sustainability
One of the key words underscoring the 'good, clean, fair' ideology of TM and SF. Interesting to note the reactions of people I met when they learned what is meant to sustain a cook financially. Given the economic situation these days, I am not complaining about current compensation. In fact, after the month of stress wondering if I would find anything at all, I am happy to go every day to a place that welcomes me and is making gestures to demonstrate how much.
However, is it realistic to live on $600 weekly in a place like NYC? It can (and often does) work; it also often does not especially given that the one salary involves 65+ hours leaving little time to search for that second job and have time to attend to little things like laundry and sleep. The question I am putting out now is- how do cooks sustain themselves? Why is it that we make sexy food at work and go home to cold cereal, frozen pizza and sandwiches? Maybe, just maybe, on a day off we might cook something half way nutritious and sit virtuously eating to do more than feed then machine. More likely we are scraping together a little bit of cash to go out and see what the rest of the food world is doing. It really does not take much to impress us. Carnitas, beef stew, sushi done right. All of it beckoning and once you find *the place* the cycle of sustenance begins. Your money for their talent. And back and forth it goes.
However, is it realistic to live on $600 weekly in a place like NYC? It can (and often does) work; it also often does not especially given that the one salary involves 65+ hours leaving little time to search for that second job and have time to attend to little things like laundry and sleep. The question I am putting out now is- how do cooks sustain themselves? Why is it that we make sexy food at work and go home to cold cereal, frozen pizza and sandwiches? Maybe, just maybe, on a day off we might cook something half way nutritious and sit virtuously eating to do more than feed then machine. More likely we are scraping together a little bit of cash to go out and see what the rest of the food world is doing. It really does not take much to impress us. Carnitas, beef stew, sushi done right. All of it beckoning and once you find *the place* the cycle of sustenance begins. Your money for their talent. And back and forth it goes.
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