Cooking up Stress and Anxiety

Cooking up stress and anxiety

Cooking up Stress and Anxiety

Cooking is no longer considered a duty that should be done "only by women."  Traditionally, women were expected to prepare meals for the family, wash the dishes, and clean the home, as well as do almost every household chore. However, things have changed, and women now play quite different roles in society than they did in prior decades. This shift in gender roles has impacted both men and women, particularly when it comes to taking the lead in the kitchen. Today, both men and women value the skill of cooking. Individuals with great culinary abilities are well paid.  As a result, it is not surprising that the tension that was formerly synonymous with cooking is now felt by both men and women.  Food, after all, is about satisfying the senses of those who consume one's culinary creations.

Cooking and stress are seldom related. The phrase "cooking" readily connotes gustatory joys rather than tension, which is often associated with one's job or domestic troubles.

However, it should come as no surprise that stress and anxiety increasingly impact men and women who cook, just as much as salespeople who try to reach daily goals or managers who confront significant organizational obstacles.

In restaurants, for example, there are increasingly more male cooks and chefs. These culinary specialists adhere to a so-called "chef's ladder" that establishes each person's hierarchy and specified activities. The chief chef, often known as the "Chef de Cuisine," visualizes the meals in line with the restaurant's dining philosophy. The Executive Chef comes next, who oversees the whole kitchen, manages expenses, hires and fires employees, revamps the menu, and handles some administrative chores. The Sous Chef would report to them and be in charge of the daily specialties, inventory, staff supervision, and hands-on kitchen work. The Sous Chef, often known as the "Expediter," is in charge of ensuring that food arrives at the table on time, which requires coordination and time management skills. The pastry chef, who is on the same level as the sous chef, oversees the restaurant's pastry division. This employment is mostly reserved for women and involves the making of chocolates, souffles, and sweet pastries. 

Line cooks, who are in charge of cooking the meal, would report to these chefs. Line cooks are classified according to their culinary specialization.  Another important part of the kitchen is Chef de Garde Manger, who oversees the cold food division, which includes salads and sweets. 

If you've seen an episode of the television culinary program Iron Chef, you'll understand how difficult it is to work as a chef or line cook. In that program, the cameras frequently show the chefs' worry and anxiety as they struggle to cook a particular number of dishes under time constraints. The chefs' expressions are likewise filled with anxiety when the judges taste their delicacies.

In another popular reality

Based on the television program Hell's Kitchen, various individuals participate as participants in a game aimed at determining the next "big chef" in town.  As a reality program, Hell's Kitchen often depicts the competitors' tension and anxiety on their faces when the presenter yells and becomes angry at them for not executing various things correctly in the kitchen. Anxiety grips each candidate as they compete to become the next top chef.

Summary:

Introduction to cooking; restaurant chef ladder; chores assigned to each chef in the restaurant's kitchen; television broadcasts that provide an overall picture of what is going on in the kitchen, as well as the emotions of such chefs; and how tension and anxiety are perceived in the kitchen.