Some of the following may seem silly but given the week I had last week with both soups and specials I started considering the following;
What makes specials work?
I.e. Penne Arrabiata (which sold extremely well) vs. Risotto (which did not) vs. Quiche (extremely well)
What factors and variables come into play?
Is there (and this is important to me) a psychology to specials?
Is there a response to words used to describe beyond the obvious?
Are those words and descriptions emotive or sensory? Both? Neither?
Are there sets of ingredients that people are sure to respond to? I.e.. Truffle? Red Pepper? Certain Proteins?
Would 1 Special sold in different wording sell differently? Other than the language used everything else would be consistent.
What drives customer response?
Servers?
Dish?
Description?
Mood?
All of the above?
Is there any such thing as a sure seller?
Are customers generally aware of regional and seasonal variety?
Does presentation on the plate affect customer’s choices. I.e. a customer seeing a plate delivered to the next table? If so is there a way that the kitchen can capitalize upon it?
These are some of the questions that I am currently trying to answer.
In A Study in Scarlet Sherlock Holmes said; "From a drop of water," said the writer, "a logician could infer the possibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara without having seen or heard of one or the other. So all life is a great chain, the nature of which is known whenever we are shown a single link of it."
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Showing posts with label Quiche. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Quiche. Show all posts
Monday, February 23, 2009
All work and no … Take 2 (File under A Passionate Life)
Kahil Gibran once wrote; “Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.” No more is this true than in the (if not a constant balmy 35 C) kitchens around the world.
I love what I do. I’m sure that I have said this numerous times. And I do not tire of saying it.
This past week I had some great successes at work with soups and specials. As I mentioned in a previous post, I have, by and large, taken over the role of the house soup maker. It is one of the great joys that I have each day (almost but not quite as joyful as waking up). On my way in I visualize what is in the walk in cooler of vegetables and start composing in my mind what soup I am going to make. And again, I credit C with giving me the desire to make delicious soups and in the past year and a bit I have become quite adept at making them.
Soup is a simple thing to make. But it can also be incredibly complex. I find that the more complexity I add to it, the more I compound the flavours, the more I build layers, the more tasty and enjoyable the soup is. I wrote another interesting post about this subject (http://newbieintheweeds.blogspot.com/2009/02/specials-soup-and-breakfast-file-under.html).
Last week I made a few interesting soups. I made a stunningly complex Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Bisque which was to die for. I also made a velvety Parsnip Puree and a Truffled Forest Mushroom Bisque. All 3 sold extremely well and two of them were almost down before dinner service.
In the same post listed above I spoke about the fact that I have started constructing specials that come off my station. I do so very much in the spirit of Garde Manger. In that I construct specials which utilize things that were already used in some way. Last weeks special that I ran was a Caramelized Onion and Pink Peppercorn Crusted Brie Quiche. In what I felt was a clever name I called it a Provencal Quiche. In many ways it was. But I don’t know if I would call it Provencal in the future. I made twelve of them and had sold ten at lunch. Highly successful special.
Quiche is not overly difficult to make and with care and attention you can make them with jut about anything you want. In making this quiche my responses on quality checks from customers were that it was; “delicious,” “excellent,” and “why is this not on the menu. IT SHOULD BE.” These were all comments by regulars and it made me feel great.
Today I made a Curried Coconut and Carrot Puree. As I was done work early I got to go out and enjoy my lunch while people were eating their meals. As the regulars have gotten used to my face I got some feedback on my soups and my specials and it felt great to know that they love what I am doing. One woman asked how I come up with things that I cook and I told her that while I am a voracious reader and acquirer of knowledge most of what I cook starts first with an ingredient in my head.
From that point I then use my palate databank and create from memory dishes that I believe will taste good. If in my mind that dish does not work than I believe that it probably will not work when it is brought into the real world. This sparked a conversation that made me feel great. She said that I must have a gift for a “memory palate,” as she (who comes in every day) has loved each and every one of my soups. Moreover that she has noticed a spectacular difference between the soups made now and those of a year ago.
Felt really good. I MEAN REALLY GOOD. Further confirmation that I am on the right path.
Walter Savage Landor once said; “A good cook is the peculiar gift of the gods. He must be a perfect creature from the brain to the palate, from the palate to the finger's end.”
And tomorrow is another day as I am only as good as the last plate I put out.
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
I love what I do. I’m sure that I have said this numerous times. And I do not tire of saying it.
This past week I had some great successes at work with soups and specials. As I mentioned in a previous post, I have, by and large, taken over the role of the house soup maker. It is one of the great joys that I have each day (almost but not quite as joyful as waking up). On my way in I visualize what is in the walk in cooler of vegetables and start composing in my mind what soup I am going to make. And again, I credit C with giving me the desire to make delicious soups and in the past year and a bit I have become quite adept at making them.
Soup is a simple thing to make. But it can also be incredibly complex. I find that the more complexity I add to it, the more I compound the flavours, the more I build layers, the more tasty and enjoyable the soup is. I wrote another interesting post about this subject (http://newbieintheweeds.blogspot.com/2009/02/specials-soup-and-breakfast-file-under.html).
Last week I made a few interesting soups. I made a stunningly complex Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Bisque which was to die for. I also made a velvety Parsnip Puree and a Truffled Forest Mushroom Bisque. All 3 sold extremely well and two of them were almost down before dinner service.
In the same post listed above I spoke about the fact that I have started constructing specials that come off my station. I do so very much in the spirit of Garde Manger. In that I construct specials which utilize things that were already used in some way. Last weeks special that I ran was a Caramelized Onion and Pink Peppercorn Crusted Brie Quiche. In what I felt was a clever name I called it a Provencal Quiche. In many ways it was. But I don’t know if I would call it Provencal in the future. I made twelve of them and had sold ten at lunch. Highly successful special.
Quiche is not overly difficult to make and with care and attention you can make them with jut about anything you want. In making this quiche my responses on quality checks from customers were that it was; “delicious,” “excellent,” and “why is this not on the menu. IT SHOULD BE.” These were all comments by regulars and it made me feel great.
Today I made a Curried Coconut and Carrot Puree. As I was done work early I got to go out and enjoy my lunch while people were eating their meals. As the regulars have gotten used to my face I got some feedback on my soups and my specials and it felt great to know that they love what I am doing. One woman asked how I come up with things that I cook and I told her that while I am a voracious reader and acquirer of knowledge most of what I cook starts first with an ingredient in my head.
From that point I then use my palate databank and create from memory dishes that I believe will taste good. If in my mind that dish does not work than I believe that it probably will not work when it is brought into the real world. This sparked a conversation that made me feel great. She said that I must have a gift for a “memory palate,” as she (who comes in every day) has loved each and every one of my soups. Moreover that she has noticed a spectacular difference between the soups made now and those of a year ago.
Felt really good. I MEAN REALLY GOOD. Further confirmation that I am on the right path.
Walter Savage Landor once said; “A good cook is the peculiar gift of the gods. He must be a perfect creature from the brain to the palate, from the palate to the finger's end.”
And tomorrow is another day as I am only as good as the last plate I put out.
Are you dreaming big and inspired?
A la prochaine
SDM
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Functions, Parties, Events (file under always an adventure)
So when I joined Reservation I was completely unaware of some of the things that go on in a kitchen of that size. Of course when I started I was beyond green. I had only passion, drive, a great work ethic and a desire to be the best that I could. Since starting I have learned so much and I am grateful for every day that I am there. One of the things that has struck me is the preparations that are made for functions, events and parties. There is always something going on and as we go into the summer season I have become aware of the fact that we may have days where we have ten functions of all different sizes. So far we have been busy but not nearly as busy as I know we will be by the time I get back from Mexico in a couple of weeks.
At Reservation we can do functions for as few as ten people and as many as we can fit in the establishment. The largest event we have done since I have been there was for around two hundred but I’ve gotten the feeling that in the summer that number can multiply by two or three.
In terms of functions the first thing that happens when L and I get into to work is to look at the function sheets. A function sheet is filled with all the pertinent data that we need to structure our day to prepare. It has the event name, the person throwing it, the date of the event, the revision date for any revisions that have been made, the starting and ending times, the number of people expected, the location as well as the menu broken down into canapés and dinner offerings.
We have quite a few canapé options at Reservation. Some of these include crab cakes, shrimp lollipops, fish and chips, quiche, vol au vent, carpacchio, Bruschetta, spring rolls, duck crepes, Vietnamese rolls and butter chicken stay just to name a few. As you can imagine some of these are fairly easy to prepare and assemble. Others not so much. L and I are capable of preparing these fairly quickly and when it comes time to plate them we can go from zero to one hundred in a minute flat. The cold canapés take a little bit longer to plate as they are a little more labour intensive. The hot canapés merely require to be fired and plated and we can send out five dozen in a matter of minutes.
Dinner options are always to the client specification but usually entail a soup or a salad, an entrée and a dessert. But some menus are more intensive and have a soup, salad, appetizer, entrée and dessert. L and I have developed a system where he and I can do a party for up to forty five people on our own without assistance from any one else who happens to be around. We can plate those forty five in approximately three minutes from start to finish for each course and have them at the table within four. Over forty five it becomes quite difficult to manage and we have to use the line method.
A note on the plating line. Obviously the plates start at the far left of the line. Starch is laid down first. The plate then moves to the right where it gets its vegetables. Next are protein, then sauce, garnish and a wipe. In this manner we can send out a party for one hundred approximately the same time as if it is just L and I doing it. I do expect that as the summer approaches we will be doing parties like this even faster and that so far I am just on my learning curve. As well either Executive Chef, Head Chef or Chef J will expedite the line result. So lets for instance say that we have a table of nine. The Chef will call out the order which we acknowledge. We get all the plates down for that table which he then expedites through the servers. All the while we are working on the next table so that there is a steady stream to the guests. It really is one of the most beautiful ballets I have ever seen. Six or seven people plating in a very tight space. All the while making exceptions to the plates. Some want rare, medium rare, well done, some have nut allergies or preferences. It is remarkable to see but even more remarkable to be a part of it. While at the same time the front of house servers are streaming out with plates that we have done in less than a minute for a table.
For example we recently had two parties going at the same time. One was a wedding which had 68 guests and the other a wedding “celebration” for 56. We had to try and juggle the canapés in such a way that the parties that were overlapping would have a staggered service. One party had twenty dozen canapés while the other had fifteen (I think, I’m going from memory not my notes). Even though they both entered their respective venues at the same time we were able to get the canapés out for the second party first so that we could start concentrating on dinner. Even though we timed our stagger perfectly the second party delayed sitting down but we had enough cushion built in that we were able to work it.
For the wedding celebration that we started to plate first we had orders for 26 soup, 26 salad, 26 chicken, 26 salmon and two vegan meals. For the wedding at the other venue we had to add an extra course. For that one we had 68 soup, 68 gnocchi, 30 salmon and 38 beef as well as one vegan meal. And as I’ve come to learn this dance is one that needs to be choreographed perfectly, especially as we approach the summer “busy season.”
Also communication is key. It is imperative that the left hand know what the right hand is doing and if there is a problem it needs to be vocalized and dealt with. That type of clarity and quick response is something that I thrive on. I love the rush, the excitement and the result.
I pay attention to every aspect of what we are doing. I recall the first time I was on a line I was as slow as molasses. Now I’m better but there is always room for improvement. I pay attention to what everyone is doing; I pay attention to the Chefs and even the servers as I feel that all of this will serve me in my goals.
Aldous Huxley once said; “There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self.” How true it is.
Dream big and inspired.
A la prochaine
SDM
At Reservation we can do functions for as few as ten people and as many as we can fit in the establishment. The largest event we have done since I have been there was for around two hundred but I’ve gotten the feeling that in the summer that number can multiply by two or three.
In terms of functions the first thing that happens when L and I get into to work is to look at the function sheets. A function sheet is filled with all the pertinent data that we need to structure our day to prepare. It has the event name, the person throwing it, the date of the event, the revision date for any revisions that have been made, the starting and ending times, the number of people expected, the location as well as the menu broken down into canapés and dinner offerings.
We have quite a few canapé options at Reservation. Some of these include crab cakes, shrimp lollipops, fish and chips, quiche, vol au vent, carpacchio, Bruschetta, spring rolls, duck crepes, Vietnamese rolls and butter chicken stay just to name a few. As you can imagine some of these are fairly easy to prepare and assemble. Others not so much. L and I are capable of preparing these fairly quickly and when it comes time to plate them we can go from zero to one hundred in a minute flat. The cold canapés take a little bit longer to plate as they are a little more labour intensive. The hot canapés merely require to be fired and plated and we can send out five dozen in a matter of minutes.
Dinner options are always to the client specification but usually entail a soup or a salad, an entrée and a dessert. But some menus are more intensive and have a soup, salad, appetizer, entrée and dessert. L and I have developed a system where he and I can do a party for up to forty five people on our own without assistance from any one else who happens to be around. We can plate those forty five in approximately three minutes from start to finish for each course and have them at the table within four. Over forty five it becomes quite difficult to manage and we have to use the line method.
A note on the plating line. Obviously the plates start at the far left of the line. Starch is laid down first. The plate then moves to the right where it gets its vegetables. Next are protein, then sauce, garnish and a wipe. In this manner we can send out a party for one hundred approximately the same time as if it is just L and I doing it. I do expect that as the summer approaches we will be doing parties like this even faster and that so far I am just on my learning curve. As well either Executive Chef, Head Chef or Chef J will expedite the line result. So lets for instance say that we have a table of nine. The Chef will call out the order which we acknowledge. We get all the plates down for that table which he then expedites through the servers. All the while we are working on the next table so that there is a steady stream to the guests. It really is one of the most beautiful ballets I have ever seen. Six or seven people plating in a very tight space. All the while making exceptions to the plates. Some want rare, medium rare, well done, some have nut allergies or preferences. It is remarkable to see but even more remarkable to be a part of it. While at the same time the front of house servers are streaming out with plates that we have done in less than a minute for a table.
For example we recently had two parties going at the same time. One was a wedding which had 68 guests and the other a wedding “celebration” for 56. We had to try and juggle the canapés in such a way that the parties that were overlapping would have a staggered service. One party had twenty dozen canapés while the other had fifteen (I think, I’m going from memory not my notes). Even though they both entered their respective venues at the same time we were able to get the canapés out for the second party first so that we could start concentrating on dinner. Even though we timed our stagger perfectly the second party delayed sitting down but we had enough cushion built in that we were able to work it.
For the wedding celebration that we started to plate first we had orders for 26 soup, 26 salad, 26 chicken, 26 salmon and two vegan meals. For the wedding at the other venue we had to add an extra course. For that one we had 68 soup, 68 gnocchi, 30 salmon and 38 beef as well as one vegan meal. And as I’ve come to learn this dance is one that needs to be choreographed perfectly, especially as we approach the summer “busy season.”
Also communication is key. It is imperative that the left hand know what the right hand is doing and if there is a problem it needs to be vocalized and dealt with. That type of clarity and quick response is something that I thrive on. I love the rush, the excitement and the result.
I pay attention to every aspect of what we are doing. I recall the first time I was on a line I was as slow as molasses. Now I’m better but there is always room for improvement. I pay attention to what everyone is doing; I pay attention to the Chefs and even the servers as I feel that all of this will serve me in my goals.
Aldous Huxley once said; “There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self.” How true it is.
Dream big and inspired.
A la prochaine
SDM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
