CMC Culinary Institute graduate Eric Watson recently wrote about the joy he’s discovered in kitchens from his childhood on to his current work as owner and chef at Mezzaluna and Mosaic Foods in Fargo, North Dakota. This article was first published in Fargo Monthly magazine.
It seems like just yesterday that I was the youngest cook in the kitchen. Now, I’m 38 and most of the time the oldest of our culinary team.
Based on my age, one would assume that I am a product of the ’80s, which makes sense when I joke that I subliminally received my inspiration to become a chef from watching Jack Tripper on “Three’s Company.”
Actually, chances are that my true inspiration came from the fact that my single mother often worked well into the evening, leaving my brother and myself to cook for ourselves. This day to day practice eventually inspired me to not only research cookbooks for new, unfamiliar recipes but also to set the dining room table with our best service ware and linens. I was inspired to not only create good food, but also to create an entire dining experience for my mother to enjoy when she arrived home.
My childhood inspirations eventually lead to culinary school. Keep in mind that I went to culinary school in 1993, before the Food Network and the glamorization of the culinary world were sweeping our culture. I was the only student my guidance counselor had ever met that wanted to be a chef. I’m happy to say that I wanted to be a chef for the right reason: the food, not the desire to be a culinary celebrity. With this approach, I ended up applying and being accepted into a three-year Colorado based apprenticeship program overseen by the American Culinary Federation. After partaking in several “Iron Chef” like competitions and being publicly criticized afterward by Certified Master Chefs, I realized that my chances of success as a chef would increase drastically beyond my fellow students.
When I was working my way through the ranks of the kitchen, I always had a mentor to look up to. I suppose that I’m now that person to many of my cooks, but I have to admit that I miss having a little outside motivation or a mentor’s praise for a job well done. That’s why I started the Fargo branch of the ACF. The ACF is in some way my new mentor; a group of chefs who will strive to be the best at what they do and always hold each other accountable. My biggest fear as a chef is allowing myself to slip into the irrelevant. Losing grasp of today’s culinary techniques and concepts will eventually lead to my demise. I refuse to let that happen.
When I decided to attend culinary school, I never intended to be a celebrity. I never intended to be wealthy. All I wanted was to be well respected within my work environment and within my community. That’s what we intend to accomplish with The Red River Valley Chef’s Association.
Eric Watson is the owner of Mezzaluna and Mosaic Foods in Fargo. He is also the Founder and President of the Fargo branch of the American Culinary Federation.
For more information on the ACF go to acfchefs.org.