Never catch a falling knife!!

Common sense...it's a funny thing. Using the word "common" indicates that it's readily available so most of us "have it". Though you have to wonder sometimes if we all do?? Now c'mon admit we've all done some....stupid things that "common sense" most likely said "DON'T DO THAT!" and we ignored it to our embarrassing peril and our friends great amusement.

And so here I will explain some of the things "common sense" should (take note of that word SHOULD) stop in the kitchen. So first and foremost DO NOT try to catch a falling knife!! Now I know what your thinking "No sh*t Sherlock!! Duhhh" but let me paint you a picture - Your a young Commis Chef and you've scored your first job in the best restaurant in town. You've gone out and bought a fresh Chef coat and a new knife,top of the range model,sharp and shiny to impress the new Head Chef. You've heard he's a hard ass but your ready to impress him. Its your first night in the kitchen and it's busy. Your not doing the greatest job holding down your section,the orders are coming thick n fast and your swamped, the Head Chef yells another order at you but you don't catch it so you spin around to ask the Head Chef to repeat the order and at the same time you knock your nice new shiny SHARP knife off your bench,you see it start to fall as the Head Chef yells at you again.....What do you do???

I can tell you what you do.....You catch that f*cking knife no matter what because you want to impress that Asshole Head Chef and you'll bleed doing it! I know.....I've been there!! And trust me its hurts.

The kitchen is a dangerous place at the best of time but chuck in some people that probably didn't get much sleep last night ( back to back shifts,they suck!! finish at 1am back at work 7am) or are just having a bad day and it becomes a "interesting" place to be.

Deep fryers are a classic example of a area you should only approach fully aware. Now most restaurants have some sort of DFB (deep fried bullsh*t) on the menu so they'll have a deep fryer in the kitchen and deep fryers like everything else need to be cleaned and this generally means draining 180degree oil out of the fryer...you can see it coming can't ya. Hot oil = trouble. Take for example a Chef I knew who at the end of a busy night switched off the deep fryer then went outside for a smoke while the oil cooled. Upon finishing his smoke he re-entered the kitchen and continued his conversation with the waitress as he drained the hot oil into a 20ltre PLASTIC bucket. One guess what happened to the bucket after about a minute....needless to say his cleanup that night was little longer than usually. Or a apprentice Chef who successfully drained the deep fryer,to drain the deep fryer there is a large tap at the bottom of the fryer to allow the oil etc to be readily drained, and cleaned it well. The problem "appeared" literally when he went to refill it with fresh oil! Any guesses?? Yup,he forgot to close the drain tap. Hey Presto! 20ltres of fresh canola oil all over the kitchen floor!!

The kitchen,as you would expect,is a hot place. The ovens are on full blast,deep fryer is cranked and all stove tops are fired up. So you'd think this next problem would be obvious but it's always the new guys(kitchen hands!) that forget to exercise some common sense. If you've watched a professional kitchen in action you'll see that the chefs working the hot sections ALWAYS have a cloth in their hands when grabbing pans/trays etc. So it never ceases amaze me when I ask for the pans to be cleared and washed that I hear a "YELP" usually followed by a loud "CLANG" as the pan hits the floor and I spin around to see the kitchen hand blowing on their now badly burnt hand. YOUR IN A F**KING HOT KITCHEN YOU MORON!! How could you NOT know it was going to be HOT! I mean SERIOUSLY!! And it happens more than you'd think and yes I even warn them but no,nope you might as well be saying "The waitress has big tits" at least then they'd listen!!

Would you like some more examples of common sense not at work?? How about the Chef with the blunt knife cutting hard pumpkins or using a cellphone on the kitchen floor during service (it ended up in 10ltres of tomato soup) or the customer with "special" dietary requirements that didn't ring ahead or the customer that wants to design their own menu on a busy night...wait a second...

That's a whole other blog update!!!

In the deep end!

"Dessert order in.."
"Dessert order in.."
"Dessert order..."


"....SHIT!"
"Right what can I do??"
"Creme brulee! Easy!!"
"Congratulations!! That only leaves four other dishes you DON"T KNOW how to do!!"
"Why do I do this again??"
"Crap.....gotta stop talking to myself!!"

It's Sunday night and every table in the restaurant has decided to have dessert and I'm on that section.....and I've never worked it before! Nothing like being in the deep end!!

A professional kitchen is organized into a series of sections. Depending on the size of the kitchen it can vary from two sections ie: hot and cold through to 3 star Michelin restaurants which have section for everything from canapes through to their own bakery.

Most kitchens generally have 3-4 sections- Grill/Sauce/Larder/Pastry. Larder handles the cold starters ie: salads/platters/etc,Grill is,as you could probably guess, the meat section,Sauce is fish/pasta/soups and Pastry well that's self explanatory but for those with out caffeine in their veins or the half asleep Pastry is the dessert and sometimes bread section.

Where I work the pastry section is responsible for seven different desserts and of course the cheese course and a dessert platter so to speak. Which really doesn't sound all that hard really but when you've never worked the section before and everyone wants something it becomes a bit of nightmare!!

Now a key to being a good chef is the ability to work any section at anytime and I like to think that I'm a pretty good chef so when I was asked to do Pastry it didn't phase me at all and I said "Yup no worries!"

Walking onto any section the first thing you do is familiarize yourself with where everything is and make sure your set for service. And this is were it all become well...f#cked for lack of a better description! "The problem??" I hear you ask my kind readers....

The problem that I came upon was a simple one...The section was a mess,a absolute,total sh*t of a mess!! The reason for this the younger chef who was on the section was young and hadn't fully become familiar with the simply but effective motto of Clean is Organized!!

So not only was I on a section that I didn't know but the section was also a mess...yeeeefuckinghaa....sigh. As I slowly tried to organize the already mentioned mess that I was confronted with it became ever clearer that I was fighting a losing battle as I didn't know what sauce went with what dessert and nor did I know what garnish went with which dessert and so on and so on. So I did the only thing I knew, I straightened everything/checked to make sure everything was fresh and got rid of the crap and unnecessary items that didn't need to be there.....then I prayed I wouldn't get hit for desserts...."sigh"...idiot!!!

In the kitchen one of the first things you learn to understand is Murphys law. If you think you've prepped enough/were not gunna get hit for whatever you were short on/were expecting a quiet night Murphy would bite you on the ass good and hard and make a idiot of you. Trust me I know this,I learnt the hard way...a closed airport/200 hungry American tourists and not enough Caesar salad prep. Man did I get slammed that night...nothing like making a litre of Caesar dressing and poaching eggs to order for 80 Caesar salads to remind how much Murphys law sucks!!

So there I was five dessert orders up,no idea what the hell to do and that lovely accompanying panic mind blank. Staring blankly at the orders my instincts took over and I started to pull containers out of the fridge grabbing anything I thought I might need,whipped cream/butterscotch sauce/puddings/creme brulees/icecreams/sorbets. Soon the pastry bench was covered in containers so the next step was to figure out what went with what. How did I do that?? I asked the french Chef on the section next to me...

"Creme brulee...what goes with that??

"Tuille/raspberry sorbet/carmel garnish!!"

"What the hell is a Far??"

"The thing that looks like a yorkshire pudding!! Needs 10mins in the oven/butterscotch sauce and quince jam!!"

"Fondant?? How long in the oven?? Coffee parfait correct??"

"Yup 15mins in the oven,rest for two minutes!!"

"Millefeuille??"

"Pastry,apples and pastry cream and that pink sauce!! Heat the pastry and apples!!"

"Gluten free tart??"

"Choc sauce and cream cheese icecream!"

By this time I was starting to gain momentum and the adrenalin had started to flow. I was hussling and damn it felt good. Then I started delegating..

"Chef" I said to the head Chef "...can you do the crepes please,I'll prep the plates"

"Yup!"

Then the french Chef..

"Dude can you grab me 5 plates,heat the butterscotch sauce and check the Fondant!"

"Got it!"

Its a funny thing when you find your groove so to speak,things flow and fall into place and even if you do hit a problem you fix it on the fly and hussle hussle hussle until those orders are gone and the customer satisfied!!

As soon as I knew what went with what we started to get the orders out,the only snagg..a broken fondant...which take 15mins to cook!

"Crapcrapcrapcrap"
"Think fast??Fire another"
"Shuffle the brulee"
"New Fondant in...damn this feels good"
"Crap,talkin to myself again hehehe"

With a new fondant in the oven I shuffled some orders to help clear the board and prepped the last order...

"Far-check/Brulee done/Crepes ready/tart yup and 5mins left on the fondant"

"Chef can you ball the icecream for the Far and brulee,I'll sauce the Far plate and cut the parfait"

"Yup no worries!"

As we started to plated the last order,rested the fondant and dinged for service I felt good,we got through it. Team work and quick thinking had got us through.

"Damn that felt good"
"Nothin like being thrown in the deep end hehehehe"
"That's why I do this!!!"

"Dessert order in!!"
"Order up...One Gourmandise

"Gourmandise?? What the fu..."
"CRAP!!"
"I'm talking to myself again...."

...calm before the storm!

You could feel it in the air and you could see it on the faces of the Chefs.

The reservations book for the night was full. No spare tables.

The tension was palatable in the kitchen. Service begins in another 10mins but the Chefs were still prepping. Every available piece of bench space was being used,prep containers were everywhere and chopping boards were everywhere with every board in use. The smells of seared meat/freshly sliced herbs/caramel/chocolate/garlic all hung in the air creating a strangely comforting smell,the smell of prepared-ness so to speak.

The facial expressions said it all,concentration/stress n that grim smile because you know its gunna be a big one. Body language was tense and movements were fast and smooth,graceful almost in the same way a golfer swings his 9 iron,fast almost violent but controlled and precise. A quick flick of the arm to shuffle the caramelizing onions in the pan or the quick twist/bend and pop up to pull the puff pastry out the oven and a slight twist of the foot to close the oven doors. The repetitive but skillfully sliding of the knife along the knuckles whilst finely chopping herbs and then a quick twist and flick of the knife to push them to one side of the board and then continue with the next lot.

The dishwasher hums away in the background as the Chefs clear away the prep and begin setting up for service. The Chefs crouch in front of their lo-boy fridges,arranging and rearranging prep and positioning everything so that they don't have to think just grab. Courgettes/tomatoes/leek for fish to one side,shallots/garlic/thyme for the beef off to the other side. Containers for garnish are arranged on the service bench in front of each Chefs board,all the containers laid out a certain way for each Chef relative to the dish it is for. Knifes are washed,sharpened and then again positioned with optimal placement for speed and reach. Service spoons/ladles/assorted ring moulds and equipment are grabbed and the service benchs are given a quick final wipe down and sanitize.

The Chefs check/double check and triple check their prep,rearranging the odd thing and run through in their head each component for each dish whilst looking for it and arranging it. Aprons are re-tied and jackets adjusted,fresh clean tea towels and grab cloths are hung from aprons and postioned on section for easy reach. Never underestimate how good a fresh cloth feels in the middle of a busy service,it could be called a morale booster,some Chefs have even been known to store one or five in the fridge during the really hot nights if for nothing else but to cool the hands down!

Service time arrives, the Head Chef asks the all important question....
"Anyone in the shit?? Need anything???"

"No Chef" comes the reply and a little bit of relief is felt. Everyone is ready. Now its the waiting game.....when will the first order arrive and whats it gunna be???

The kitchen is quiet apart from the hum of the dishwasher,everyone is waiting....a waitstaff member walks,everyone looks up!

"Whats the fish of the day??"

False alarm just getting the specials. And the waiting game continues. The Chefs exchange guesses about who's gunna get slammed and who'll end up in the weeds. Smart ass insults are traded and a little bit of laughter eases the tension. Kitchen banter is always a bit strange and this was just another example as one Chef starts to hum the main riff to a chessy 80's pop song "Funky town". It catches on pretty quick n everyone has another laugh and the kitchen goes quiet again...until someone gets clever and hums the riff to the song "The Final Countdown",laughter promptly follows but no-one picks up on the slight rise in volume from the restaurant. The customers are here....

Turns out "The final Countdown" was more than appropriate. 5mins later and a waiter walks in....

"Order up Chef"

Everyone looks at the Head Chef...

"New order,4 people..."

...a quick intake of breath..

"8 course degustion.."

Everybody thinks the same thing....32 courses/first table...ahhhhsssshit..

Clang,clangclangclnag as saute pans hit the stove tops..

"First course 4 Potage.."

"YES CHEF"

"...followed by 4 prawns then followed by 4 Octopus then...."

Yip gunna be a BIG night!!!!

Bullies,questions and the Top 50 Restaurants

Don't get me wrong.....I've yelled at and argued with my fair share of waitstaff because from a chef's point of view they can really piss you off. Dropped plates/wrong plates to the wrong table/inadequate service etc etc the list goes on. Was it the right or wrong thing to do..? At the time it didn't matter I was pissed off and made that very clear BUT I have NEVER attacked them in front of customers!!

Simply put there is a degree of trust diners in a restaurant have in their waitstaff when they dine and like any good relationship if done right it is rewarding for both parties. The waitstaff are the Face of the kitchen and the restaurant so what happens if they are attacked by the chef in front of the diners?? And would this affect your evening if you were dining there?? I'd say yes it would,even more so if it was your waiter.

Maybe Mr Ramsey is to blame. I mean he is the king of the F word and isn't afraid to use it no matter what the situation. So with the popularity of his "Hells Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares" programs its no wonder that eventually it would start to appear in the real world.

Ok so your thinking "What the hell is he talking about??"

Whilst doing my usual surf around the worlds newspapers and looking at the goings on of the restaurants of the world I came across a article that really made my blood boil.

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/11/why-i-got-kicked-out-of-a-restaurant-on-saturday-night/

Now let me give you a quick run down.

Whilst dining in a restaurant a reporter for the N.Y times (and the entirety of the restaurant) heard the Chef of the establishment "dressing down" a member of his staff. Not just once but twice.

Now the author of the article then decided enter the kitchen to have words with the chef and express his feelings on the chefs behavior.

The reporter upon returning to his table was then approached by the chef,apparently barely apologized to then asked to leave his restaurant.

Now from a chef point of view I can imagine the embarrassment that must have been caused when the reporter confronted the chef about his behavior. The kitchen is a fickle place at the best of times and being "dressed down" in the kitchen is bad enough when your a junior chef let alone the Head chef. And I have no doubt some of the younger members of the kitchen had many laughs later that night over drinks at the chefs expense.

But from the diners point of view what could be worse than enjoying a great meal with friends only to have it overshadowed by the Chef yelling at one of his waitstaff?? Talk about spoiling the evening and putting a blot on the restaurants reputation. I would be interested to know how many people made the decision not to return to his restaurant after what happened.

So this does leave us with some questions.....

Did the reporter do the right thing? Would you have done the same thing?? In my own opinion yes he did do the right thing. Being a chef already has a reputation for obnoxious,rude and anti social behavior with many thanks to Mr "F-word" Ramsey. And at the best of times it's hard to find good staff,so whats going to happen if this kind of behavior gets worse?? Less good staff and less diners most likely.

So was the Chef justified in asking the reporter to leave his restaurant?? From a pride point of view I can understand what he did. It's his restaurant and he exercised his power. But no it wasn't the right thing to do in any way. I would imagine that most of the diners that night saw the reporter enter the kitchen and probably took accurate guesses as to what he was saying to the chef and many (if not all of the them) most likely wanted to do the same thing. So in seeing the reporter asked to leave one does wonder what they were thinking and how many shortened their dinner that night or just will not return at all.I have no doubt that the article has most likely cost the restaurant some business already and the chefs actions both towards his waitstaff and the reporter have also likely cost him more too.

Now whilst we do not know what the waitstaff member did nor any other circumstances behind the events that night the real question that needs to be asked is Does the restaurant need to hear the chef dressing down his staff?? In short NO!!!

Any good chef/restaurant owner should know that no matter what happens the face of the restaurant should always been cool,calm and collected. If you want to discipline your staff do it away from the diners. And remember no one wants to see a Ramsey wannabe.

I would also be great interested on any thoughts or feedback on this to!!

On to other news in the culinary world. The The S.Pellegrino Best Restaurants awards have been announced. This is a list of the worlds Top 100 restaurants and is always a eagerly anticipated list for both foodies and restaurants alike. A placing in the top 100 pretty much guarantees good business even more so if your in the Top 50 and even better the Top 10 or the best of the best No.1 !!

www.theworlds50best.com/

So a quick run down of the Top 10:

1 Noma Denmark
2 El Bulli Spain
3 The Fat Duck UK
4 El Celler de Can Roca Spain
5 Mugaritz Spain
6 Osteria Francescana Italy
7 Alinea USA
8 Daniel USA
9 Arzak Spain
10 Per Se USA

As always The Fat Duck and El Bulli are consistently at the top though the number one spot has now gone to Noma. Great to see Alinea named as the best restaurant in north america and as always one of Thomas Keller restaurants in the top 10 with Per Se at 10.

Another notable entry at No.27 is Quay Restaurant in Sydney and named the Best Restaurant in Australasia,A great achievement and always great to see the chefs down under mixing it with the worlds best!!

As for progress on my personal goals well I have recently accepted an offer to work weekends at a great restaurant so things are looking up for me!!

Also a quick thank you to Sam for the motivational nudge,Thanks I needed it!

Now with Autumn fully upon us expect another Seasonality post soon!!

A night in the kitchen through photo's.

So I recently spent some time in a kitchen with my camera at my side and a towel on the other side. Yes the worlds first photographic dishwasher!!!

Most people don't see the inside of a professional kitchen and usually only see the food that has been carefully sculpted to be perfect and photographed. So I took my camera inside the domain of kitchen and spent a night knocking out dishes and taking photos. It was a entertaining experience trying to take photos and not get in the way of the chefs....a hell of a challenge in a busy kitchen!!!

I managed to take over 160 photos but as you could probably imagine some of them just weren't that good and some are a lil boring. In the end I whittled it down to 41 photos....trust me it took a coupla hours,a few cups of coffee,many moments of doubt and a few sanity questioning mental arguments...(Who knew talking to yourself could be so amusing?!)

Anyway enough of my bullsh*t,here is a couple from the night and if interested here's the link to my Flickr page to check out the rest : http://www.flickr.com/photos/cheffriis/sets/72157623608201469/










So a small update yes but more to come as always!!

Refresher course...Part Deux

5 Kitchens.....
2 Restaurants..
One Man..........
Me!

What a long two weeks it's been. Tomorrow will be my first actually day off since well..two weeks ago. But first let me tell you a story of infidelity,guilt and lust. Now don't get me wrong I love her,I always have ever since we first met in a English pub. She was elegant,sexy and strong and European. But she was someone else's....but I knew I would have her in time. And so 2years later I did, God she felt so good and she was so elegant,so long lean and sexy and she had a glow about her,I was in love.

Our relationship bloomed like any other,we had our problems and she was high maintenance but we also had our great moments. Moments of finesse and grace,moments when we powered through it and always in times of need she was there. She stood by me and I by her and for 6years we were inseparable.

But 2years ago things changed...and we drifted apart. I didn't notice it at first and I suppose that's always the way,we're just not aware of it and the neglect builds and builds and it takes it's toll. So when I tried to repair the neglect and bring us together again well it just didn't happen. It wasn't her fault and I knew it...and the guilt hung over me.

Like any guilty man I looked for a way to relieve my guilt and that's when I saw Her....she was so much slimmer and exotically Asian. Younger,newer and she shone and glistened in the light. "No" a little voice in me head said"NO!". But the more I looked at Her the more I wanted Her. And that voice again "No you can't,you shouldn't!!!" but the more the voice said no the more I wanted Her....I had to have her,she would make me feel better,she wouldn't let me down and remind me of the lost years. I had to have her,I lusted after her...so I did the unthinkable. It only took 10minutes and I had Her. She felt so good in my hands,so silky and light and being exotic just added to my lust. I was happy again,the guilt gone,the neglect forgotten......until today.

It wasn't much,it was a simple task. Cutting pumpkin,simple and easy really but She just didn't do it smoothly,She had to work harder and there was more effort involved than normal and my thoughts strayed..... "This never used to be this hard,what happened??". Then I realized my younger model just didn't have the weight and power,she was slim but that worked against her but...my European love...she could do it with ease,she had the weight and the thickness behind her.

Why did I buy a new knife?? Why didn't I just give my Victorinox to a professional sharpener as originally planned?? Time,stress and well lust. As I mentioned above things have been pretty busy the last two weeks and this week was no exception. my day job as always was keeping me on my toes and I had two kitchens to deliver. Add to that the weekend before I spent in the kitchen and I knew it was going to be a big week but then news came through that I had a chance to spend 2nights in another kitchen of a up and coming restaurants. The reviews were great so far and the food was classical so I couldn't say no.

So two kitchen deliveries for work,two nights in a new kitchen and another night in the award winning kitchen...long week to say the least. So I knew I had to move fast and there was no time to waste. So by the time thursday rolled around I had my new knife along with a new steel to replace my stolen one and a new knife roll. I was set for the new kitchen.

Walking into a new kitchen is always interesting,new people,new food,new ways of doing things,add to that the fact that in the kitchen there were 3 different nationality's (four including me) and three different languages I was (to say the least) on the back foot. But as always I just did what I do best,I jumped in with both feet and put my best foot forward. Once we were past the introductions and the usual polite talk I started asking questions. You see what most Chefs love to see in someone in their kitchen is a eagerness to learn and a thirst for knowledge all of which I have and what better way to become part of the kitchen than to show interest in the food....I mean hell I'm a Chef after all!

Being the "float" in the kitchen meant I was able to observe and watch the night unfold. The first thing I took notice of...the food of course. Classical and traditional the food was great to see. Some of the dishes were,as to be expected,slightly cumbersome and difficult but most of them were very tasteful and well thought out without taking anything away from the original version of the dish. Then I looked at the design of the kitchen and the differences between this one and the last kitchen I was in. The kitchen I was in was smaller than the other one,the layout was very different too,where the first kitchen was laid out in a h pattern the new kitchen was thin and straight. But as with most kitchens everything was in the most logical place relative to the space available in the kitchen,a good sign.


During my two nights in the new kitchen I watched and helped out where I could. Watching the team over the two nights I saw a good team,I also saw things that I thought could be improved upon,ideas that could be floated to speed things up and systems that could be put in place to help things go more smoothly during the busy moments. But what I took the most heart from was I saw a restaurant and team with a heap of potential. These guys knew what they were doing and were doing their best to give their customers what they came for,great food.

Before I knew it Saturday was upon me,my working week was over,I'd delivered two brand new kitchens and spent two nights in a new kitchen. And today I was spending my saturday in the same kitchen as the previous weekend. Things were looking to be busy, a big event was on and the weather was good. Prime signs for a busy night. When I arrived you could see the signs of a prepared team. The prep was pretty much done and the team was cautiously waiting for a possible lunch rush. Me..well I cut and portioned pumpkin and discovered the flaw with my new knife...oh wait..getting circular. Near the end of lunch service a bad omen. The fan for the oven wasn't working properly...bad thing!! Fan not working = oven not heating properly which equals well a four letter word that sounds remarkable like "Fuck". Luckily one of the owners was on deck working so a quick word in his ear and the tools were out and the control panel to the oven off. And this again reinforces the difference between the successful and the not. A good restaurant owner knows that the every problem has a solution,every issue can be fixed and if you have to get your hands dirty to do it so be it. And then 5minutes later the problem seemed to solved.

Prep...easiest way to sum up my afternoon,just like any kitchen on a saturday-prep prep prep. What do you while you prep...talk,gossip and discuss the weird n wonderful world.....kitchen conversations I love them!!

As service time grew ever closer it was quiet...too quiet. "The calm before the storm" I wondered?? Service time...all was quiet...eerily so. Hospitality is a strange beast and this was just another reminder for me. Half an hour into service I decided to call it a day and leave the professionals in charge. Did it get busy later?? I don't know but what I do know is the team were ready and whatever happened they'd be ready for it.

So now your counting and going "Hang on hang on!! That's only 4 kitchens!! Where's the fifth????"

Home...where I could actually spend some time in my kitchen and have a play with my new knife,you see I bought this...oh,but there I go getting circular again.

Refresher course.....Part Un

And no I'm not talking about the sorbet course, I am of course talking about heading back into the kitchen and "refreshing" my skills.

Now I have to admit I have been slack lately. With work at the joinery busy,sending out emails to find work exp. and doing a lot of researching and reading into the french classics and "edge" dining and foods I have neglected my blog. And perhaps due to a lack of inspiration or a lack of funds I haven't been spending much time behind the camera so I've decided to switch this topic to a update.

Yes shock horror of horror,an update...(cue dramatic music)!!

So for the weekend that has just passed I had the pleasure of spending two shifts in a local multiply award winning restaurant.

It was interesting really. There has only been two times in my chef career that I had felt nervous. One-My first shift at the hotel and Two-Meeting Gordon Ramsey. And now there was a third. I'd forgotten what it felt like to be nervous but I took it as a good sign as I was told once that "If you feel nervous you want to do well". Then came the next step-my whites. Two washes and a iron later they actually looked good again. The only problem.....my Victorinox chef knife. After 2years of neglect the blade was,to say the least,dull. So out with my stone and approx 1hr later and the edge was...better...somewhat.

So there I was,whites clean,kit packed and off to spend my weekend in the kitchen,disturbingly that didn't actually bother me...good thing I hope. It was a good feeling putting my whites on again,I felt I was taking steps forward,I was actually achieving something. Walking into the kitchen again was a great feeling,the smells/the sounds/the heat/the hustle n bustle,it all felt comforting.

In the kitchen the service is only 50% of the job. The other 50% is prep. Prep/prep/prep/prep!!! So first job back in the kitchen...prep! They started me off easy-fine chop some parsley. Ok bust out the Victorinox and hit it. Chop/chop/chop...shit. Now I love my knife and I've had it for over 8years but 2years of neglect had taken it's toll and my sharpening stone just didn't have enough to bring it back(Time for professional help....not me the KNIFE!!). Embarrassing to say the least. So after borrowing a knife I carried on my job of chopping parsley. Now as I've mentioned several times how long I've been out the kitchen I won't go on about it again but I got a solid reminder in the way of four...yes 1/2/3/4 blisters on one finger. Like any job that you do with your hands you build up calluses where your tools rest on your hands,be they hand tools/knifes/pens etc. Unfortunately my kitchen calluses had disappeared so the simple act of chopping parsley at speed did not agree with my index finger. A subtle but effective reminder of my time away!

Prep time in a kitchen is generally a relaxed time,as long as your prep is getting done. Whilst prepping for service the kitchen converses,catches up,talks shit and these times are probably the most amusing,I'd forgotten how much I missed kitchen conversations. From Bob Marley to energy drink abuse to sick but amusing jokes, conversations in the kitchen really are fun.

Prep times often involves a lot of simple tasks-peeling spuds/chopping parsley/portioning food/washes dishes etc and I often find these simple tasks to be quite relaxing, a good thing especially that night as the restaurant was fully booked and with the great weather outside it was adding up to be a busy night. Taking pause from my prep I looked around the kitchen and just observed everything I could. The Head chef portioning meat,Junior chefs checking sauces,waitstaff polishing cutlery and setting tables.....ahhh the ebb n flow of a restaurant. You can see everyone preparing for the next service,the final checks of prep levels,the layout of boards/utensils/prep all in easy reach for speed and ease of movement,conversations between Waitstaff and Chefs about bookings/specials/special requests. If you've never worked in hospitality before you wouldn't notice it but if you have you know what I'm talking about. This is the time where the experienced ones know what to do and do the best to set themselves up for whatever situation may come their way,full credit to all of the team of Chefs as they really did follow the motto-"Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance".

As service time approached the rise in tension in the kitchen was palatable,Chefs double checked their prep,service spoons were grabbed,boards wiped down and everybody had their eye on that pass.....waiting knowing what was coming. My job for service was easy,float and help out where ever possible which put me in a good position to watch and observe the team at work. And then the orders started to come in,slowly at first 2-3 tables and service began. Everything flowed smoothly and then there was a dip as the orders slowed....but listening carefully I heard the volume of the restaurant start to get a little louder. I'm pretty sure the rest of the kitchen noticed it too as they all glanced at the pass and then their prep. As a Chef you know what is going to happen when the orders stop and the restaurant gets louder...its about to get real busy!! Then the orders came thick n fast,one after the other followed by another and another. Watching this from my position reminded me why I love the kitchen and cooking. Seeing the team in action and watching the kitchen dance and the food flow is a great thing. The rush lasted approx 2hrs and even I had to hustle to get some desserts done...but then I encountered a temperamental blowtorch. The blowtorch is used to caramelize the top of the brulees,but this torch....I lit it and picked it up and....it went out. "Ok" I thought,relight it pick it up...it went out. "Ok stupid thing" relight pick it up....it stayed lit. Start caramelizing the brulee tilt the blowtorch..it went out. "Fucccckkkkkkkkkk" Relight...pick up...caramelize....tilt....went out "YOU USELESS PIECE OF SHIT!! GODDAMN IT FUCKING WORK!!!!" Relight...pickup...caramelize..don't tilt...burn finger. Brulee done!! "Temperamental fucking thing...forgot there's always a trick to everything".

I was in the kitchen for a dinner and a lunch service,did my best to help out where possible and observed what I could. What did I see? Everything I could from the prep to the food,plating,service and team work. And this is were the difference between a good restaurant and a award winning restaurant is. Everyone from the Head Chef/Sous Chef/Junior Chefs,The Waitstaff knew their jobs and worked together to get them done, any problems handled fast and effectively. A great example of a great restaurant and a solid example of why I want to be back in the kitchen.

The only downside to my weekend in the kitchen? A feeling of frustration stemming from feeling like a interloper and not really knowing my place in the kitchen. A feeling I suspect I may experience a few more times until I find my place and kitchen again.