Some of the most important lessons had nothing to do with cooking.
Sure, I spent most of my time learning the fundamentals of cooking, but I also learned a ton of valuable stuff that helped me become a better professional (and person).
The first thing you should know about working in kitchens (and attending culinary school) is that the dishwasher has a lot of control over your success. Everybody should be treated like a chef — it’s simply a sign of respect. Anthony Bourdain actually talked about being a dishwasher and said it taught him “every important lesson of my life.” Treat every coworker like they’re your superior, and never overlook the people underneath you.
In culinary school, there’s always something productive to do — and they’ve even got a saying: “If you’ve got time to lean, you’ve got time to clean.” Teachers set up classes like a real job, and you’ve gotta learn how to organize your tasks in order to accomplish everything. Map out your days, and think about what takes the longest — if a braise (or an expense report, if that’s more your style) takes two hours to complete, then knock that out first and go from there.
