Always a Spicy Meatball
Coco's Kitchen: A newsletter by Courtney Storer
First to Arrive, Last to Leave
I wish someone told me this before I stepped foot in a kitchen: When you're on time, you're already late.
A quick sport anecdote because I find so many similarities between working in a kitchen and playing a team sport (throwback to my soccer days!). Before a game, sometimes you arrive up to 2 hours early to stretch and warm up your muscles. If I didn't allow myself this time for my body and my mindset during practice, my movements didn’t connect and I wasted more energy trying to catch up to the rest of the team. I had a coach tell me once to pay attention to one of my teammates, Claire. "Look at Claire–she is always the first one on the field and the last one off." I'd be walking home after practice and Claire was still running laps on the field. Consistently and quietly improving her skills. Claire taught me a lot about what you bring to the table and how to pull your own weight. What she might have lacked in natural soccer ability, she made up for with heart and good, hard work–until her ability matched her intention. This important lesson served me well in kitchens. Thank you, Claire!
This week we talk about valuable lessons learned in Paris during my time cooking there. Cuts, bumps, bruises and tears - it was all worth it to get me where I am today. Plus, restaurant terminology breakdown and my favorite Rigatoni alla Sausage, perfect for a quick family meal. What is family meal? Read on to learn more. XO!