So the past couple of days have been strenuous. Thursday was a busy night and saw me so busy that from 6 until 8:30 pm my board was never clear. Once it was clear I breathed a sigh of relief and thought to myself how dreadfully hot it was going to be in July there.
Wednesday was filled with aggravation and a schizophrenic approach to the Grill. I wasn’t open, I was open, I wasn’t open. We decided, or so I thought, how we were going to deal with it by making food indoors for people indoors and outdoor people outdoors. But of course, schizophrenia kicked in and no one was either willing or able to remember what we had decided. As such I went from nothing set up to set up in about twelve minutes and four orders on the board. To say that I was angry would be an understatement.
Being angry and cooking is not a good place to be. I believe that it affects the food and the way that you deliver it. So on Thursday, after my first rush, Sous Chef R came out and we spoke about what was going on. I explained that I was frustrated by the “institutional” schizophrenia and the disconnect between the front of house and back of house. As our conversation ended he said that The Club would drive you mad if you let it. So I asked him how he deals with it.
He explained that you have to let it just drop off your back. Like water off a rock. I thought about what he said for a minute and responded by saying. Great, I’m a duck. QUACK QUACK.
It was a good thing he gave me that as a resource because on Friday morning I had to deal with some stress and thought to myself, water off a rock, water off a rock. By the time Friday night had come around I was now QUACK QUACKING at anything that deserved it.
It makes me smile and giggle to know that I can instantly change my mental state by something as simple as quacking.
I am going to write much more tomorrow but wanted to update everyone on this week.
The Earl of Beaconsfield once said; “The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
An Introduction (file under Busy but Good)
Yesterday was a great day. At first it looked as if the weather was not going to cooperate. In fact it was cold and cloudy. But then, as so often happens by the lake, the weather changed and like magic I had a beautiful night. I had prepared for a moderately busy night and found myself scrambling quite a bit. It was a sign of things to come.
It was a lot of fun. At my busiest I had six chits up with a total of fourteen different dishes. This week I am serving Halibut, Jerk Chicken Breast, Striploins and Turkey Burgers. I switch up the rice everyday and have now started playing with my vegetables so that they are different from the ones used inside.
I was able to make the plates look really pretty at first. Picking and choosing how I would put the vegetables on the plate. The mix I am using right now is Carrots, Asparagus, Baby Bok Choi, Yellow Zucchini as well as red and green peppers. The mix is really pretty and offers colour and texture to the plates.
Today I have to go in early because I have so much prep to do. Everything I prepped yesterday is pretty much exhausted. So I will be going in a couple of hours early in order to accomplish the prep that I need to get done. The forecast says we are in for a nice day so I am expecting to get slammed royally. Which I love.
Moreover, I had three Members come and chat with me at my station last night. One said that I made her the best steak she had ever had. I had cooked it medium and truthfully I’m kind of shocked because to me (though it is a matter of personal preference) the only real way to eat steak, especially high quality steak, is medium rare. But I thanked her for her compliment and she assured me that we would get to know each other over the summer. I thanked her and wished her a great night.
Another Member had the Jerk Chicken Breast and said it was amongst the best he had ever eaten. I have to give most of the credit to Sous Chef R on that one as all I did was cook it. And I have to admit the Jerk recipe he prepared is amongst the best that I have ever had.
Finally another member told me that I had cooked the Halibut to perfection and that the pineapple salsa was a delicious compliment to the dish.
So not only am I working my little butt off in the kitchen but I am working my little butt off outside of it too. I’m managing the photographer globally that I mentioned before. You can check him out at www.michaelwilliampaul.com. He is amazing and we are working on some brilliant projects together that are going to see us traveling quite extensively. I will write more on this as the details become clearer.
It is amazing what happens in your life when you let go of your ego and allow your spirit to soar.
Da Vinci once said; “Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
It was a lot of fun. At my busiest I had six chits up with a total of fourteen different dishes. This week I am serving Halibut, Jerk Chicken Breast, Striploins and Turkey Burgers. I switch up the rice everyday and have now started playing with my vegetables so that they are different from the ones used inside.
I was able to make the plates look really pretty at first. Picking and choosing how I would put the vegetables on the plate. The mix I am using right now is Carrots, Asparagus, Baby Bok Choi, Yellow Zucchini as well as red and green peppers. The mix is really pretty and offers colour and texture to the plates.
Today I have to go in early because I have so much prep to do. Everything I prepped yesterday is pretty much exhausted. So I will be going in a couple of hours early in order to accomplish the prep that I need to get done. The forecast says we are in for a nice day so I am expecting to get slammed royally. Which I love.
Moreover, I had three Members come and chat with me at my station last night. One said that I made her the best steak she had ever had. I had cooked it medium and truthfully I’m kind of shocked because to me (though it is a matter of personal preference) the only real way to eat steak, especially high quality steak, is medium rare. But I thanked her for her compliment and she assured me that we would get to know each other over the summer. I thanked her and wished her a great night.
Another Member had the Jerk Chicken Breast and said it was amongst the best he had ever eaten. I have to give most of the credit to Sous Chef R on that one as all I did was cook it. And I have to admit the Jerk recipe he prepared is amongst the best that I have ever had.
Finally another member told me that I had cooked the Halibut to perfection and that the pineapple salsa was a delicious compliment to the dish.
So not only am I working my little butt off in the kitchen but I am working my little butt off outside of it too. I’m managing the photographer globally that I mentioned before. You can check him out at www.michaelwilliampaul.com. He is amazing and we are working on some brilliant projects together that are going to see us traveling quite extensively. I will write more on this as the details become clearer.
It is amazing what happens in your life when you let go of your ego and allow your spirit to soar.
Da Vinci once said; “Where the spirit does not work with the hand there is no art”
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Today is A New Day (file under Thank God for That)
I apologize for my inability to write for the last few days but I have been whirling dervish working really quickly to put something beautiful together which I will update you on later.
I had numerous days off this week due to the inclement weather. One on hand it sucked (that being I need the money) on the other it didn’t. In that it gave me time to put together this beautiful project.
Yesterday was an emotionally and physically difficult day. The weather couldn’t decide whether it was going to open up or whether it was going to be beautiful. As such at the Club there was a schizophrenic approach to deciding whether or not to open. Usually I would be open at five but in order to open at five I need about two hours of lead time in order to prep properly. Well the decision was made (inappropriately) by a supervisor that the patio would open before that Chef made determination. To make matters worse that same Supervisor started to take orders right away.
There is no worse position for a cook to be in from the very beginning of service than behind. Granted there were not a lot of people to be served but that is not the point. I struggled along with Sous Chef R and another helper to get the station set in one quarter the usual time which was both physically exhausting and spiritually draining.
I had a few orders. Barely enough to justify the expense of being open. However, that is not my call and I do what I am supposed to do. But at the first sign of rain, as I had last year (read actual rain falling) I closed the fryer but was happy to continue to serve everything else. That same Supervisor came out and I told him that I had to close the fryer. I explained that it was a Safety risk to my person and that at the moment it was a non issue because I had no orders that required it and that furthermore that fries could be done from inside the kitchen. He decided that I was incorrect and was less than caring about my needs. As such I looked at him and said if you want to have that attitude with me than I am refusing to work with the fryer on Health and Safety reasons.
I did not want to take it to that point. I was happy to work the BBQ and the fryer as long as there was no rain. As I mentioned numerous times last year – rain and 400 degree fryer fat do not mix well. The result of rain falling in the fryer is a massive explosion of four hundred degree droplets of fat. My arms are littered from the result of those droplets from last year.
Once the rain passed I reopened the fryer and went about my business. I was extremely angry that a Supervisor seemed to be so indifferent to my own personal safety and instead was motivated by the Members’ needs, wants and desires. I too care about the Members but not to the sacrifice of my own personal safety.
I did go back to him at the end of the night and explained my position. Today with the time to cool down overnight I feel that my hand was forced and that I had to make that statement in order to protect myself. Moreover, I would make that decision again as Executive Chef’s instruction to me from the very beginning was make sure that you get the lid on the fryer at the first fall of rain.
I only served about forty covers total. Barely enough to justify the expense. But definitely not enough to account for the physical and emotional toll of the day.
Today however, is a new day. I look forward to it. The weather is gorgeous and though I know I am going to get hit hard. I welcome it. I look forward to it. Because today is a new day.
I hope that you all get out and enjoy this beautiful day.
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...”
Be inspired today.
A la prochaine
SDM
I had numerous days off this week due to the inclement weather. One on hand it sucked (that being I need the money) on the other it didn’t. In that it gave me time to put together this beautiful project.
Yesterday was an emotionally and physically difficult day. The weather couldn’t decide whether it was going to open up or whether it was going to be beautiful. As such at the Club there was a schizophrenic approach to deciding whether or not to open. Usually I would be open at five but in order to open at five I need about two hours of lead time in order to prep properly. Well the decision was made (inappropriately) by a supervisor that the patio would open before that Chef made determination. To make matters worse that same Supervisor started to take orders right away.
There is no worse position for a cook to be in from the very beginning of service than behind. Granted there were not a lot of people to be served but that is not the point. I struggled along with Sous Chef R and another helper to get the station set in one quarter the usual time which was both physically exhausting and spiritually draining.
I had a few orders. Barely enough to justify the expense of being open. However, that is not my call and I do what I am supposed to do. But at the first sign of rain, as I had last year (read actual rain falling) I closed the fryer but was happy to continue to serve everything else. That same Supervisor came out and I told him that I had to close the fryer. I explained that it was a Safety risk to my person and that at the moment it was a non issue because I had no orders that required it and that furthermore that fries could be done from inside the kitchen. He decided that I was incorrect and was less than caring about my needs. As such I looked at him and said if you want to have that attitude with me than I am refusing to work with the fryer on Health and Safety reasons.
I did not want to take it to that point. I was happy to work the BBQ and the fryer as long as there was no rain. As I mentioned numerous times last year – rain and 400 degree fryer fat do not mix well. The result of rain falling in the fryer is a massive explosion of four hundred degree droplets of fat. My arms are littered from the result of those droplets from last year.
Once the rain passed I reopened the fryer and went about my business. I was extremely angry that a Supervisor seemed to be so indifferent to my own personal safety and instead was motivated by the Members’ needs, wants and desires. I too care about the Members but not to the sacrifice of my own personal safety.
I did go back to him at the end of the night and explained my position. Today with the time to cool down overnight I feel that my hand was forced and that I had to make that statement in order to protect myself. Moreover, I would make that decision again as Executive Chef’s instruction to me from the very beginning was make sure that you get the lid on the fryer at the first fall of rain.
I only served about forty covers total. Barely enough to justify the expense. But definitely not enough to account for the physical and emotional toll of the day.
Today however, is a new day. I look forward to it. The weather is gorgeous and though I know I am going to get hit hard. I welcome it. I look forward to it. Because today is a new day.
I hope that you all get out and enjoy this beautiful day.
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...”
Be inspired today.
A la prochaine
SDM
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