The Beginning of a Chef's Life Pt 3

"Add-On"

It's no secret, I'm still on salad bar prep but just like the Yahoo Bar...I have been given "Add-Ons". Oh Lawd...I have to make ranch dressing! Apparently, this is a part of the salad bar prep. I don't know nothin' bout makin' no ranch dressing man (in my Gina voice from Martin)! I dreaded getting the ingredients. It seems like everyone is watching. I'm confident in baking more so than I am in savory. I must admit, I get a little nervous. Nevertheless, I made it and it wasn't that bad. You should have seen me though; I had to drag this big container of mayonnaise to my station. I could promise this thing weighs more than me. Then I had to pick up and drag the big mixing bowl to the big machine with the big whisk. I'm sure it was a sight to see. All in all the ranch dressing turned out pretty good.

Everyone seems to be pretty cool. They speak as they enter the building when their shift starts, pretty much keep to themselves unless they have to communicate about the dishes being served, does their part to contribute to the success of the kitchen and there is a lot of singing. I can't complain.

The salad bar prep is more of the same, day in, day out. Nothing more to this except making sure the salad bar is properly prepared and constantly stayed on top of in order to offer the members a presentable spread.

The Beginning of a Chef's Life Pt 2

OMGoodness!!! Today just about caused me to drop to my knees. Apparently, Tuesday is the busiest day for them and I was left out the loop. I had to add some things on top of my learned repertoire.

I had to make biscuits and muffins (thank God it was already premixed), then I had to fix up the salad bar (which was a doosie but I had some help). Next, I had to make croutons. It was pretty easy and not really time consuming either.

Once the salad bar was fixed up with (lettuce, spring mix, tomatoes, shredded cheese, cucumbers, mushrooms, olives, fruit, egg/tuna/chicken salads, beets, Italian/Caesar/Blue Cheese/Ranch, Balsamic/Raspberry Vinaigrettes and dressings, onions, capers, Parmesan cheese and garbanzo beans), I had to find out the soup of the day and put it out on the salad bar as well, along with the chili and hot foods. There is even a particular way to dress the hot foods. The lids have a folded linen in them and spread in the shape of a fan. You have to place the tongs and spoon on a plate while the soup and chili has ladles in them with a lid.

All the while keeping up with the "cooking Jone's" you have to maintain a cleaned area environment. I would clean up my area while trying to figure out what goes where, who does what and where can I grab me something to eat because by this time, I'm famished. They have what's called an "employee meal" and you have but a few minutes to gulf it down then back to work you go. They don't work you like a slave, it's just that busy in the kitchen and especially on this day.

Once 2:30 pm hits, the salad bar has to be changed over. All of the combined salads have to be taken off the bar and the evening items such as: artichoke hearts, banana peppers, fruit and sometimes any other item of your choosing has to replace them. The hot items of the day has to be taken back to the kitchen too. For the night salad bar, one soup stays out.

One thing, I'm learning is that no one gets out of there at the time they are scheduled to leave. I don't think I've left on time yet lol.

The Beginning of the Chef's Life

A chef's life is one not to be taken lightly. You can make or break yourself with just one meal. That is what would seem to cause the most stress but for me right now it isn't. What is stressful is barking on a new journey as a chef. It can be kind of intimidating being around everyone who has the chef experience.

My first day of externship was pretty okay. I don't have a lot of negativity to say about it. The Executive Sous Chef was very informative and patient. I walked in with a kitchen full of experienced people, some with degrees and some with none. They knew what to do and how to run the kitchen. I was under the leadership of the line cook for the day. She had to teach me while keeping up on her main tasks. They started me out on Prep; which for those who do not know is prepping the salad bar (making the cuts, prepping back up, making the dressings and sauces). There is more but I wasn't doing that at this time.

I didn't have to worry about the uniformed cuts I learned in school (as of now). They had a particular way of doing things. I was cutting cucumbers, onions, tomatoes and mushrooms. The Exec Chef gave me a tour of the facility, introduced me to everyone and had me to follow him around when the Sous Chef clocked out.

He then put me on the scariest task that you could put a person on their first day. I was on "expo" which is making sure the orders that were placed were presented correctly, in a timely manner, had everything that the dish came with and placed with the right ticket. Oh it was crazy and he had to run off and handle some thing important. I was all by my lonesome and just about freaked out. I got some of the orders out but I wasn't familiar with the menu and what it was supposed to come with so it didn't happen as quickly as they would have liked. However, all in all it was a good day and thankful for the experience.