Arts & Entertainment
Amuse Bouche: [My] unwritten rules of the kitchen
Published
3 years agoon
Posted By
AdminBy Scott Mechura EBS Food Columnist
Everywhere from articles on LinkedIn to Facebook, to conversations with chefs to episodes of Netflix’s’ “Chefs Table,” to clubs and diners, kitchens have rules.
Every workspace has its own character—its own vibe that makes it what it is. I’m not talking about rules found in a handbook or a human resource coaching form. I’m talking about rules that govern the work habits and culture of a given kitchen.
Any given chef or kitchen manager will no doubt have his or her distinctive set of rules to live by. But there are certain rules of the kitchen that are (and should be) fairly universal.
Here are mine.
- Always show up on time. Of all the stressful moments in a chef’s day, there is no more stressful moment than 10 minutes after a cook’s shift was supposed to begin and you don’t see them yet. Then you begin to wonder.
- My knives are my knives. Watch a carpenter or electrician take another person’s hammer or screwdriver from their tool belt and see what happens. The same goes for chefs and their knives.
- Working neat means working fast. Think of your cutting board as your desk top. How are you supposed to write or type if you have papers or files all over it?
- A task is not completed until it is cleaned up. In my first French kitchen, I was so anxious to please the chef that I would ask for the next task and he would remind me I was not finished with the previous one because my work station had not been cleaned.
- Never take another cook’s “mise en place,” or, ingredient setup. I’ve seen near fights ensue when one cook takes another’s chopped shallots. That was laborious time spent, and not for others.
- No towel snapping. I’ll admit, I enjoyed a good towel snapping fight. However, it was at my first job, in the 1980’s, when I was 15.
- Put things back where they go. How can you possibly expect to be productive when you are always looking for something?
- Never take it personal. There is always literal and figurative heat in a kitchen. If your co-worker is short with you, they probably have several things they are trying to keep straight in their head.
- Servers and bartenders are not your adversaries. You both have very different aspects of work that make each of your jobs either easier or more challenging. Respect that.
- Always take care of your dishwashers. They are the keystone to the flow of everything and without them, everything else crumbles.
- Never sacrifice quality for speed. I always coach young cooks to get it precise first, and the speed will inevitably follow. If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, how are you possibly going to find the time to repair it?
- Never leave an empty container or box on a shelf. This may be my greatest pet peeve. Inevitably, that same person who left the empty box on the shelf will then tell the person placing orders that they are out of something they didn’t order because they saw the box on the shelf.
- Never look when someone drops or breaks something. We’ve all done it. No one intends to do it. By looking you have now distracted yourself with something that never required your attention in the first place.
Scott Mechura has spent a life in the hospitality industry. He is a former certified beer judge and currently the multi-concept culinary director for a Bozeman based restaurant group.
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
more
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
Event Details
Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during
more
Event Details
Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during their regular Toddler and Preschool Storytime on Wednesday, March 20, at 10:15 a.m. The free program, presented by the Bozeman Symphony is especially for children ages 3 to 5. Children will be able to listen to Montana Shakespeare in the Parks actor Emma Rather, who will be joined by Bozeman Symphony Bassoonist Sam Macken. The goal of the program is to encourage a love of music, literacy, and discovery. Additional programs are scheduled at the Library on April 10 and June 12. For more information, visit www.bozemansymphony.org or call 406-585-9774.
Time
(Wednesday) 10:15 am - 10:45 am
Location
Bozeman Public Library
626 E. Main St, Bozeman, MT