He hires cooks, arranges schedules and, during mealtimes, darts around the kitchen, keeping an eye on the line cooks' sauces, advising the garde-manger about the thickness of the sliced prosciutto, expediting orders and putting those silver dome lids over finished dishes. But almost never does he stir, slice or saute. In top restaurants, much of the cooking and creating is left to the sous chef, sometimes called the chef de cuisine. I really miss that, coming in and being at the stoves all day. But even getting to that level means years of hard physical work, long hours and mind-numbing repetition.
Cooking is an art, but working proficiently in a professional kitchen is a craft.
It is no wonder that there is so much transience. Over two recent weeks at Le Cirque 2000, the entire fabric of the kitchen altered. One of the pasta cooks quit. Two cooks, one from Germany and one from France, arrived to begin 18-month apprenticeships. Camelo gave notice.