My Memorable Dish: "Sautéed Spinach"

[Introduction]

In the world of Italian cuisine, I have prepared countless dishes.
But come to think of it, my encounter with cooking happened much earlier—back when I was in elementary school.

That kitchen, filled with the steam of freshly cooked rice, the sight of scrambled eggs puffing up in a frying pan, and the aroma of miso soup spreading throughout the room 🍳
Before I knew it, I was obsessed with "culinary research" rather than just helping out.

When I reached high school, influenced by my older sister, I started a part-time job at a family restaurant near my house.
Cooking for customers and receiving money in return 💰
Thinking back, that was my "first step as a chef."

This time, I'd like to talk about that "first dish I ever made for money (my memorable dish)."

[My First Kitchen Job]

Even at a family restaurant, you start in the dishwashing area 🧽
As you get used to it, you level up through a "stage system": the sauté station, the salad station, the grill station, and finally, the dish-up station.

Surprisingly, since I was quite handy at dishwashing, I was quickly moved to the sauté station.
That was where my senior taught me how to make "Sautéed Spinach and Bacon" 🥬🥓
—This was the "first dish I ever made for money" 💰✨

First, my senior showed me an example, and then it was my turn.
When it was finished—

Me: "It's done!"
Senior: "Okay, please serve it!"
Me: "Wait, are you going to serve that to a customer?"
Senior: "Of course! Why?"
Me: "Is the taste okay?"
Senior: "It's fine! Don't worry about it!"

…What!? 😳
Is it really okay to serve it that easily!?
I honestly felt let down, thinking that I should practice many more times and reach perfect quality before serving it.

Still unsatisfied, I reported it to my parents when I got home.
And so, I began "Sautéed Spinach Special Training" in my home kitchen (laughs) 💪
I remember my parents watching over me, laughing and saying, "That's just how family restaurants are."

From then on, since I was a quick learner, my senior kept teaching me more and more, or rather...
Days of having recipes drilled into me at a speed that made my head spin 🌀
And the terrifying part was that everything was served just like that 😅
Senior… you were way too casual about it!!

During busy weekends, I was on my feet from morning until night ☀️🌙
By the time I finished, I was exhausted… I was completely being "used for all I was worth" (laughs).

But looking back—
Efficiency, speed, and the ability to adapt and fix things immediately even when I made a mistake ⚡
I feel like I acquired all of that during this period (laughs).

Now that I think about it, that was a proper apprenticeship.
Of course, it goes without saying that it was fun.

[In Conclusion]

Before I knew it… I had worked part-time at that family restaurant from high school until I graduated from university.

Even now, when I see the "Sautéed Spinach and Bacon" I made for the first time, the scene of that kitchen suddenly comes back to me 🥬✨ It has now become a staple in my children's lunch boxes.

Also, nowadays, I certainly don't serve food at the restaurant on a "spur-of-the-moment" basis.
…Or so I'd like to say, but
When a customer asks, "Hosopy, make me something delicious with pasta!", I end up making it on the fly anyway (laughs) 😅🍝

However, the difference from back then is—
That I always make sure to taste it before serving it, no matter what.
I also make sure to taste the dishes prepared by my staff and subordinates before they reach the customers.
That experience of "serving food without tasting it" has become an important lesson for me today.

By the way, sautéed spinach is a dish you often see in Italian restaurants as well 🥬
It is often served as a side dish for the main course, but in Italy, it is actually common to order side dishes (Contorno) separately 🇮🇹🍽️

I would like to talk about that "Italian side dish culture" on another occasion 😊
That was the story of my "first dish I ever made for money."

If there are many likes 💓… maybe there will be a sequel. That will be somewhere, someday.
Grazie mille! 👨‍🍳✨