Everyday offer the opportunity anew to rise to the challenge and shine. It is there for you, all you need is a bit of passion, some drive and a whole lot of patience and a great work ethic. You can be whatever you want. All you need to do is, grab life by the balls, and get ready to rock and roll.
Currently I am sipping fabulous Bordeaux. What makes it so fabulous is that I just got home from work. I managed to rollerblade home before the rain. I find myself with an afternoon to catch up on all the things that I need to catch up on AND I HAD A FABULOUS DAY. It is amazing the difference that a day can make. You’ll recall that yesterday I included a quote from Benjamin Franklin that said; “Sloth and Silence are a Fool's Virtues.”
Yesterday I had a choice to make. Allow myself to continue to be taken advantage of, or to take action, measured and calm, to attempt to stop the actions that I felt were abusive of both my character and my work ethic. I am no fool and opted to not be silent this time. To make a measured and reasoned case for why I felt I was being taken advantage of. And I know, I mean I truly know, that my work ethic speaks for itself.
Well, to both my shock and surprise, when I came into work today (partially because my morning partner and I had knocked off quite a bit but also because my pleas were heard and received well) there was a minimal amount for me to do. Which was a beautiful thing because The Club is usually jumping on a Saturday. I took a brief interlude there and quite fittingly “Strawberry Fields” just came on. “Nothing to get hung about.”
At any rate, TODAY WAS A FABULOUS DAY! Knocked all the prep out of the park and found a truly beautiful rhythm in the kitchen dance on the line. I would say we did about one hundred and twenty covers between lunch and dinner today. My partner and I found a great pattern of movement and we were knocking dishes out of the park very quickly. At one point I had five Meat Bistro, a hot dog, two hamburgers, three scramble and two omelettes and I just knocked it out of the park. I know it doesn’t sound like very much but I found that something had changed in myself today. I think that by speaking out about what I perceived as injustice and inequitable work ethics that I caused myself to elevate my game. To put it in perspective;
The Meat Bistro dish this week is Jerk Chicken Skewers with Dirty Rice and Seasonal Veg with a mango salsa. What this means is that there are seven steps from the beginning of the dish to the end. As I have said many times here in this blog, timing is critical. You need to be able to work on multiple of both the same dishes and varied dishes but time them accordingly so that orders go out together. Today, possibly for the first time, I found that I didn’t need to consider the timing. I merely allowed my body to do the things that I have trained it to do in the past year and a half. However, I do need to admit that for the first time in the kitchen this week I have been wearing a watch so that I rely on both intuition and actual timing.
Finding your stride is something that can not be taught. This is something that Executive Chef told me many times at Reservation. As did Sous Chef A. Some people have it and some people don’t. And PLEASE, do not read this as arrogance or some attempt at patting myself on the back, BECAUSE IT IS NOT! Instead it is an acknowledgement, deeply personal, that my skill level is rising. That my ability to deal with complex and time critical issues is getting MUCH MUCH BETTER. And that to me is both wondrous and a fabulous feeling. TRULY!
The rest of the crew came in at noon as is commonplace on Saturday and it was nice to see that they all seemed motivated to work. Obviously I had knocked off all the prep that needed to be knocked off, but each of them, in their own way, approached and asked what needed to be done. I literally had to look for things to get done, but good naturedly and in great spirits, they all were happy to help in any way they could. I hope it lasts because today I felt like the whole crew was working as a team. A TRUE BRIGADE. Nobody left out to dry. Instead all working toward a common goal. A common satisfaction. A common purpose. It felt truly inspired and wonderful.
When Sous Chef R came in he looked at me and told me how well the Fish Bistro did last night. Of course I had already known this as I had prepared twenty four portions and it looked as if there were only six or seven left. Naturally I made another deep half pan that should get them through service tonight. It looks beautiful on the plate and the flavour is quite well balanced. It felt SO GOOD. I know it sounds Hollywood cheesy but I could have cried.
I have known all my life that food is something I was meant to be surrounded by. And now, I am in an environment which is highly demanding, at the very least an educated if not refined palette AND MY FOOD IS BEING RECEIVED BRILLIANTLY. I have received about ten or twelve comments about my food and it feels incredible. All I need to do is keep on doing what I am doing.
All in all, as I have said before, I felt that today was new day and I treated it that way. I feel lucky to be where I am, to be given the latitude to create and implement dishes and to be part of an environment which appreciates me. Fortunate does not even begin to cover it.
But tomorrow is another day. And I am only as good as the last plate I put out. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote; “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? WHY NOT? What is stopping you? How can I help you to know the same joy that I do?
A la prochaine
SDM
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