Why Does My Stomach Hurt?

In my last post, I shared my observations of some of the conventional and not so conventional things that people eat when they eat out.  I find watching other people's nutritional indiscretions and unusual food combinations to be humorous at best and horrifying at worst.  Making up stories about strangers out of context reveals more about the storyteller than the characters in the narrative, so I bit my tongue.  I didn't try to read people's minds, interpret their behavior, or judge their decisions.  I hope that my silence allowed you to enjoy dramas of your own imagination and prejudices.

Now, I'd like to step into the commercial kitchen where the food you buy is prepared by people you don't know.  This is not going to be a repulsive expose of food safety violations.  Rather than focus on the ingredients or cooking methods that compromise you health, I am interested in exploring the atmosphere and attitudes which beget indigestion.

What I am about to describe pertains to the 98% (this is my approximation) of restaurants and food retail outlets where Americans eat outside of their own homes.  For the moment, I am going to ignore the tiny percentage of uber-upscale places where executive chefs still prepare carefully crafted & innovative menu items of their own fancy.  I am also excluding the down-home joints with an inspired proprietor who deserves a visit by Guy Fieri because of the care & attention he/she gives to simple comfort food.

In spite of the glamor surrounding culinary arts and the prestige bestowed upon chefs, food service jobs are low-paying, back-breaking and downright sweaty.  Even in restaurants where well-trained chefs prepare food "a la minute"for their diners, most of the work of washing, peeling and chopping vegetables is left to dishwashers (people who wash dishes, not machines) and prep cooks making between $8 and $10/hour.  Wages paid to fast food workers are even less.  Did you ever stop to consider what might be going through the mind of the high school kid flipping your burger for minimum wage?  Is he distracted by the the attractive girl who just walked in the door or thinking about a homework assignment he has to complete after his shift?

Not all low-wage workers are young and immature.  A majority of the people employed in food service are immigrants (legal and illegal) who work their tails off trying to make ends meet with one or two full-time jobs.  And thanks to the recession, more unemployed white collar workers are calling restaurants to inquire about something other than a reservation.  Career changers learn the hard way that cooking for a paycheck is not as fun as cooking for family and friends.  Chopping dozens of onions, assembling sandwiches for strangers and hauling a 50 gallon garbage bag out to the dumpster changes one's rosy view of food preparation.

On the other end of the spectrum are the professionals who have chosen to pursue a career in the restaurant industry.  The qualities that make a good line cook in a commercial kitchen setting, who does the work of "cooking" your appetizer or entree to order (this could consist of actually cooking from the raw state or simply reheating and plating a dish), are not the same as those of the home cook.  People who get paid to cook and can truthfully say they enjoy their jobs thrive in a hot, fast-paced environment.  Nourishing and pleasing the diner is an afterthought.  They are motivated to show up at work everyday because they love the adrenaline rush they get from fighting their way "out of the weeds" on a Saturday night.  They enjoy boasting about the number of fires they've put out and will show you their scars.

Next time you go out to eat and are are presented with a plate of perfectly seared duck breast (or whatever animal flesh you prefer) surrounded by an exquisite sauce and accompanied by silky smooth mashed potatoes, stop for a second to ponder how it came to be.  Maybe the chef purchased the baby lettuces & heirloom tomatoes in your salad from a local farm.  Did you choose the roast chicken because the menu said it was "free range"?  If so, do you care that between you and the humanely raised & organically grown ingredients on your plate stands a hot & sweaty line cook?  A guy so bogged down with orders that he doesn't have time to wipe his brow or take a sip of water.  

The plate sitting in front of you has been wiped clean around the edges so as not to reveal any hint that it is the product of a highly stressful, fast-paced and exhausting environment.  There are many reasons why restaurant food tastes nothing like what you would make at home.  It's not just the liberal use of salt & butter that sets it apart.  There is a certain atmosphere and methodical approach to restaurant cooking which objectifies each dish.  And the heat of a commerical kitchen - both physical and psychological - is strong enough to upset not just the cook's & restaurant manager's stomachs but the guts of their diners, too.