While Shefzilla’s on the topic of words we don’t like, I’m going to chime in with “passion.” That word drives me bananas because every wannabe baker I meet is “passionate about great bread.”
That’s great. I am too. I love to eat it, I love to read about it and think about it. But more to the point, I love to do all the work necessary to make it.
I’ve hired lots of “passionate” people – and then when it comes time to do the actual, real work they freak out. Passionate people tend have a romantic idea about what it means to be a baker, and we all know how long romance lasts. So these guys work for a week or two, and then I get to work at midnight and they’re in their car crying because nothing is as they thought it would be (the mixer was late, the last shift didn’t stock the bins, the ovens are really hot). Or they take all day making one baguette, cut it open to analyze the crumb structure and want accolades for doing such a great job. I even had one passionate person walk out on me when I said it was time to clean.
Passion is a thing we talk and think about – it’s a noun, not a verb. And work is an active thing, something we do every day to get the job done. So all you people out there who want to work in food – go do it! Go out and get the skills required to match your passion. And then you can talk about passion all you want, because sometimes it’s the only thing that will get you through your shift.
May 7th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
I love that others love to make bread. I love to eat bread.
May 8th, 2009 at 3:48 am
[...] claws and goes after Erbert and Gerbert’s new subs (slimy! zero flavor!), Solveig Tofte criticizes “passion” (as opposed to “hard work”) — hear, hear, the Harmony Valley Farm CSA box shows [...]
May 8th, 2009 at 8:11 am
Send those people to me, Solveig. You know they won’t last an hour in my shop. And I could use a laugh. Really, really could use a laugh.
May 8th, 2009 at 9:29 am
Why does it appear that the working environment in the restaurant industry is so bad ? And some people seem to derive a certain satisfaction from contributing to this abusive behavior. There are other industries where people work under heavy pressure, but abuse, yelling and swearing is not considered a solution there.
My question is admittedly a bit tainted from the occasional watching of Hell’s kitchen – and the innuendo in the above comment. So what’s the real scoop?
May 8th, 2009 at 10:50 am
There are indeed people who like to yell, and people who like to get yelled at (it does take 2 to tango), but Hell’s Kitchen is waaaay over the top. And sure, some of us do like to chuckle a bit about the people who can’t hang – but that’s work, isn’t it? Every industry has a few points of pride that define it – and sometimes it’s just good to laugh about some of the craziness.
May 8th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
This and Shefzilla’s “talent” post are both great. Agreed on all counts: The myth of talent can lead to inertia and entitlement. “Passion” is often misplaced enthusiasm and lack of awareness (i.e. The dude who walked out on cleaning duties). That said, though, you guys create the good stuff, and it’s hard to blame the working stiff who reads himself into that life.
But holy grits – aren’t we all looking to fulfill passion and realize talent? Something about constant, grueling, thankless work just isn’t as sexy. I’m glad I’m having a cow about this when I’ve got a giant pile of papers next to me. Ugh. Back to it.
May 11th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
[...] and passion are key, but more critical is the willingness and ability to outwork the competition. As the Insider notes, big competitors [...]
June 3rd, 2009 at 7:08 pm
[...] shefzilla com Blog Archive Passion Posted by root 19 hours ago (http://shefzilla.com) From the occasional watching of hell kitchen and the innuendo in the above comment powered by wordpress designed by superloon design co Discuss | Bury | News | shefzilla com Blog Archive Passion [...]