croissant de triomphe [ terr ]

It had been a difficult decision but one that he needed to make nonetheless. This small bakery, that he was so proud of and loved more than anything else in the world, was hiring. Jean had placed the hiring sign in the front window this morning to see if he could fish any potential applicants. He was looking for one, possibly two, people that could either bake or work the cashier for him. Unsurprisingly, in this economy, Jean had quite a few takers. There were a couple potential workers but there was always something that made him reject them. One of them had no experience and then there was that one person that was completely disrespectful during the job interview. Jean wondered if there was anyone in Los Angeles that was up to even minimum standards.

Jean looked up from the resumes on the counter when he heard the door chime. A petite, Asian woman had walked in and requested... an apprenticeship? Well that was very interesting. Most people that came looking for employment asked if he was hiring but an apprentice... Now that was different. And, because the girl was Asian, the chances of her being hired went up significantly. A store opened in Chinatown would obviously mainly cater towards an Asian population. If she spoke Asian languages, Jean would be hard pressed to not hire her.

"Welcome," Jean began. He only hoped she could understand him through his French accent. Some of the potential employees had a hard time understanding him which did not reflect well on either of them. "I'm assuming you saw the sign out front?"

Jean smiled faintly to himself. Whether the girl realized it or not, the interview would begin now. There were no preliminary background checks or applications, he could do that later. What mattered more to him was their demeanor and their actions around the shop. Already, he was eyeing her and trying to judge what kind of person she was. She appeared young so it would be no surprise to him if her parents bought her those Beats and iTouch. Her age also meant that she lacked experience. Then again, she did say she wanted an apprenticeship. Jean hadn't been planning to take apprentices for a few years but it was never too early to start. "Nice to meet you. My name is Jean Chang and I'm the owner of this bakery. This is a small, privately owned business so unlike other places we do not have an application form for you to fill out. Instead, there will be an interview and if I like you, you just might be hired on the spot. But why an apprentice? Do you want to learn how to bake?"

Jean noted the young girl's name to be Allison. She looked rather young but that could have just been because of her height. She was rather small compared to Jean's 5' 10" frame. Her stature might be a problem in the kitchen. Although the storage in his kitchen weren't particularly high, it was a little thought about fact that professional bakers need some semblance of strength. Lifting and moving fifty pound bags of flour daily was no small task. Not only that but depending on her age, he was not sure if it was a good idea to hire her. He could hire her part time if she was still in school but that would lengthen her training. Then again, he could be wrong. It was always difficult to tell with Asians anyway. Growing up in an Asian culture did make it easier but there were always anomalies.

Her answer to the question was satisfactory. It was good that she understood the difference between a simple part time job and something as serious as an apprenticeship. Jean had to go through three years of hard work before he was allowed to start experimenting with his own creations and after that it took another two years before his teacher was fully satisfied with his progress. If this girl truly wanted an apprenticeship, she would have to show him her resolve. She seemed to be doing well thus far, at the very least. Jean appreciated the effort to make eye contact and not stand down.

"I see. Before we continue, I hope you realize that professional baking is very different than just casually baking cupcakes for a school fundraiser. This job is strenuous and much more difficult than we are given credit for. I won't train anyone that I don't approve of. So tell me, how old are you? Do you have any prior baking experience? How much time and effort are you willing to devote to learning the fine art of baking?"

Alright, so even he had to admit that he was being a bit pushy and harsh. He had a right to be though. If this much scared her off then clearly she had no resolve and would not survive his training. He didn't want to waste his time with someone who would only give up halfway through.

"Hmmm," Jean hummed thoughtfully at the girl and her responses to his questions. There were both positives and negatives as with hiring anyone. Allison was young but Jean himself did start his formal training at 18 so he could not rebuke her for starting now. However, he had the privilege of attending one of the finest Culinary high schools in Taiwan prior to his apprenticeship and she had no experience with an actual patisserie to speak of. At any rate, he had to admit that she was brave. She was being honest with her responses which, while Jean did appreciate, did not land jobs in this society. She would not be working with him full time but he could work around that. Having someone train under him personally would be better than hiring some other random pastry chef though...

Jean observed the girl for a few moments longer before making his decision. He opened the door to the counter and waved her over. "Come with me." He walked into his kitchen (which was pristine as always, if he did say so himself) and began pulling out measuring cups and bowls from a drawer. "I," Jean began as he placed a whisk onto the table. "Want you to make me something. It can be anything. I just need something to assess your skill with."

He stopped rifling through the cabinets and turned to look at her. "Here are the rules: there is no time limit, I want quality not quantity. If there is anything you need or can't find feel free to ask, I have plenty of ingredients and supplies. However, do not make a mess of my kitchen. Do not break anything. Since the store is still open, I will not be able to watch you all the time, especially if there is a customer around. I am trusting you with my kitchen. Think you can handle that?"

Jean never cared much for formalities such as a formal interview. He trusted his gut and his judgement. Something told him to give her a chance so he did. If this went well, he would have a new apprentice and Allison would have a job. "You can start whenever you're ready."

Allison's question had caught Jean off guard. He could not be sure whether she was brave or foolish. Most people, when given the chance to impress someone, would create something that they considered their specialty. To make something that was the favorite of someone else - and the favorite of the sole person judging you, in particular - was a very courageous choice. Not only would their creation have to equal or measure up to the judge's standards, if they are unfamiliar with that particular dish, there would be no hope for them. If she truly did make a chocolate mousse dessert for him, she must be very self-confident.

Jean nodded at her expression of gratitude. She was humble, that was always a good thing to look for in a person. He made a mental note to list that under her positives. But then she listed some ingredients that she needed and suddenly, Jean felt like lecturing her. Having been trained to use only the highest quality ingredients and only the finest techniques, Jean would admit that he was a bit irked to hear her ask for marshmallows. Traditional French mousse was made from raw eggs and no cream. It is difficult to achieve the perfect texture and consistency with only sugar and egg white was difficult but showed just how fine the training had to be.

However, this was a test so Jean said nothing. Instead, he handed her the ingredients she needed and then sat back for a bit to watch her mix the ingredients. He certainly hoped that his observations would not bother her. She would never be able to work otherwise. Being able to watch her work was important because it showed exactly what techniques she used and it exemplified how much training she's ever had.

Jean would have continued watching if he hadn't heard the doorbell ring, alerting him to the presence of a customer. He gave her a final glance before returning to the front of the store where everything was business as usual. He had anticipated being able to return to the kitchen before she was finished but it seemed Allison beat her to it. He turned around only to almost walk face first into a very delectable and aromatic pie. He just wasn't sure what kind of pie at first glance.

"That was faster than I expected," he murmured as he inspected the pie. "I'm assuming that you did not bake it then. The presentation is lovely from what I can see. So tell me about your creation. What did you make?"

Jean said nothing as Allison began explaining the dish to him. So it wasn't completely chocolate mousse but she did put chocolate mousse on top in a makeshift banoffee pie. He waited until she finished explaining her creation to him before he began to try her dessert. He was feeling a bit sadistic and watching her - the person that could very well possibly become his first apprentice - squirm under his judgemental gaze was a bt entertaining. She was nervous and clearly eager to please. It seems she really did want this position badly.

"Well," Jean began to say in between bites. "It's not the best I've ever tasted. It's a bit sweet for me personally, especially since you used marshmallows to make the chocolate mousse." Another bite. "If you use marshmallows, you cannot control the level of sugar." And another bite. "You would have to account for the marshmallow's sugar content as well as any other ingredients you may add to the mix." Jean finished the last bit of the dessert and put down the plate. "Traditional French mousse uses raw eggs and sugar to create the texture. We don't use any cream to achieve the proper consistency."

Jean paused to let his words sink in. The sooner she realized her faults the better it would be for her later on. "Now that I'm done with my lecture regarding chocolate mousse, I willl say this: I did appreciate the toasted almonds and the bananas that helped balance out the sweetness of it. And like I said before, I also liked the arrangement. Baking is not only about how it tastes but how it looks. You wouldn't want to eat something that looked like crap would you?"

He paused again as he began to search for his next words. "So, now that that's out of the way, what kind of schedule do you have? We will need to discuss your schedule and pay. I also have some forms that you need to fill out."

Jean returned the wide grin that Allison graced him with with one of his own. Her reaction was priceless. How quickly a person's reactions could change. Although it may have been enjoyable for him, if she was going to be his apprentice there were a few life lessons she needed to learn; such as not being so overly honest. While some employers valued honesty, they lived in a world where being honest was not necessarily going to land them a job. And it would probably be best for her to learn that whatever he did to her, he meant it in a caring and non offensive way... Most of the time...

He had a mischievous streak in him. So, sue him. He couldn't help it if it gave him pleasure looking at people's stricken faces. Teasing those younger than him was probably a bad habit he should correct. Teasing those older than him that looked down on him on the other hand... well maybe he didn't have to completely change his habits. Either way, he was going to be a strict if not annoying teacher. He almost pitied the poor girl. Maybe she should run while she had the chance. The way she looked at him like she was about to hug him from joy, however, told him that he would be hard pressed to tell her to leave now, even if it was for her own good. She would have to get used to him, he supposed.

"We'll need to find a time when I can go over the basics of working here with you. Tuesdays would be preferable since you have classes Monday. I'll need those forms returned to me by then. And there is no need to thank me. I am merely willing to work with you. Whether you succeed or not, depends on your own power."