Level 3: Discipline: Skills For Consistency and Their Refinement

It was tough heading into a new level with a completely different instructor, Chef Nic. We had gotten used to the friendly camaraderie enjoyed with Chef Phil, who believed it wasn't necessary to beat down on the students who were paying his salary. Chef Nic, from the Eukraine, has a different approach.

And the Level 3 kitchen was not the bright shiny, stainless steel happy kitchen we were used to. The kitchen was one of the oldest, and notoriously the hottest in school. In Level 3, downstairs from our previous kitchens, there were no automatic toilet flushers, or automatic sinks. We had to remind ourselves to flush and turn the little knobs on the sink. There was no fancy filtered water cooler, like upstairs. We had one of those old school, straight from the tap, kindergarten water fountains. This would not be a part of the school toured by potential students. This was like a dungeon.

Level 3 would be all about making the same dishes over and over and over and over until we perfected them. Each dish had essential skills we needed to master, like searing a chicken, tourning cocottes, rolling perfect tart doughs, and turning out the classic bouef bourgignon.

After our first day in Level 3, Chef Nic really handed our rear ends to us, scoffing at the grades we had been given in our previous evaluations.
"I feel sorry for some of you because you will be really surprised when you're not receiving a 97 or a 98 anymore. Hah! A 97? I cannot believe this."

By the end of our first week, some of us questioned whether we belonged there. What the heck were we thinking, coming to this school with the idea that we might magically become expert chefs? I felt sorry for the wide-eyed kids I saw touring the library, and the beautiful student lounge. They had looks of wonder and awe, with their tour guide dropping names like, "Bourdain" and "Bouley". They had no idea it wouldn't be all rainbows and butterflies.

My grades dropped dramatically in Level 3, just like Chef Nic had warned. And he was right- I was surprised. I had no idea why it had happened because I continued to work harder than ever. He was trying to teach us a lesson. As much as I hated Level 3 and resented Chef Nic for treating us like idiots, I can look back now and be truly grateful for everything I learned. He was the only Chef who, on more than one occasion, handed out carrots and potatoes for us to take home to work on our knife skills. He was tough, and it was just what we needed.