It's Getting Hot in the Wholesome Kitchen...

Ok so what is it exactly that a chef does all day then?

The day begins by peeling & chopping carrots, onions, celery, capsicums, picking herbs, skinning fish, portioning meat, baking a cake & whipping some cream.

A Chef has to be able to multi task from time to time & let me explain a couple of reasons why.

Invariably when delicately arranging the most beautiful food onto plates we are thinking in the back of our minds of what also needs to done.

But then…

·        When STILL trying to re-arrange the finishing touch of the piece of chervil on a plate for the 5^th time because apparently the other times it was placed on the plate at 2:45, 2:48 & 2:50 instead of at 2:55 – oh sorry I am referring to a clock face here which is how we keep the consistency going for large numbers- apparently also the sprig was the wrong size & finally on the 5^th attempt the beeping piece of chervil is finally in the correct position & the plate can be swiftly taken the customer who has been wondering why their entrée has taken so long to get to them. It’s called ‘perfection of food placement’

·        It’s 1pm & service is really getting started, the restaurant is fully booked, orders are spilling out of the machines, the Chef is barking at everyone wanting the various components to come together all at the same time for just one plate then…. I have no idea how many times this has happened to me but my mobile goes off! Oh shit.. I forgot to turn it off. Now everyone in earshot glares at me so to stop it ringing I answer it, only to hear one of my friends telling me they are on their lunch break & do I have time for a chat! Omg.. umm NO, not really, so I just hang up. So folks a tip sometimes when your food gets to you late it could be a family member wanting a recipe or someone’s friend wanting details for Saturday night’s party & the Chef can’t get them off the phone unless they offend!

·        Far out then there is the reduction on the stove that only needed another 5mins & it would be perfect but it is now 15mins & I burnt it. Argh.. there goes 2 hours of work literally up in smoke…

·        Lunch was busier than usual & all of my mise-en-place was used so there goes my break in between shifts now & I’ve missed depositing that cheque, damn..

·        Oh, yes, back to service again…. ‘what was that noise?’, oh no, the customer who was waiting patiently & has been so lovely to the waiter ordered the duck because the Waiter raved & talked it up & also doing what the Chef demanded, “sell the last one”. That Noise was  the apprentice being clumsy & didn’t cover the oven tray properly when taking it out of the oven. Yep they dropped it…. I know what you are probably thinking here but come on how could they be so stupid? I mean really of course it is going to be hot. I hear the Waiter gasp & almost cry… because it has to be thrown in the bin & they have to go & face the music with the customer..

Oh yeah this can certainly be a typical day in the kitchen. 

Chow

J-A

Julie-Ann