Can you learn how to cook by watching “The Bear”?
Cooking a meal is like making a painting. Choosing the right ingredients, finding flavours that compliment each other, and presentation are key. We all have had meals cooked for us by our parents, but we all should learn to cook for ourselves. The Bear is a popular show, starring Jeremy Allen White, that is about community, identity, and cooking. But how accurate is the show? Can you learn how to cook by watching The Bear?
As I was watching The Bear, in season two episode nine, the character Sidney cooks an omelette with potato chips crushed on top of it. The way that it is made in the show was presented in a way that I had never considered before. I have learned how to make an omelette from my mom and my uncle, but I wanted to see if I could learn how to cook as they do in The Bear.
My mom taught me how to make an omelette as a kid. The dish is simple, freshly beaten eggs cooked, sometimes folded and filled with cheese, vegetables or meat. But despite its simplicity it’s not easy to make. Watching my mom, she cracked a few eggs into a bowl, put some seasoning into it and then she miraculously made an omelette. When I tried, I had to scoop the shattered bits of eggshells out of the bowl. And flipping the egg over? I was always scared. My first few attempts turned into scrambled eggs.
But in cooking, as in life, you have to break some eggs to make an omelette.
The joys of cooking can get muddled because of how daunting a task it can be. Choosing what to make, preparing, cooking and timing it, can take longer than enjoying the meal itself. There are always quick and easy alternatives to combat caloric deprivation, but it becomes monotonous and automatic to make instant or pre-made meals. The art of cooking is one that takes time, but can be rewarding because everybody can put their own flavours into a dish.
The Bear presents cooking in a new light. It shows complex dishes and the intense environment of the kitchen, but it highlights techniques and care behind every dish. Sidney’s potato chip omelette is an example of how creativity can marinate with skill. I never considered how my food looked until I began working at my uncle’s restaurant when I was 17.
My uncle ran a Cora’s Breakfast & Lunch. As I grew older, I saw him less, but while at the restaurant I was spending most of my week with his side of the family. In the ferociously fast-paced and occasionally overtly chaotic kitchen I was introduced to a whole new way of making eggs. Meal prep was required, grill management and teamwork. Although an omelette is a basic meal, my uncle says that, “Teaching people is hard.” I thought I knew how to make an omelette before, but I was wrong. Inside was onions, peppers, ham, bacon, mushrooms and a vast array of flavours put into this simple egg dish. I had to use what I knew about making eggs, but I also had to make them look nice, something I had never done for myself before. Those days at the restaurant were some of the best memories I have of my family.
By following The Bear, I have to take my skills to the next level to create Sidney’s potato chip omelette. I begin by chopping green onions and preparing the cheese. Chives are preferable to use, but I use what I have. In the show, they use boursin cheese and put it into a piping bag to spread over the cooking egg, but I am no professional, so I use a plastic bag with a corner cut off. Instead of just cracking an egg into a bowl, it must be cracked into a strainer and beaten through it to create a creamy and consistent texture. I rush to whisk the egg in my bowl faster as butter melts on the pan. With one hand, I move the pan to coat it evenly while I continue beating the egg to create a creamy texture.
Once the egg hits the pan, it is important to agitate the eggs, by moving the pan or moving the eggs, cooking them over medium-low heat until they are set yet soft still. Once they are ready, the eggs get tilted up into the pan, and it is time to lay a generous amount of boursin across the top of the eggy canvas. The top side gets folded over the cheese, and the bottom side gets folded over it to conceal everything. If the eggs are not broken, it gets flipped upside down onto the intended serving plate. I use a stick of butter paint across the egg to create shine for look and texture as well as green onions and crushed potato chips.
The shining omelette is a warm blanket of rich, tangy, creamy and comforting flavours to start the day with. The crushed potato chips on top add a layer of crunchy, salty and savoury tastes to round out the palette. I have had and made many omelettes in my life, but I have never had one like this before. I had to become creative and learn new ways to make an omelette and present it. I used ingredients that I never considered before. Mine does not look as pretty, but that will come with time.
Just like learning for the first time, I broke many eggs and had many failures, but I learned that there is always somebody who knows more and there is always a better way to do something. Throughout my life, the way I make eggs has changed and so have I. My mom and my uncle shared their ways of making food with me and I look forward to sharing my way with others. While I am no professional chef and cannot recreate every dish from The Bear, it has broadened my ways of thinking about food. Cooking, like any skill, can be honed like a knife. It requires practice and patience. But with time and guidance, such as family or watching The Bear, anyone can learn how to cook.
