“It’s hard to impress me with chicken,” he said as he clapped his hands together.

“But this is delicious. The flavors work well together.”

“Finally, some good food.”

“Thank you, Chef,” I said, trying to keep my composure.

“You are the winner; I am adding sous-vide chicken breast with truffle cream sauce and cauliflower mash to the menu starting tonight!”

“Congrats,” Heather said as she looked over to me.

I smiled, “It was bold but paid off.”

This was the day the chef actually enjoyed my food. I had made many different dishes before, but none had impressed the chef. I am an up-and-coming chef working at a contemporary restaurant in New York. I have been working my way up for a couple of years. Chef gave us one week to create a signature dish for the restaurant. If he picked my dish, this would open amazing opportunities and could even help me become a sous chef. That was my dream, but I knew this would be one I would have to work my butt off for. Every day before opening, I went to the local farmers market looking for new ingredients to use and experiment with. Today was Wednesday. Shortly after we finished lunch service, we got a few hours to prepare before dinner service. That day, I went with my coworker, Heather. Like me, she was trying to brainstorm what dish she wanted to cook for the Chef. When entering the market, smells from all directions hit us — fresh herbs, fruit, and meats. The sound of frying and chopping lingered in the air.

“Do you know what type of meat you are going to use?” I said.

“I was thinking NY strip steak? You can never go wrong with steak. Maybe I could add asparagus and potatoes on the side with some spices?” “What about you?” she replied.

“I was thinking maybe… chicken?” I responded.

“Bold, do you think you can pull it off?” She said.

“Maybe… maybe, but you know he said, ‘Cook what you know.’” I shrugged at her.

This choice might have been a risk, but I knew it would stand out. I grabbed a few ingredients we needed for the dinner service tonight. We walked back, hands full of produce bags, talking about what we needed to prep later today. When we got to the restaurant, all four of us worked on prepping ingredients for the dinner service. We looked over the menu and gathered the spices we needed. I got to the meat station, grabbing the pans needed for the duck and salmon. We had a lot to prepare; two of the other cooks got their knives out, chopping away at the ingredients, while Heather and I made sure we had enough for the night. The chefs gathered us together, giving us a quick prep talk before the big night.

“Remember to work together; you are a team. Making sure every dish is cooked perfectly and the customers stay happy.” Chef reminded us.

“Yes, Chef!” We all responded.

Throughout the night, everything went smoothly, getting dishes out timely, and customers staying happy. They shuffled in and out of the restaurant. Compliments came flying back, fueling us to get those last-minute tickets out. Those who ate enjoyed their meals, and some stayed for dessert. I worked together with Heather to get out the crème brûlées and lemon ricotta cheesecake. Finally, around midnight, dinner service was over, and we stayed to clean up the kitchen. We got done officially around 1:00 am, driving home and getting some needed sleep to open up tomorrow for lunch and dinner.

On Thursday I started researching ideas of side dishes to go with the chicken. I wanted something simple, but elevated — something that would wow him. When I was growing up, mashed potatoes and chicken were a staple. I wanted to use this idea but elevate it for the restaurant. While I was looking around for ingredients, I found some leftover cauliflower in my fridge; this sparked an idea. I gathered garlic and nutmeg to mix with it. But then I knew I needed more ingredients, not just ones I had at home. I rushed to get ready and get to the kitchen before the others. As I walked in the kitchen, it looked the same as we had left it the night before. I rushed to grab truffles and made a creamy base to pour over the chicken. I cooked the chicken sous vide using an old technique I learned to sear it golden brown. My final presentation looked simple but every ingredient was placed with care.

Before I knew it was Friday, I put my dish on the counter. All of us stood waiting in the kitchen as the Chef tasted all of our dishes one by one. No words were spoken while he sniffed and looked at each plate presentation. Finally it was my turn; my heart fell into my stomach. He dragged his fork across the plate, carefully tasting each flavor with care. He never said a word as I held my breath. Would he enjoy my meal? Would all my hard work finally pay off?