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Tag Archives: Kitchens after Covid-19

COOKS – GETTING BACK INTO THE ZONE

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Posted by culinarycuesblog in Uncategorized

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chefs, cooks, cooks in the zone, Kitchens after Covid-19, line cooks, line work, restaurants

cooks

Take a deep breath as you walk through those back doors, back into the kitchen that was so familiar, back to a place that you have missed for the past three months. Somehow you are nervous – why is that? You’re not as nervous about the virus as you are being able to hit the ground running. This is a job that has always required you to be on your game, to be able to zig and zag, solve those little problems that crop up every day, finding your pace, organize your station, and respond with syncopation and confidence when those orders start to roll off the printer. How will you be able to perform – that is the question that is churning in your stomach, that brings beads of sweat to your forehead, and that clouds your vision as you make that first step into the kitchen.

Things are certainly different as you pull on your N-95 mask, nod to your teammates while trying to keep a safe distance, scrub your hands for the first of 25 times today, sanitize your work area and your tool kit, grab your station prep list and start to work. The chef has some background music playing from his iPhone as a way to lighten the tension, and although the conversation is less engaged as it once was, people begin to throw around some of the typical banter. “Hey, I hope your knife skills didn’t get any more pathetic than they use to be”, “ I hope the chef stocked up on extra band aids now that you are back in the kitchen”, and a few other slights that are a bit more graphic. Somehow, the banter makes you feel relaxed, relieves that knot in your stomach, and brings hope to quell those fears that you have about your ability to adapt.

ine-cook

Soon the cadence of work lightens the mood and that muscle memory kicks in as you charge through vegetable prep and begin to trim tenders and strip loins, cut steaks, peel and devein shrimp, clean Divers scallops, flatten chicken breasts, and fillet various types of fish for your station.

You nick one of your fingers with a boning knife and it bleeds like a bastard. Trying not to let others see your sloppy mistake you wrap it in a side towel and make a stealth move towards the rest room. You wash and dry the cut (damn, it’s on the tip of my index finger where it is impossible to stop the bleeding) wrap it tightly with three band-aids and double up your gloves hoping that the blood won’t give away your misguided knife handling. Back to work – the only thing hurt is your ego.

“Hey Jake – you cuttin steaks or fingers the rest of the day?” Damn – busted. Of course, now you will be the butt of everyone’s jokes for the next couple hours. The chef walks past you and just smiles. Well, at least you broke the ice.

Everyone is trying hard to bring back some semblance of “normal”, but the air is heavy, as each cook knows that nothing is normal anymore. The chef had sent everyone a list of new protocols before they arrived, so routines of old were out the window.

You notice a delivery truck arrive with supplies – even this is part of the change that the virus has brought to the restaurant. The driver is no longer allowed to simply wheel in supplies and unload them in coolers, freezers, and dry goods storage. Items are received at the back entrance where boxes will be opened, cardboard immediately discarded to outside recycling bins, and each item is wiped with bleach cloths before transferred to storage. This is an all hands on deck process that eats away at time that would have normally been spent on prep. No one is happy about this added process, yet everyone feels that sense of responsibility for everyone’s safety and wellbeing.

Back to prep, that is after scrubbing hands again, re-sanitizing your work station, adjusting your mask that has begun to cause a rash on your face, and turning in your apron for one that is fresh and sanitary. Now that sense of urgency returns, the knowledge that there is more work to complete than there is time – you dive into the details for your station. Time to clarify butter, blanch and shock vegetables, reduce stocks for sauce work, mince herbs, refill bottles of wine and olive oil, prepare garnishes, season your pans, fire up the grill and salamander, and fold your side towels as you always had in the past. Thirty minutes more and that POS printer will begin to talk once again.

IMG_1236

Now things begin to seem right. Comfort and confidence overtake angst and doubt as every cook instinctively falls back into his and her pace. This is what they are trained to do, this is their calling, this is that point in time when their skills point the way and cooking becomes part of their reflex. Cooks mark steaks and chops at their chargrill and fall back into a comfort zone of knowing degrees of doneness. Sauté quickly remembers how to multi-task: hot pan, clarified butter, scored skin on the fish fillet hits that screaming hot pan, keep the pan in motion so it doesn’t stick, sear to a golden brown, baste the fish, hit it with a touch of salt and deglaze the pan with white wine – push the pan aside until pick up. Another hot pan – no two, two orders of tournedos on the fly. A quick sear of salted meat – both sides. Deglaze with a touch of Madeira and a splash of demi. A spin of fresh cracked pepper and then remove the meat. Finish reducing the pan sauce, add some chopped parsley and return the meat to coat. Plates up – toast medallions, fillets, sear two cut pieces of foie gras in a dry hot pan (it only takes a few seconds) sear both sides and top off the fillets – mask with sauce madeira and a few shavings of black truffle – four pieces of perfect asparagus and two baby carrots tossed in butter – slide the plates into the pass. “Give me an all day”: the expeditor calls out: one more tournedos – rare, three shrimp, two Dourade fillets, four chicken picatta, and one vegetable tart – all have apps coming up first – fire the first Dourade right now!

The pace continues to quicken and everything seems to slide into that slow motion groove of a cook in control. All he hears is the commands from the expeditor and the ticking cadences of the printer. Everything is under control as his mental state is total focus on the work. This cook is there, he is back, he feels the adrenaline coursing through his veins, and sees things clear again. This is what he missed over the past three months. All his uncertainty is put aside – he is back.

At some point the board is almost clear – he looks to Janis to his left on apps and Greg on the broiler. They both have smiles on their faces. They too overcame their fear and rose to the occasion. No one struck out or lost his or her poise – the night was winding down and the day was won. The expeditor gives them a thumbs-up and the chef simply nods. Good cooks don’t forget, it’s like riding a bike – it only took one push to adjust to the new normal and get their confidence back. A few high fives and then it’s back to cleaning and making notes for what tomorrow will bring.

This time of uncertainty has left everyone shaken. Cooks and chefs in particular rely on protocols and systems and uncertainty never sits well with them. The time will come when restaurants will be back and cooks find their groove once again. The swagger of line cooks will return and the gratification of plating that perfect dish will bring a smile to their faces. It will happen soon enough – be patient.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

We are in this together

www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG

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OUR DAILY BREATH: POST COVID KITCHENS – GET READY

13 Monday Apr 2020

Posted by culinarycuesblog in Uncategorized

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chefs, cooks, kitchens, Kitchens after Covid-19, restaurants, safety and sanitation in kitchens

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Restaurants will get the green light at some point. When the data demonstrates that the virus is somewhat under control – whether that is the end of May or later, we all know in our hearts and minds that things will be different. Guests will not likely flock back to our operations, there will still be a considerable amount of trepidation, especially since pre-vaccine life will still include the threat of virus transmission. We also know that the health and safety regulations for restaurants will change significantly as we make every attempt to keep the public and our staff safe and at ease.

Along with giving serious thought to how restaurant concepts, menus, and methods of delivery will need to change – we must prepare for the regulations to come. Preparation for this inevitable change is the best way to set the stage for post Covid success. Here are some of the likely changes (I don’t have a crystal ball- but I would be willing to bet that these will come to fruition):

[]         VENDORS AND DELIVERIES

There is little guarantee that the product that is received at the backdoor of our restaurants is free from virus. It has already been stated that Covid-19 can live for a period of time on the surface of cardboard and there are numerous opportunities for asymptomatic individuals to come in contact with food before packaging (especially produce and animal protein). Let me be clear that there is NO INDICATION at this time that the virus can be spread through food.

It would surprise me if there were not an effort on the part of the Public Health Service and state Departments of Health to require, or at least strongly urge, restaurants to discard all cardboard packaging and thoroughly wash and sanitize received food products before they enter the production kitchen of restaurants. Lexan containers will be in high demand, as restaurants no longer store food supplies in the boxes they were delivered in.

[]         PRE-STORAGE AREAS REQUIRED IN NEW KITCHENS FOR WASHING AND SANITIZING OF INCOMING PRODUCTS

I would anticipate that new kitchen construction code will eventually require a “pre-clean/sanitize” area in receiving areas with sinks, adequate stainless table space, storage for Lexan containers and dry racks to be used before food items as well as floor and wall surfaces that can be pressure washed and sanitized frequently. This only makes sense to help control future outbreaks.

[]         RECORD THE PROTOCOL

It is very likely that the Public Health Service will contemplate development and implementation of product and people sanitizing before entering production kitchens. This may take some years before fully implemented, but I can envision similar protocols to what is found in industrial food production facilities – think meat processing plant processing along with the record keeping of these standards.

[]         A NO CARBOARD REQUIREMENT FOR KITCHENS

We have become use to recycling our cardboard on a daily basis, but it may soon be required to eliminate that packaging before food and other supplies enter a food production space or storage.

[]         EMPLOYEE ANTIBODY TESTING AND VALIDATION

All indications are that it will be some time (at least until a vaccine is developed in 12-18 months – hopefully) before we can safely move about without the level of concern and preparation that is in place now. The only surefire way to move back to a more normal life is to verify that individuals have the antibodies that will allow them to do so. Dr. Fauci has already stated that an antibody test will likely be available in a week or so and will be ramped up to produce the quantities needed. Is it too much of a stretch to envision a federal, or at least state-by-state requirement for people to have some type of validation that proves they have the antibodies that would deem them relatively safe – especially for healthcare and foodservice workers? In some states it is already a requirement that foodservice employees have a validated test for Tuberculosis before they are allowed to handle food.

[]         PERSONAL TEMPERATURE CHECKS AND LOGS

Just as probable will be a requirement in certain industries for employees to have a validated body temperature check before they enter a place of work and that these records be maintained or even submitted to a higher authority on a regular basis. This only makes sense (already required in most healthcare facilities).

[]         SERVESAFE REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL EMPLOYEES

In some states – ServeSafe or something comparable is required of all foodservice workers. Wouldn’t it make sense that this becomes a requirement of all foodservice workers? How long before this becomes a Public Health Service mandate?

[]         MASKS REQUIRED

It is highly likely that the first requirement once we are allowed to re-open restaurants at some level are that all food handlers (maybe even service staff) wear a protective mask. Of course, we need to have enough masks available to purchase first.

[]         HAND WASHING TRAINING

“Wash your hands” has always been a mantra in restaurants of all types but have we been thorough in our training? Do people know and practice the 20-second aggressive wash protocol every time they wash their hands? Do they use gloves when required and do so properly? Do they feel too confident with gloves to invest enough time washing their hands as well? Hand washing will become an even more critical standard in restaurants.

[]         REQUIRED OUTSIDE LAUNDERING OF UNIFORMS

Many restaurants require uniforms but leave it up to employees to launder their own, many wear their uniforms to work rather than change on premise, and many restaurants fail to have any consistent sanitary uniform policy. Expect that this will eventually change (for the better) and expect that outside laundering and sanitizing services will be expected (except where restaurants have their own laundries). Gone will be that favorite T-shirt as a uniform of choice, unwashed shoes, baseball caps, or cargo pants and shorts.

[]         WORK SURFACE SANITATION PROTOCOL AND TESTING

In kitchens of a certain size it may make sense to develop a new position that focuses on pre-cleaning and processing of food before it enters the production space, strict oversight of hand washing and sanitizing of work services and equipment, employee personal temperature testing and documentation of all of the above, maintaining antibody validation records, etc. Basically, you may want to make future plans for an infection control person on your staff. Is this a stretch? I don’t think so.

[]         VERY STRICT HACCP ENFORCEMENT

HACCP (time temperature tracking) has been creeping up on restaurant operations for a few years and will become the most critical safety/sanitation issue in the future. Those logs and follow-through must become second nature.

[]         NEW PROCEDURES FOR CLEAN DISHES, FLATWARE AND GLASSWARE

How will we ensure that the service ware that restaurants use is free of contamination before menu items are plated and delivered to a guest? Someone will push for stricter controls on this – be prepared to see a plethora of new equipment designed to accomplish this goal.

[]         MORE FREQUENT HEALTH INSPECTIONS

We can all expect an annual, unannounced health inspection (more if there is a registered complaint or previous issue), but in the future there will likely be a push for more interaction with your local health department. It could take a variety of forms – one full inspection, and others to check on critical issues, or required periodic classes that at the very least – chefs and managers will need to attend.

[]         WORKSPACE REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW KITCHENS THAT FOCUS ON SAFE DISTANCES BETWEEN EMPLOYEES

The typical design of a restaurant leads to the smallest amount of kitchen space to accomplish the job – leaving more space for revenue generation out front. It is likely that code requirements in the future will state that a certain amount of space per anticipated kitchen employee is standard. This could allow for future distancing of employees to prevent asymptomatic spread of a virus.

[]         UV LIGHTS IN COOLERS AND STORAGE AREAS

At some level, ultraviolet light does help to control the growth of bacteria. This may become a standard lighting requirement in food storage areas.

[]         A NEW VERSION OF SANITIZERS FOR POT SINKS AND DISHWASHERS

Bleach or iodine solutions are the standards for sanitizing pots, pans, and work surfaces in kitchens. I would anticipate a new family of sanitizing agents that can protect against bacterial transmission as well as current and future viruses.

It would seem likely that some or maybe all of these changes are in our future. It won’t happen overnight, but we all realize that the health and safety of our guests and employees is (should be) our primary concern. So – it makes sense to plan for change in this regard.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG

 

 

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