I Miss My Sous-Chef....

I really, really miss my sous-chef. I had forgotten how much time and arm-power peeling, chopping, dicing, blending and stirring can take. My sous-chef will be coming back from Oregon next week. And although he is not always available, he has (almost uncomplaining) done more than his fair share of the chopping. My sous-chef would frequently meet me at the back door to help me carry in the groceries. He would take a look at my face and usually ask how my day went before he launched into his own school monologue. While I unpacked the groceries, he would sit at the counter, open a beer, pour me a glass of wine and wait for me to settle down. Then he would ask if there was anything he could do to help. Depending on how my day went, I would either say no or more often than not, have him start chopping onions ( I almost always use onions in whatever I cook). He is a very thorough sous-chef - he always chops consistently and as finely as instructed. When he stirs, he does so slowly, without flinging sauce all over the stove like someone else I know. My sous-chef has picked up lots of tips on cooking and grown to be a very good critic of flavors and seasonings. When asked to taste something, he will get that far away look in his eyes and you know he is very focused on the task. Since he likes to eat many different types of food, I once suggested he might be interested in taking a cooking class. He looked at me and indignantly told me in no uncertain terms that he already knew how to cook. Somehow along the way, he graduated from sous-chef to chef without my even knowing it! In fact, part of his acceptance into his summer internship was based on his employer asking him if he could cook. He quickly replied " Well, right now, I am making two different quiches and barbecuing shish kebabs - does that sound like I can cook okay ? ". Yep, I miss my sous-chef, I really, really do.