PART EIGHTEEN: UP AND ABOUT BEFORE THE ROOSTERS WAKE UP

5 am Breakfast begins

Getting up early, a disaster for a night owl

I am a night owl,  Getting up early was never my strength. The sound of the alarm clock in the morning was and still is no music to my ears. But, I wanted to become a Chef, I knew that one has to work early or late and sometimes early shift than late shift within the same week. But I was an apprentice, so I had the same shift for a week or two, sometimes longer. In that regard I was lucky. So my time began when I had to work alongside with the breakfast Chef. Back in those days, the breakfast Chef would be a apprentice in the second year working unsupervised having a good basic understanding. My day began at 3 am, a real dilemma for a night owl. 

Setting up for breakfast - ready to go at 5 am

I had to be at work at 4 am to set up the buffet and turn on the stove, deep fryer plus the oven. The restaurant opened at 5 am and the first guest would arrive for breakfast shortly there after. The breakfast buffet had all the cold items and we in the satellite kitchen would cook all the breakfasts to order. That was the norm in that hotel. As a guest you would help yourself to cereals and milk, fruit juices, croissants and rolls, butter, home made jams and marmalade's, fresh fruits, smoked fish and continental meats, muesli and yoghurt's. Then you as a guest could order a warm cooked breakfast like fried eggs and bacon, hash browns, sausages, cooked mushrooms, baked tomatoes, baked beans and the like. The guest had 2 options, a continental breakfast off the buffet or a full a la carte breakfast from the buffet and a cooked breakfast included. 

Guests could also have breakfast in the room. They would place an order the day before and we would cook the breakfast in the morning to the specified time the guest wanted his or her breakfast. A waiter or waitress would then bring the breakfast with coffee or tea to the room on a room service trolley. (like you see in the movies)

Breakfast is a important task for a Chef. With a fine breakfast you give the guest a perfect start for the day. Breakfast is also the most important meal for the day. Therefore breakfast had to be perfect. 

The hotel where I did my apprenticeship was near the International Airport Zurich, the gateway to the World. The Banking capital of Switzerland was less than 10 kilometres away from us. The guests staying in our hotel where business people, bankers and many diplomates from around the World. We had actors, singers, plus celebrities from around the World staying in our hotel. Everything we cooked had to be first class and the best there is. We had many well known International Hotels in the region like Hilton, Sheraton, Grand Hotel Dolder Zurich (under the top 10 hotels in the World), plus many more. The competition was huge. 

One Day as a breakfast chef in a big hotel

Getting up in the morning was the worst part, knowing the roosters where still a sleep. 

4 am, turning all cooking appliances on, getting the breakfast buffet ready, getting all items for the cooked breakfast ready in the kitchen. 

5 am to 10:30 am, cooking breakfast orders, replenish anything on the buffet, and finally packing everything away before lunch service would start.

11 am, going for a lunch break. 

11:30 am back in the production or main kitchen and getting everything ready for next day breakfast.

11:35 to 3:00 pm preparing all platters for the breakfast buffet like fruit platters, continental meats, smoked fish, grapefruit halves garnished with red cherries, bowls with muesli, joghurt's, all the jam's, marmelade's and honey, butter- and margarine portions, bread baskets for the freshly baked croissants and rolls in the morning. Preparing all the items for the cooked breakfasts like cutting bacon, unpacking and portion breakfast sausages, trays of eggs for fried eggs, mixed eggs with seasoning for scrambled eggs, tomato halves, mushrooms, baked beans, rolled oats for porridge, chopped parsley and parsley bunches washed for garnishing, finely cut chives, small breakfast steaks. 

Everything was well wrapped with cling wrap and placed on a trolley. The trolley with the preparation was put into a walk in cool room for the next morning. 

Next week I talk to you about my experience in the cold larder as a chef apprentice. Have a fantastic week, enjoy life and great food. 

PART SEVENTEEN: WORKING SAVE AND AVOIDING NASTY ACCIDENTS IN THE KITCHEN

KITCHENS--A DANGEROUS PLACE

Never underestimate the risk of getting hurt!

Working in a kitchen, at home or in a commercial kitchen, you need to be aware of the risks and dangerous situations in a kitchen. Heat, knives, electrical appliances, wet and slippery floors can be a real hazard when you work in a kitchen. Today, I like to bring up some important points working as a chef in a commercial kitchen. 

Clothing & Shoes: In most trades, you wear either a uniform, overall, special hi viz clothing or a suit. As a Chef, you wear a Chefs uniform. A chefs jacket, chefs pants, proper shoes like boots with a slip resistent sole, a chefs hat, a apron, neck tie. Because you work with food and you need to protect yourself from heat, burns and steam, the chefs uniform is designed to do just that. A need uniform has two objectives: You look neat and professional, working with food plus at the same time protects you while you work in the kitchen. You are required to wear a proper Chefs uniform when you work in a commercial kitchen. It is also a food and safety requirement. 

(I will talk about food and safety in a later blog.)

Knives: Knives are going to be your most important tools. The risk of cutting yourself can be minimalized by following sertain rules:

1) Buy good quality knives. Look what sort of knives the Chefs are using. Brands like Victorinox, Dreizack, Global or similar brands are used by Chefs. 

2) Make sure your knives are always sharp. The nastiest cuts you can get is from blund knives.

3) Always keep your eyes on the job when you use a knife.

4) Learn the skill to use a knife only from a Chef, how to hold the food item you are cutting, how to position your fingers.

5) When you talk to someone or someone is starting to talk to you, put your knife down, talk and when you are finished, continue your cutting.

6) Concentrate when you use a knife, never drop your guard.

Pots and pans: When you use pots and pans, cooking on the stove, make it a habit to use a dry cloth to grab the handles of the pot or pan. The handles can get flaming hot and if you are not careful enough, you can burn yourself very badly.

Deep friers and cooking with hot oil:  Oil burns can be very nasty. When boiling oil hits your skin, the oil will stay hot for a short period of time. Put your burned hand or arm immediately under ice cold water. Don't try to wipe off the hot oil when the burn happens, go straight under the cold water. Never put something wet into a deep frier or a hot pan. Oil and water do not get along with each other to well. The oil can catch fire or splatter into all directions burning you or others.

Steam: Steam is the king of burn accidents. When you work with a steamer, make sure you release the pressure first. Before you open the lid, keep your head away. I saw Chefs burning the whole face from steam. The pain is extremely bad and the burn can be nasty. 

The same applies when you have a pot of boiling water with a lid. Keep your head away before you lift up the lid.

Ovens: Ovens run very hot in a commercial kitchen. The temperatures reach up to 240 degrees celsius. When you open an oven door, keep your head away. You can get nasty facial burns if you stand to close to an oven. Always use a dry cloth when you work with an oven. Sometimes the handles of the oven doors can get hot too. Make it a habit to always use a dry cloth when you touch the handles and everything inside the oven.

Dry cloth versus wet or damp cloth:  As I previous explained, using a dry cloth to grab hot trays, handles will protect you from burns. Do NEVER use a wet or damp cloth. The reason is; you grab something with a damp or wet cloth, the steam developing inside the cloth will reach your hand within a split second and you will get a nasty steam burn. 

Wet and slippery floors: Kitchen floors have generally a smooth surface. Oil and water can be very hazardous on those floors. You need to be aware, that your shoes have to be the right shoes to wear in a kitchen. Shoes that have a good grip and protect you from falling over. Be very careful, even in a good pair of shoes, you can slip and fall when there is oil on the floor. To avoid falling over because of oil is; remove any oil from the floor. When time does not allow to remove the spilled oil of the floor, sprinkle a generous amount of salt over the oil. The salt soaks up the oil and makes the area less slippery. Keep the floors dry and free of any spills. 

Shoes: Shoes are important in any job. As a Chef, you are going to be on your feet a very long time. You need to be comfortable in your shoes. You also need shoes that protect your feet from hot liquid spills and falling items or knives. Get a good pair of work boots. Also ask the Chefs you work with about the right foot wear for the kitchen. 

Kitchen appliances and electricity: When you work with kitchen appliances, make sure, that you follow a few safety rules. Before you get an appliance ready to use, make sure the power is off. Especially those appliances like stand mixers, choppers, blenders and the like. You may need to assemble the appliance, change blades or the like. Always turn the power off to the appliance. Once the appliance is ready to use, turn the power source back on. 
Cleaning the appliance: some of them you can use water and some of them a damp cloth. In either case, turn the electricity off or remove plug from power point. Water and electricity don't get along with each other and you don't want to get an electric shock. 

Pay attention: This is the golden rule. What ever you do in a kitchen, pay attention. Never leave any pot or pan unattended on the stove. Never have an appliance running while you are not watching. Pay attention what your work mates are doing and warn them before something happens. Turn all appliances, stove, ovens and other equipment off before you close the kitchen. 

A PROPER FIRST AID KIT: Every kitchen should have a proper first aid kit made for kitchen accidents. This first aid kit should be always well stocked and checked regularly by a qualified person like an ambulance officer, first aid officer or a company which supply the first aid kits. If you don't see that your kitchen has a first aid kit, ask your head chef to get one. One more important point; in the case of an accident, the first aid kit should be easy to access. It is also handy, if one or two members working in the kitchen should have a first aid certification. 

I am sure that I have not covered all the dangers in a kitchen. The main dangers are listed here and I hope that you all take this blog serious and look out for each other for a smooth and accident free kitchen operation. If you see that something is faulty and in poor working order, report it immediately to the Head Chef. 

NEXT WEEK I talk about my experiences as a breakfast Chef during my apprenticeship. Have a great week and stay save.

PART SIXTEEN: PRACTICAL KITCHEN JOKES AND FUNNY STORIES

When Chefs play practical jokes to apprentices

Chefs have a great sense of humour. I found that to be the case. When I went for my first work experiences, knowing next to nothing about cooking in a commerical kitchen, the Chefs got me a few times with some practical jokes. 

Chopping white flour: During one of my first work experiences, one of the Chefs got some white flour, a chopping board and a large vegetable knife and placed it on a working bench. He called me over and explained to me that I had to chop some flour. The flour was not fine enough and he needed to get the flour super fine for a bread dough. He explained to me how much flour to place on the chopping board and how to hold the large vegetable knife while I chop the flour. As you may know, white flour is so fine, any chopping would make no difference. But I did not even think this far and I would not challenge any Chef on a job I had to do. I was listening to the Chef explaining to me how to do that job.  I started to chop that white flour for about 10 minutes. The Chef came by to see how I go, took a bit of flour into his hand to check how much finer the flour was and told me to keep chopping. Ten more minutes later he came back, tested the flour and then he stated that the flour was fine enough. Now I had to chop 20 kilograms more. I could not believe it as my arm started to give me some pain. The look on my face made all the Chefs lough so loud. I realized then, the Chefs played a practical joke on me. 

Peeling green peas:  I was in a very fine restaurant for a work exerience. A small team of Chefs in the kitchen. On my second day, the Sous Chef had a job for me. He ask me to get a large tin of green peas, open the tin and bring the peas in the tin to him. He also ask me to get two stainless steel bowls. The Sous Chef ask me to start peeling every pea and place the peeled peas into one bowl and the skins into the other bowl. I ask him why I had to peel the peas. He explained to me that the peas where used to make a pea mousse for a special dish. In order to make that mousse, the skins had to be removed to ensure that the mousse was very smooth. A small paring knife I could use if I wanted. I started to peel the first few peas with the paring knife. It took me for ever to peel just 10 peas when I realized that there was an easier way to do this job. I took a single pea, applied gentle pressure and the skin would slide off the pea. It took me about an half hour to get half the tin of peas peeled when the Head Chef turned up. He came up to me and ask what I was doing. I explained to him that I was peeling green peas from the tin for a pea mousse. He bursted out in loughter. The Chefs started to lough as well. The Head Chef explained to me that they play that practical joke on all work experiences. He was impressed with my work and told me that nobody before me could peel as many peas. 

 The Lobster Gun

I started my apprenticeship with two other Chef apprentices. Their names where Chris and John. (not their real names). One day, our Executive Chef came into the kitchen with a large foam box of live lobsters. None of us apprentices would possibly know how to prepare and cook live lobsters. He called us over to the seafood section to show us the lobsters. Our hotel was very closed to the Zurich International airport. The lobsters where cought just a few hours ago in France and flown directly to Zurich and delivered to us. In the foam box was ice and the lobsters on top. The lobster sissors where kept closed with a rubber band. A lobster can cut off a finger with one snap of the sissors.

We where amazed to see real lobsters in front of us and to our amazement we where surprised how big they are. Our Executive Chef had also a very good sense of humour. He ask John to go to the General Managers Office and ask Mister Saddok, our General manager back then, to get the permission to go and collect a lobster gun from the maintenance department. We did not know that this was a joke. The Chefs working in the Main kitchen at that time did not react to the Executive Chef request and played along with the lobster gun story.  
In the meantime John ended up at the General Managers (GM) office and the GM did allow John to go to the maintenance department to collect the lobster gun. The GM knew that this was a joke and played along. John did eventually turn up in the Kitchen again and came back to us. The Executive Chef ask him where the lobster gun was. John replied that the maintenance department told him that the lobster gun was not working and they where trying to fix it. As soonest poor John reported back to the Executive Chef, all the Chefs started to lough. None of us apprentices knew that there was not such a thing as a lobster gun. He then explained to us how lobsters where cooked. We all went over to the Hot Section and the Chef in charge had a huge pot ready with boiling water. 
Now, as cruel it sounds, lobsters are cooked alive. To make sure the lobsters don't suffer, you drop them head first into the boiling water. That kills them instantly. Once the shell turns red, they are removed from the boiling water and placed in ice water to cool them down immediately. 
Back in the 1970s and 80s it was also a common practice to cut live lobsters in half, from head to tail. That method was used for a different way to prepare and cook lobsters. When I was told to cut lobsters in half, I blundly refused. I got yelled at by the Chef but I would refuse to cut a animal in half while still alive for the reason of cruelty. I was not popular that day but I could not care less. 
I was never ask again to do this job and it was not a requirement at the exams at the end of the apprenticeship. 

Have a sense of humor

When you start your apprenticeship as a Chef, you need to have a sense of humor, a thick skin and remember not to take everything personal. When a Chef critisize the work you do, take it on the chin, say ¨Yes Chef!¨ and do it better. A joke is not against you personally and it is the same thing when you crack a joke at someone else. Be funny but not personal. Develop a good sense of humor, lough a lot and always be respectful to others. 

Next week I talk about common kitchen accidents and how to avoid them. A common sense approach to Occupational Health and Safety in a commercial kitchen. From clothing, shoes and tools to operating appliances. 

Until then, keep smiling, lough a lot and enjoy life and good food. Have a grat week.

PART FIFTEEN: SATELLITE KITCHENS -- THE HEAT IS ON !

A la carte Service

My first introduction to fast pace cooking

Been in my apprenticeship now for a number of months, knowing a few basics, I was now working in one of the satellite kitchens of the hotel. A fast pace working enviroment in confined space, totally different to the Main Kitchen. Timing, team work and attention to detail. Concentration, listen to every word the head chef calls out, remembering what has been ordered by the guests and getting the job done fast. Timing was the most important aspect working in the Sattelite Kitchen. Meals for each Table had to be ready at the same time. Entrees would go out together and the same with the main courses. The same would happen again with the desserts.

To be honest, I was a bit scared first. Working in an open kitchen where the guests see and hear you was also new to me. I have to point out that I was working alongside with a chef on the larder section to learn all the dishes on the larder section. Once the head chef was satisfied with my efforts and work, he would put me on the section while the larder chef had his day off.  Starting on the larder section where all entrees are prepared, I had to make sure not to miss anything the head chef called out. When I missed an entree when everyone was ready to send the first course, i got yelled at by the chef in charge. I could not affort to stuff up or miss an order.

Sattelite kitchens, where you find them 

Sattelite Kitchens or also known as Open Kitchens are found in Hotel Restaurants and some larger Restaurants. Chefs working in those kitchens prepare and cook all the dishes you would find on the menu of the Restaurant. Depending on the size of the Restaurant, 3 to 8 chefs would work in those kitchens on any given shift. In an open kitchen is a area between the kitchen and the restaurant that looks like a bar. A stainless steel surface with heat lights hanging from the ceiling. That is the area where all the finished dishes are placed once the dishes are plated and garnished. The Head Chef or Executive Chef would then check the dishes and coordinate the waiters and waitresses to take the meals to the right table. The Head Chef would stand on the restaurant site of the kitchen facing the chefs. This way the head chef can keep an eye on the chefs and at the same time coordinate between the chefs and the waiting staff. 

A Hotel with a number of restaurants would have the same number of Sattelite Kitchens. The Chefs would get all the goods from the Central or Main kitchen of that Hotel. To give you an idea, see the photos below.

The Heat Is On!! 

Working as a Chef can be fun but also very stressful. When you work in a Sattelite kitchen, or Restaurant, Pub or Function center, you are faced daily with SERVICE. Service the Chef call the main meal times. Breakfast can be from 5:30am to 10:30 am, Lunch from 11:00am to 2:30 pm and Dinner from 5:30pm till 10:30pm. This are the times where the Heat is on. The guests come in to eat and you have to make sure that the guests are not waiting to long to get the meals they ordered. Business people and people working have sometimes have an half hour to one hour break to order the meal, eat and pay before they have to go back to work. So your job as a Chef is to make sure that the guest can eat and get back to work in that time. That keeps the guests happy and they will come back again. The guest is the most important aspect in this business. 

Bookings are the first job of a chef to check before preperation for service begins. A part from bookings you have also walk ins, in other words, guests who had no booking. As a chef, you have to make sure that you have enough preparation for service. You don't want to run out of food, that would be bad for business and very bad practice for you as a Chef. 

In my own experience the Restaurant would have 2 to 3 seetings per service. If you have 100 seats and have 3 seatings, you may end up cooking for up to 300 people during service. Speed, timing and working efficiently is vital. 

You may know the old saying: ¨ If you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen!¨  

Next week I will talk about a few funny stories that happend in my time of my apprenticeship. Until then, remember to enjoy life and great food. 

PART FOURTEN: THE FUNCTION KITCHEN WHERE SPEED AND QUALITY MATTERS

COOKING FOR GROUPS FROM 20 TO SEVERAL 100

My first introduction to high volume menu cooking and plating

I had a new experience in front of me, working in the function kitchen. Totally different from working in the Main Kitchen, the Function Kitchen is a very intense place to work. Timing, working fast and clean, doing the same thing for hours and long working hours is the norm in the Function Kitchen. 

From cocktail parties to buffets, sit down 2 or 3 course meals to grand dinners, morning and afternoon teas between conferences or seminars are served from the function kitchen. 

Working in an International Hotel, the standard of the food served needs to be very high. That applies to all food outlets including a high volume function kitchen. From the taste to the presentation, everything has to be top quality. 

Location and equipment of a Function Kitchen

The function kitchen is based next to the function rooms. In the hotel where I made my apprenticeship, the function kitchen was based on the third floor, right next to the function rooms. The reason for that is as follows; When the waiters and waitresses serve the food, the distance from the kitchen to the guests has to be short. That ensures that the food is getting to the guests still hot. It is also a reason for the chefs to set up buffets with platters, displays, hot and cold foods without having to transport the foods over a long distance. Timing is very important, so when you plate up 200 or more meals, the serving time has to be kept to a minimum. The waiting staff has to be able to serve the meals fast and return quickly to pick up the next lot of meals.

A function kitchen is a fully equiped kitchen. From a large stove to ovens, large cooking pots and fry pans, deep fryers, sinks, large working areas, refrigerators and freezers, dish - and pot wash area, bain marie's, plate heaters, different baking - and storage trays, heat lights where the food gets plated, cooking utensils and appliances, a dry goods storage area and a cleaning chemicals storage area. 

A FULL FUNCTIONING KITCHEN WHERE HIGH VOLUME MEALS ARE GETTING COOKED OR REHEATED AND SERVED.

Working in the function kitchen

Working with other chefs one has to work clean, efficient and exactly. The other important factor is that I had to learn that working in the function kitchen resulted in long days. Many times we started at 7 am and finished at 11 pm. Many times we prepared for 3 days for a VIP Buffet. A Gala Dinner took 2 days at least. The numbers of guests where in the hundreds, meaning every item on the plate had to be prepared hundreds of times. Lets take an example: Just the Main course. Eye filet medaillon with a selection of vegetables and croquette potatoes. Back in the 80s the common way was to have every vegetable turned. See image.

Turned carrots and zucchini, beans wrapped in bacon. Croquette potatoes done from scratch. So if you had 250 people for dinner, one needed 3 croquette potatoes per person, a total of 750 croquettw potatoes. 250 bundles of beans wrapped in bacon, 500 turned carrots, 500 turned zucchinis, 250 eye filet medaillons @ 250 gm each plus 25 litres of sauce. 

As an apprentice, we had to turn vegetables. A special knife is used for turning. See image.

I would spend hours turning carrots, zucchinis and parsnips. They had to be all the same size and look. The cut off parts of the vegetables would be used to make soup. 

The croquette potatoes where made from scratch and they needed to look exactly the same. See image.

The eyefilet medaillons where cut in the meat section in the main kitchen and the sauce was made in the hot section in the main kitchen. 

A VERY IMPORTANT FACT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER

Working in the function kitchen was an important part of my training to become a chef. I had to do the same job for hours but that gave me the skill to do many things just about in my sleep. One thing I realized; I never stopped learning. It did not matter how long I worked as a chef, I learned all the time something new. Today, with over 30 years of experience, I still learn new ways of cooking and new dishes to cook. I also realized, that I can learn something from an apprentice, or a cook or a top level chef. I had to be prepared to be open minded and prepared to learn something new every day. That has not changed and still applies in the present. Never think, that you know it all, because that attitude will get you nowhere in the life of a chef. You can only become a top chef if you are prepared to learn from anyone who knows how to cook. 

Next week I talk about the satellite kitchens attached to the restaurants. Till then, enjoy life and fine foods.