when he let me lose and the next 4 week was a total success!    

Kulm Hotel Arosa

   The Stueva Grill was a free standing Restaurant across the street from the hotel    

With only 30 seats and only open at nights.

It was here were this picture was taken from. 

                        I had a great time I was for the first time in charge of the Kitchen operation. Beside a small a la carte menu, mostly grilled items I presented every day a specialty Item. In the morning I had breakfast with the Chef in the main kitchen and we discussed what was available for a special for the night, from Lobster, carre d'agneau, Filet Wellington, roast duck, veal medallions, dover sole etc, etc.

                        The Director of the hotel Hans Leu and his family visited the restaurant frequently and always had some kind words for me and lots of compliments and like I said before, this is part of our salary, it keeps us going. On night my father and mother showed up and for the first time  I had the chance to treat them like royalty! I remember exactly starting them off with table side sliced smoked norwegian salmon and after a small salad I prepare a steak tartare for my father and steak Diane for my mother. For dessert they had some crepe suzette with hazelnut ice cream. It was there first time they could taste my cooking where I worked and I believe they had a great time.

Steak Tartare

Steak Diane

Crepe Suzette

                       Even with all this work I had time for fun nearly every day together with Rudy and Xaver. After all we had to fulfill the obligation to the Union Helvetia. I remember Rudy was a talented skater and helped blowing away the team of the waiters in a hockey game. Xaver won the race on the track around the lake, but there was no doubt they could not beat me in skiing.

You have Rudy on the left, sorry I forgot the name of our second friend from left,
then it is Xaver and me

               

Performing for the tourists

            This was my first winter season and ended up very satisfying. I was very pleased with

the overall outcome. It is a great feeling when you leave and you know you are welcome back any time.



Time for the Recipe:

       Steak Diane

                           4   3 oz center cut beef tenderloin, pounded, ½ inch thick,                                                 salt, pepper, ½ tbl olive oil, 1 tbl butter, 1 small shallot minced, 1 garlic glove minced, 4 oz mushrooms sliced, ¼ cup cognac,  2 teaspoons  mustards,   ½ cup heavy cream,  ¼ cup demiglace,    1 tbl chopped Parsley,  seasoning to taste

(Hacomat, Tabasco, Worcestershire, Salt, Pepper)

                  In a large skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil. Season the meat with salt and pepper and cook over high heat until lightly browned on the bottom, about 1 minute. Turn the medallions and cook for 45 seconds longer, then transfer to a plate

Add the shallot and garlic to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the Cognac and carefully ignite it with a long match. When the flames die down, add the mustard and cream and stir over moderate heat for 1 minute. Whisk in the demiglace, parsley and season with hacomat, pepper and hot sauce.

Add the meat and any accumulated juices to the saucepan and turn to coat. Simmer until heated through, about 1 minute. Transfer the meat to plates, spoon the sauce on top and serve. It is delicious with fresh pasta.
This is fairly simple and you can impress your guest. Try it and enjoy!

Train station Arosa

Goodby Arosa, on March 16th I was leaving for Zurich