And some days A follow up to (file under Train Wreck)

As I alluded to the post involving a train wreck some days are just a pain in the ass. Mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. It is however how you bounce back from these days that matter. In fact that bouncing back, that perseverance, is what separates those that say from those that do. If I could figure out a way to bottle it I would be a very rich man indeed (though I already am as a result of the love that I share with the most magnificent woman in the world).

The day was horrible. I could do nothing right. NOTHING! I burned stuff. I screwed up prep. My counts were off. My brain was just not in the game. I don’t know why either. It just wasn’t.

However, the very next day was the exact opposite. It was in fact a beautiful day for me as a person and as a dreamer who is on his path. I had decided that I would stay after work so that I could know how to work every station. It is the job of a Chef to not just lead the team but to be able to work any station, at any time and under any circumstance. Though I am not yet a Chef I am trying to hold myself to the same edicts as a Chef would.

I came in early that day and just started working my little tail off. An hour before service I was ready and able to help others with the things that they needed to get done. During service, which was strange, I handled about fifty percent of all the orders that came in. I did so by considering timing, speed and organization. Something that I also have written about lately.

As I have mentioned in numerous posts, in order for the ballet, symphony, or whatever you want to call the kitchen production, timing, organization and speed are mission critical. This is something that I have had a hard time trying to figure out, partially because I am so green (well maybe not so much anymore) in the industry, but also because there are so many variables to consider and my focus up until now has prevented me from being able to follow through to a standard that I would consider proper.

I recall a conversation that I had with Executive Chef and Sous Chef A during the summer at Reservation, which related to my ability on the line. I had asked if I could ever be as good as Sous Chef A on the line and the answer without any hesitation was no. At the time I didn’t know whether to be hurt or to be spurned to action. Well now I don’t have the time to consider who is better. I only have time to consider what can be done. YES CHEF! SORRY CHEF! ANY MOMENT CHEF! 30 SECONDS, etc. For my journey I realize now it is not about the competition between two people that allows one to succeed and the other to only operate at a sub par level. Instead it is the internal dialogue and push that propels me to even greater possibilities.

Again, I feel, though this may be wrong, that when I left Reservation, there may have been the belief that I was going to fall flat on my face. I remember that Sous Chef A and I had a conversation in which eh told me that if I failed at this move that it would adversely impact my ability to live my dream. At the time it scared me. To the point that I second guessed myself. But how is all this relevant to this blog post you all may be asking. Well let me explain…

Timing; When you are working six different dishes with different requirements for lets say two different table, it is absolutely crucial that you, as the line cook, figure out a way to get them all up at the same time. This stems from both organization and the ability to see what needs to be done and to prioritize it. Now I have only been working the line for three weeks and a couple of days. In that scant amount of time I have found my inadequacies and addressed them. I have seen my flaws and started working on them.

Organization; There is no set way to run a station. How I might run a station is going to be entirely different from how my Chef, or my old Executive Chef or even Sous Chef A would run a station. You need to figure out what works for you, in terms of work flow, in terms of reach ability, in terms of maximizing your production with the minimum of movement. This is something, in fact the one thing that I am currently spending a lot of my time on. Someday, truthfully, I hope that I am as good as Sous Chef A on the line. But not from a competitive point of view. Rather for the benefit of what I am trying to achieve and in deed to make our profession better through practiced execution.

I was able that day to figure out how my station worked for me. To the point that I was capable of working not just my station but also Garde. AND also helping with the multiple other stations. It felt wonderful and it caused me to see that I do have not only the drive to do what I am doing but also the ability to conceptualize what it is I need to do. As time goes by I know that I am only going to get better and that is such a rewarding feeling.

I am reminded of a conversation that I had with Director of Operation when he was still Executive Chef after I had dropped a full plate of scallops for a VIP dinner. He looked right at me and said; “Stop brooding. Get over it and move on.” Only after the dinner was complete and I had apologized for making such a mistake did he say to me; “Tomorrow is another day. Start fresh.” This is something that was in my mind the day after my train wreck. And I believe that this belief contributed heavily to my ability to push through and produce a better result. So for that; Thank you Chef! Valuable lesson. Valuable result.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said; “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely...”

Are you dreaming big and inspired?

A la prochaine

SDM