This story is about thinking, planning and building a life in the kitchen. It is a story of certainty and uncertainty. As well as a story of the ebb and flow of emotions that can build or destroy morale in not just any kitchen but any business, dependent upon a workforce to be profitable. The personality of any business is shaped by the person running that business. As the stories of our lives are shaped by the stories of the people in our lives, the amplification of those stories hold affectionately among chefs are almost always about other chefs from where we develop our artistic personalities, influence, and emulation.
When I first heard the story of the great Vatel, I was taken aback by the level of seriousness and passion that would drive a person to their death. Of course, at the time, I, myself, lacked the maturity to understand the gravity of things, the working of things and most of all, the passion of things.
I became fascinated with the story of Vatel as I progressed in my career. Using what little I knew about the real person and creating a persona within my own imagination by which to measure myself against, pursuant to achieving a high level of proficiency, and those among me from bottom to top.