a trainee for me...

... hilarious to think that my skills in the food demo. booth are such that I was qualified to train someone else. So there: truth really is stranger than fiction. I spent most of my day at work with a young woman, just barely college age, who thought she wanted to learn how to do the cooking.

She has, I think, been a front end worker for some time, possibly a cashier, and likely a carry-out person. My co-Aprons-worker had told me this young woman, M. was interested, and the managers had told her she could give it a try, work with one of us a couple of days to see how she liked it. I don't know how  much actual in-the-kitchen experience she has, but with me standing there, talking her through the recipe, she did quite well.

I'd sort of mistakenly formed the opinion that she would not be competent, just from conversations with my co-Aprons-worker. But she did a good job, seemed to catch on to things pretty quickly, and said that she enjoyed doing the food prep and serving. I was under the impression that this newbie would be working with the co-worker at some point. But was completely unsuspecting when she came up to say she was told to spend the day with me, learning how to cook. I don't think I've been at this 'new' job for two months, and the managers thought I was prepared to take on a training another worker?

I can't actually remember when I started cooking. I was raised by a mom who was a good cook, and spent time with grandmothers and other family members who were homemakers, feeding families three meals each day, every day of the week. So guess I probably started 'helping' my mom and grandma as soon as I was old enough to see over the edge of the countertop. I know I was cooking full meals by the time I was in high school. Before I took that Home Economics 101 class with all the info about the food groups, meal planning, basic nutrition. And long before I was the awardee of the Betty Crocker Homemaker of the Year Award my senior year. So I sort of feel like I have been cooking mostly forever.

And this trainee that I was working with today does not include the two I raised. Both of which can probably cook circles around me! And make really good things that I love to eat. Feed me!