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BECOMING A GREAT LINE COOK

21 Tuesday May 2019

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Whether you are a product of a formal culinary education or working your way up through the school of hard knocks, it is likely that all roads leading to the position of chef will move through the line cook position. Line cooks are the backbone of the kitchen and the sought after position by all who have a future in the back of the house. Dishwasher to prep cook, breakfast cook to afternoon of evening line – these are the steppingstones, the right of passage, for a serious career cook.

To be an effective line cook, the individual must possess certain attributes and he or she must adhere to certain “rules of play” that make the job much more fluid and goal focused.

To those who are fresh off the culinary school treadmill or hard knocks folks moving from that prep position to the glory of the line – here are a few attributes and tips that will make your transition much easier.

ATTRIBUTES:

  1. BE ALL IN:

If cooking is just a job, then your food will be more fuel than an expression of skill, tradition, and art. When you are all in then it becomes obvious that cooking is your chosen career – an extension of who you are.

  1. BE DEPENDABLE:

The most significant attribute of a professional is dependability. Start with this and you will set the stage for a lasting career. Be on time, be ready to work, be trusted to complete a task as required, in the amount of time required, and always be that team member that others can look to for support.

  1. BE PASSIONATE:

To be passionate about cooking requires that you are always interested in the why and how and are focused on constant improvement. You take pride in the presentation and flavor of the food that you are responsible for and would never place a dish in the pass that failed to meet those standards.

  1. BE AWARE:

Cooks need to be aware of what is taking place around them, what environmental factors might impact on their ability to perform, and how they might problem solve to minimize any negative impact caused by those factors.

  1. BE PART OF “WE”, NOT “ME”:

Solid line cooks are team players. They understand that cooking is a team sport and everything depends on the synchronized efforts of the group.

  1. BE ORGANIZED:

Organization is the heart of a successful kitchen – from the placement of mise en place to the stacking of plates and folding of side towels – every great line cook is an efficient machine.

LINE COOK TIPS:

  1. SHORT CUTS DON’T WORK:

Sure, some will point to tricks that they may have learned that speed up a process – saving time and energy, but short cuts that circumvent the time tested way that food is prepared will more often than not result in an inferior finished product. Never sacrifice quality for speed; yet at the same time always look for ways to be efficient without moving away from a process that yields the best product.

  1. KNOW THE METHODS:

Great cooking is all about understanding methods, not necessarily recipes. Recipes have their place, but do not factor in the variables that can pull a cook away from the goal of excellent finished dishes.

  1. PRACTICE TECHNIQUES:

Technique is an essential partner to methods. Techniques are where a cook can become more efficient, leading to greater speed and quantity. Knife skills and understanding how to use the tools available so that everything becomes second nature – this is efficiency.

  1. HEAT YOUR PANS FIRST:

Caramelization is essential in bringing out the flavor in certain dishes. Caramelization also requires that a product move freely in a pan, taking advantage of the best properties of heat. When the pan is hot enough first and technique is fully understood, then an ingredient will move freely in the pan without sticking.

  1. SLICE DON’T SAW:

When slicing through meat, poultry, fish, or vegetables – there is a technique that takes advantage of the knife-edge – offering a clean, even cut. Slice forward using the full length of the knife and then draw back in the same fashion. A dull knife, or improper technique will leave layers of saw marks and ruin the presentation of the food.

  1. KEEP AN EDGE ON YOUR KNIVES:

A cook’s knives must be sharp – bring an edge to the blade on a wet stone at the beginning of every shift and keep your steel close at hand throughout the shift to bring back that edge when needed. A dull knife at a line cook’s station is inexcusable.

  1. LONG SLEEVES SAVE LOADS OF PAIN:

I get it – the kitchen is hot and the tendency is to minimize clothing in an effort to ward off some of that heat. But, the kitchen is a dangerous place with super hot pans, cherry red flat tops, leaping flames from the char-grill, spitting oil from pans, and sharp knives working furiously through the demands of service. The reason for long sleeves on a chef’s coat, heavy cotton, long pants, aprons, and head brims on a chef’s toque is to protect the cook from burns and cuts.

  1. SALT AFTER COOKING:

Salt is certainly a common flavor enhancer and as such a well-respected seasoning in every kitchen – but salt on foods during cooking can also tend to draw moisture from the ingredient. Salt is oftentimes better used at the end of cooking to accent rather than penetrate.

Painted in Waterlogue

  1. YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD MORE SEASONING, BUT YOU CAN’T TAKE IT AWAY:

Herbs and spices, especially those that impart heat, are best when added towards the end of cooking. Some spices, such as all versions of pepper, increase in potency the longer they cook with a dish. To this end, if too much is added early in the cooking process it becomes very difficult to counteract the negative impact of a spice improperly used.

  1. HOT FOOD HOT, COLD FOOD COLD:

The first rules of thumb in the kitchen always apply. Hot food should be maintained as such and cold food likewise. Hot food should be placed on hot plates and cold food on cold plates. Even down to coffee served in a warmed cup and salads served with a chilled fork.

  1. THE STEAK DOESN’T WAIT FOR THE SERVER:

The quality of cooked food will deteriorate quickly. The pass on the line is properly named since the food should quickly pass from the cook to the server. Every second that a dish sits in the pass results in a loss of product character. Timing on the kitchen line is as essential as the process of cooking.

  1. TAKE CARE OF YOUR FEET:

Every part of your body is impacted by the care of your feet. Proper shoes with support, white socks, floor mats, and frequent movement all result in healthier feet. When the feet are not cared for then there is an impact on legs, knees, back, and even headache pain. Never underestimate the importance of foot care over those 10-12 hour shifts.

  1. TAKE CARE OF YOUR HANDS:

The most important tools that you have in your kit are the ten fingers at the end of your arms. Wash them frequently, cover them when appropriate, use care when handling blades, use towels when handling hot pans, and use hand lotion at the end of a shift. Protect your most valuable kitchen tools.

  1. STAY ALERT:

One second is all it takes for something to go terribly wrong in the kitchen. Hot liquids, flames, sharp tools, heavy pots and pans, slippery floors, splattering oil, or a rushed employee moving around the corner without warning – so much can go wrong – stay alert!

  1. HYDRATE AND FUEL UP:

It is not uncommon for a line cook to lose a pound or more of water weight on a kitchen shift. Dehydration can be very dangerous – resulting in heat stroke. Cooks need to drink lots of liquids during a shift to rehydrate and maintain an even body temperature. At the same time – your body needs fuel to maintain peak efficiency, build muscle, and stay focused. A staff meal – preferably with an opportunity to sit down and properly digest it, is critical to a line cooks performance.

  1. NEVER RUN OUT OF MISE EN PLACE:

Enough said.

  1. DRY TOWEL, WET TOWEL:

Both are important – the dry towel for handling hot pans and stove tops and wet towels (from a bucket with sanitation solution) for cleaning. Never mix the two.

  1. CLEAN AS YOU GO – EVEN WHEN IT’S CRAZY BUSY:

A functional station is one that remains organized and clean – the opposite results in chaos.

  1. KNOW WHEN TO ASK FOR HELP:

Every line cook, on occasion, winds up “in the weeds”. Know when you are headed down that path and turn to a teammate for help before it gets out of hand.

  1. KNOW THE MENU – REALLY KNOW IT:

Know the ingredients, their flavor profile, know the methods of cooking used, understand the appearance desired, and know why a dish was designed a certain way. The more you know, the better the dish.

  1. EACH PLATE DESERVES YOUR ATTENTION:

All cooks have favorite dishes, but in a restaurant every dish must be treated as if it is your favorite.

  1. IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE TIME TO DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME – WHEN WILL YOU FIND THE TIME TO DO IT OVER:

Time always gets in the way and far too often we look for short cuts to adapt to time constraints. In the end if it is not done correctly at first then the time constraints associated with a re-fire are compounded. Do it right the first time – this is the best approach.

There are probably dozens of other tips for success that every seasoned line cook can come up with, but this is a good start. Being a line cook is a challenging, focused, skilled, and extremely important job in the kitchen – make sure you are prepared to do it justice.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

APPRECIATE YOUR LINE COOKS

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

Restaurant Consulting

 

 

 

COOKING FOR THE RUSH

07 Sunday Apr 2019

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I remember when I first encountered the jazz influenced improvisational music of Eric Clapton as a member of Cream. Many of my age were in awe of the speed and almost frenzy nature of this adrenaline infused music that started with structure and then blasted away in a hundred different directions. No one really knew where Clapton, Bruce, and Baker were headed with a song (they likely didn’t even know themselves) and we all sensed at times like they were heading to the edge of the cliff. The band was feeling the rush of energy that comes from a level of synchronicity, a baseline of real skill, and the energy created by the audience and the environment in which they played.

Every accomplished young line cook in a restaurant understands this feeling and, for a period of time, thrives on the rush of the push. When those orders are ticking off at lightening speed – when your mind is able to stay ahead of the game and when your hand and body motions are able to keep up – you feel super human. Each plate that carries your signature is an affirmation of your ability as a cook, your speed and agility, your mental acuity, and your control over muscle action. At the end of the shift those endorphins are running wild and you feel super human – you could conquer the world. Of course, the rush begins to fade in a short period of time – especially if you add a few drinks to calm down after punching out.

clapton

Over time – Eric Clapton began to mature, his body aged, his mind was likely not as sharp, and his need for the rush was replaced by that reflective state that allowed him to really think about the music, to reflect on its meaning, to study its history, and to enjoy true understanding that went beyond the rush. His music was different – more nuanced where each note had a purpose and a structure that was apparent. The lyrics became as important as the notes and his guitar work was deliberate and well thought out. He was able to earn a higher level of respect from fellow musicians, and eventually shed his image as an innovator while replacing that with a standard bearer’s suit of armor. In this role he became less of a showman and more a teacher.

Those young cooks who embrace and seek out the rush will eventually mature. Their need to push the envelope in search of those endorphin rushes will, at some point, be replaced with a desire to really understand cooking, to search for flavors that take time to develop, and to research the history of a dish so that real understanding can result in better cooking. They will channel this new knowledge towards a position of maturity where the big picture is far more important than the adrenaline rush. These young cooks will eventually mature into knowledge workers and chefs.

But, in the meantime – it’s all about the rush. So what is it about the rush that is so addictive?

TELL ME HOW DO YOU FEEL? A BAKER’S DOZEN:

[]         KNOWING THAT THE TASK AT HAND IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE

Watch line cooks when they arrive at work. Although many may try to hide the level of anticipation that is gnawing away at them – we all know that it is there. Their eyes dart around the space, they reach for their prep sheet, quickly assess ingredients, jump at setting up their work area with damp towel under a cutting board so that it doesn’t slide, sharpen their knives, tie on an apron, and start the methodical process of chopping, dicing, caramelization, finishing sauces, mincing herbs, clarifying butter, trimming proteins, lining up detailed mise en place, checking pans, folding side towels, and stacking plates to complete their stations. Will they have enough time to complete everything? Will their mise hold up to the rush? Which station will get pounded tonight? Will they be on their game?

[]         MENTAL ACUITY AND THE NEED TO ORGANIZE

Staying sharp, focused, totally committed to the plate, and ready for whatever comes their way – this is foremost in a cook’s mind. They know that the answer will always be organization and that mise en place work that defined their first 2-3 hours on shift. If they are prepped then the world is good – if not, then they are facing a load of uncertainty. When they are ready to play then that positive adrenaline is building up steam.

[]         ANXIETY AND THAT FEELING OF AHHHHHH!

Some may think that anxiety is a negative- but line cooks are able to use it to their advantage. The exhilaration of knowing that you could end up victorious or fall off the cliff is energizing and unnerving at the same time.

[]         THE ENERGY BOOST

If you are a runner, or exercise junkie you know how incredible it is to reach that point in your workout when those chemical endorphins kick in. It’s like punching the accelerator on your car and feeling that turbo jump into action pushing you back against the seat, and the jump of the car as it lurches forward with a new boost of energy. Cook’s feel the same thing at some point during a shift. It might happen close to opening if your mise en place is 98% done and you have to find the energy to tighten everything up, or it might not kick in until the tickets start flying off the POS, but at some point it will be there. Cook’s seek this out – this is what brings them back time and again for those 12-hour shifts.

[]         FEELING THE POSSIBILITY

Every cook thrives on goals. Pushing to hit those goals is a personal competition that is intoxicating. To be 100% ready at opening, to stay keenly organized throughout service, to run the busiest station, to top the number of guests served last night, to run through service without any re-fires – these are all goals that cook’s have on their active wish list every night.

[]         AFFIRMATION OF SKILLS

Cooks are proud of their skill set. They are in the game because they have a proven track record of sharpened abilities. The more they know how to do, the quicker their response, the more they can accomplish without sacrificing quality, the more charged they become about their status on the kitchen team.

[]         HANGING THE PICTURE ON THE REFRIGERATOR

Not too dissimilar to that early student experience of bringing home a classroom accomplishment to the praise and pride shown by parents – the cook inherently loves to present a beautiful plate of food in the pass for peers, servers, and eventually guests to admire. This is the fuel that every great line cook needs.

[]         I’VE GOT THE RYTHYM

If you could step back and simply watch a line of cooks working through a push of orders you would be reminded of the grace of classical music and the syncopation of jazz dance.   This is energy and orchestrated motion.

cooks

[]         HIGH VOLTAGE TEAMWORK

Wow – this is so fluid – line cooks working as a seamless unit where communication is a nod or point of a finger, where chatter is minimal, but non-verbal clues result in a plate of food coming together in such a natural way, where acknowledgements are as simple as “yes chef”. This is super-charged teamwork.

[]         LIVING ON THE EDGE – THE THREAT OF SUDDEN DOOM

Like a daredevil skier positioned on the precipice of a steep vertical drop, every line cook knows that every moment on the line provides an opportunity to cut a perfect run or tumble with skis flying and their body buried in granular face burning snow. As scary as this seems – cooks are rarely risk averse.

[]         BLISS AND PRIDE

Cooks thrive on the pride of well-prepared food, of trouncing a big rush of orders, of making guests happy and of exceeding the chef’s expectations. The feelings associated with this are truly intoxicating.

[]         PHYSICAL STRENGTH FOLLOWED BY PHYSICAL EXHAUSTION

Like a great workout, both extremes are invigorating. That super-human rush of strength to get through a busy night and the total depletion of energy that follows are gratifying experiences.

[]         THE ADDICTION THAT HAUNTS YOU

The irony of all of these roller coaster feelings is that once you experience them they become the drug that brings you back for more. Cooks live for the rush, thrive on the rush, and seek it out time and again.

Know your cooks, understand their needs, feed the adrenaline, but help them to mature as technicians and artists.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting and Training

www.harvestamericaventures.com

 

THAT KITCHEN SENSE OF URGENCY

26 Thursday Jul 2018

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There are some things in life that can’t be taught. Only the experience of impending doom can push a person to dig deep and find solutions that they never thought were possible, discover skills that were never present before the challenge occurred, and either sink or swim under the pressure of creating order out of chaos.

The curve ball destroys the best plans of even the most seasoned batter. The problem is that this pitch lacks the one thing that allows people to feel at ease: predictability. The curve ball however can become predictable after experiencing how the pitch will break at a certain point in its trajectory. This repeated experience would allow the batter to anticipate where the ball will be even though its path looks uncertain. This analogy fits with the pattern of work that a line cook faces every day. No one can truly teach a cook how to prepare for the unexpected until he or she has dealt with the unexpected numerous times. Experience is the best teacher – certainly applies.

When inviting a new line cook to join the team a seasoned chef will look less at typical credentials and spend more time trying to determine what experiences in a cook’s past have prepared him or her for calm action, for creative problem-solving, for an understanding of the need for a sense of urgency – ALWAYS. The chef knows that only those cooks who have endured crisis after crisis truly know how to be ready for just about anything.

So, for all those young, flashy cooks who think that have it all together and who strut their confidence with a bit too much swagger – know that until you have stood on the edge of uncertainty, until you are one step away from totally losing it on the line, and until you are faced with knowing that you screwed up and need serious help to bail you out, then that swagger is without merit. The best cooks approach every day, every shift with a sense of urgency through preparation, thinking ahead about what might go wrong, and building solutions to problems that may not even exist yet. So what can go wrong and where and how does that sense of urgency come into play? Here is just a taste:

[]         NOT HAVING YOUR MISE TOGETHER

By far, the most frequent problem that arises from that lack of urgency is not having control over your mise. It has been rightfully stated that a line cook can handle nearly anything if his or her mise en place is tight. The best line cooks NEVER run out of prep, NEVER allow their station to become unorganized, and NEVER approach service unless everything is in order right down to how side towels are folded.

[]         RUNNING OUT OF PROPANE

OK, this may sound far-fetched to some, but I know there will be quite a few cooks who will read this and say: “That happened to me!” Cooks and chefs, who are in tune with that sense of urgency, work from a mental checklist that will always include checking the gauge on those propane tanks before service.

[]         THERE IS NO GOOD TIME FOR THE POWER TO GO OUT

We are all familiar with Murphy’s Law that proclaims, “If something can go wrong – it will.” So, what is your plan if the power does go out? Oh, and by the way – if it does go out it WILL happen on the busiest night of the week – probably a weekend or holiday when finding a resolution to the problem is compounded. Do you have a power outage limited menu in the waiting? Is your service ready to move to candlelight for guest tables and focused on making the experience a positive one? Do you have enough china and flatware to get through service without a dishwasher? The restaurants that are prepared will have this protocol lined up and the cooks who have that sense of urgency will drop into this problem-solving mode without losing a step.

[]         IT’S JUST A LITTLE FIRE

A little too much oil dripping into the clean out pan on the char-broiler or flat top, un-noticed fryer oil levels dropping a bit below the heating elements, the pot of butter clarifying on the back of the stove that inadvertently boils over – it does happen, it will happen. If you are tuned in then that little fire is managed without any panic: a box of baking soda close by, a sheet pan to snuff out the oxygen feeding that fryer fire, a small fire extinguisher at the ready by the grill station to stop that drip pan fire from setting off the Ansul system. There is little difference between a sense of urgency and methodical planning.

[]         IT’S A GAME OF CHESS – PLAN AT LEAST THREE OR FOUR MOVES AHEAD

When the kitchen is firing on all cylinders the expeditor is orchestrating the work of line cooks, creating a cadence of activity that could be put to music. That expeditor (best if a cook or chef) is the chessmaster who is pacing orders, looking ahead to the complexity of orders and where there might be a back-up, and communicating effectively with the front of the house manager to assure that potential problems are addressed before there is a melt down and before a misstep impacts on the line. Pre-marking steaks before the crunch, having some pan sauces reduced in advance, blanching extra vegetables, picking garnishes in advance, and double checking every stations mise is a seamless process all designed to minimize chaos.

[]         MAN DOWN – THE SHOW MUST GO ON

We all hope it never happens, but that is just when it does. A line cook becomes ill, a burn or cut disrupts the flow, a grill person overcome from heat, and suddenly you find a station without a player. If you know that this is likely to happen at some point – where is the sense of urgency, the creative planning? Are line cooks cross-trained so that they can slip into a different station? Does everyone know the system of each other’s mise en place? Can the expeditor drop into a station and a lead server take over at calling out orders? Scenario plan for the worst and eliminate panic – this is a rule of thumb in a house with that sense of urgency.

[]         REFIRE THAT ENTIRE EIGHT TOP OF VIP’S

Can the expeditor shuffle orders to make this happen? Is the cook cool enough to go with the flow and re-arrange, borrow from another order, shift his or her concentration? Remember urgency and mental preparation are one and the same.

[]         DEER IN THE HEADLIGHTS – SAUTE COOK IS TOAST

The best cooks can see it coming on. Communication with a fellow line cook is a bit strained, the quick pace that is normally present seems to falter, the glazed look of panic begins to creep in, the hands begin to shake a bit, and tongs, pans and plates slip off of counters and on the floor. These are all signs that a fellow cook is starting to lose it. It happens to everyone at times and the best cooks know that this is always a possibility. They watch for the signs, nod to the chef that things are starting to go sideways, pat the line cook on the shoulder and guide him or her to the office with a large glass of water. Now is the time for everyone to step up, share an extra station or shift responsibilities. When this happens the show must still go on.

[]         BURNS, CUTS, AND SWOLLEN ANKLES

Of course, we live with this every day. Business doesn’t stop when we experience minor injuries, but nevertheless they make our work that much more difficult. It is hard to ignore a hand burn when standing over a cherry red flat top or char grill with flames jumping around a steak. It is impossible to ignore that annoying little finger cut that throbs with every movement. Yes, you washed it out, dabbed it with antiseptic, covered it with a bandage and finger cot, but damn it hurts. Maybe it needs a stitch or two, but it is really hard to leave your co-workers in the middle of a rush. “I’ll tough it out until the end of service and then go to the ER.” That sense of urgency must always include acts of caution and smart work. When there is a lack of urgency and planning then accidents are more likely to occur: cause and effect, cause and effect.

When chefs are asked what they look for in cooks – the typical response includes: dependability, working clean, the ability to work as a team, solid knife skills, speed, and understanding the importance of urgency. If you have it – then you are able to fit into any kitchen environment, learn their system, and adapt to their style of cooking.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

Restaurant Consulting and Training

 

A LINE COOK’S LEGAL VICES

19 Friday Jan 2018

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The dictionary may define a “vice” as a bad habit or fault, but sometimes those habits cause less harm than the definition may imply and far more joy than one might assume. We all have a vice or two, some are related to our personal lives and occasionally they are connected to what we do for a living, but in the case of the cook these vices tend to connect almost entirely with that career in the kitchen. Here are some of the “legal” ones that make a cook’s life complete and sometimes deplete their checkbook.

[]         GREAT BREAD

The smell, texture, and flavor of quality bread especially right from the oven with a generous spoon full of salty butter, is maybe one of the most anticipated and revered experiences in a kitchen. The anticipation of the experience is nearly as important to a cook as actually consuming that first slice.

[]         CHEESE OF ALL KINDS

Once a cook has been exposed to quality cheese then he or she is spoiled for life. The transition from Kraft singles to that first quality Brie or Epoisses from France, Goat’s Cheese from Vermont Creamery, Bleu from Jasper Hill, Manchego from Spain, or perfectly aged Romano from Italy is dramatic and eye opening. Cheese becomes one of a cook’s most expensive habits.

[]         BUTTER

It may have been Julia Child who said if you don’t want to use too much butter you can always substitute heavy cream, but to a cook it is butter that defines great flavor. I even know a serious cook who had a tattoo of a pound of butter emblazoned on his bicep.

[]         GOOD WINE

Life is too short to drink cheap wine. A cook has an opportunity and almost a responsibility to learn as much about good wine as possible. The only real way to a good wine education is to drink it and cooks will often view this as a mission in life.

[]         THAT SPECIAL BEER

Just as drinking good wine is essential to a cook’s education – transitioning from PBR or Bud to craft beers is enlightening and incredibly gratifying to a person who is serious about food. Cooks can easily become obsessed with testing the waters and finding that beer experience that is as complex and gratifying as any wine experience.

[]         CHARCUTERIE

Cooks love fermented products: bread, cheese, wine, beer and charcuterie all fall into this category. Watch how contemporary cooks have rediscovered the art of charcuterie from fresh sausages to deeply cured hams, salami, pates, terrines, and galantines. A perfect meal to a serious cook is great bread, intense cheese, salty charcuterie, a few cornichons, and a great glass of wine or beer.

[]         SHORT LIVED RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES

It is probably due to the strange work hours that cooks keep and the intensity of the environment where they practice their trade, but cooks (male and female) seem to easily fall into the challenges of relationships at work. Although the best intentions are there, these relationships rarely turn out well.

[]         THE ADRENALINE RUSH OF A BUSY NIGHT

Cooks are totally addicted to the high stress intensity of a busy night, especially that push around peak times when everything seems to be totally on edge and impossible. For whatever reasons this high adrenaline, blood pressure driven experience brings cooks back every day looking for more.

[]         PASTA AND PIZZA

Some of most common comfort foods for a cook on the job are pasta and pizza. It may be the need for high energy carbs, the universally gratifying flavors, or the ease with which these items can be consumed standing up while still working at a station – in any case this is a cook’s go to menu.

[]         BEAUTIFUL KNIVES

Cooks might have a tough time paying their rent, filling their home refrigerators, or finding a few dollars for gas, but they will always scrape together enough cash to buy that $250 Shun knife that they always wanted to add to their arsenal of a dozen or so “must have” tools. They care for these knives with obsessive behavior and totally freak out if anyone even touches one of their blades.

[]         A TATTOO THAT SHOWS HE OR SHE IS A SERIOUS COOK

Yes, this seems to be a time when tattoos are no longer the exception, but the rule. It is becoming harder and harder to find a person under the age of 40 that doesn’t have some type of body art. A cook may be one of the few types of individuals who insist on adding numerous details that pay homage to knives, food, animal anatomy, or cooking terminology. Some might see this as compulsive where others view it as dedication and membership to a club of unique professionals.

[]         COMFORTABLE SHOES

Next to a cook’s knives his or her shoes are oftentimes the next essential investment. Every cook knows that the right shoes can make work a whole lot more enjoyable and the wrong shoes will quickly result in foot, back, and leg pain, headaches, and miserable attitude.

[]         RAMEN AND PHO

When a cook is off of work then there is a transition from the quick comfort of pasta and pizza to something that stimulates all of the senses – Ramen and Pho are the most important meals of choice – full flavored, spicy, fun, varied in texture, and spiritually enlightening – a bowl of noodles is inspiring.

[]         MUSIC THAT FEEDS THE RUSH

Music is important to everyone, but to a cook music is also essential to work patterns. Laid back music to wake up to, intense and fast paced music during prep, and light and soothing music during the adrenaline push of the rush are all critical. Some chefs don’t allow music of any type in the kitchen, but if managed correctly music can set the right tempo to different parts of the workday.

[]         SALT

“Needs salt” is one of the most common responses to tastings that happen constantly in the kitchen. Salt seems to serve as the answer to flavors that have not been fully developed and as a result can quickly become a fault in cooking. Salt does help to bring flavors to the surface, but can also overpower and take away from the flavors that are there waiting to come forward. Many cooks have a salt addiction.

[]         OYSTERS

OK, one of the most vivid food epiphanies that almost every cook has is that first, fresh from the ocean oyster with the wonderful, briny liquor that is hidden under it’s shell. Once experienced this wonder food then a cook is hooked. It might be partly because there is always a struggle to get to the meat and working for your meal is always stimulating, but most would agree it is the unique flavor and texture that wins the day.

[]         FOIE GRAS AS LONG AS SOMEONE ELSE IS PAYING FOR IT

Not every cook has a chance to work with duck liver, but once they have seared a slab of foie gras in a hot pan, and served it with the right accutrements then the experience becomes imbedded in his or her brain forever. Any chance that a cook has to consume foie gras that the chef or restaurant pays for is taken with a veracity of passion.

[]         COFFEE

Cooks drink lots of coffee, strong coffee, good and bad coffee – sometimes black or sometimes with way too much sugar and cream, when they can as espresso and with lots of zeal as cappuccino with a bit of art work on top. Coffee is essential to a cook – one of the food groups that they can’t survive without.

[]         ANY SENTENCE WITH A FOUR-LETTER WORD

As a noun, verb, adverb, or adjective – four letter words seem to spring eternal in the kitchen. As much as chefs may try to temper it – for some reasons it has been accepted as a universal language for cooks. Most become immune after a while and don’t even realize that they are using them with excess until they are out in public and talk with reckless kitchen abandon to the surprise of others.

[]         CRUSTY HANDS

It may seem strange to talk about rough and blistered hands as a vice, but those cook’s claws are a visual representation of how hard they work. Just as beat up hands are a badge of honor to tradespeople, construction workers and farmers, so too are they symbols of a cook.

[]         HEAT AND FIRE

Finally, every cook is obsessed with standing over a cherry red range burner, the melt your skin off 750 degrees of a wood fired oven, or the 4 – inch flames from a char-broiler that are essential to searing a perfect steak or chop. Cooks sweat – that’s what they do.

This is a sampling of a kitchen warriors vices – most of them are enjoyable.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

Restaurant Consulting and Training

IS THE KITCHEN A COOK’S “SAFE PLACE”?

16 Tuesday Jan 2018

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Look around the kitchen and pause to really assess what you see. The lifeblood of the kitchen is not found in stainless steel, contemporary equipment, or even the ingredients that fill cooler and storeroom shelves. The lifeblood of the kitchen is the people who stand tall in their hounds tooth pants and double-breasted white jackets. Now look more closely at those people and begin to see who they are, what their connection to the kitchen might be, and why they just seem to “fit”.

What I truly love about the kitchen, and what many other “lifers” will tell you is that these people are special. They might also be surprised to find out that the person that they know in the kitchen is a totally different person outside of that environment. There is a comfort level, a sense of purpose, and a camaraderie that exists around a battery of ranges that moves way beyond whatever a person’s life is on the outside. This kitchen to many is a safe place, a place where they no longer feel that they have to be that other person, but rather can breathe free, be expressive, demonstrate a skill that has been developed over time, smile, high-five and fist bump, and know that they are part of a team of like-minded individuals with a common goal.

Think about it for a moment. We have all been around big, rough and tumble cooks with scars and tattoos that tell a story of a hard life, delicately place a fresh herb on a plate of beautiful food, wipe the rim and smile as it is placed in the pass. We have all been around that cook who is shy and lacking in social skills interact as a confident, self-assured person when in their station on the line. We have all been around that cook who is typically stoic and antagonistic tear up when the chef tastes his or her food and nods in appreciation of something that is truly delicious. Why the change in character – the metamorphosis when a person is faced with heat, sweat, incredibly hard work, and the threat of cuts and burns around every corner? Is the kitchen a “Safe Place”, and what does that mean to so many cooks?

Here are some thoughts:

[]         ACCEPTANCE

A cook who takes his or her job seriously is on equal ground in the kitchen. No one cares about a person’s past, how he or she acts or is perceived out of work; what their views, beliefs, color, ethnicity, or lifestyle might be – if they put forth the effort they are simply accepted as an equal.

[]         OPPORTUNITY

There is always a chance to be great in the kitchen. A cook may have developed a skill that demonstrates loads of potential, potential that may have never been recognized in other settings – but in the kitchen cooks can shine if they so choose. The opportunity is here.

[]         THE SENSES

What an opportunity the kitchen provides – a chance to appeal to all of the human senses with everything a cook prepares. Every cook is a potential artist with an ability that no other artist has – the chance to appeal to a person’s sense of sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. Incredible!

[]         APPRECIATION

Outside of the kitchen there may be very little appreciation for a cook’s potential or the work that he or she is capable of doing, but in the kitchen there is ample room for a nod from a fellow cook, a high-five from someone else on the line, a thumbs up from the chef, and a clean plate coming back from the dining room. Appreciation is something that everyone craves and where it happens becomes that safe place, a place of comfort for the individual.

[]         BROTHERHOOD AND SISTERHOOD

We are all in this together, this place of hard work, sweat and toil, danger and opportunity, stress and the joy of success – this is the kitchen – a place where we are all in this as a team and as a result are bound in a manner that is only experienced by those with a common goal in mind. The team is family.

[]         WE MADE IT THROUGH

At the end of every shift there is an opportunity to feel as if the battle was won. We made it through the push, the time when it seemed as if we might be on the precipice of falling apart, yet we pulled it together and put out some incredible food. Every end of shift provides this opportunity to celebrate, to feel a sense of accomplishment.

[]         THE COMMON CHALLENGE/MISSION POSSIBLE

When those first tickets start flying off the printer the team kicks into action. There is a silent recognition that everyone is ready and focused on his or her role. Everyone knows that it is the sum of the parts that makes the service work, they know that their common mission goes way beyond getting through it, the challenge is to do that with grace, passion, and a commitment to preparing excellent looking and tasting food. It is really mission possible – not impossible.

[]         CREATIVITY INSPIRES

Even a crusty pirate who sees the world as an unfriendly place responds well to the opportunity to create and make something that others appreciate. People are inherently tactile individuals who love to make things that are sensually stimulating. The kitchen provides this every day.

[]         MISFITS UNITE

I have always been amazed at meeting cooks that I have worked with off the job and out in the real world. I sometimes scratch my head and think, “Is this the same person that I worked with?” Whatever the inclination of a cook, however they want to act or be perceived outside of the kitchen, once they put on the apron they are transformed into a person of talent, skill, and passion for excellent work. The kitchen is their safe place.

I always remember those times when my children would be on vacation with my wife and I, in a different place, far from their normal friends and associates and how different, free, and happy they were to just be themselves. That is exactly what the kitchen provides – a place for people to be their true selves.

[]         JUDGEMENT ASIDE

The over-riding sense of comfort in a kitchen comes from these facts alone: there is only one important assessment in the kitchen – “Are you ready to put your best effort into this task, are you prepped for the shift, are you committed to making food the way it should be, and are you ready to support your teammates?” If the answer is “yes” then everything else is unimportant and not worthy of another person’s concern.

Is the kitchen your safe place?

PLAN BETTER –TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting and Training

www.harvestamericaventures.com

*PHOTO:  Dream Team in Chef Joe Faria’s kitchen – Vero Beach

A LINE COOK’S LIFE DIRECTION

28 Tuesday Mar 2017

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“There’s nothing worse than a feeling of being lost.”

-Chef Daniel Boulud

These are such important words from a chef and restaurateur whom many consider one of the worlds finest at his craft. They gave me a moment of pause as I reflected on my life in the kitchen, realizing like many others, that it was (is) the kitchen that gave me direction, a professional purpose in life.

I would dare say that most young people, and some not so young, have faced that very perplexing question: “What is my purpose? Why am I here and what can I contribute that will be fulfilling and important?”

We all have a desire, and to varying degrees, the ability to create. This desire and ability manifests in a sense of pride and a feeling of accomplishment. From the earliest age people are inquisitive and anxious to create something that makes them feel a sense of satisfaction and draws praise from others. This must be something innate, or something in our genetic makeup that needs to be fueled and allowed to grow. When an environment of support for this creativity exists – great things are sure to follow.

There are few environments more supportive of this creativity than the kitchen. I have seen countless individuals find their purpose in front of the range. There is something magical in the transformation that takes place when these individuals rekindle their desire and need to be creative, to make something that has meaning, to work hard at becoming very good at what they do. The focus, the determination, the organization along with the freedom, the sense of urgency along with the intent on always doing it right, and the melding of flavors all combine to create an environment of purpose, of no longer being lost. This is where a cook was meant to be, this is what he or she was meant to do.

What makes the kitchen and this sense of purpose flourish? Here are a few important notes:

[]         PROGRESSIVE LEARNING:

There is a sequential order to cooking, to learning the craft. This step-by-step process that allows a cook to see daily progress is incredibly gratifying. Holding a knife for the first time and learning to respect how in a conditioned hand this beautiful piece of steel can transform ingredients into hundreds, if not thousands, of different items. To feel the power of the knife and learn to respect how to control it is one of the first steps in this progressive education of the kitchen. Learning about ingredients, staking control of a flame, becoming one with cooking methods, building speed and dexterity, having the confidence of a palate that grows every day, and creating a cook’s signature for plate layout all come together in the gratification of pushing a perfect plate of food through the pass.

[]         STRUCTURE:

For freedom to take its rightful place in a kitchen there must first be some structure that allows this to happen. It is this structure that oftentimes first draws people to the life of a cook. Individuals need structure and a sense of “fit” in a system – this is a position of comfort, of trust that allows individuals to be at peace and feel comfortable adding their creative twist to how things might work within that structure. The kitchen always provides both structure and freedom.

[]         FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION:

Just as the innocence of youth provides many vehicles for self-expression, the kitchen – once a cook finds his or her place within the structure, provides ample opportunity to be unique, to sign the plate in his or her own unique way. It might take some time to convince the chef that this expression is right for the restaurant, but once this happens this signature will become the calling card for a cook.

[]         BEING PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN YOU:

There is purpose in being needed. That your unique skill set is critical to the success of the restaurant and to the integrity of the line. Whether it is perfectly marking steaks and chops and cooking them to the right degree of doneness, knowing how to properly sauté that veal dish, caramelize diver scallops, baste a fillet of Dover sole, or finish the sauce – monte au beurre, for a braised lamb shank, or timing those pommes frites just right so that they are crisp, hot, tender on the inside and perfectly salted, each person in the kitchen has an important job to do, a job that at this moment they are perfectly qualified to accomplish. Knowing that the entire line and the dining room depend on your consistent performance is deeply gratifying.

[]         THE INTENSITY:

There is a tremendous amount of satisfaction in being involved in the dynamics of a busy kitchen. The intensity to many would be hard to imagine, yet to a cook it demonstrates everything that he or she has prepared for. The ability to think and work through that intensity and produce exceptional food is quite an accomplishment.

second cook

[]         SENSE OF URGENCY:

A close neighbor to the intensity is the urgency that accompanies every task. Success is measured in seconds and minutes. Most preparations on the line are measured as a’la minute (in the minute). Even though a cook’s mise en place is well designed and individual ingredients are ready in waiting as they should be, the actual cooking of most dishes, building flavors, and finishing each menu item as the operation has designed is done on demand. Timing is essential and each member of the line team must work together under the umbrella of this sense of urgency to ensure that all dishes come out as planned, at the same time, awaiting those finishing touches and a wipe of the plate rim by the expeditor in the pass.

[]         THE ORGANIZATION:

Every ingredient must be just right, in the correct amount, stationed where it must be so that the cook doesn’t even need to think about where to reach – this is mise en place. Mise is something that gets a cook excited. Knowing that he or she is ready for whatever might come is another point of purpose. “Bring it on” is not a dare, it is a statement of confidence, a rally around purpose. This cook is not lost – he or she is always on point with a clear sense of direction.

[]         EXECUTING A STRATEGY:

Walking into a kitchen those last 60 minutes before service would lead an outsider to believe that panic is the rule of thumb. Every hand is busy, every cook is focused, no one is straying from the appointed tasks, and the chef is looming over the team making sure that the “t’s” are crossed. There is always the danger that they won’t pull it off, but underneath they know that they always will. With moments to spare before the first orders tick off the printer, the calm starts to set in. This seemingly panicked situation leading up to service is actually part of a well-established strategy – a means to an end. The cooks themselves turn it up during crunch time to make sure that they are not only physically ready, but also mentally and emotionally prepared for service. This same strategy is evident in restaurants from coast to coast. This is kitchen life.

restaurant-food

[]         THE PRODUCT:

When that perfectly prepared scallop, steak, chop, lamb shank, roasted chicken, or burger and pommes frites lands on the plate, is adjusted for the best visual impact, garnished as part of the flavor profile, and spun for presentation in the pass awaiting the expeditor’s approval, there is a real sense of accomplishment, of pride that builds on the face of every cook. After all, it is the product that defines the culmination of a cook’s talent and brings the guest through the restaurant door. The cook can think to him or herself: “I made this perfect dish”.

line 2

[]         THE SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT:

There it is, at the end of a shift there were many opportunities for success or failure, but this team of cooks made it happen. Guests were pleased, the chef was satisfied, the food looked fantastic, flavors were on point, and the line team functioned like a well-oiled machine. Now the smiles comes, the high fives and fist bumps are offered, and maybe a thumbs up from the chef and servers define what it means to be a cook, a cook with a sense of purpose.

Everyone has a place, a purpose, a career and life that best suit his or her innate abilities, passion, and demeanor. Sometimes they methodically plan out this choice and sometimes it seems to choose them. I have enjoyed working with many young cooks who find comfort in the kitchen. They view this as their place, a place where they can make a difference, a place where they can offer something special of themselves.

BE SOMETHING SPECIAL – BE A CHEF!

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures

Restaurant Consulting and Training

www.harvestamericaventures.com

*If you are interested in stories of life in the kitchen and the factors that impact on cooks and chefs lives, then order your copy of: “The Event That Changed Everything.” Click on the link below for more details and to order.

www.amazon.com/Event-That-Changed-Everything-Relationships/dp/1491755105/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1490716612&sr=8-1&keywords=the+event+that+changed+everything

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DIGGING DEEP: THE PRESSURE IS ON THE LINE COOK

25 Friday Oct 2013

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DIGGING DEEP: THE PRESSURE IS ON THE LINE COOK

Having finished fabricating his fish for Friday prep, Jake moved on to the other proteins on his mise en place list. Venison tenders and Wagyu beef tenders were trimmed of their silver skin and portioned: three-ounce medallions on the venison and four ounces on the beef. The chain from the beef tender would be ground as part of the burger meat for the bar menu and the boot would wind up as tenderloin tips for the Saturday feature. Pheasant, airline style breasts were removed from the carcass leaving the frames for stock that the commissary-shift would use tomorrow. Finally, Jake removed the braised and chilled lamb shanks from their gelatinized braising stock and trimmed them in preparation for re-heating to order. The stock would be reduced with a caramelized mirepoix, red wine and fresh rosemary to accompany the shanks with a side of polenta. “ There”, thought Jake, “all of the proteins were set”.

It was now 3:30 and Jake knew that time was creeping up. He still had not even touched the prep for his vegetables and sauces as well as the set-up of his line station. While he washed and sanitized his table and reached for a new cutting board, he noticed that the other line cooks and interns had arrived and were busy working on their own “mise”. He felt better knowing that he had arrived early and would some how be ready for the chefs pre-meal tasting at 5:00.

Now it was time for some rapid knife work. To save time, Jake took a few minutes to write down all of the vegetables he would need so that he could make one trip to the walk-in, saving time and energy. He collected onions, shallots, garlic, leeks, Yukon gold potatoes, plum tomatoes, baby carrots with tops, chanterelle and shiitake mushrooms, Italian parsley, apples, asparagus and assorted herbs. Once again Jake drew his knives across a stone and steel, washed them and wiped them dry. He was ready.

Jake was masterful with a chef’s knife and bird’s beak. He had, after all, been going through this routine for many years leading to the point where his knives were simply an extension of his hands. Jake was focused but generally pretty easy going. Everyone liked him and respected him but also knew to stay away from his knives. These were his tools and no one else had any business using them (pretty much the rule of thumb with any serious cook). Jake attacked the vegetables dicing, mincing, cutting julienne strips from the leeks, trimming the baby carrots leaving a 1 inch length of green tops as a visual accent, pureeing the shallots so that they would actually melt in a sauté pan, trimming the stems of the chanterelles to make them tender, peeling the bottom half of precisely cut asparagus spears, picking parsley leaves for a garnishing salad on scallops, and cutting fresh herbs with a razor sharp knife into a chiffonade. In some cases vegetables (like the carrots) would be blanched and shocked in ice water so that a simple sauté movement in a pan would finish them in a few seconds at service time. While all of this was taking place, Jake found the time to start the reduction for the lamb shanks and was keeping a close eye on a beurre blanc that he was working for the fish. Time was flashing by. It was now 4:15 and he needed to finish his sauce work and set-up his station.

Moving to his set-up, Jake washed down everything again, counted out his sauté pans and moved them to a 600 degree oven for tempering, clarified his butter for sauté work, lined up his 9th pans for the roll top mise en place cooler, filled everything as per his standard arrangement (everything has a place and everything is in its place), folded a dozed clean side towels, made sure that his burners worked well, stacked plates under the lamps in his station – ready for service, filled a sanitizer bucket with water and the right amount of bleach, and once again drew his knives across a steel. The last step was to bring out his proteins to the lowboy coolers, strain his sauces, set-up his beurre blanc in a bain marie, soften some raw butter for finishing and breathe. It was 4:45 and the chef would be around in 15 minutes to check on mise en place and taste sauces. Jake scrubbed his hands for the 30th time today and grabbed a sandwich from the staff meal set-up while mentally working through his completed prep. He was ready.

Jake popped open a Red Bull and grabbed another double espresso. He would need to be on fire in a few minutes and welcomed the double jolt. While he waited for the chef he looked around at the other line cooks and interns, still a bit behind. He smiled to himself still realizing that in a few minutes he would need to jump in and give them a hand leading up to the restaurant opening at 5:30. He thought to himself again how lucking the interns were to have the ability to go to school for culinary arts. He wondered how much they really appreciated the opportunity and were willing to do what it took to become a great cook. He knew that if he had the chance, he would give 100% to every opportunity to learn. Unfortunately, it was not in the cards for Jake. He then thought about the chef as he left his office for the pre-meal check. Jake thought the world of this chef, the best he had worked for. The chef was talented, professional, totally committed and very hardworking. He was tough but fair, someone that Jake would certainly try to emulate. He did wonder if the chef still remembered what it was like to be a line cook.

Time to focus. The chef was at his station. “Jake are you ready”? “Yes Chef”! As he tasted his lamb demi and beurre blanc, Jake was confident and although the chef didn’t say anything, the fact that he simply moved on to the next station was a way of saying that Jake was spot on. The chef did bark at a few of the other staff members who were clearly not ready so Jake jumped in to give them a hand. Cooking was, after all, a team sport. It was now 5:15 and tickets would begin to spit from the printer any minute. Jake grabbed another Red Bull while helping others in these final minutes.

Game time!

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