The kitchen is its own world.
People come and go and while they’re there they become family. Family that becomes closer than blood sometimes because of the situations you go through together. At Wooden Spoon we often talk fondly about The Great Chicken Crusade of late May 2019.
That Friday started like any other day. We were busy with Memorial Day prep and talking about our plans for the long weekend. Some were going to the lake while others were already on vacation. At 5 pm all our plans changed. So began the longest, and most fulfilling four days most of us have had.
At 5 pm all our plans changed. So began the longest, and most fulfilling four days most of us have had.
We got a call that 108 cases of chicken were being off loaded and they needed a home. Without a second thought we said, “Absolutely! Bring it over.”
We had no idea that 108 cases translated into 6000 pounds of raw, full birds!
The race was on and the clock was ticking. I formulated a plan, albeit without any certainty it would work. We started panning chicken in preparation for cooking the next day. Then for the next three and a half days we cooked, and we cooked and then we cooked some more.
Some of us, well OK, all of us, had mental and physical snaps along the way. We ended up talking in chicken terms. “How long for that?” “Oh, about 5 chickens.” “How much does that weigh?” “About 3 chickens.”
At no time did, we as a shop, think we couldn’t accomplish this goal and were thankful when we finished.
To some this might seem like a fruitless activity that no one could complete. To us it was a chance to “put up or shut up.” It was a chance to live our core values and beliefs. At no time did, we as a shop, think we couldn’t accomplish this goal and were thankful when we finished.
We are forever bonded as a result of this activity. We created a world out of stress, laughter, and love.
The kitchen is its own world and we are some of the lucky ones who get to live in it.
