A very long time ago I worked as a waitress in a local fine dining restaurant for a few months, which is where I first met my friend, Selena. We were both trying to make money in a short term, part time job so we could survive and then move on to bigger and better things.

It was an eye opening experience. I was blessed to have parents who took the family out to restaurants frequently for our meals. Plus we traveled a lot and ate food from a variety of regions and cultures.

Part of waitressing involved learning your way around the kitchen and appreciating all the work that the cooks and chefs had to do. They are one of the most under-appreciated workers in this country. A good chef plans menus and recipes, orders food, prepares the ingredients, cooks it, plates it and expedites it. That is a lot of responsibility and a lot of work in a busy kitchen.