My story: Assistant Cook Extended Training Program...Breakthrough Spring 2005

Breakthrough

By Jason Spence

I've learned to temper chocolate couverture. I've made pasta from scratch. I'm more than halfway through the Assistant Cook Extended Training (ACET) program at George Brown College, but my story has just begun.

Last year around this time, I was literally depressed and recovering from psychosis. The future seemed grim. Although I had a successful academic career, (English at York and some journalism courses at Humber) I was unemployed. All I was qualified to do was write. Journalism, however, no longer appealed to me, and although I had been writing a novel that I think has lots of potential, I knew the chances of it getting published were slim.

Enter ACET.

I was always a creative cook. I'm the type who can make a tasty meal when the cupboards seem bare. While creativity is a good thing for cooks to possess, creativity without proper education won't get you work. The ACET program, taught by an impressive group of chefs and job developers, promised to harness that creativity by teaching the fundamentals of French cuisine, food safety, kitchen management and nutrition. For psychiatric survivors participating in the program the cost of tuition and all the required equipment was free. It was a seven-month program with a work placement in an exciting industry.

It all seemed too good to be true.

ACET has taught me more than a few great recipes. I've learned to appreciate the hard work cooks do. I've also discovered similarities between cooking and writing.

The writing instructors I've had, including a Governor General award-winning novelist, have been as impressive as the ACET group. Some of these instructors thought I was brilliant, others acknowledged some talent, some thought I was pretentious, a couple thought I was nuts. None could deny my creativity. The advice they gave me about writing could apply to cooking and those aspiring to be cooks.

"It's important to know where you're going when you write, or else how will you know when you get there?" the novelist explained. "The stuff you do before you begin - researching and organizing your thoughts - that's the difficult part. The actual writing is pedestrian," said the professor.

And although the name and face are forgotten, his or her words still linger. "First, learn to write good sentences. Then, after you've studied mechanics, grammar, usage and other rules, then you can break them. Then your style will develop."

At the very least, both cooking and writing involve planning, proper technique and presentation. Punctuation, for example, is to poetry as spice is to an entrée: too much impedes, obscures and destroys a good foundation. When used properly - or stylistically - you'll hardly know it's there. Meanwhile, the bland becomes zesty!

ACET has taught me something that's even more important than the above. When things seem bleak, if you hang on and - most importantly - are receptive to help, good things will happen.

So, what's the recipe for success ACET-style? Equal parts teamwork, dedication, hope and chill until the next episode.

Jason completed the ACET Program in the Fall of 2004.