A woman's place

Misogyny much like life is fraught with paradoxes And so the same tools are used both for and against women For so long fervent feminists were being asked to ldquogo make a sandwichrdquo But the moment someone said ldquoHey you know what Irsquoll make you a darn good one but pay me for itrdquo things changed It must be the same train of thought that led British chef Marco Pierre White to tell an international publication in a recent interview that ldquomen can absorb pressure better because women are emotional and take things personallyrdquo White then goes on to equate a womanrsquos efficiency with her presupposed inability to ldquocarry huge pansrdquo Which is all well and good except that none of this is trueAmninder SandhuSoon after Whitersquos interview Asma Khan mdash an Indian chef based out of London who has been lauded for her maiden restaurant The Darjeeling Express which is run entirely by women mdash took to social media to criticise the veteran chef Khan who also featured in the famed web series Chefrsquos Table tells us ldquoDividing your kitchen team into testosteronepacked men or hormonal women is nonsense Emotion is not a weakness mdash it conveys empathy and love It is also about understanding the challenges someone else may be facing at work and responding to that with a helping hand I would want that response from men and women in my kitchenrdquo She adds that Whitersquos dismissive language is unhelpful and points out how she and her team closes 200 covers a day in a 55seater restaurantA little hot a little coldAsma Khan and her allwomen team at The Darjeeling ExpressThe baggage of being called ldquotoo emotionalrdquo is one that is weighing women down in all sorts of jobs But what makes Whitersquos comments particularly counterproductive is the fact that unlike in say the police force the fastevolving hospitality industry begs for emotion Itrsquos food after all which is as much science as it is sensibility Founder of The Chocolate Spoon Co that owns several restaurants and cafeacutes in Mumbai Rachel Goenka reiterates this adding that such patriarchal notions are best left in the past A womanrsquos innately sensitive nature in fact helps the cause For example Goenka says that the language used by men inside a heated kitchen which is often mired with profanities can prove to be demotivating when compared to a female chefrsquos gentle disposition ldquoI am not saying that men cannot be sensitive and it ultimately depends on the individual But in my experience women are calmerrdquo she argues adding that motherhood has inculcated patience and the ability to be nurturing all of which helps her be a better worker and leaderAnahita DhondyApart from Khan Whitersquos interview also grabbed SodaBottleOpenerWala chef Anahita Dhondyrsquos attention who had so far looked up to White and felt so shocked that she took to social media to share her disappointment too ldquoEven today women are expected to coordinate matters of the kitchen If yoursquore not cooking yoursquore instructing the maid It continues to be our job to figure dinner outrdquo she tells us asserting how women are sociologically cut out to play the role of a chef Dhondy also makes an interesting point when she says that the industry both here and abroad tends to predecide what roles women are best suited for ldquoMost people assume that women are better suited for a cold kitchen like the garde manger or the bakery because itrsquos more comfortable rather than the chaotic and sweaty hot kitchenrdquo she reveals adding that the ldquostrength factorrdquo should not subtract from a chefrsquos calibre ldquoI mean yes it is difficult to be menstruating and stay on your feet for eight hours straight but so many of us are doing it rightrdquoWhat women bring to the tablePooja DhingraPopular pastry chef and founder of Le 15 Pooja Dhingra agrees with Dhondyrsquos point about preconceived notions around where women fit and what they can do in the FampB industry But she turns the argument on its head ldquoUnlike food pastry is more delicate and it requires a lot of patience and thatrsquos why women are better suited for itrdquo Dhingra argues adding that traditionally hot kitchens were designed for men which made it difficult for women to be thereRachel GoenkaldquoBut things have changed And I donrsquot think itrsquos about being able to do what men can I just look at it like lsquoAs a woman what are my core competencies and how can I lead better with what I am great atrsquordquo she shares highlighting that the idea is not to emulate the other gender but be treated as equals for who you areAmninder Sandhu chef at Arth Restaurant amp Lounge who appeared on The Final Table another culinary show available on the same streaming platform as Khanrsquos docuseries echoes Dhingra She adds ldquoWe are not weightlifters We are chefs I see no issue with being emotional there is a lot that we can accomplish because we are that way I have felt overwhelmed at times but I have never fled the scenerdquo Khan echoes this when she says ldquoWe are a team of six beautiful emotional women And my kitchen is a place of joy and peacerdquo So whether itrsquos cleanliness attention to detail or empathy therersquos clearly a lot that women quite literally bring to the tableMale speakTo be honest White was working at a time when the industry was completely different It has evolved considerably today I have been working with and reporting to a woman for the past three years She is very calm and understanding At the end of the day wersquore all humans and everyone gets emotional As does Rachel but she channelises it for the good and by being helpful when an employee is going through a tough time I would in fact say itrsquos great to be led by women because they are perfectionistsAmit Bhatia Culinary Director The Sassy SpoonThis is the first time that I am working under a boss lady and I am lucky that she is a good human being She respects and cares for her staff and that is the most important thing one can expect from their superior I have gained a lot of knowledge which has helped me to grow in the industryShaikh Arshad Sous Chef Le15Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates