We all have someone to thank – that person who started this whole obsession with being in the kitchen, the one who lit the fire and pushed us forward when we may have seemed a bit directionless. Sure, there were many others along the way – chefs, owners, fellow cooks, rotating mentors throughout our lives, but there will always be that first person who turned on the switch. Mine was Millie.

Millie was the breakfast cook (no need for a chef here) at the Colonial Diner in Buffalo, New York. She was alone in life, her husband, a chef at a local hotel, had passed away suddenly and Millie was forced to find a way to pay the bills. Oh, she was a professional cook in every sense of the title, but until this unfortunate event had not been the primary earner in her family. Now, Millie stepped easily into the role. My guess is that working provided her some comfort and a connection to her late husband. Anyway, she was good at what she did: organized, efficient, pleasant, focused, fast, and always cognizant of how important each plate of food was to her audience.

I was 15 years old, on summer break from school, and anxious to start my first real job (not including paperboy) as a dishwasher. Being a pearl diver was not so bad and Millie took the time to show me the ropes; how to care for the machine, the proper way to wash pots and pans, and how to stay organized and ahead of the game. When Millie was busy during various rushes throughout the morning, she would call me over to her world to garnish plates, add a rasher of bacon or sausages, wipe the rims of that heavy Syracuse china, and call out, “Pick up!”

As the summer moved along, I graduated to flipping pancakes, browning home fries, and cracking eggs. Millie was amazing to watch with eight or ten egg pans going at once – over easy, sunny side, scrambled, poached, and loads of omelets. I really wanted to give egg cookery a try, but she insisted I wasn’t quite ready.

I enjoyed the pace, the ebb and flow of business, the call of orders (this was long before point of sale printers), and connecting with the young waitresses’ home from college for the summer. Everything about the restaurant made me jump out of bed in the morning. I had purpose, I was developing skills, the action made time move very quickly, and I held a paycheck in my hand at the end of the week.

My parents were pushing me to decide on college and the career that I would choose, but aside from wanting to be a rockstar playing drums (not very well I might add), I didn’t have a clue, at least, not yet.

The summer went by very fast and although I was ready to start my junior year in high school, I didn’t want to say goodbye to my kitchen home. Millie agreed to keep me working on Sunday mornings and for occasional times when someone else failed to show for work. I continued to learn from Millie throughout the year and the following summer I graduated to her grill assistant. It didn’t take long for me to master the egg pans and take control of the line on days when Millie was immersed in prep or the occasional group lunch that the restaurant hosted. I was in my element and walking a lot straighter now that my skills had improved.

Next fall I would be a high school senior and although I had very little desire to attend college, my parents were insisting that I step in that direction. I had no idea what to do or where I should go until one day after lunch Millie sat me down, poured me a cup of coffee (a habit that I would later embrace) and had a serious conversation with me. She said that I was good at kitchen work and that she thought it could be a great career choice for me. She spoke of all the joy that cooking had brought to her late husband and how it had saved her after he passed away. Anyway, she had information about a college that focused on careers in hospitality and shared what she knew.

I took Millie’s advice, attended college, worked in restaurants and bars while in school, and started a career in food that would last more than 50 years, take me to a dozen countries, land me positions from line cook to executive chef, and culinary instructor to college vice president. I have had the honor to work with, know, and call hundreds of incredible cooks and chefs – my friends. I have become part of something that is noble and important and take pride in what has occurred as a result – all thanks to Millie.

Who knows what direction my life might have taken if at 15years old Millie had said that I was too young or not right for that dishwasher position. Who knows where I would be today if I had not experienced the thrill of flipping by first order of eggs over easy. We all have Millie’s in our lives, a person who gave us that nudge, who taught us more than we will ever fully appreciate, who gave us purpose and a reason to jump out of bed in the morning. So, for all of this – thanks, Millie!

Who is your Millie? Whomever ever that person is or was, stop what you are doing, right now, and say thanks!

As an aside: My career in food has provided ample stories to tell and in my later years I have found great pleasure in sharing those stories and offering my thoughts about the lives of cooks and chefs. This blog continues to provide a vehicle for me to communicate what I know and what I feel. As of today, I am only 22,000 views away from hitting the 2 million view mark. I haven’t had a viral article in a while so please SHARE this article with anyone and everyone and help push www.harvestamericacues.com to that goal. Thanks for reading.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

(Over 900 articles about the business and people of food)

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

More than 90 interviews with the most influential people in food