Staring at the POS printer, waiting for those orders to start their tap dance building to a crescendo in an hour or so, clicking a pair of tongs by your side, shifting weight from one foot to the other, and beads of sweat beginning to roll down your back and collect under that scull cap…
Tag: line cooks
WHEN A COOK IS TRULY IN THE ZONE
In the zone is a phrase commonly used to describe a musician, athlete, or even a cook who experiences an “everything going right” situation, and when the person, or persons, involved are totally focused on the task at hand– but, being fully in the zone is really so much more. When a musician is in…
HERDING CATS – THE MAKEUP OF A KITCHEN LINE
Chemistry is by far, the most important ingredient in building a successful kitchen team. When a chef is able to bring a group of seemingly opposing forces together into a functional, well-orchestrated team then great things happen. This, however, is no easy task given the different dynamics that exist among the players. Kitchens tend to…
A COOK’S ANXIETY – A MOMENT IN TIME
It’s 5:15, 120 degrees in front of the battery of ranges, and sweat is pouring down every cook’s back, dripping off their foreheads. This is moment in time, like the starting line for an important race, when adrenaline is pulsing through a cook’s veins, fingers are tingling in anticipation, knees are a little weak, and…
LINE COOKS ARE THE STUDIO MUSICIANS OF THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS
When we listen to a catchy song by Steely Dan we think of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen – the founding members of this iconic group. Yet, Bernard Purdie probably played that laid-back rhythm that defines their songs on drums. Purdie, a studio musician, was responsible for the Purdie shuffle that made hits of dozens…
BODY, MIND AND SOUL – COOKS ARE IN IT TO WIN IT
It was 1959 when the late great Miles Davis released “Kind of Blue” one of the great jazz albums of all time. Over his creative career – many of the most accomplished musicians of a generation got their start or at least their inspiration from playing with or listening to Miles – he was, to…
WALK A MILE IN A RESTAURANT WORKER’S SHOES – PART ONE
Sure – every person’s job can be challenging at times and the good, the bad, and the ugly is a fair way to describe nearly every career choice, but looking in from the outside rarely gives and outsider a realistic view of another person’s challenges. As a whole – restaurant work is difficult. At times…
A LINE COOK’S VIEW OF SUMMER MONTHS
It’s pushing 10 a.m. when an evening line cook finally rolls out of bed. The July sun is starting to really show its ability to bear down with penetrating heat and the humidity is bringing those first beads of sweat to the cook’s forehead. Ah…the start of another summer day. The primary role of the…
WHEN LINE COOKS ARE IN THE ZONE
On November 16, 1962 Wilt Chamberlain – center for the Warriors, scored 73 points against the New York Knicks and 78 points in 1961 against the Lakers. But, it was the Warriors game against the Knicks earlier in 1962 that stands out above all others. Chamberlain scored 100 individual points cementing a win – he…
THE LINE COOK COUNTERCULTURE
From that first job as a dishwasher in 1966 when I was 16 years old – I knew I was part of something interesting. Who knows what struck a chord – it might have been the pace, the banter between employees, the time spent helping out the breakfast cook during a rush, or even the…
