35 Comments
User's avatar
Amela Marin's avatar

I'm learning along with Emma. She asks all the right questions.

What a great way to describe the workings of a commercial kitchen.

Vanilla Black's avatar

Thank you, Emma was a star.

Giovanna Solimando's avatar

I kept feeling sorry for her (because I might have been her at one point 😬) and laughing at the same time. Working in a professional kitchen is quite a learning curve.

Vanilla Black's avatar

Oh it certainly is. Emma turns out very well.

join me in paris's avatar

loved the story.. and will listen to Morrisey for the rest of the day

Vanilla Black's avatar

Thank you so much. Enjoy the music.

Shell Plant's avatar

Loved this week! And I like Emma too. She really pulled through that shopping list incident didn't she, bless her heart.

Loved your description of the kitchen, using you senses and being aware of what's happening around you. I've definitely improved on that front, thank goodness!

I'm also a bit posh, but Essex girl posh so it's not too bad.

Vanilla Black's avatar

Thanks Shell, much appreciated. Essex posh is OK, it’s not like Berkshire posh.

Matt Inwood's avatar

Emma sounds great. And that’s one of the lovelier essays about using all of the senses when working in a kitchen. I still always feel a slight thrill when I hear someone shouting ‘BACKS!’ when I’m shooting in the kitchen: we photographers crave any acknowledgment going when we’re the wrong side of the pass! 😂

Vanilla Black's avatar

Thank you Matt. In some kitchens the warning shout is ‘chaud’. We learn something each day.

Elizabeth Pizzinato's avatar

I do like that Emma!

Love that version of That’s Entertainment, one of my favs by The Jam. Do you know Morrissey’s Back on the Chain Gang? Not a wildly different version but that distinctive voice adds so much.

https://youtu.be/JQaM_cyedP0

Vanilla Black's avatar

Emma was very funny.

Vanilla Black's avatar

Oh yes, thanks, I completely forgot about that.

Neil Revell's avatar

That's a quality cover of that song. Never heard before. 😕

Vanilla Black's avatar

Thanks for reading fella.

Felicity Jones's avatar

Well that was a surprising song at the end! Have never heard that version.

Vanilla Black's avatar

In my humble opinion he does a very good version.

Felicity Jones's avatar

Agreed. Always a challenge to go back to his oeuvre. But the talent is undeniable.

Mark Diacono's avatar

I wasn’t aware of Morrissey doing a cover of That’s Entertainment so thank you, and it counts as antidote to the idea of a melted flake (as it surely would be) under my pillow

Vanilla Black's avatar

He does it very well. But he also did this Roy Orbison cover, which is brave. But have a listen, it’s flawless.

Enjoy the squasy Flake.

Check out this video, "morrissey does roy orbison youtube"https://share.google/52mrUptMj339sbduz

Dunk Parsonage's avatar

.. and a wee sprinkle of salt on the handle of the saute pan!

Andy Lynes's avatar

What does this mean?

Vanilla Black's avatar

Sometimes, with an all metal pan, you would seal something, say a piece of chicken, then throw it in the oven. When you bring it out, if it needs to sit on the stove, you sprinkle a little salt on the handle so everyone knows the handle is hot.

Andy Lynes's avatar

Never heard of that, interesting, thanks.

Vanilla Black's avatar

Oh you’re good.

Felicity Jones's avatar

You can kitchen dance if you want to …

Lizzie Wingfield's avatar

Brilliant read. Think I've just learnt more about cooking than I thought possible – and my inability to do more than half a thing at once. Am posh. Can't help it. Don't say cool. And I've spent my life trying – and failing to teach that brilliant knife skill!

Vanilla Black's avatar

Thank you Lizzie. Actually, I’m posh also, just pretending to be working class. Cool eh!

Lizzie Wingfield's avatar

Very. But is it as cool as being a Diva. It’s a hard call..

Vanilla Black's avatar

That’s thrown me.

Lizzie Wingfield's avatar

We Divas are like that.

Cheryl  Queen of Markets's avatar

Beautifully put. Almost makes me miss it all...apart from the searing back ache.

Vanilla Black's avatar

Thank you. Don’t forget the pulsating feet.

Cheryl  Queen of Markets's avatar

Never.