Tag Archives: kitchen work

WORKING IN A PROFESSIONAL KITCHEN IS BASIC TRAINING FOR LIFE

14 Saturday Dec 2019

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , ,

Painted in Waterlogue

I vividly remember flying out of Buffalo, New York in 1971 for Army Basic Training at Fort Jackson. It was, ironically, my first time on a plane and considering that this was at the peak of the Vietnam War, I was doubly nervous. It had been my second year in college when in the first draft lottery – my number came up as 17. I managed to sign up for a National Guard Unit and at least felt that after “Basic” I could count on staying away from the jungle. Still, the unknown of what would await me in Columbia, South Carolina was un-nerving. Those next six months would help to solidify some important attributes and life skills that I still rely on today. In a nutshell – this training helped me to understand discipline, chain of command, dependability, teamwork, effort, and taking responsibility for your actions. I also knew that I was not destined to be a career soldier even though they tried to convince me otherwise.

“Self discipline is an act of cultivation. It requires you to connect today’s actions with tomorrow’s results.”

-Gary Ryan Blair

Working in a kitchen is closely aligned with the experience of being in the military. With this experience comes all of the positive and negative parts of that alignment – so don’t assume that all roads lead to enlightenment. Just as is the case in Basic Training – the kitchen helps individuals to understand discipline, chain of command, dependability, teamwork, effort, and taking responsibility for ones actions. These six understandings are critical in nearly every profession and help to set a positive course for success at any level in life.

I am one who believes that these attributes do not muddy the opportunity for any individual to be independent, to think creatively, and rise up against unjust or inappropriate behavior of others – in fact, they set the stage for a person to be all of that – if he or she so chooses. In that light – discipline, respect for the chain of command, dependability, teamwork, exceptional effort, and taking responsibility is the fuel for creative thought in and outside of the kitchen – this is what sets the stage for cooks to aspire to the position of chef and even the demands of ownership.

This is how (from my perspective) each of these attributes works for solid cooks and for well-rounded, successful individuals throughout their lives:

[]         DISCIPLINE:

Behind every accomplished artisan is the discipline to work consistently hard at building the skills that are essential within their trade. Musicians, even those who thrive on improvisation, are advocates for the discipline of practice and holding true to the foundations of organized music. Painters are disciplined to understand the use and impact of color, light, depth of field, and texture. With this discipline they are able to interpret those factors in their own unique way. Athletes understand that a disciplined regiment of conditioning, memorization of structured plays, understanding of the rules of the game, and focused knowledge of how each player interacts is the key to success with the game. So too, is this process of discipline important to cooks and chefs. The discipline of knife cuts, cooking methods, sanitation, work habits, organization, understanding how ingredients interact, and building personal flavor memory is the foundation on which a career in cooking is built.

[]         RESPECT FOR THE CHAIN OF COMMAND:

There can only be one person driving the bus or flying the plane. It takes dozens of others to make sure the vehicle is operational and able to point in the right direction, but the driver ensures that it arrives at its determined destination. Cooks know this is true, even when they may not fully agree with the drivers methods or demeanor – in the moment it is important to respect the role of each person and play his or her part properly. “Yes chef” is not a subservient response to an individual, but rather a sign of respect for the system. Anyone who has found themselves in the midst of a busy restaurant service with tickets driving through the printer, orders being called out at a frantic pace, pans pinging as they make contact with a flat top, flames jumping from the briquettes of a chargrill, and finished plates sliding down the pass – know how important it is to listen to the cadence of the chef who is standing tall at the expo station attempting to maintain a level of calm and ensuring that each plate is representative of the team. This holds true in most situations in life whether it is in the workforce, on the athletic field, or in the home.

[]         DEPENDABILITY:

Without dependability – all else is lost. Success comes from respect and respect comes from trust. At the core of any need for trust sits the dependability that defines an individual. Show up, suit up, complete your tasks, and do so with expected standards of excellence in mind. This applies to every situation in life and is, by far, the most important attribute of a successful cook. Two, somewhat conflicting quotes come to mind:

“Just do your job.”

-Bill Belichick

Dependability means that others can trust that you will perform at the highest level, strive to be excellent, and always do so without question.

“Finesse”

-Thomas Keller

This simple word stands out on the wall of The French Laundry Kitchen – it silently proclaims that every cook must be trusted to take that extra moment to ensure that every part of every dish is executed with extraordinary attention to detail.

team MLI

[]         TEAMWORK:

The Need: So much of what we attempt to accomplish in life depends on others executing their tasks with the same commitment to excellence that drives us. Teamwork is an essential part of life.

The Importance: Any system is a composite of parts – each part is critical to the function of the whole. It is the dynamic of “team” in that system that allows a task to come to fruition.

The Joy: Individual accomplishments may feel rewarding, but until you have reached or exceeded a goal as part of a larger body – you will never know how exhilarating it is to win on the shoulders of others.

[]         EXCEPTIONAL EFFORT:

Nothing of any merit is accomplished without effort and hard work. It is true that you get out what you put in. When you study highly successful people in any field, or simply those who are successful in life as a parent, spouse, friend, son, or daughter – it is the effort that those individuals put into the process that leads to success.

[]         TAKING PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY:

Don’t delegate your attitude.

Don’t expect others to motivate you.

Understand your weaknesses, own up and work on overcoming them.

When you screw up – don’t point your finger – look in a mirror

It takes way too much energy to pass blame to others when simply admitting your responsibility and taking control is far more rewarding.

 

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG

 

 

 

 

A CHEF’S LIFE – IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

05 Thursday Dec 2019

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

thumbnail_IMG_4042

In the Blink of an Eye

“Looking forward has no limits

Looking back reels you in

Thinking about what could be

Gives pause to what might have been

Vision is energy for an active mind while

Reflection is food for the soul

In the blink of an eye our vision and

Reflections intersect as

What was takes center stage and

What could be fades away”

Every now and then it is healthy, and yet humbling, to take inventory of what we have done, and where we have been – to dissect those dreams and actions that brought us to where we are, and to relish the opportunities and the challenges that came along the way. What we have done bears witness to who we are today. “What if” will always plague us, especially those individuals who tend to be serial dreamers – those individuals with evolving plans and limitless ideas that need an outlet. We look back to wrestle with those decisions to turn right when we should have turned left, and to lose sleep over opportunities missed. It is healthy to take this inventory and then look in a mirror. We are where we are and we are whom we are because of those decisions – not necessarily fate – WE made the decision to turn left or turn right. Look in a mirror and know that it is what it is because of the decisions that we made.

Some may look in that mirror and say that everything happens for a reason, and that may be true, but it is also important to note that most things happen as a result of our own free will to make decisions along the way. When we take this inventory it is enlightening to think – I am where I am, I am who I am because this is what I chose – take responsibility.

Vision is only significant if we do something with it. Vision must include a plan of action and the knowledge and ability to adjust to things that interrupt that plan. When we relinquish our responsibility for this then we accept that other people and situations are able to over-ride our free will and ability to move in one direction or another.

From a personal perspective, I look back at how my professional vision evolved and how the decisions made in relation to that vision allowed me to stay the course. I might think that a different decision would have been better at the time, but it was my choice in the moment to turn left or turn right. I am where I am and I am who I am because I chose one direction over another.

Looking in a mirror while you take inventory will likely result in disappointment or a moment of satisfaction. What a terrible feeling it must be to feel disappointment. This does not infer that regret is not a part of even the most successful professionals, but rather acknowledgement that even the regrettable decisions in our lives resulted in a moment of learning and growth.

What is universal for all who reflect is that vision is finite. There is a moment when the clock ticks much faster, when that limitless vision sees the door of opportunity slowly close. Reflection is a wonderful process when we find satisfaction in who we are and what we have done. Acting on our vision and taking responsibility for our own course and destination will result in that feeling of satisfaction. When we relinquish that responsibility to others and find blame for the results realized from our decisions – then satisfaction is overcome by regret, blame, and anger.

Like so many friends and acquaintances that I relish, I find great satisfaction with my evolving vision and the opportunities that came my way as a result of a decision to turn left or turn right. There were bumps along the way, missed opportunities, and there were definitely decisions that could have been made differently – but in the end, when I take inventory I feel satisfied with the results and know that it was within my control.

I hear from a variety of cooks, chefs, restaurateurs, and service staff members who either reflect with great enthusiasm about their careers, the decisions they made, and where they are as a result or who respond with tremendous dissatisfaction. What seems to be universal is that those who are pleased with where they are and who they have become are individuals who have always taken responsibility for their decisions and know that they can and have taken control of their destiny. Those who are dissatisfied are more inclined to blame others (managers, restaurateurs, chefs, or the industry as a whole) for their dissatisfaction. This is not, in any way shape or form, an attempt to ignore that there are poor managers, arrogant chefs, or uncaring owner/operators – there are plenty. But, the choice to stay in that environment is on the shoulders of the individual. When we work in an industry that is in dire need of skilled, passionate, positive workers – then there will always be opportunities to work elsewhere. It is your choice to turn left or turn right.

In the blink of an eye – we move from a young apprentice or dishwasher to a fifty-year veteran of the food business. We rush through those formative years of relentless prep, working early morning breakfast shifts, plating thousands of banquets from a few dozen to a few thousand covers, countless a ‘la carte nights on the line when you feel like it could all fall apart at any given moment only to rise above the fray and push that last plate of food through the pass. We look back on the hundreds of menus planned, budgets made, orders placed, inventories taken, employees hired, trained and sometimes fired, chef coats ironed, cuts stitched and burns treated, and smiles and laughter with team members when service is done. Here you suddenly are, in the blink of an eye, looking in a mirror and reflecting back on a career – hopefully with pride and a sense of satisfaction.

You know now that you can choose to work in a restaurant where everyone is serious about great cooking and where employees are treated with respect, or you can choose to stay in an operation where none of that is true and you feel that sense of despair. You can choose to bite the bullet and invest in a formal culinary education knowing that debt will haunt you for years to come, but you breadth of knowledge will be enhanced – or you can chastise those who invested the time and took out the loans. You can choose in engage in professional organizations and build your network of like-mined cooks and chefs, or you can give a thumbs down to those organizations because they seem to be out of touch with the average line cook. You can choose to invest in your personal skill development by working with accomplished cooks, and yes – even volunteering to work and learn from others – or you can complain that your employer isn’t doing this for you. You can choose to live in a community where great restaurants and terrific opportunities abound – or you can stay in an area that is comfortable for you, but lacks the challenge of excellence. The choice is yours to make – turn right or turn left. The cooks and chefs who look in a mirror and smile at what they see are the ones who chose to control their circumstances rather than have circumstances control them.

In the blink of an eye – your career will come to a close and you will have an opportunity to reflect, to realize that looking back is as important as looking forward. Take control early on, accept the challenges, work through them, make a decision to turn left or right and stand with your vision – even though you may need to adjust the path along the way.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Take Control of Your Career – TODAY!

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG

 

THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF COOKING FOR A LIVING

02 Monday Apr 2018

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , ,

rest 2

There are a few common denominators when it comes to viewing the job of a professional cook. One, of course, is the need to appreciate, understand, and practice the established foundational processes of preparing food – this is essential regardless of the style of cooking or ethnicity of a particular cuisine. The foundations always apply. The other common denominator is the fact that the work is physically demanding.

Tall, short, young, or mature, male or female, prep cook, line cook, baker, pastry chef, sous chef, or executive chef – the work is physically demanding. Bags of onions are always 50 pounds, 109 prime ribs are 20-24 pounds, water is 8 pounds per gallon, strap pans with a pair of whole turkeys can top the scales at 50 pounds or more, and a stack of those 12-inch dinner plates can stress anyone’s biceps. The work is hard and at end of a 10-12 hour service, standing on your feet for most of it, lifting pots of stock, soups and sauce; wielding a 12-inch French knife as it cuts and chops through hundreds of pounds of vegetables; lugging stacks of those plates from dishwasher to the pass; constantly bending at the waist to reach for items in that lowboy cooler or oven; and reaching for pans and ingredients on that shoulder level shelf will eventually take a toll.

Being physically fit helps, having well developed arm and shoulder muscles is a plus, and using an isometric ball to help strengthen your hands that need to control that active French knife will absolutely delay the inevitable, but, at some point the pain from repetitive action will make the work difficult to bear.

This is not a complaint, but rather a reality check for those who are starting out in the kitchen or contemplating this as a career choice. Everyone talks about the excessive hours that cooks and chefs work, everyone is aware that cooks need to have a mastery of technique and well developed palates, but not enough attention is paid to the physical, mental, and emotion conditioning that is necessary if a cook is in it for the long-run.

Cooks may put on the macho (male and female) façade of toughness and brush it off as no big deal, but every cook feels the aches and pains of the physical nature of the work. It can hurt to be a cook! The number one workman’s comp claim stemming from kitchen work evolves around back pain. It is quite common to see long-term cooks suffer from carpel tunnel syndrome, or headaches from strain on their neck and shoulders. Swollen ankles, feet, and abused knees are as common as the flu and frequent visits to the chiropractor are a given for career cooks and chefs.

So, what can we do as cooks and chefs to ease the pain and maintain enough stamina to support a reasonably long career? It is not likely that a cook’s job will suddenly become less strenuous – this is the nature of the work. With this understanding it becomes important for each one of us to learn about taking care of our backs, feet, knees, and hands.

PHYSICAL MAINTENANCE FOR COOKS:

[]         PROTECT YOUR BACK

Sure, we have heard all of this before, but my experience is that most cooks fail to practice what they know to be important when it comes to protecting their backs. Simple habits make a difference: bend your knees before lifting, don’t life items off a shelf above from shoulders that weighs more than 10 pounds, wear supportive shoes, open your mouth when lifting to help equalize your body’s internal pressure, don’t lift from a side position – face the item to be lifted head on, and by all means – if an item is too heavy for you to lift then get help. Don’t be macho when it comes to back health.

[]         PROTECT YOUR NECK

Three points are most important: first is the same as protecting your back – do not lift items that are more than 10 pounds from shelves higher than your shoulders; second – make sure that the table that you are working on is the right height to match your own height (If you have to bend at the waist to effectively work on a table then it is too low and will cause neck strain) and most important – practice good posture.

[]         PROTECT YOUR FEET

There is no getting around the reality that kitchen work requires that you be on your feet at least 8 hours a day. You feet take a beating and as a result so do your back and knees. In a previous article that focused on the importance of your feet I pointed to a few simple rules of thumb: make sure that you wear supportive shoes and that if your shift is more than 8 hours a day you should bring an extra pair and change half way through your shift; wear white socks in the kitchen (since your feet sweat – the dye in colored socks will have an impact on foot health); and make sure that floors in the kitchen where you will stand are covered with flexible, porous mats to take some of the strain off your feet.

[]         WATCH YOUR POSTURE

Posture, as stated under “Protect your Feet” is the root of physiological health. Your back should be straight and tables at a height that does not require you to bend over, constantly looking down or up. In some cases it might be wise to wear an elastic back brace or shoulder brace to force you into a better posture position.

[]         PROTECT YOUR KNEES

Those who have suffered from “bad knees” know how debilitating this can be. Standing for periods of time without moving can lock your knees, working on hard surfaces without the advantage of rubber mats will add to the pressure on knee caps, rapid shifts in position without proper conditioning can stretch your meniscus, and constant bending into a squat position on the hot line as you move items in and out of lowboy coolers and ovens will compound the stress that your knees face. Exercises that strengthen calf muscles and your quadriceps will help, but after time the kitchen will take a toll on that important part of your body.

[]         TAKE CARE OF YOUR HANDS

Carpel Tunnel is a real problem with cooks and chefs. The way that we hold knives in particular, the pressure on your hands through grabbing and lifting heavy objects, and most significant – repetitive motion can result in the terrible pain that comes from compression on nerves in the hand. The results can range from tingling and numbness to weakness in the hand and pain in the wrist and palm. This can be truly debilitating to a cook that depends on hands as the most important kitchen tool. Isometric hand exercises, stretching and massaging hands, switching tasks every so often to give your hands a rest can help to prevent the syndrome, but consistent symptoms may eventually lead to surgery with extensive rehab time.

[]         KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS

If there is one rule that stands out as most important it is to know your limitations, ask for help with lifting and pay attention to those situations that you know will put your body in a position for potential injury. Losing work time because of avoidable injury is not a great option for anyone. From the chef or owner’s perspective – make sure that you pay attention to work conditions and the work habits of those people who are on your payroll. Set the stage for everyone to stay healthy.

[]         BASIC CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Eat well (proper nutrition is fuel for a healthy body), try to maintain your ideal body weight, find a way to get enough sleep, and exercise every day (all it takes is 20 minutes out of every 24 hours). These maintenance activities will position your body towards a healthy today and tomorrow.

“Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.”

-John F. Kennedy

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

Restaurant and Culinary School Consulting and Training

 

 

COOKS AND THE BEAST OF SUMMER

01 Thursday Mar 2018

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

hen

Americans have always seemed to live for summer. This is the season of fun, engaging with the great outdoors, tanned skin, beaches and water, convertibles and rock and roll. Everyone seems to agree with this except one segment of the population that suffers from mixed feelings about the grand days of summer. Cooks are not as inclined to wave the flag for summer as other groups.

Without time in the trenches most people will have little understanding of why anyone might think ill of clear skies, loads of sun, little need for extra clothing, and the smiles that come from this most appreciated season. Summer, in all its glory, brings aches and pains, maximum business, and heat stacked on top of heat. Here is just a sampling of what a cook experiences from June to September:

[]         INESCAPABLE HEAT

Picture it – ranges, ovens, char-broilers, steam kettles, dish machines, compressors, and steam tables all cranking out their version of heat intensity and steam. The ambient heat in the kitchen may be pushing 100 degrees and even more standing over a battery of ranges, but the added humidity can make a kitchen feel like a tropical rainforest on the amazon. The only saving grace is an escape to the walk-in cooler or freezer for a short respite.

[]         SO MUCH SWEAT

Heat and humidity create sweat. It is not uncommon for a line cook to lose a couple pounds on any given shift. By the end of service chef whites are soaked and head covers need to be ringed out. Shirts stick to a cook’s back creating a very uncomfortable environment for work.

[]         SWOLLEN ANKLES AND HANDS

If a cook’s diet is a bit high in sodium – the combination of heat and constant standing on his or her feet for 10 to 12 hour shifts will cause significant swelling of feet, ankles, and hands. Every cook I know relishes soaking hands in ice water and feet in a hot bath of Johnson’s Foot Soap at the end of service. Many cooks bring along extra pairs of sock and shoes to change during and after a shift.

[]         YEP – LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT HEAT AGAIN

Can’t get away from the heat issue. In the summer it is hot outside when you arrive at work, hotter still throughout your 10-12 hour shift, and still hot when you walk out the back door at midnight or so. It is very rare to find an air conditioned kitchen even though building code now requires make-up air in professional kitchens (the air is being replaced with hot air from outside), and on most cooks salaries many cannot afford the relief of air conditioning at home.

[]         UNRELENTING BUSINESS

There is little time in the summer to even complain or feel sorry for your heat predicament in the kitchen. This is peak season for most restaurants (except in the deep southern states). The POS printer has no mercy as it begins to spit out dupes starting one minute after opening until the last party is sat maybe after 10 p.m. Cooks must maintain peak energy and work through the adverse summer conditions because that’s what they do.

[]         BURNS SEEM EVEN WORSE IN THE SUMMER

Some articles on kitchen life joke about burns and cuts in the kitchen stating that those who complain simply are not tough enough. This makes good media copy, but let’s be honest – if you burn yourself – especially in the summer and have to continue to work in an extremely hot kitchen with steam and open flames – it can only be described as agonizing. The heat laden environment reminds the cook about the burn every second on the line.

[]         TRYING TO STAY AHEAD OF THE HYDRATION GAME

The general rule of thumb is to hydrate. Your body may not warn you that you are becoming dehydrated until it is too late. The problem is that under these conditions a cook will sweat out that hydration as fast as he or she can kick back a bottle of Smart Water. It is easy to forget in the peak of business and God-forbid that a cook would need to leave the line to pee – so we under-hydrate out of necessity.

[]         THE ABSENCE OF TAN = OCASSIONAL BURN

If you need an indicator of whom in your world might be a line cook just look for the person with the lightest skin. Tans take time and consistent exposure to the sun with adequate sunscreen protection. Cooks do not possess any of these luxuries thus they are either pale or burned.

[]         AN IMPATIENT AUDIENCE THAT THINKS THEY’RE HOT

Trust me – this is not a complaint session, but rather a statement of reality. As cooks we know the reality of summer in the kitchen and we accept it, even though we will never appreciate it. The restaurant guest – on the other hand has no clue about the challenges of summer kitchen work, nor should they care. Cooks simply roll their eyes when they hear a guest complain about the heat and less than adequate air conditioning in the dining room.

[]         TEMPERS ON EDGE

When you are uncomfortable it is very difficult to ignore it. I have never conducted a scientific study but would guess that tempers in the kitchen are on edge far more often in the summer than any other time of the year.

[]         TENUOUS COOLERS

Mainly due to the stress of heat and humidity on compressors, but without a doubt compounded by cooks opening cooler doors to stick their heads in for a quick refresher – coolers in the kitchen are always stressed from June to September and tend to kick as a result – always at the worst possible time. This only adds to the stress of the kitchen.

[]         FRUSTRATION WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD

Most of the year good line cooks accept their fate hoping that with patience and hard work they will be able to reach their professional goals, make great food, take on the helm of a kitchen, and who knows – even own a piece of the pie some day. The heat of summer can sometimes add to any latent impatience and set the stage for despondent lament. Know that it is the heat and humidity talking. A few extra pats on the back, a nice dinner, maybe a summer bonus, and a fresh box of cornstarch can save the day.

IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT OF THE KITCHEN THEN SET-UP A MILK CRATE IN THE WALK-IN.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Appreciate the literal blood, sweat, and tears that cooks give up every shift.

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

Restaurant Consulting and Training

****PHOTO – The hard working team at Hen of the Woods in Burlington, Vermont.

 

BANTER, INNUENDO, BULLYING, AND A CULTURE OF KITCHEN HARASSMENT

30 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

changin

Quite a title isn’t it? Maybe what is coming to the surface today in every facet of our society makes it easier to talk about this or maybe it is a topic that is one that we may want to ignore, but we simply can’t. In either case the time is long overdue to not just talk, but to take action against a dark side of the restaurant business.

The focus of the day is on sexual harassment, but it goes even deeper than that. I love this restaurant business and owe a great deal to the environment, the places where I worked and grew as a professional and the majority of peers and mentors who were honest, hard working, talented, and damn good people. That being said – there is a dark side to this business that permeates nearly every segment – a dark side that impacted, at some level, almost every person that I know. Harassment wears many hats and manifests in ways that are hard hitting, insensitive, dangerous, and damaging in very serious ways.

Harassment:

“The act of systematic and/or continued unwanted and annoying actions of one party or group, including threats and demands. The purposes may vary, including racial prejudice, personal malice, an attempt to force someone to quit a job or grant sexual favors, apply illegal pressure to collect a bill, or merely gain sadistic pleasure from making someone fearful or anxious.”

-The Free Dictionary

I have been fortunate to work in stellar properties where fairness and respect were the rule – for the most part, but even with this umbrella of what is right there existed examples of harassment – sometimes unintended. The “initiation” of new cooks, sometimes insensitive comments, demeaning behavior that emphasized a fellow cooks weaknesses, sexual innuendo and edgy jokes, under-breath comments about a server, and even racially charged comments that were too often viewed as playful rather than harmful were (are) present in nearly every kitchen at varying levels. So why does this continue to happen and how complicit are we in perpetuating an environment that today is considered “hostile”? Here are some thoughts:

[]         THE EXCUSE – YOU NEED TO DEVELOP A TOUGH SKIN IN THIS FIELD

Why should working in a kitchen be any different than any other profession? The feeling that only the strong shall survive in a kitchen environment certainly limits the opportunity to acclimate some very talented people. The assumption that emotional calluses will develop and shield a person from harmful behavior is a fallacy. Nobody likes to be bullied or made to feel inadequate or powerless.

[]         THE BANTER IS WHAT MAKES THE JOB FUN

Sure – people laugh and pass around the high fives and fist bumps when a disparaging or crusty comment is made about another, but is it really something to celebrate? How would you feel on the receiving end of insensitive comments? Banter doesn’t make the job fun it makes the job gut wrenching and uncomfortable. The gang mentality that supports this is childish and damaging and should have worn off by the time people make it through middle school.

[]         EVERYBODY ENJOYS A GOOD JOKE

Some people do, some people don’t. We all try to learn to endure the jokes about height, weight, ethnicity, looks, beliefs, intelligence, common sense, and skills, but trying to endure is not an endorsement of these attacks. Many people are not able to let these comments roll off their back – they take it personally – as they should. This constant bombardment with demeaning jokes makes it difficult for many people to do their work and look forward to walking through those kitchen doors.

[]         NEW MEMBERS NEED TO PAY THEIR DUES

Why is an informal initiation considered the right of passage in a kitchen? data has shown that the most difficult time for any new employee (in any field) is the first two weeks on the job. Do we want new employees to cut the cord before they have been given a chance? Is this why we make that transition so hard? Shouldn’t we do everything in our power to make this transition comfortable and welcoming so that we gain the benefits of a new set of hands and a fresh perspective? Initiations should be left for the silly antics of fraternities and sororities, not the workforce.

[]         IF YOU CAN’T STAND THE HEAT – STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN

I agree that the “right stuff” is important. I know from experience that the work is hard, sometimes dangerous, and challenging physically, mentally, and emotionally, but why should we promote the belief that the strong survive and the weak shall perish. Any leader and team worth a grain of salt seeks to find a person’s strength and learn from it while understanding his or her weakness and figuring out ways to complement it or help the person grow. Kitchens should be no different. There are likely benefits gained from giving everyone a chance and supporting their growth.

[]         I WENT THROUGH THIS TRIAL BY FIRE – SO YOU MUST DO SO AS WELL

Ok, this falls back to those old folk tales of your grandparents walking 5 miles each way to school without a coat or gloves in 20 below weather and using this story as a way to tell young kids to toughen up and deal with it. Things do change and many of the difficulties faced by previous generations no longer are applicable or necessary. If it was wrong in the past then why continue to fuel that fire and deem it as still appropriate?

[]         BOYS WILL BE BOYS AND MEN NEVER GROW UP

The male dominated, old boy environment of the kitchen is not something to be proud of, and it is something that is in need of a hard look and positive action. Assuming that the errant behavior in a kitchen is something that is OK for men and that this alone is a good excuse is really absurd.

[]         WOMEN NEED TO EARN THE RIGHT TO BE IN THE KITCHEN

Really? Everyone needs to demonstrate, over a period of time, that they have the skills and the aptitude for kitchen work, but to assume that the kitchen is a male work environment and that women need to prove themselves at a different level to be accepted and make a difference is right out of the 1950’s. Let’s stop living in the past and learn that everyone in the kitchen is equal and should be treated that way.

[]         BEING TOUGH ON A COOK MAKES HIM OR HER STRONGER

Yes, I know there are many out there who will stand by this statement as the absolute truth, but anyone who has raised children knows that everyone needs to be treated the same and everyone needs to be treated differently. In other words there are different ways to get the best out of different people. Some need a constant push, while others simply need a little encouragement. Some need added discipline while others are just looking for opportunities to shine. It is not one shoe fits all when it comes to setting the stage for self-motivation.

[]         COME ON – IT’S JUST HARMLESS BEHAVIOR – THAT’S JUST THE WAY IT IS – DEAL WITH IT

I have been in those conversations where some point out that all of this discussion about harassment is way over-blown. That we are becoming a society that is too sensitive and forced to look at every situation based on its political correctness. Maybe to some degree that is true, but the underlying reality is that there is far too much inappropriate behavior and groundless negative behavior in the workforce and in life than there should be. We can choose to be part of the problem or part of a realistic solution. Which do you choose?

[]         THAT’S JUST THE WAY THE CHEF COMMUNICATES

The temperament, the mood, the level of bullying and harassment based on age, size, gender, beliefs, education, and common sense is determined by the approach taken or condoned by the leader. When a chef contributes to the behavior stated above or simply turns away and allows it to happen, then he or she must take responsibility for the hostile work environment that exists. If the chef encourages this behavior through his or her own actions – yelling, pointing fingers, demeaning cooks and service staff, promoting a vile exchange of four letter expletives, participation in sexual harassment, or simply pointing to everyone’s mistakes without ever acknowledging good work, then the rest of the staff will tend to emulate this behavior. As is commonly referred to in kitchen talk ‘ “The fish stinks from the head down.”

Let’s work together to create a positive work environment for all and build an industry that continues to do great work, creative work, important work, and work that can provide rewarding careers for many.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

BE THE EXAMPLE OF GREATNESS

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

Restaurant Consulting and Training

THE CULINARY COUNTER-CULTURE IS ALIVE AND WELL

27 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Painted in Waterlogue 

Some may believe that the culinary evolution in America began with Wavy Gravy at Woodstock in 1969. As the chief of the Pleasure Force and front man for the commune “The Hog Farm”, Wavy Gravy helped to orchestrate a haphazard, non-conformist way to feed the 500,000 people in attendance at this benchmark for a generation. The difference is that WG was far from an advocate for proper food preparation or a role model for a generation of culinary professionals.

*For those born after 1965 who may not know who Wavy Gravy is:

www.wavygravy.net

images-3

Maybe you feel that the counter-culture had it’s start with Alice Waters at Chez Panisse and the dozens of accomplished chefs who earned their kitchen legs working for this Berkeley, California pioneer. Could it be Paul Bocuse and Roger Verge who are credited with the transformation to Nouvelle Cuisine in France, or maybe Charlie Trotter and Thomas Keller for bringing the Tasting Menu to America? Younger folks will point to Ferran Adria and Heston Blumenthal, standard bearers for Molecular Cuisine and their disciples: Grant Achatz and Wylie Dufresne from Alinea and WD-50. Certainly, Dan Barber and his support for a true Farm to Table movement would be on anyone’s list and some would insist that the real counter-culture evolved when Anthony Bourdain wrote his expose’, “Kitchen Confidential”, that pointed to the seedy side of the business.

In truth, the culinary counter-culture has really been around since the early days of organized kitchen work. If you work in a kitchen, life is different, thus you are different. This will date far back to Scappi, Careme and Escoffier; the counter-culture was born when the first person hung a sign that proclaimed, “restaurant.”

“A counterculture (also written counter-culture) is a subculture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, often in opposition to mainstream cultural mores.”

Wikipedia

Here is my logic as it pertains to the definition of counter-culture:

Our values and norms of behavior differ substantially in the following ways:

  • If you work in a kitchen there is little need for any clothes other than t-shirts, chef coats and hounds tooth pants.
  • If you work in a kitchen you are usually working a shift that is counter to anyone else except maybe FedEx and UPS logistics.
  • Unlike the rest of the world, 40-hour workweeks are just a start. Most cooks would consider a 40-hour job to be part-time.
  • Unlike “normal” people, burns cuts and abrasions are a badge of honor for cooks.
  • What other career requires a person to utilize all of his or her senses as part of the job?
  • Outside of the military, there are few jobs that require adherence to a chain of command mentality that can be summarized with two words: “yes, chef.”
  • Few other jobs view caring for knives as not just acceptable, but admirable and a sign of commitment to a profession. A sharp knife becomes an extension of the cook; his or her most prized possession.
  • Kitchens are loud, very hot, humid, intense, at times smoke filled, demanding and fast paced. Unless you chose to work in a steel plant, there are very few industries designed around this type of “Dante’s Inferno” atmosphere.
  • The kitchen is, to a large degree, a closed loop environment, for members only. These members (cooks and chefs) tend to treat their environment as a private club, a club of people who understand what each member experiences on a daily basis.

To test this theory, when dining at other restaurants, I have always made note to the server that I work in kitchens and would love to see the back-of-the-house if the chef was comfortable with this. The end result is typically, an open-arms welcome, an extra course on the chef, a tour of the kitchen and acknowledgement that all club members are treated like family.

Although numerous recent authors have revealed what it may be like on the inside, cook club members know that to understand the counter-culture of the kitchen, you need to be a part of it. You need to feel the heat, lose a pound of sweat every night, burn and cut yourself with the pans and knives that you cherish, experience the pressure of an unrelenting order discharge from the POS printer, and stand on your feet for 10-12 hours a day. You need to realize how important and loyal that cook standing next to you is to the success of the night. You need to understand that for those 10-12 hours, everyone in the kitchen is equal and equally important. Then, and only then, can you understand the counter-culture of the restaurant kitchen.

As Wavy Gravy announced on the stage at Woodstock, “What we have in mind is breakfast in bed for 400,000” the Grateful Dead was preparing to sing; “What a long strange trip it’s been.” Every cook member of the kitchen counter-culture would agree.

Put on an apron, hounds tooth pants, skullcap, and supportive shoes; sharpen your knives to a razors edge, scrub your hands 50 times a day, grab a cutting board and join the counter-culture. It is alive and well.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

Restaurant and Culinary School Consulting, Training and Coaching