Alex reviews Behind the Kitchen Door
By Sarumathi Jayaraman and Eric Schlosser
Published on February 12, 2013
Published by ILR Press
Source: NetGalley
Published by ILR Press
Source: NetGalley
How do restaurant workers live on some of the lowest wages in America? And how do poor working conditions-discriminatory labor practices, exploitation, and unsanitary kitchens-affect the meals that arrive at our restaurant tables? Saru Jayaraman, who launched a national restaurant workers organization after 9/11, sets out to answer these questions by following the lives of restaurant workers in New York City, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Houston, Los Angeles, Houston, Miami, Detroit, and New Orleans. Blending personal and investigative journalism, Jayaraman shows us that the quality of the food that arrives at our restaurant tables is not just a product of raw ingredients: it's the product of the hands that chop, grill, saut, and serve it
As a current food industry
professional, Behind the Kitchen Door gives a unique,
behind-the-scenes perspective of how restaurants and the industry as
a whole operate. With chapters titled “The Hands on Your Plate”
and “Serving While Sick,” the book doesn't hold much back, being
equal parts expose and informative documentary.
This title is based around the
Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC), cofounded by the author,
Saru
Jayaraman, following the destruction of the Windows on the World
restaurant located in the World Trade Center. This organization is
essentially a workers union for restaurant workers, which is
groundbreaking for the industry. Many personal instances are
expressed, showing the hardship of workers in this industry, from all
races and religions, and the success stories created with the help of
the ROC.
Aside
from the work the ROC provides, this book provides great examples of
what most people take for granted in the food service industry and
asks for a slight change of perspective from the general public in
response. More often than not, people go to “big time”
restaurants to celebrate, whether its a birthday, anniversary, or any
number of other occasions. How often do you consider the people
cooking your food, aside from the occasional celebrity chef who is
most likely not in the building, or the server, servers assitant, and
even host person that are there to make your experience the best it
can be?
The
“Slow Food” movement is also discussed. If you are unfamiliar
with it, I suggest you research it through multiple sources. When
done properly, it is arguably the biggest difference maker in United
States. One of my favorite quotes from this book expresses one of my
opinions about the food movement in America: “...the Slow Food
movement was never supposed to become a consumer trend for the
wealthy – the people who can regularly afford a $28 plate of
spaghetti...” Until participation and awareness rises, the best
and healthiest food won't be available to a significant portion of
the US population due to the almighty dollar.
Overall,
Behind the Kitchen Door is well written and a great read. It is even
from an “authentic” kitchen tone, being that much of the negative
is expressed, with an occasional positive thrown in. As a kitchen
professional and culinary school valedictorian, I agree with many
points in this book and would like to stress that the next time you
eat at a restaurant, whether it is fine dining or a chain, to
consider the workers and their well being, as well as the food.