PART THIRTYSIX: STAFF CHRISTMAS PARTY -- A TIME TO REMEMBER

A BIG DAY FOR US APPRENTICES

Back in the late 70s, the World was a different place. Christmas was also very different to what it is today. Christmas was different back then. It was not so commercialised and it was a true family get together, have nice food and celebrate Christmas, plus catching up with each other. I use to love it. We abolished presents and we bought something for Christmas dinner, like Christmas cookies, a cake, chocolates for everybody to share. I still remember it like it was yesterday.

In my apprenticeship as a Chef, I was part of the team, mainly all the other apprentices, to prepare a big buffet for 200 people. The guests was all the hotel staff, with spouses. That one time a year, the hotel would treat all the hotel employees to a staff Christmas party. 

So we all started nice and early on that morning, preparing and cooking for the buffet. All had to be ready at 6pm. One of the Chefs would help us and watch us during our preparation and cooking time. 

We had a 3 course buffet, different salads, sea foods, smoked fish, pates and terrines, sliced continental meats, 2 different soups, bread rolls and butter for your entrees, then the next section of the buffet was the hot food and all main course dishes like: different steaks, fish, meat sauce dishes, vegetables, rice, pasta with a choice of 3 different sauces, stews and curries, roast potatoes and seafood.

Once all the guests had enough to eat, we had to clear the buffet, and get the dessert buffet set up. A tea and coffee station, cakes, tartlets, different creams, fruit salad, sliced exotic fruits, pastries, ice cream, whipped cream, cookies and chocolates, and not to forget, the traditional cheese platter, about 5 different cheeses, with nuts, dried fruits and savoury crackers.

Al beverages where also provided including red and white wine, spirits, beers, soft drinks, fruit juices hence some of us got badly drunk.. 

32 NATIONS, ALL RELIGIONS AND EVERYBODY WAS THERE

We had staff from 32 different countries around the World. Everybody came, no matter what religion backgrounds they had. We celebrated Christmas with Muslims, Buddhists, Hindu, Christians, Jewish and all other religions I did not mention. The Christmas party was also a great opportunity to get to know everyone and make new friends. I was fascinated about other cultures and religions and I made many great friends myself.

During the staff party, the General Manager had a speech thanking us for the great effort and support. After his speech, he called us apprentices, all by name to come to the front facing the audience. He then thanked us and praised us for the great job we did with the buffet. 

There are some moments missing in my mind about the staff parties. Been young and tough, i thought that I can drink a bottle of Gin by myself. So as you can imagine, I was so drunk, that when I got home, I carried my bicycle up to the first floor where we lived, and woke up next morning with half my clothing still on mixed in with my pyjamas. My bicycle was right next to me half in bed too. 

The next day we all had to go to the General Managers office. He gave us a present and a card and thanked us personally and wished us a happy new year. We apprentices had to work very hard, but it was appreciated and noted.

On that note I like to thank you all for reading and following my story and I like to take this opportunity to say a very happy Christmas, God bless and a very happy new year to you and your loved ones.

My next edition will come out around the 7th of January 2017. Remember to enjoy life and great foods.

GIVEN A RESPONSIBILITY - THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CAREER

GIVEN A DUTY TO PROOF OUR SELF'S

The first month of our apprenticeship was exciting, new, different to everything I never done before. In that first month I was given the opportunity to proof that cooking is going to be a trade that suits me. Vise versa, for the Hotel and the Executive Chef, that month was for them to get to know me and see if I fit in professionally and socially. Kind like a trail period. After that first month I was now officially a first year chef apprentice of the Hotel Holiday Inn, Zurich Airport.

The second month the initial training began. From that moment until 3 years later, I was going to be trained as a Chef. 

On of the first lessons would be a lesson I would use every day till the last day I work in a kitchen. In every trade, not just chefs, workers have duties, responsibilities and obligations. No matter which job, trade, qualification or skill, responsibilities and obligations are part of the package. Our own life has responsibilities, duties, obligations, no different to the work life.

My first duty as a new chef apprentice was to get the vegetable and fruit delivery signed off, checked for quality, weight and quantity matching the invoice. After that I had to bring the delivery into the kitchen and put everything away. The invoice I dropped off to the Executive Chefs office. Every day I was working in the production kitchen, my duty was to take care of the vegetable and fruit delivery every day.

I also got to see prices of the vegetables and fruits. The Executive Chef would walk up to me and ask me how much a 10 kilo gram brown onions was. On a different day he would ask me the price of the strawberries and how many where delivered this morning. These are all questions he could check on the invoice, but the whole idea was to make us getting use to numbers and to remember what was delivered that day. Also product knowledge, I had to learn every single food item in existence, especially in our hotel.

The next month I had to take over the fish and seafood delivery as well. We had a fish and seafood delivery every second day.

As time progressed, we where given different duties and responsibility's and harder challenges.

Every month, the stock take was part of a monthly check list of how much stock we hold. This is done to have a starting and finishing date on all stock (your meats, vegetables, fish, seafood, fruits, sweets, dry goods, oils and all cooked and precooked foods. Every satellite kitchen had to do a stock take as well. Every single food item is placed on scales and the weight is written down. Other food items are counted and the amounts written down. The stock take is a control mechanism to see where the food cost is and how much money we spend and how much money we take.

When the stock take took place, we apprentices where always involved. One of the chefs would have a reprinted list and he would then call out for example, potatoes. We would then get all the peeled potatoes and whole potatoes, including the one we cut up before and place them on the scale. Then we would reply with the weight of the potatoes, like 56 kilo grams. That same process would happen with every single food item in that kitchen. Everything counted to the last bunch of parsley.

I knew, that having duties and responsibilities is part of a successful teamwork. That will never change.

Next week you will read about our Staff Party before Christmas. Have a fantastic week and enjoy fine food.

PART THIRTYFOUR: THE ARTISTIC PART OF BEEN A CHEF: FOOD PRESENTATION

THE ARTISTIC TOUCH

Food presentation, the art of presenting food on a plate, platter, basket, bowl or anywhere you place food to be consumed. 

As a Chef, you know the art of presenting food. When I was an apprentice, I had to learn the art of presenting. 

EATING WITH YOUR EYES

PICTURES TALK A THOUSAND WORDS. In Trades school we learnt the theoretical part of food presentation. There are some guidelines for a good dish presentation on a plate. At work, we learnt the practical part.

THE PLATE has two parts. The rim of your plate has the purpose for you to hold, turn or carry the full plate. The inner circle area is where your food will be placed.

When we plated up a function (large number catering) menu, we had to either wear gloves to avoid finger prints on the rim of the plate or move the plates by holding them below the rim. No garnishes what so ever on the rim of a plate. The picture below has grounded peppercorns on the rim of the plate. Today, in 2016, this is accepted throughout the World. When I was an apprentice, that would be an absolute no no. 

THE TEMPERATURE  is also a very important. Cold dishes and desserts (except Ice Cream) are placed on a cold plate. Ice Cream would be placed on a frozen temperature plate. A hot dish is always served on a warm to hot plate or bowl, to keep the food warmer for longer.

The picture below was a typical function menu served while I was an apprentice 1978-81.

Nothing on the rim of the plate and the garnish was the vegetable sticks wrapped in bacon and fine cut chives.

When I did my apprenticeship, I learn to serve food to a guest well presented and clean plate rims. Even a bread roll was placed on a paper napkin on the bread plate with a butter portion. Everything had to look very nice, showing our guest that we care in what we do. 

The picture above is a Pork Schnitzel with Vegetables and Chips, garnished with a lemon wedge and a Chicory leaf. Personally, I would choose a bigger size plate as the food presentation on this plate looks overloaded. 

The picture above is one of my salad creations, a chicken and vegetable salad on a bed of tomatoes and garnished with sweet basil. Having a dish with lots of different colours will just about garnish itself. Also with this dish, the rim of the plate is clean. 

Over the years of me becoming a Chef, working in different Hotels and Restaurants, I would see and learn more styles of food presentation.

The look of a dish is the trade mark of a Chef, the taste of the dish comes second but just as important as the presentation. A guest eats with the eyes before the taste buts. First impressions always count.

Next week I share with you the duties we had as Chef Apprentices. You have a great week, enjoy life and fine foods. 

Chef Marc

PART THIRTYTREE: DOLLARS AND CENTS - IT IS ALL ABOUT NUMBERS

FOOD COSTS AND HOW TO GET A RETAIL PRICE

Why do we need a food cost?

Part of becoming a Chef is to learn how to deal with the money site of cooking. In Trades school we learnt the inns and outs of costing a dish to establishing a retail price for the menu. A basic good knowledge of mathematics was essential for us to have. We where not allowed to use pocket calculators or computers. Everything calculated using your brain, thought us to be able to quickly do a food cost calculation and a retail price. 

Back in my days we did not have computers, mobile phones, the Internet, and pocket calculators where very expensive. I remember when my Dad got his first pocket calculator, he paid $ 800 for it. Today you can get a pocket calculator for a few dollars. Once I was in my last year of apprenticeship, I had a pocket calculator and it still cost about $ 70 but I was not allowed to use it at work or school. Been able to calculate with my brains instead has tremendously benefited me throughout my career as a qualified chef.

So having a food cost it a very important step in calculating a retail price. The food cost in % to the retail price which is 100%. 

That 100% has to cover the cost of the dish, running cost of the restaurant like rent, electricity, water, gas, beverages, crockery, equipment and maintenance, wages, suppliers and taxes. At the end you want to have a net profit. (A net profit is money left over after everything is paid.)

How low or high should the food cost be?

First, a low food cost without jeopardising the quality of the dish is always the preferred outcome. In other words, the food cost should never be above 30% . That is also not always possible. I give you 2 examples.

Eye fillet steak grilled with vegetables, mash potatoes and a mushroom sauce. Cost: $19.60. Asking price for this dish is $ 36.50. Your food cost is over 50%! The asking price is the price other restaurants and hotels sell this dish, been higher may result the costomers not ordering that dish.

Egg omelet (3 eggs) with fine diced vegetables. Cost: $2.15 Retail price $11.90. Your food cost is just below 20%. 

This does not mean, that only dishes with low food costs should be on the menu. It means, that you can offer dishes with a higher food cost and have some other dishes with a very low food cost like: chips, salads, soups, side dishes like mash potatoes, mixed vegetables, sauces

The menu card should have an average food cost of not more than 28 to 30%. To get to that figure, add up all the cost prices of everything on the menu card and add up all the retail prices on the menu card for all food items only. Here is an example:

Total cost of all food items on the menu card is: $ 200

Total cost of all food retail prices on the menu card $ 685

1 % of the total retail price is $ 6.85

Divide $ 200 by 6.85 equals 29.2 % which is the overall food cost.

How we had to learn how to calculate the cost of a dish

Calculating the food cost includes every single ingredient for the dish. Seasonings, oil for cooking, stocks for cooking, everything. The food cost is calculated for a single serve dish. Here is a short example:

1 side serve of mash potatoes: Retail price $ 6.00

Costs per serve:

300 gm of large potatoes  $ 0.54  1 kg $ 1.80. 

200 ml of milk $ 0.22                    1 Lt $ 1.10

100 gm of butter $ 0.34               1 kg $ 3.40

Seasoning   $ 0.20

Garnish $ 0.10

Total cost of side serve mash is $ 1.40 which is 23.33%

I am aware that the calculations for cost and retail price may vary from country to country and restaurants to hotels. This examples I am using is what we had to learn. 

Not only cooking the food is important, knowing the cost to the retail price is the most important factor for a successful operation. When we chefs put up a specials menu changing from day to day, we need to make sure that we maintain a good to excellent food cost.

Next week I write about on how we got drilled on the presentation of a dish on a plate. Until then, you have a fantastic week, enjoy life and great food. Cheers

PART THIRTYTWO: "THE WORLD IS MY OYSTER!"

THE WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES IS AWAITING YOU

Become a Chef and you never go hungry

I still remember the conversations I had with Mum. I was about 15 +and we where talking about my future. I had to make a decision on my professional future. We spoke about the chefs trade. 

1) A Chef will always find work. People have to eat, in peace and war times. Economically speaking, been a chef is a secure trade to be in and you will never go hungry.. 

2) There has ALWAYS been a shortage of Chefs. In Switzerland and in Australia was and still is a shortage of chefs. Finding a new job as a chef is easy. Some bigger newspapers have job adverts for chefs. 

3) Been a chef, the sky is the limit and the World is your oyster. Many great opportunities can await you as a chef. 

A World of Opportunity

Ever wanted to see the World? As a Chef you can see and experience the World. You can go anywhere and find a job. Work in a exclusive Hotel somewhere in the World? Why not. I did it, it is amazing. I was never out of a job. But there is more...

You can work in a restaurant or hotel, you can work in a hospital, age care facility, work in a staff canteen of a huge factory or office building, cook in a function centre. Wait there is more...

You could work on a oil platform or gas platform out at see, you could work as a chef for international fright and people shipping liners and private luxurious ships, this way you really see the World. There is more...

You can work in a mining camp in West Australia, they need to eat. The mines sometimes look for chefs, anywhere in the World. There is even more...

Cook in the Army, for Presidents and Prime Ministers, Kings and Queens, Cook in Universities and schools, cook in exclusive clubs. You can be a chef in an International organisation, you could work in an Consulate General of any nation as a chef. You want more? Okay...

You can become a airliner chef and work at the catering department of the airport, a chef in the railways, chef in a road house,  some arts centres have restaurants looking for chefs, sports facilities, tourist attractions, resorts, or you could be a chef on an expedition, adventure tours, prospecting tours.

You can even go to the South Pole and be a chef there for the research teams. 

You can start your own small or large restaurant, take away shop or cafe shop. You could run a catering business working from home. 

You can also become a trades teacher for chefs. You could run your own cooking school. 

Why did I become a Chef?

I was interested in cooking since I have been 9 years old. I was just fascinated watching and helping that nice food mum and grand mum use to cook. Little did I know that I was going to become a chef.

I love food, full stop. I went to cooking school when I was 12 and I started to cook at home sometimes. I am always trying new foods. 

I was always dreaming to see the World. I could not sit still for long.

My sense for adventure. 

But one of my main reason was that I could put a smile on a persons face with a nice meal. It is truly a trade of love. You work big hours but at the end of the day you have the satisfaction that because of you your guests had a very nice meal. Cooking nice food is a declaration of love on a plate.

Next week I share with you how a retail price of a dish on a menu in a restaurant or hotel is created. When I was in the apprentice ship, we had to learn the money site of a dish. Over the years the system became easier and it seems to work. Have a fantastic week, love life and all what is you. Cheers 

PART THIRTY ONE: UNSPOKEN RULES IN THE KITCHEN

THE BLUE PRINT OF KITCHEN ETHICS & TRUST

Today I am going to share a very important part of kitchen life with you. You will see that those points I am going to share with you, apply to all aspects of working life, not just the kitchen. When you enter the working life, meaning a apprenticeship or job, it is good to know how to fit in so to speak. In my working career I stuck to the rules I learnt while in the boys scouts and the Army, and I did well with them. I like to pass them on to you, especially those of you entering the work force.

COMING TOGETHER IS A BEGINNING

KEEPING TOGETHER IS PROGRESS

WORKING TOGETHER IS SUCCESS

by Henry Ford

RULE 1: You must be willing to learn and take on board constructive criticism. You never stop     learning, as longest you live! Nobody knows it all. I am a Chef for over 30 years and I learn every day something new. I learn from apprentices as much as I learn from other chefs.

RULE 2: Become a TEAM PLAYER. In a kitchen, with not much room, working with other people under stress, getting all the meals cooked and served, you must apply teamwork. The moment you got nothing to do, you help someone in the team getting the job done. You earn the respect you deserve. Look out for each other and always work with each other. 

RULE 3: You must be flexible. In a kitchen you know your starting time but never your finishing time. It is not your 9 to 5 run of the mill job. Some days you may have to work longer, some other days you can go home earlier. It is give and take. 

RULE 4: Trust goes a long way. Do not "rat" on your team mates. So when the head chef ask you who stuffed up that meal, you simply say: I don't know, I did not see it. Remember, you are a team and you back your work mates. What happens in a kitchen, stays in the kitchen. 

RULE 5: Admit to your mistakes. There is no shame or law who states that you can not make a mistake. We are all humans after all. Where people work, mistakes are made. Admitting to the mistakes one makes and learn from it is your best option.  My mother use to say: "No Master has fallen out of the sky".

RULE 6: Be a good Communicator. Part of a good communicator is to listen. When you work in a kitchen during service hours, you need to communicate with the other chefs. You need to listen and answer quickly. When you cook a la carte for 250 people in 2 hours, everything has to work like clockwork. The team of chefs cook table by table orders where every guest has something different to eat. All meals are cooked to order. With communication and absolute team work is a must. The head chef calls out the meals, you say yes, and deliver your part of the meals. Concentrate, listen, answer, deliver. 

RULE 7: Keep your temper in control. That is a important one when you want to work in the kitchen. When you work in a kitchen, the pressure is on. Everything is about timing. You have days where you don't stop for 6 hours or more for a short break. So when all the chefs are under pressure, some words can fly. Because you work under pressure, your temper can easy flair up. You have to control that temperament trying to get the better of you. Take a deep breath, concentrate on your work and deal with the issue you have later after service hours. Talk about the issue you have, and be nice about it, with the person you have the issue with. Sort it out, shake hands and get on with it.

RULE 8: Personal hygiene: In the food industry, personal hygiene is a absolute must. That includes not wearing rings. Clean fingernails, short haircut or wear a hairnet during work, control your body odour as it is always hot in a kitchen, have one to two showers a day. For the men, a clean shave. Long beards are not allowed. 

RULE 9: Never run late to work. Where ever I go, work or private, I make sure that I time myself to be there 10 minutes before I have to be there.

RULE 10: RESPECT is important. It is even more important that you respect others, no matter what colour of his/her skin is. In the Chefs game, you will work with people from around the World. 

Next week I will talk about the World Wide Opportunities good Chefs have and how save the chefs trade is. Been a Chef can open the World to you. 
Have a fantastic week, love life and enjoy every moment life gives you. 

PART THIRTY: A REAL FINAL TEST REHEARSAL

THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY

Two years and six months into my apprenticeship. My most important day of my apprenticeship was approaching fast. A apprenticeship as a Chef goes for 3 years. There was a lot to learn in that short time. When you finish the chef apprenticeship, you know only the basics.  The final exams are though and they go for 2.5 days. The real learning begins after the apprenticeship.

How ever, this most important day was not the final test. The most important day was set 6 months prior to the final tests. This was the day we are going to find out what we learned and what we still need to learn or brush up on. We where 3 apprentices and we are going to be tested. Half a day, basic knife skills, working with meats, fish, vegetables and fruits. Setting up basic stocks, make a demi glaze or gravy from scratch. After we got 90 minutes of questioning, all aspects of cooking, safety, hygiene, calculating cost to retail price of a dish plus lots more. We had an hour break and in the afternoon we had to cook a 9 course menu given to us. Our parents and management of the Hotel and Testers where invited for Dinner we apprentices cooked.We had 4 hours, from scratch to the finished dish. Because our Test was conducted in the Function kitchen, we where given an extra 45 minutes to gather what we needed. Every whisk, seasoning and all the goods we needed to cook that 5 course menu. A classical soup, followed by a cold entree, main course, desserts, biscuits and ice chocolates with coffee.

You had to fulfill a number of tasks in basic preparation like boning, cutting meat, filleting fish, cut different classical vegetable and potatoes, make a bouillon, a stock for gravy, a fish fond or stock and chicken broth.

Part of the test was also your appearance. Uniform need and clean, apron, chefs hats, necktie, fingernails trimmed, hairnet or short hair, the male chefs shaved, the female chefs no perfume or excessive make up.

We were tested on all levels of the kitchen, from cold larder to pastry section. As a Chef you would be able to prepare entrees to desserts. A special dessert was used often for the final tests, called Charlotte royal. See photo below:

We where working as a team, us 3 apprentices when it came to the cooking in the afternoon. Our task was to cook for 12 people, parents and management.

The first course had to be served exactly at 6:30 pm and the last course at 9:00 pm. After we had to clean the kitchen and that was also a part of the test. Hygiene was a high priority to know as a chef.

From 8 am to 10 pm we run off our feet, a introduction to the real test 6 months later. Now we could find out where our weaknesses where and work on them for the next 6 months.

The highlight of the day was; When we finished we could get changed and sit together with our parents in the function room. The The Chef or Tester who took our exam, where also on the table. We could then listen first hand from the experts where we had to complement our learning to iron out the weaknesses in our cooking. This was a great help for us. First we knew what the test is going to be like and secondly we knew where we had to put more effort into the area we where lacking on skill.

By the way, the Charlotte Royal dessert was on our menu.

Next week I share with you certain unspoken rules of kitchen life. The same rules will always apply, no matter where you are or what you do. Don't miss that one.
Till then, enjoy life, eat well and lough a lot.