The Food Worker

I just finished up 3 straight days of working outside of the house.

Day 1 - Lark, 2pm-10pm. Normally, I would stay til the very end, helping with clean-up. But, I had to be up early the next day, and with Daylight Savings, I wimped out and went home early.

Day 2 - 1) Mt. Townsend Creamery, 9:30am-1pm. I got a second job working at Pike Place Market selling cheese. Sunday was my first day. 2) "Cooking Club," 3pm-7pm. This is when I get together with a few other moms and we cook up batches of food that we divide up and take home. 

Day 3 - Little Uncle, 9am-2pm. My friends own a little Thai take-out spot in Capitol Hill, and they asked me to help out with a catering gig they did down at Zillow. We were serving up food for about 350 employees. There were 7 of us, and tons of food. 

This post goes out to all the awesome people I've ever worked with in the food industry. They truly are an amazing breed of super humans. I am in awe of their commitment, drive, and endurance. I can especially say all this because I, too, was once a super human. And, knowing all that it takes to work in the food industry, leave it, and then come back to just a small glimpse of it and feel totally wiped out after only 3 days, really makes me value what they do. To top it off, they have a lot of fun, too.

Let's start with Lark. John: father, husband, chef, owner, in the process of writing a cookbook and making an iPhone app. He does all this, has a positive attitude, and people love working for/with him. The Lark cooks: work 10-12 hour shifts, go out after work, have a great time, and get up early the next morning to do a catering gig for Little Uncle. 

Next up, Little Uncle. Wiley and PK: husband and wife, with two kids, started their own business. Dedicated to food, Thai culture, each other. The aren't open on Saturdays or Sundays, but spent those two days this weekend preparing for this huge Zillow gig. After Zillow, PK runs off to cook another meal for Geena Davis, through One Pot. 

Finally, Mt. Townsend Creamery. Allyson: She's my new manager. I don't know her very well, as I've only just met her. She seems kind, driven, dedicated, and loves food. She came out to Seattle because she wanted to work for the creamery, and she made that happen. Now she runs the cheese shop in Pike Place Market, but also does all the creamery's social media stuff. 

Remember when I said I had to go home early the other night? Not these people. Up late, up early. Smiling and ready to go. 

Oh wait! And, a special shout out to my friends, Alicia and Monica: Moms extraordinaire. Their love for their children is inspiring, and my afternoon spent with them in the kitchen was so therapeutic. Thank you, thank you, ladies.

Oh my goodness! One more! David: father, husband, techie, awesome. He took charge of dinner for both evenings I was gone. Packaged pasta one night, and homemade cashew chicken the next. Both served with some "blasted" broccoli. I got to have the chicken, which was quite yummy. The spouse of a cook gets to be a super human from time to time, too.