What does a chef or cook really want for Xmas, apart from new knives and more time off?
It’s
the subject of the latest post from chef Paul Sorgule, who’s written for us
frequently, over on his Harvest America Ventures blog.
Sorgule
identifies 12 things that would really make a difference to the daily lives of
chefs and cooks in kitchens and would put a smile on their faces as the year
draws to a close.
Photo by Daily Telegraph
Chefs
and cooks wish for...
1. Vendors who live
up to their promises
The
right product, at the right time, in the right condition is not always a given
from the vendors that a chef works with. More often than not “Trust” is not
something that can be assumed.
2. A kitchen team
where every cook shared in the passion for food
Chefs
typically build their reputation on the passion they have for ingredients,
styles of cooking, flavour profiles, creativity and consistency. Life would be
much simpler if every cook shared this passion for the craft and the product.
3. Cost control would
become everyone’s priority
When
cost control and profitability lie in the hands of the chef alone then success
is very hard to reach. When cooks and service staff treat ingredients and their
associated costs as if it came out of their paycheck then control and
profitability works.
4. Cooks would put
themselves in the shoes of the dishwasher
Use
it and clean it, think twice about the number of pots and pans that you use,
thoroughly scrape and properly stack pans and dishes, rinse before food turns
to concrete, don’t fill soap and sanitiser set sinks up with dirty pans – you
can’t clean items in water that is already compromised – wouldn’t this be a
wonderful world?
5. Unhappy customers
would point out their dissappointment before doing so on yelp and trip advisor
When
social media review sites become the guests preferred outlet for
dissatisfaction then the restaurant and chef never have a chance to correct
something that isn’t right.
6. Cooks would
understand the challenges faced by the service staff and vice versa
Both
jobs are challenging and when each person learns to appreciate the other then
the resulting team effort makes work a lot easier to tolerate.
7. Equipment would
not break down on weekends, holidays, or after 5pm
Why
is it that things always seem to break down when it is either impossible to get
a repairperson on site or they charge double for after hours service?
8. Everyone would
return items to where they belong
“Where
is the blade for the Robot Coupe, the top for the VitaMix, the piano wire
whisk, the kosher salt, Olive Oil, and the list goes on and on.” Remember 'Mise
en Place' – everything has a place and everything is in its place.
9. Cooks would label,
date, and rotate foods without being told to do so
How
hard is it to take a few seconds to make everyone’s life a lot easier and
maintain the integrity of ingredients? Combine #9 with #8 and you have a
winning formula.
10. Caring for
grooming and uniform would become automatic
Look
the part, look like a professional, take pride in your appearance, and add to
the professionalism of the kitchen.
11. Cooks would
always taste before asking the chef to do so
Chefs
should not be the guinea pigs – one of the most essential parts of the job (as
professed by Chef Michel LeBorgne) is TASTE–SEASON–TASTE. When a cook
relinquishes this responsibility to the chef then he or she will never truly
learn how to cook.
12. Unless a guest
truly has a food allergy they would respect the effort put in to building a
dish with compatible ingredients and flavours
I
know – the guest is always right – but shouldn’t the guest be willing, when
they go out to eat, to learn something new, to expand their palates, and to
give some respect to the skill of the chef and cook? Try it first – who knows,
you might actually like it.
By FDL