A SWISS CHEF'S CAREER: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE YUMMY (1)

CHAPTER 1

The house I grew up in until I was 16 years old

 From the other side of the river Reuss

The view from our balcony 

              When I was 13 years old, a restaurant owner, a friend of my father, gave me a chance to work in his kitchen on the weekends. The Restaurant Limmattal,  in Vogelsang, a small village in Switzerland, was famous then for countless wedding parties. In the beginning they put me in charge of French Fried Potato, including peeling, cutting and blanching them.  (No frozen or other prepared items in 1957).  Soon I progressed to producing vanilla, strawberry and chocolate Ice Cream. Eventually I made most the ice cream desserts including Cup Denmark, Peach Melba, Ice coffee, coupe Romanoff, etc, etc. Typical old fashioned desserts most all of the restaurant served in Switzerland. I loved the work there and it  definitely helped me with the decision to pursue my chef’s career.

On the foreground to the left is the small village of Vogelsang

During all this I went to the Bezirksschule in Turgi for 2 more years, not a very happy time for me, Heinz, my older brother was some kind a genius and all the learning in school came to him very easy. He passed every subject with flying colors and of course my parents expected the same from me!

It didn't happen! Heinz went of to the University of Zürich and I needed some help from Tudors in French, Algebra and music (violin). This helped and I graduated in the better half of my classmates.

Not very impressive but acceptable 

               Finishing High School I was 6 months short of being 16 the required age to start en apprenticeship in Switzerland.
                I went to work in a factory that produced indoor, outdoor lights of all kind selling them all over Switzerland. My father was a big shot there (operation manager for the model carpentry). That was probably the reason all my co-workers respected me and some even requested me for assistance in installing lights in new buildings all over Switzerland. I spent time in Bern, Lausanne and even a whole week in Geneva. I did have a concrete plan to start my apprenticeship as Confiseurs-Patissier on November 1, 1959 but I have do admit having second thoughts after likening my job in that factory. I could have become an installer of lights. Ha! Spending time cooking in the restaurant Limmattal whenever I had time set my mind straight.

Starting My First Apprenticeship

October first 1959 I was 16 years old, and I got a learning permit from my parents to drive. I saved enough money to take driving lessons and 3 weeks later I had my driving license!

On November 1959 I moved out of my parents house to live on the premises of the “Himmel” Pastry shop in Baden, Aargau Switzerland.

The Tea Room "Himmel"

All bake goods, pastry and confiserie is produce fresh daily

The ultra modern Bake shop is in the basement

The renovated retail shop

Still the same Place and products as in 1960!!
of course with some necessary renovation.

        My dormitory was in the same building on the 4^th floor and I shared the room with my “Oberstift” an apprentice who started 2 years before me. The establishment was and still is rated the # 1 Pastry Shop in the state of Aargau and they take in an apprentice every 2 years.

         I worked from 7am to 5:30pm Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri and Sat. Every other week on Sunday morning I had to deliver croissants, French pastry or tortes to VIP customers in the town of Baden on a bicycle with a basket! Not an easy job because there are lots of steep hills.

        Every Wednesday I had to go to trade school in Aarau, a 25 minute train ride. That day you learned general occupational knowledge, decorating skill, pricing, sugar and chocolate work.

        This was my live for the next 3 years until April 1962. after a two day examine I became a certified Patissier / Confiseurs, and not like at high school before, I graduated with honor on top of my class!

 My certified Patissier / Confiseur diploma 

My proud results
# 1 in the Class

       Here comes the big question, why spending 3 years studying pastry if your goal is to become a chef?



        Number one, it will give you a huge advantage in the future, it helps you to find better jobs , bigger earnings, better menu writing, it trains you to follow recipes, and you are able to teach your employees.

        I remember, after researching with my Parents at that time, that the path I took was recommended by most every successful chef. Now thinking back, they had been absolutely right.

        And now before I go to the next chapter here is a simple but famous Himmel recipe anybody can attempt!

KIRSCH TRUFFLE 

3 dl heavy cream

300 gr dark couverture

550 gr milk couverture
2.5 dl Kirschwasser

Boil the cream and add the chopped chocolate, let melt until smooth, press on parchment paper with pastry bag marble sized dots and let cool in refrigerator until firm. When firm roll them between  your hands until round like marbles. You will need about one pound of tempered dark chocolate to cover each piece and place them on a Icing rack. (A Tennis racket will do too, just make sure it's clean!) You will have to move them over the rack just before they get hard to get a real nice design on them.



Make sure chocolate temperature stay between 90 and 98 F 

It's a bonus if you find yourself a helper!

Kirsch truffle, second on the top

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

PROLOGUE

     I've been asked so many times about my professional life. Also many questions about pros and cons of a chef’s career, especially from young people who would like to cook for a living. This is not an easy task to explain, what it takes to devote yourself to become a service oriented person.

    I  think I should start with the pros!

     You will have a lot of joy, recognition, and satisfaction in pleasing, surprising, and overwhelming your guests. One of my main reasons to become a chef was the adventure of traveling. You can find yourself a job anywhere in the world. (Most other jobs are limited to countries and special regions). You have a chance to see other cultures and learn foreign languages. It made me very proud being able to communicate in 5 different languages in my life as a chef, especially after being one of the worst pupils in school in learning French! One great thing, once you are established, everybody in the hotel business knows you and you never have to look for a job again. You will always get lots of offers and it will be up to you to make the right decision. Beside, you will probably have that dream and good feeling to one day build your own establishment.

     On the negative side:

      There a lot of cons to this profession, starting with your willingness to work ungodly hours and most every holiday and being daily under pressure to timely serve your hungry costumers. You will not get wealthy either. Yes, you can make a descent living but unless you go into television you never will pass middle class. You will have to get very lucky like me to find a special partner in life, if you desire to start a family. She or he has to be ready to relocate any time a new job offer comes around and if you have children it will even get harder. Believe me, if you like to be successful you have to relocate quite often.

     I will give it my best effort and jot down all my memories starting with  my first food service experience in my early teens all the way to the end of my chef's career. I guess it could be bit boring to some, so just ignore it and don't judge me, after all, I am not a writer. Expect a new entry every few weeks in the near future.

We been in this together since 1976 

SAINT PATRICK DAY PARTY

Thursday, March 16^th

                                      We combined  the March birthday party for Ed with ST Patrick day. That made it easy for me to put together a menu.

                                       And here it is:

Beverage

Chardonnay, Champagne, Jack Daniels, Bacardi and coke

Dinner

( Irish themed)

Shillelagh Sticks

served with Guacamole

Lamb Terrine

minted green goddess sauce

*

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Boiled potatoes and baby carrots

*

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Kiwi Cream Sauce

Vanilla and Strawberry Ice Cream

Blood Oranges

Grand marnier flavored Cream Anglaise

                          Donna helped me with the resource to find a Irish appetizer and came up with Shillelagh Sticks. It is fairly simple to prepare and taste great with your appertive. 

There are bread sticks wrapped in bacon and coated with

rosemary flavored parmesan cheese

                I made a Lamb Terrine wrapped in Puff Pastry and I served it with a creamy montricher dressing mixed with crushed mint leafs and parsley. The trick is to have a green sauce enhancing the terrine flavor and mint goes pretty good with lamb, and I was right. I incorporated the lamb meat with fire roasted red peppers, chanterelle and pistachios.

The corned beef and cabbage was very traditional and nothing

out of the ordinary!

Now the chocolate bread pudding is something only I can accomplish!!

( unless you are willing to spend a lot of time)

                       First of all I had to bake 3 different pound cakes, one butter, one orange and one lemon. I used the same receipt for all tree except one with lemon juice and rind and one with orange juice and rind and of course a touch of food color. Mix the diced pound cakes in a bread loaf with quartered pralines and ad some fresh orange slices. Fill with a royal cream ( cream, eggs and sugar) and bake for 1hour on low heat or until it is firm.

                       To serve, I made strawberry and vanilla ice cream and cream anglaise with Grand Marnier. And because it was St Patrick Day I fixed a green Kiwi cream.

                        You have to take my word for it, everything was delicious!!

                   There was one technical difficulty, Ed was not feeling very well and he had to leave a little early ( before dessert), but I promised him to deliver his dessert the next day whenever he is ready. 

PROST!! UNTIL NEXT TIME