The General Chat Thread (2025)

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I started switching my dining room into a cinema room but my mums care needs swamped everything so I haven’t finished the job, that’s top of my 2026 plans.

Also planning to -
Finish the reupholstering the furniture for that room, it’s quite a big job but avoiding it helps no-one. That involves buying some upholstery tools and dusting off my old upholstery skills, so I suspect I’ll be on YouTube a fair bit refreshing my memory.
Do some Swedish death cleaning because it was very apparent when i was trying to cook at speed the jenga stacked kitchware is not my friend.
Put the chromed tank and mudguards that have been sat on one of the sofa’s in that room since February 😬 on an actual bike.
Sell my mums house so there’s money available to pay for her care.
Buy a little place in the Isle of Man so I can run away from all the crap that’s going on round here 😂
 
I did run a lodge & restaurant for quite a long time though.
But I sort of set the menu and taught my guys how to cook those dishes.
I would never cut it in a proper professional kitchen though. If only for the reason that I can't follow recipes.
I only cooked the "specials" in a big batch. One off curries & stews.
They don't need to taste the same next time you cook them :)
 
So I was wondering with all of the talented people here - how many of you are actual qualified Chefs and how many are just enthusiastic cooks - quite possibly as good as some qualified chefs :)
Qualified no, worked as a chef yes. Did go to culinairy school, didn't graduate because of as it turns out, being autistic. I cooked ' the best food I ever tasted, but it takes far too long! ' according to my school instructor. My problem was that working in a kitchen has a lot of sensory input which overstimulated me to the point of being unable to register the communication of the team.

As I got older and my autism got better managed I did do volunteer kitchen work and a few traineeships at higher end restaurants but I never graduated because I then got serious physical illness to deal with and since then I have only been a cook on a volunteer basis. I do have experience, and in professional kitchens that's more important. But my health doesn't allow me to be a chef.

It's my greatest regret as being a chef and working with food is my absolute passion. But that's why I will go on to write about food instead. Next year I am going to create a Dutch culinary history non profit foundation.
 
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