Deborah Norville Becomes a Short Order Cook for a Day

INSIDE EDITION's own Deborah Norville jumps out of the frying pan and into the fire when she works the breakfast shift as a short order cook at a busy New York diner.

Deborah Norville was cooking at a busy diner in New York City called EJ's Luncheonette. Her mission: to work the breakfast shift as a short order cook.

It turns out that whipping up scrambled eggs, pancakes and oatmeal requires juggling skills as well as cooking skills.

"Wow that is so hot! I'm lost," said Norville as she was cooking.

Norville said, "The orders come in thick and fast. It's like a foreign language!  There's a code that you have to decipher. OW means over well, no bread, no potato, to go."

With the orders piling up,  there's no room for error.

Norville said, "One thing you can't translate on TV is how incredibly hot it is in there. It is easily 120 degrees.  There are seven hot flames. Everywhere you turn there is heat coming at you, and then you've got the pressure of getting the food out fast."

Norville asked the diner's cook, "How am I doing?

"Pretty good," said the cook.

Norville asked, "Pretty good?"

"Very good," the cook assured.

Before long Norville was slinging hash and flipping pancakes like a pro.  But would her food pass the taste test?

The Freund family, visiting from San Antonio, gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up!

"How are the pancakes?" asked Norville.

The Freund family replied, "Good! Yes!"