How many of you on here cook professionally?

PsychotogenPsychotogen Regular
edited July 2011 in Life
Line cooks, prep, chefs, caterers? who's on here? Is this a good spot to bitch about waitstaff or what?


I'm a young one 28 years old. Sioux for last 2 years. 8 total under my belt.

whats this thing about? Any molecular gastronomy?

Comments

  • fanglekaifanglekai Regular
    edited June 2011
    Line cooks, prep, chefs, caterers? who's on here? Is this a good spot to bitch about waitstaff or what?


    I'm a young one 28 years old. Sioux for last 2 years. 8 total under my belt.

    whats this thing about? Any molecular gastronomy?
    you were native american for 2 years?
    Sous chef. Lern2spell :facepalm:
  • PsychotogenPsychotogen Regular
    edited June 2011
    fanglekai wrote: »
    you were native american for 2 years?
    Sous chef. Lern2spell :facepalm:



    I cook, not write books. cut me some slack
  • BigHarryDickBigHarryDick Cock Bite
    edited June 2011
    lol, Indian chef.

    that's funny
  • PsychotogenPsychotogen Regular
    edited June 2011
    yea, he got me pretty good. you'll have that.
  • BigHarryDickBigHarryDick Cock Bite
    edited June 2011
  • PsychotogenPsychotogen Regular
    edited June 2011
    hahhaa wrong indian

    sitting-bul-250.jpg
  • edited June 2011
    I am a cook, 25 years with some time off in other industries. I have done fine dining, catering, camp work, pizza joints, pubs, chain restaurants, Greek restaurants, and a little wok jockey work at a Chinese/Western cafe when the owner wasn't looking. I started slinging dishes when I was 12, and I avoid being in charge like the plague.

    C/O
    "I am also an overlord"
  • PsychotogenPsychotogen Regular
    edited June 2011
    yea i see why now. I'll never be anything more then a line cook from now on. Sous is for the birds. Turned out to be nothing more then a scape goat. With 0 back from the executive chef. So, nobody listens to me and I end up going back and doing peoples jobs because; "it's on me" the cool thing about it tho is freedom to order whatever for specials.


    On a different note I dig the chinese thing. I wanted to get into Tappenyaki I got most of the tricks down (the egg spin-catch-crack, onion volcano, i got some wickid tong tricks and shit. I been into international carribean, indian and mediterranian with a strong french/cajun influence. I just want to cook. fuck the mgmt bullshit.
  • HOLLISTER GUYHOLLISTER GUY Regular
    edited June 2011
    Fine dining line cook. fuck the front of house, make boatloads of cash and don't do shit compared to cooks, suck my dick.
  • edited June 2011
    yea i see why now. I'll never be anything more then a line cook from now on. Sous is for the birds. Turned out to be nothing more then a scape goat. With 0 back from the executive chef. So, nobody listens to me and I end up going back and doing peoples jobs because; "it's on me" the cool thing about it tho is freedom to order whatever for specials.


    On a different note I dig the chinese thing. I wanted to get into Tappenyaki I got most of the tricks down (the egg spin-catch-crack, onion volcano, i got some wickid tong tricks and shit. I been into international carribean, indian and mediterranian with a strong french/cajun influence. I just want to cook. fuck the mgmt bullshit.

    The really great thing is when you make policy, or reprimand someone, and they go to the Chef, and the Chef cuts your balls off by not supporting you. Never mind that any time some cockstain fuckup decides they are too hungover to work you get to work a double, or at least fill in on the line then do your ordering/inventory, prep lists, etc after your shift would end. Sous Chef sucks balls, but Chef is not much better, you are constantly fighting battles with owners over food cost, labor cost, etc, and trying to explain why they can't hire FOTB immigrants who speak no English to work line positions, or why they can't have a 60 item menu in a small pub.

    I can do a little "flair cooking" too, tong tricks of course, I can grab two eggs in each hand and crack them (yolks intact, mostly). My real strength is shortcuts, damage control, and getting shit in the window at any cost. I have a love/hate relationship with the industry, especially since I recently tried to challenge my Red Seal, and was denied the opportunity to take the test because I could not document enough hours in positions they considered worthy.:angry::angry::angry::angry:Cocksuckers.

    I cook a lot of Asian food, and am a decent Vegetarian/Vegan cook. Mostly I just try to make the customer happy, something a lot of cooks lose track of due to crappy servers, ignorant management, and kitchen politics. I consider it a bit of a 'higher calling', people come to us with a wide range of expectations, a quick burger, a nice meal for a first date, or a birthday dinner for someone they love. If I can go to bed knowing that I did whatever I could to make the person paying the bill happy, I sleep well.

    C/O
    "turn&burn"
  • LysdexicLysdexic Regular
    edited June 2011
    Yes and no.

    I dont cook for a living, but I work in the food industry.
    I work in a large food factory for a multinational company, no doubt your house will have some of our products in it.

    Im not saying what it is to protect my identity, but its not ready meal crap, and takes a bit of skill to work in my department.
  • SlartibartfastSlartibartfast Global Moderator -__-
    edited June 2011
    My Dad was in the hospitality industry. This extended to meal preparation when the occasion arose.

    One of my fondest childhood memories is waiting for him to come home with the kitchen leftovers.
  • FONFON Regular
    edited June 2011
    wok jockey

    I do some wokkin'. Amid prepping and the dishes at an Indonesian restaurant....Only have to do four different meals though so I'm not much of a cook really.

    I enjoy the work though. Mainly because my boss is the man and the waitresses only bitch about each other....Oh, and they have to split the tips with me :D

    And I get cheap food from the two places next to us. Everybody is pretty cool. I can even smoke bongs at work if I want but I've given that up for the moment.
  • RemadERemadE Global Moderator
    edited June 2011
    Worked on and off in the Catering business for 6 years. Everything from pizza boy up to Army-grade Sioux Chef. 4am to 10pm shifts were a fucker, but I got to piss about with hardware.
  • PsychotogenPsychotogen Regular
    edited June 2011
    The really great thing is when you make policy, or reprimand someone, and they go to the Chef, and the Chef cuts your balls off by not supporting you. Never mind that any time some cockstain fuckup decides they are too hungover to work you get to work a double, or at least fill in on the line then do your ordering/inventory, prep lists, etc


    This is why I decided I just want to cook. The guy is ruining a halfway decent restaurant by bringing in things like "butter base". it's a bagged beschemel because he says the rotating sautee guys arent consistant. I agree with him. But, turning the place into TGIFridays isn't a good solution in my opinion. Fresh Fish of the day has been fucking Basa for christs sake. People like it. But, I feel like a scumbag for serving it.

    I'm glad I found some people who do the same thing I do. Good place to vent.


    +1 for totse. It's good to be back
  • edited June 2011
    This is why I decided I just want to cook. The guy is ruining a halfway decent restaurant by bringing in things like "butter base". it's a bagged beschemel because he says the rotating sautee guys arent consistant. I agree with him. But, turning the place into TGIFridays isn't a good solution in my opinion. Fresh Fish of the day has been fucking Basa for christs sake. People like it. But, I feel like a scumbag for serving it.

    I'm glad I found some people who do the same thing I do. Good place to vent.


    +1 for totse. It's good to be back

    This is exactly how restaurants start to go downhill, someone cuts the labor budget by a few points, so there are inexperienced staff on some shifts. Consistency suffers, but instead of getting better cooks, they dumb down the methods. Pre made stuff costs more, so the food cost goes up a couple of points, and labor is cut further.

    Morale suffers because the experienced cooks know they are not serving the best product they can, and they have to constantly train new people because the lower paying positions have higher turnover. The good cooks eventually move on, and soon the kitchen is full of jumped up dishwashers who just want to get it on the plate and go home and blaze.

    Food suppliers encourage this by bullshitting owners, telling them that higher cost, low prep items items will save labor, and improve consistency. The problem is, the products suck, and the food savvy people who are willing to pay good money for good food go elsewhere. The downward spiral is now in effect, and pretty soon the doors close for good.

    Good to have you here, Psychotogen, vent away, better here than to your woman or your friends. I used to have a reputation for annoying the hell out of my friends with cranky kitchen bitchfests, I still do once in a while, but I realized civilians just have no clue what goes on behind those swinging doors, and couldn't understand why I was so pissed off.

    C/O
    "the only thing worse than basa, is tilapia, both are cat food"
  • LouisCypherLouisCypher Regular
    edited June 2011
    This is why I decided I just want to cook. The guy is ruining a halfway decent restaurant by bringing in things like "butter base". it's a bagged beschemel because he says the rotating sautee guys arent consistant. I agree with him. But, turning the place into TGIFridays isn't a good solution in my opinion. Fresh Fish of the day has been fucking Basa for christs sake. People like it. But, I feel like a scumbag for serving it.

    I'm glad I found some people who do the same thing I do. Good place to vent.


    +1 for totse. It's good to be back

    LOL Basa. That sucks man, unfortunately fresh quality seafood is fucking expensive. There are several ways to make an inexpensive garbage fish worth eating though. Namely, pairing it with excellent vegetables and sauces.

    My favorite all purpose fish sauce is "Beurre fondue" (not the real name, just what the chef that taught it to me called it, I've since forgotten the real name, although "melted butter is a pretty accurate description.) It is a simple butter and water emulsion that you can flavor however you like. I usually use lemon zest and a bit of salt. While this is a simple sauce, it can be time consuming in a restaurant situation where you would need larger quantities of it and it can be tricky to hold. I've found keeping it at a somewhat steady temperature of between 120 and 140 is ideal, however the closer it gets to 140 the closer it is to breaking.

    You will need 3 #s butter diced small, a whisk, a medium sized metal mixing bowl and a couple tablespoons of water.

    Put the water in the mixing bowl and place the bowl on a star burner on its lowest heat. When the water starts to bubble around the edges add a few cubes of butter and whisk vigorously until all the butter has melted, then add a few more cubes of butter, whisking all the while. Continue adding more butter a little bit at a time taking off the heat as necessary. I don't need it anymore but it helps to keep an instant read thermometer close by so you can temp it occasionaly and make sure you aren't getting too hot or too cold. Just continue until you have incorporated all the butter and you have a smooth creamy sauce. Then season to taste, add fresh herbs, whatever you like. The method is similar to making buerre blanc but you don't need to reduce anything use vinegar or wine ect. If you break the sauce you can start over with fresh water and butter, once you establish another emulsion you can whisk the broken sauce into your new emulsion and bring it back together.
    This sauce is extremely simple, delicious and elegant, and it compliments any white fish beautifully.

    When making this quantity allow yourself a good 15-20 minutes to make it. Don't try to multitask while making this sauce. You need to stand there and whisk the shit out of it until its done. Once you get comfortable you will have a little more play.
  • PsychotogenPsychotogen Regular
    edited June 2011
    oh ok, so It's like a cheap beurre blanc, sub water. Yea we ran something similar to that today with spinach and artichoke hearts. It just sucks to do this kind of shit when we could just as easily get swordfish and run it with a simple pink n' green peppercorn compound butter or something similarly simple. Thanks for the tip tho. And, overlord you seem like you definately know what your talking about and I'll take the advice into consideration. Once again, thanks for the welcome.
  • edited June 2011
    I really dig beurre blanc, and beurre monte sauces for fish. I had a simple "catch of the day" in France when I was 18, all it was was some mystery fish, nicely poached with some matchstick vegetables on top, and a lemony champagne beurre blanc, it was awesome. I like to use Normandy style cultured butter for sauces like this as it emulsifies better, and has a little more depth of flavor.

    A somewhat dirty trick I use for holding sauces like this, is to not keep them on the hot line, but just somewhere warm, like by the heat lamp or the broiler. An even dirtier trick is to bash in a little cornstarch and fish stock veloute if it starts to split near the end of the night, it can get you another half hour or so.

    C/O
    "three pro's now, I call saute!"
  • LouisCypherLouisCypher Regular
    edited June 2011
    Also you can hold sauces like this in a thermos. Although its not ideal for plating.
  • PacoPaco me administrator
    edited June 2011
    I'm not a professional cook but I do cook some great food at home for my family. I've been told many times that I should look into being a chef but it's just not for me.
  • edited June 2011
    I am not a cook... Some of my best buddies are though, and I used to wash dishes...

    Kitchens are fun, except when they're not.
  • PsychotogenPsychotogen Regular
    edited June 2011
    [QUOTE

    A somewhat dirty trick I use for holding sauces like this, is to not keep them on the hot line, but just somewhere warm, like by the heat lamp or the broiler. An even dirtier trick is to bash in a little cornstarch and fish stock veloute if it starts to split near the end of the night, it can get you another half hour or so.

    C/O
    "three pro's now, I call saute!"[/QUOTE]


    a little fish and or chicken stock in a squeeze bottle can go a long way. i started using arrowroot instead of cornstarch recently. My Exec showed it to me and It stays a little more low key then the cornstarch. You wanna talk about sauces breaking? Try keeping bernaise or hollandaise (fresh- w/ yolks) warm in a 130 degree kitchen? (we're in north florida) I've played my fair share of musical 6th pans.
  • PsychotogenPsychotogen Regular
    edited June 2011
    RemadE wrote:
    4am to 10pm shifts were a fucker, but I got to piss about with hardware.



    thats me all day. I'm the closing guy. I can't bitch tho. I used to open, but found out I can't wake up reliably before 12pm. i feel better cooking dinner anyway,



    "I'm a chef, this fried chicken sandwich isn't up to my expectations" <- BLOW ME


    edit: it's my friday, im fuckered



    PS: NO YOU CAN NOT HAVE A SIDE OF RANCH
  • edited June 2011
    thats me all day. I'm the closing guy. I can't bitch tho. I used to open, but found out I can't wake up reliably before 12pm. i feel better cooking dinner anyway,



    "I'm a chef, this fried chicken sandwich isn't up to my expectations" <- BLOW ME


    edit: it's my friday, im fuckered



    PS: NO YOU CAN NOT HAVE A SIDE OF RANCH

    Days are for managers and prep cooks. I hate lunch slams, my new shifts have me rolling in at noon, bleary eyed and transit annoyed, and jumping right in to a lunch rush, often with a full rail. I go immediately into 'supercook' mode and don't come out till I am sweeping up the debris 3 hours later.
    The good part is that I am on top of what is needed after lunch, and don't have to depend on anyone to make sure I am set for dinner, and I get to work four ten to twelve hours shifts a week, so I get max hours and still have three days off. Hard on the feet though, and last week I made the mistake of not eating and then having a few drinks after work, instant loopy, and a long shift is no fun with even a trace of a hangover.

    C/O
    "eat it, like it, shut the fuck up"
  • edited July 2011
    I am digging this one up to brag a bit to the other pro's here. I don't know if any of you have ever worked a one man show before, it is sometimes cool, and sometimes it sucks balls. Last night a 10 person rezzo turned into a 35+ person group, plus our regular Saturday night crowd. I was alone, and nobody was near enough to get there soon. I cooked $445 worth of food in about an hour and a half, with an average cost of $10 a plate, so 44 covers in 90 minutes = one plate every two minutes. No returns, wait times were about 25 minutes. I fucking rock.

    C/O
    "I am not a humble man"
  • LouisCypherLouisCypher Regular
    edited July 2011
    Did a stage tonight at a very respectable fine dining establishment, fucking aced it. I'm really excited to be working with beautiful product again. Of course I now make shit for money.
  • LouisCypherLouisCypher Regular
    edited July 2011
    Any molecular gastronomy?

    I've dabbled in it. Encapsulation, fried hollendaise, bacon powder shit like that. I recommend reading the El Bulli cookbook and and the Alinea cookbook. I actually did a stage last week at this place: http://www.spurseattle.com/

    Didn't get the job, but it was fucking amazing. I'm in the process of begging them to let me work for free one night a week.
  • edited July 2011
    I've dabbled in it. Encapsulation, fried hollendaise, bacon powder shit like that. I recommend reading the El Bulli cookbook and and the Alinea cookbook. I actually did a stage last week at this place: http://www.spurseattle.com/

    Didn't get the job, but it was fucking amazing. I'm in the process of begging them to let me work for free one night a week.

    Bummer you didn't get the job, I wish I could go back downtown and trade in the burgers and fries for more interesting fare. I respect you a lot for going a more difficult and less lucrative route, and I'm sure it will pay off in the end. I take over my kitchen at the end of the month, and I get to do a new menu in October, I will try to class things up a bit, but mostly I will do what I do best and give the patrons what they want, even if it is just classed up pub food.

    Got any suggestions for pub food? A couple of things I am working on are the "euro dog"(need new name!) a proper frankfurter on a bageutte with dijon bechamel, carmelized onions and gruyere cheese, and an "oyster coddle" with oysters, bacon, and leeks baked with butter and cream. The crowd is old and working class, so I don't have a lot of options, but a lot are not too long separated from their European roots, so as long as it is something that sounds like home, it will sell.

    C/O
    "management, balls, fuck it, I want a nice place, and a nice tv, and weekends off, so let the whoring out of the overlord begin"
  • LouisCypherLouisCypher Regular
    edited July 2011
    I don't know about over there, but sliders seem to be pretty fashionable "gastropub" fare around here. Relatively easy to bang out and pretty cheap to produce. What we used to do is order small challah rolls from a local bakery and use those for buns. Two of my favorites were the fried oyster po' boy with caraway slaw and spicy tarter, and pork belly sliders with pickled veg and foie gras aoli. Other than that man I don't know really. It just depends on how adventurous your customers are and how far the owners will let you go to bring in new ones. We are pretty blessed in Seattle to have a fairly progressive population that is pretty knowledgeable about food so the sky is the limit around here. I don't know what its like where you are at, don't you live in Canada somewhere?
  • GoingNowhereGoingNowhere Global Moderator
    edited July 2011
    Really interesting thread :) I cant cook to save my life, but a friend of mine is a sou chef. He doesnt enjoy were he works because he has to deal with mostly foreign immigrants and people like that who get into their own groups, and now his English chef has left a Paki or Polish chef (I cant remember) has filled his place which he is not happy about. He works at TGI Fridays I think.
  • edited July 2011
    I don't know about over there, but sliders seem to be pretty fashionable "gastropub" fare around here. Relatively easy to bang out and pretty cheap to produce. What we used to do is order small challah rolls from a local bakery and use those for buns. Two of my favorites were the fried oyster po' boy with caraway slaw and spicy tarter, and pork belly sliders with pickled veg and foie gras aoli. Other than that man I don't know really. It just depends on how adventurous your customers are and how far the owners will let you go to bring in new ones. We are pretty blessed in Seattle to have a fairly progressive population that is pretty knowledgeable about food so the sky is the limit around here. I don't know what its like where you are at, don't you live in Canada somewhere?

    You could drive here in about an hour and a half, if you still have border crossing rights, you should come up for a beer sometime. Thanks for the oyster po boy idea, I will have both oysters and fresh bageuttes in stock if I have my way with the menu, and having multiple items using the same stock is key in menu design.

    I have very little room for innovation with the patrons here, they want cheap shit drowned in gravy. Thankfully we are right next to a butcher shop, and we take all their chicken and beef bones, so at least I have real stock to work with. Someone once told me that the greatest creativity comes when you are the most restricted in your choices, and I am going to have to be very creative with my menu design if I don't want a bunch of rotten food in my walk in.
    There is a seriously underrated place near me that I would consider a 'gastropub', forno oven, fresh pasta, beer brewed on site, but it will never be well known because Surrey has a bad rep, and the foodies won't bother coming out to the burbs.

    C/O
    "hey Cypher, good to meet you man, do we hug now?, OW, fuck dude, you didn't have to hit me, lets blaze"
  • LouisCypherLouisCypher Regular
    edited July 2011
    Unfortunately my prior DUI conviction keeps me from Canada, but I would extend the same invitation to you, a place to stay and fantastic food within a very short distance. Hell you could even bring your GF, I have a spare room I could fix up in about 30 seconds. Seattle is a beautiful place with a pretty wonderful food culture. Something to keep in mind if you are ever feeling adventurous.
  • edited July 2011
    No border crossing for me in the near future either, bummer. But my GF is putting the boots to me to at least get a waiver so we can go to Vegas, so maybe someday. Just keep BigBear the fuck away from me.
  • LouisCypherLouisCypher Regular
    edited July 2011
    LOL, Big Bear is officially retired, he wouldn't have any credibility anymore. I'm pretty sure DUI don't keep canadians from crossing to the USA though. Could be wrong.
  • edited July 2011
    How about getting popped with a 16 light show? Of all the breaks I have taken from cooking I regret that one the most. It was a long time ago, so I am pretty sure I can get a waiver. A friend told me once that being in Seattle is pretty much like being in Vancouver, rain, good food, easy access to pharmaceuticals, but the cheese is cheaper, and the cops are meaner.
  • LouisCypherLouisCypher Regular
    edited July 2011
    16 light show? You'll have to explain that one to me.
  • edited July 2011
    What grows indoors under lights?
  • Gary OakGary Oak Regular
    edited July 2011
    British Columbia?
  • PsychotogenPsychotogen Regular
    edited July 2011
    "euro dog"(need new name!) a proper frankfurter on a bageutte with dijon bechamel, carmelized onions and gruyere cheese,


    I really want to eat this.


    edit: you should call it the "home wrecker"
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