Practical 13 Chocolate center piece – Melt down in the kitchen!!!

Today was a horrible day! what was supposed to be a relaxing, calm practical has become my worst one ever. I got into the kitchen and stood next to Olga. very sweet funny lady and i really like her positive temper and humour. also, she is one of the best in class. Anyway, to my right i had another girl I didn’t even know her name (and this is practical 14…just come to show how well this “group” bonded as a group…) even if i did know her name i wouldn’t mention it here. Normally she giggles with the chefs flirting with most of them, and no, i don’t mind this it is just that sometimes it feels like she is there for the wrong reasons and it does interrupt class. anyway, we were divided to pairs and she was my pair. we had to temper white and dark chocolate and since last practical i tempered the dark chocolate i preferred to temper the white. which i did. then we went on to pipe the outline of the figure or picture we chose. i brought from home the minion and it had so many details in and it was quite big so it took me a long time to finish it. but, in between as she was so absorbed in what she was doing and only that, i made sure that the tempered chocolate is still melted and good to work with, otherwise we had to temper them all over again. I brought her a cake board (although found out she already took one for herself ) then brought icy bain marie for us and she went to bring another one …like…hello?!!! are we working together or not? (obviously not!) anyway, i was still working at the outline just starting to paint in with colour when i turned around and saw that there is hardly any white chocolate left in the bowl. now, the thing is, that if you colour the picture you should pour white chocolate (tempered chocolate other wise the picture later will not harden and be able to stand – chocolate will melt!). if you wait too long, the colour will peel off the white and will not stick! so i tell this girl in amazement: “you took all the chocolate?” and the reply was “what can i do you should have tempered more”….it took me a second to compose my self and then i see that with what ever was left in her piping bag she moved on to pipe the support for the centre piece i.e the triangles we stick to the back in order for the piece to stand. I snapped! There is no way on hell i will shut up for this kind of behavior! So i said:”I can’t believe you! i just said I’m left without chocolate and you move on to pipe your triangles without being bothered at all? instead of giving me what ever is left you move on the pipe the triangles???” she started giggle and said “omg” as like: “look at her…” now…stop the story for a minute. I can tell you now that if this story had happened 20 years ago i might have behaved differently. But not now. For me, the older i get, the more everyone can kiss my ass! i said:”you can continue this giggling as much as you want but i rather say what i think in your face although i can talk behind your back too but its not my style. you should know that when you work as a pair, whatever you have you share! I have been keeping this chocolate “alive” all through the practical, since it was tempered while you were so absorbed in yourself just so you can take it all at the end and screw my work??!!” something like “whatever” was in the air and then. I have to admit the for few minutes the class was completely gone in my vision and i could see only her, i have a picture of the kitchen around me and Chef M standing next to me completely mute and helpless. He went to look for more chocolate for me and the other members of the group offered their chocolate which was nice to see. some caring in my class…I have to say that from a group of 14 there are about 6 people i almost never spoke before or never wish to speak to. The rest are very nice but not with all i had the chance to really talk. I maybe expect too much but i was really sad afterwards thinking about it, i thought that the Chef, as a mentor, a teacher, a person, a human being that is actually training future chef’s should have told everyone to lay their equipment and explain again how important it is to respect each other and work together. basic rules needed mentioning again in this situation. But unfortunately, he didn’t.

Later one of the people in class whom i hardly speak to since his behaviour towards me just doesn’t exist, came to look at my piece and cut triangle for me and left it on the table without saying a word (it took me a long time to realise it was for me because he is like tied to the girl i had a go at). at the end of the class this girl approached me and apologised. I have to say that I’m this kind of person that is very easy to forgive. I might not forget but i melt when someone has enough guts to come and apologize. To have the ability to actually think of her action and realise she was wrong. I take my hat off. She said she giggles when she is embarrassed and it wasn’t out of disrespect and she was sorry she didn’t notice. I explained to her that when you work in pairs you should share in half whatever you do in pairs. I brought her stuff at the beginning of the practical like i always do with other partners in the kitchen and like they do with me, whatever we bring to ourself we bring to the person we work with so its less time running around the kitchen and it feels much nicer. If we run out of chocolate we should rectify this problem together but it is impossible for her to be interested only in her work, using the “material” i have produced without sharing at all. Anyway…practical has finished and i went to the dressing room and poured my heart and tears out! I hate confrontation. i was so upset. my piece looked shit because i completely lost the plot back then. i didn’t colour it properly because i was certain i don’t have chocolate anyway. I got other’s people chocolate and later found out it wasn’t tempered (!!!!!) so my piece melted and fell into pieces! it left me really angry, annoyed, frustrated for all kind of reasons and I’m sure you understand after reading this why. Yes, maybe i am still a bit naive, or not living in the real world, but it is more important for me to work in a nice environment with nice people then producing a stunning piece. I felt i really don’t want to do this anymore. i felt i couldn’t care less about this f…..ing piece of chocolate centre piece … if i have to work in this kind of environment I prefer to wash the floor at home with background music!!!

Now, I’m just exhausted and going to sleep hoping for a better day tomorrow.
Pictures of my “amazing Minion” –

Chef’s piece –

Other’s people work –

and my bottom line for today –