Food for Thought with Alex Bielak- Heat in the Kitchen

We all know the adage “If you can’t stand the heat get out of the kitchen.” I can imagine it being yelled at the height of a dinner service in a French restaurant in the days of Escoffier. The yeller would have been Chef, immaculate in his whites and toque; the yellee some hapless apprentice wilting at the stovetop as a result of his exertions during a long shift.

The title of this week’s column is a nod towards the remarkably-titled book by Bill Buford, “Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany.” It’s a great read, and gives true insight into what passions can drive those who are obsessed with food.

My nephew, a talented pastry chef, once told me that when he was cooking in a Michelin-starred restaurant,