Currently watching Shameless.
It's been an amazing three weeks since I've started my externship. It has been a whirlwind. I love it! I have made great new friends, and have learned 80% of our recipes. We do new specials every few days, the menu changes on a regular basis, and the line is awesome to work. Today for the first time I worked the evening shift, 11-8pm. we pulled 180 covers in 2 1/2 hours. we expected a slow night, and that is why they were having me on the line to train me, and sent a regular home early. Wow! What an experience. We were expecting 80+ covers for a Sunday night with 21 reservations on the books. HELLO, I'm on the line 20 minutes...quiet, THEN, ...BOOM! Awesome experience, but I felt I got in the way a lot. I learned 8+ dishes I hadn't done before and executed them over and over throughout the service, so I think I have them down now. The guy helping me seemed slightly annoyed, but by the end of the night, said his first night on the line was the same way. My Sous chef asked if I could work the same schedule for next week, so that sounds promising. I hope I'm doing a great job, because I feel like I am, and that I can get hired on afterwards. Seriously, I will stage for them, if it means I can get hired on there. it has been such a great experience. Excellent chefs, awesome co-workers, new specials all the time, fast paced, but mellow people who know how to handle flow. I am so happy where I am. I just hope this leads for oppurtunity in the future. I know these people will probably never see this, but Kenny and Aaron make my Weekends awesome.
That's enough for tonight.
Peace everyone.
-G
Monday, January 30, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Life externing outside of school
Well it has been an interesting ride since I started culinary School at OCI in April. School has been amazing, through each term I learned so much, new techniques, knowledge about food, and its production for the public, the common misconceptions people have with how they get their food, and made a ton of new friends.
I have since learned where to find good products, how they are handled, and if I would want to serve them to a customer. I have found that you have to develop a thick skin for the work environment. The industry demands a lot of effort to succeed, some have the passion, while others burn out quickly. Some see it as a fantasy, and will try to crush your momentum when they learn the reality of things. Some instructors will have lasting affects to your momentum, some being good impacts, some doubting you. In the end it truly matters what you want to take from it, and how much drive you have to excel.
Well now I am out on my externship. The first 5 days absolutely flew by in the kitchen. I am constantly busy, I feel like I am making a positive contribution to our goals. I started out prepping, and now they already have me picking up stations.
A couple of things I have found in the kitchen are, listening to your executive and Sous Chefs is an essential part of the kitchen, but it's amazing what you learn from the prep cooks that never poke their heads out onto the line. It can be hugely beneficial to have 1-2 primary knives that are of high quality and fit, but it is also equally beneficial to have go-to knives that you can beat up. I carry 5-6 primary knives, 3 awesome, 3 mediocre. My 10 inch Shun Elite, my MAC Slicer, and my MAC Pairing knife, wouldn't want life in the kitchen without them. On the other end end of the steel spectrum, I have my Serrated mercer bread knife, my Dexter-Russell PRODEX semi-flex boning knife (madcowcutlery.com($14)) and on occasion my Mercer 10 inch Chefs knife (Soon to be replaced with a Dexter Russell Soft Grip). I also carry a smooth steel hone, my measuring spoons, a zester, and surprisingly my own measuring cup with a quick release attached to my knife roll. I always have a cupboard lining mat to place cutting boards down, and many times carry my own set of collapsible scissors (kitchen community scissors get dull fast).
Going to start week 2 tomorrow with a current 40 hours under my belt, and I'm already antsy having 2 days off. I have made so many things in my first 5 days, but I'm excited to know recipes by heart, only for a menu change to happen. One menu change happened on my 3rd day there.
Well off to buy some groceries for tonight's dinner.
I have since learned where to find good products, how they are handled, and if I would want to serve them to a customer. I have found that you have to develop a thick skin for the work environment. The industry demands a lot of effort to succeed, some have the passion, while others burn out quickly. Some see it as a fantasy, and will try to crush your momentum when they learn the reality of things. Some instructors will have lasting affects to your momentum, some being good impacts, some doubting you. In the end it truly matters what you want to take from it, and how much drive you have to excel.
Well now I am out on my externship. The first 5 days absolutely flew by in the kitchen. I am constantly busy, I feel like I am making a positive contribution to our goals. I started out prepping, and now they already have me picking up stations.
A couple of things I have found in the kitchen are, listening to your executive and Sous Chefs is an essential part of the kitchen, but it's amazing what you learn from the prep cooks that never poke their heads out onto the line. It can be hugely beneficial to have 1-2 primary knives that are of high quality and fit, but it is also equally beneficial to have go-to knives that you can beat up. I carry 5-6 primary knives, 3 awesome, 3 mediocre. My 10 inch Shun Elite, my MAC Slicer, and my MAC Pairing knife, wouldn't want life in the kitchen without them. On the other end end of the steel spectrum, I have my Serrated mercer bread knife, my Dexter-Russell PRODEX semi-flex boning knife (madcowcutlery.com($14)) and on occasion my Mercer 10 inch Chefs knife (Soon to be replaced with a Dexter Russell Soft Grip). I also carry a smooth steel hone, my measuring spoons, a zester, and surprisingly my own measuring cup with a quick release attached to my knife roll. I always have a cupboard lining mat to place cutting boards down, and many times carry my own set of collapsible scissors (kitchen community scissors get dull fast).
Going to start week 2 tomorrow with a current 40 hours under my belt, and I'm already antsy having 2 days off. I have made so many things in my first 5 days, but I'm excited to know recipes by heart, only for a menu change to happen. One menu change happened on my 3rd day there.
Well off to buy some groceries for tonight's dinner.
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