Na cozinha: hot times in Rio

The first day at a new restaurant is always the same. Apprehension. 


It was raining when cousin Evelyn dropped me off at 8 a.m.. I was escorted into the kitchen, given a black-and-white, houndstooth apron and hair-net thing (not a good look). For the first hour or so, I tried to stay out of the way, while I watched and scribbled in my notebook before I began sticking my fingers into things (not literally -- don't be afraid).

In this kitchen, I am the only woman.


The Fellini kitchen isn't one big room. Rather, it's chopped into the main kitchen (which is hot -- at least 90-degrees F. with stoves, grill, deep fryers and oven at full tilt). There's the dishwashing area (for the restaurant dishes -- pots and pans are watched in the main kitchen), set up as a tight galley. The second floor is more restaurant seating. Upstairs, on the third floor, is a stock area, a mini kitchen with cold storage (no walk-in fridge) another stove and oven set-up, and the appetizer, pasta and desserts kitchen. And air-conditioning. 


I trailed Cleyton (the head chef) all day. Once the actions starts in any kitchen, it doesn't stop until it's finished. Between the hours of 11:30 and 4 p.m., up to 500 people will shuffle through Fellini, each grabbing a white china plate and choosing from more than 60 menu items -- salgadinhos (appetizers), salad bar (bar is such an inadequate word), the sushi station and hot dishes, including, homemade pastas, hot vegetables and sides, grilled meats, fish and chicken and, always, black beans and rice. 

Cleyton is preparing tongue with wine and mushroom sauce (Lingua de Molho Madeira). It's one of the many dishes he will prepare alone. He's quiet and efficient, though there's always some chat and singing going on somewhere in the kitchen. 


From the northeast of Brazil (it seems like most the kitchen help in Rio are from somewhere in the state of Ceara), Cleyton, a long time employee, was groomed (with formal education provided by the Fellini's owners) and is now head daytime chef. 


There's a salad guy, a griller and at least two or more dishwashers/helpers. Again, these are long- time employees (there's not a lot of turnover here), and somehow each gets his job done without colliding into each other in the sweltering, crowded space. 


By day's end, I've helped make crepes with palmito (hearts of palm) filling, chicken with apricots and orange sauce, fried up eggs and queijo qualhado (more about this later), stirred, refilled and tried to be 
useful.) 


RECIPE TO COME