Renton Museum Auction

Last night was our 4th annual dinner auction for the Renton History Museum. Usually, I help set up the auction tables and then help with check in, but last night I was in for a treat. The guy that usually helps the caterers in the kitchen had a cold, so our fundraising chair suggested that they ask me for help. Of course I said yes. And it was a blast!

I learned so much about working in a commercial kitchen and preparing food for a large group of people (nearly 150!). We served green beans with almonds, mashed potatoes and gravy with roast turkey and roast pork. It was delicious! And I enjoyed every second of being in that kitchen. From helping slice the meat to learning how to operate the dishwasher, I just soaked it all in.

The experience really helped me realize that if I'm going to follow my dream of opening my own restaurant (and bakery and sandwich shop and....), I really need to go to culinary school. I thought by just going to baking school, I would be happy in a bakery. But baking is not my passion. It's fun, but it's not what I want to do. I want to be in a kitchen, cooking food.

I realize that at first, I'll be low on the food chain and I will be doing a lot of menial tasks. I originally thought that would bother me, having repetitive work, but at my current job, a lot of what I do is repetitive. I don't think it would bother me that much anymore.

So I've decided, I'm going to culinary school, not baking school. It's an extra year and an extra $5000, but I think it would be worth it. And someday, I will have my own restaurant and bakery and sandwich shop and...

I'm gonna be a female version of Tom Douglas.

Thanks for reading,

Rachel