In Search of Technicolor Gods

On my Technicolor dining journey I was acutely aware that  I wasn't seeing a diversity of faces when I dined out - women and minority chefs, sommeliers and wine managers, especially when I dined at restaurants that were not categorized as 'ethnic cuisine' restaurants.

A November 2013  Time magazine  article listed what it considered the 13 most powerful and influential people in the food and beverage industry. Critics quickly pointed out that while the list included four women, none of those women were chefs. The cover for this issue labeled ' The Gods of Food' was devoid of female presence as well.

image courtesy of first we feast

image courtesy of first we feast

image courtesy of Time magazine

When I told a friend I wanted to write about the presence of women and minorities in food and beverage she stared at the table for an inordinate period of time. I understood her concern that this might be considered gender baiting or race baiting, but I wanted to  makes some sense of what I as a diner witnessed and how my background  and  personal experience had  sharpened  my awareness. I recalled a family friend who was graduated from Johnson and Wales Culinary program when I was a child. He would frequently share stories with us about patrons and sometimes colleagues referring to him as 'boy' when he first began his career as  a chef. I also knew that the life of chef often meant long work days (early mornings and late nights) could strain relationship with loved ones and cause competing demands on precious free time. As a woman who works in a traditionally male dominated field I can appreciate the delicate balance of wanting to be recognized and respected for your work because you do good work, not solely because you represent one or more underrepresented groups.  At times it can also be a very solitary journey because you are blazing a trail that has no advisory information about what lies ahead.
 

image courtesy of first we feast

I admit, when I see women and minorities holding down jobs where they are traditionally underrepresented I take a moment to acknowledge their presence and tell them that I am glad to see them. In my experience the  response frequently varies by gender. Often, the men accept the acknowledgement and continue on with the task at hand.  Many of the women smile in appreciation  for the acknowledgement, others look a bit uncomfortable with the recognition.




I invite you to join me as I seek out  goddesses and gods of food and beverage and hear their story: how they got started, what motivates them and where they are headed on their Technicolor journey.


Be well,

Technicolor girl

p.s. the alternative Time magazine covers were created by first we feast -all attribution is clearly noted