PART THIRTEEN: THE SWEET PART OF THE MAIN KITCHEN -- THE PASTRY SECTION

WELCOME TO THE PASTRY SECTION

THE SECTION WHERE CHEMISTRY PLAYS A ROLE

It took a better part of 6 months before I was going to work and learn about the Pastry Section. In that section, one has to work very exactly by recipes. Every ingredient has to be weighed exactly to the gram. The reason for that is; The content of the recipe has to be precise due to the fact that the end result is a success. For those of you who have baked a cake before or made a dough for bread or cub cakes knows very well, that if the recipe is not followed, the end result can end up a disaster. 

As a Chef, you need to have a good understanding about pastries and sweets, including how to make sorbets, ice cream, basic cakes, different puddings and cream deserts like vanilla cream, cream caramel, chocolate cream and fruit flavored cream desserts. Also small tarts filled with a cream patisserie (like a vanilla custard) and topped with fruits like berries, bananas, pineapples, cherries and the like. You also get to learn how to work with chocolate, how to melt chocolate as an ingredient for chocolate mousse, chocolate flan, chocolate ice cream plus lots more. Working with sugar, how to caramelize sugar without burning the sugar and most importantly to keep your fingers away from cooked sugar. You can burn yourself severely when you get cooked sugar on your hands. Sugar takes a while to cool down, so when you get caramelized sugar on your hands, it will not cool down for a while.

THE PASTRY CHEF IN CHARGE

There is a big difference between a Chef and Pastry Chef. 

A  Chef is qualified to cook all different foods with a basic knowledge about sweets and pastries.

A Pastry Chef has made a apprenticeship in baking, pastry and cake making and some of them in chocolate making and chocolate work. So in Switzerland, when you make first a bakers apprenticeship, you learn all about bread making to pastries, plus a separate apprenticeship as a "Chocolatier" (knowing how to make all types of chocolates from scratch). So in other words, the training to become a full fledged pastry chef will take up to 6 years, depending how much one wants to learn and qualify for the trade. Pastry Chefs are working in exclusive and luxurious Hotels and are wanted Worldwide. Some pastry chefs are also qualified as Chefs but your training will go for 9 years. I can assure you, I have ever only met one Pastry Chef who went all the way. 

WHAT GOES ON IN A PASTRY SECTION?

In the hotel I made my apprenticeship, the Pastry Section is also a part of the Main Kitchen, but separated with dividing walls. our Pastry Section was equipped with a massive stainless table in the middle of the section. Around the table where the refrigerators also made of stainless steel, going from the floor up to the ceiling, a freezer for prepared sweets, a stand mixer for making dough's, whipped cream and different mixes for sweets. A huge dough roll machine, a marble plate for sugar and chocolate work, large containers on wheels with different flours, sugars, ovens, a gas stove with copper pots and pans, a tools section including copper bowls and a small desk area for the Pastry Chef for all the paper work and function and job sheets.

Been part of the Movenpick Group, a lot of the cakes where made in the main factory of Movenpick. They where delivered frozen and to finish them off, we had to bake them. Not all cakes where made there, just a few basic ones who where available in every Movenpick Resort Worldwide. 

Cakes: Black Forest Cake, "Sacher" Torte, a chocolate torte specialty originated in Austria, Vienna from the Hotel Sacher, baked Fruit flans, a typically Swiss dessert made in a round and shallow cake mold with a crispy dough, grounded hazelnuts, layered with fruits like apricots, cherries, apples, pears and topped with a liquid egg and vanilla mix, then baked. We made also strawberry sponge cake and other specialty torts and cakes.

Biscuits: We made different biscuit dough mixes, then we rolled them into 15 inch and 1 inch thick rolls, wrapped each roll with clingfilm to be frozen. Daily we would take out a few rolls, unwrap them and cut about a quarter inch slices. Then we placed them on a baking tray and bake them. Once baked, we cool them down to room temperature and place them into a cookie tin. The biscuits will go to all our restaurants, to be served with a cup of coffee ordered by the guests.

Pastries: We made a range of pastries like cream slices, fruit tarts, and a huge range of different Swiss pastries.

Cream caramel: A dessert that takes skill especially when you make them from start. 

Fruit salad: may sounds simple but when you work in a top hotel, the fruit salad has to be spot on. No seeds, no tough skins and colorful the fruit salad has to be.

Different cream desserts & mousse: Cream brule, chocolate mousse, caramel cream, chocolate cream, strawberry mousse, Charlotte Royal plus lots more.

Plated desserts: We had to make all the plated desserts for functions and events. We would have all the plates in a refrigerator, and before the desserts are plated, we would take everything up to the function kitchen to be plated. The timing had to be absolute priority. 

I really enjoyed working in the Pastry Section. During my apprenticeship, in my third year, our great Pastry Chef fell ill for a few weeks. The Executive Chef Norbert Fontana gave me the responsibility to run the Pastry Section during the time our Pastry Chef was not present. That was a great honor for me and at one stage I contemplated to do a additional 2 apprenticeships as a baker and chocolate maker. However once I finished my apprenticeship, I had to march up to the Swiss Army Service, a must for every male 18 years old or older.  

Next week we go to the function kitchen. A hectic place to work and long hours. Until then, enjoy life, eat great food and live well.   

PART TWELVE: MORE SECTIONS OF THE MAIN KITCHEN OF A BIG HOTEL AND WHAT HAPPENS THERE

VEGETABLE & GREEN SALADS SECTION

MY STARTING SECTION OF MY APPRENTICESHIP

When I started my apprenticeship, I was assigned to the vegetable and green salads section. As a new apprentice, I had to learn all the basics on how to peal, clean and cut vegetables, all green varieties of lettuces, potatoes and fruits. One part was how to check the deliveries and how to store them correctly in the walk in cool room. The second part was how to prepare, peal and clean all the vegetables for the Hot Section, Cold Larder Section and lettuces for the satellite kitchens. How to peal and cut fresh fruits for the pastry section and breakfast section. The Vegetable and green salads section was placed closed to the walk in cool room where all vegetables, green salads, fruits and herbs where kept. Two large sinks and a large preparation area was available to do all the work. Also part of my training was to use certain knives and peelers and do to the work efficiently.I was working there for the first 3 months until a had a very sound understanding of it all. Sometimes, one of the "Cassroliers" (Kitchen hand) would work with me depending on the work load. The ambient temperature was also very low due to the nature of the work.

FISH AND SEAFOOD SECTION

THE NEXT PART OF MY BASIC TRAINING

This was a very smelly part of my training. I will go home every day smelling like a fish. One of the first basic skill I learned on that section is how to wash my hands after handling fresh water or salt water fish. Always wash your hands with cold water and soap first, then rub your hands with fresh lemon juice. The reason to use cold water is; the skin has pores that open when it is hot and close when it is cold. This is to protect your body from heat or cold. So when you use warm or hot water to wash your hands, all the fish smell will penetrate your skin and your hands will smell of fish for days to come. 

The fish and seafood section is the coldest part of the kitchen. Again, that section is near the cool room for fish and seafood, has 2 sinks, preparation area and a ice machine. So everything you touch is cold to freezing cold. 

On that section I had to learn all the types of fish and seafood. How to check if the fish and seafood was fresh, how to cut, scale and fillet the fish. how to prepare the seafood and most importantly, how to store it correctly. Here I learned a new knife skill, using a filleting knife. A filleting knife has a flexible blade, about 8 inches long and the width starting with about one inch going to a sharp point. I had to learn to skin certain fish, fillet certain fish like trout, salmon, sword fish and the like. 

Fish is very expensive in Switzerland due to the fact that Switzerland is not bordering to the ocean.All the salt water fish is flown in directly and was only caught a few hours ago. 

MEAT SECTION OR HOTEL BUTCHERY

THE THIRD PHASE OF MY BASIC TRAINING

Now I was on the Meat Section. Also part of the Main Kitchen, the ambient temperature was also cool. This basic training had two parts: first in house training, second out of house training with a proper butcher firm. I needed to learn about all the different types of meats like beef, pork, veal, lamb, chicken, turkey, and game meats. Then I had to learn all the different types of cuts from different parts of the animals body, how to portion the meats and how to store the meats. Once I worked for a couple of months on that section, I was send to a butcher firm to learn how to bone out a full carcass, separating the meat from the bone and separate the different cuts for different uses.Starting at 5 am in the morning in the city of Zurich, I had a totally new experience away from the hotel life. The butchers all had breakfast about 8 am consisting of boiled sausages and potatoes. That was a bit different to the breakfasts I use to. I met some crazy blokes there. They where all tall, lots of muscles and mad. Some of them will drink BLOOD every day, beef blood. They prompted me to have some but I declined. Apparently it gives you a lot of power but attacks the brain over a long period of time drinking blood. I use to call them "Day time Vampires". I worked for 4 weeks with the butchers and I learned the skill of boning.

Next week I will talk about the pastry section and by all means one of the sections you have to work to the gram exactly. Enjoy life, eat good food and live well. 

   

PART ELEVEN: THE COLD LARDER SECTION OF THE MAIN KITCHEN

ONE THE COOLEST PART OF THE MAIN KITCHEN

INTRODUCING THE COLD LARDER AND WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE

The cold larder is a very vital part of any kitchen operation. In a big hotel, the cold larder is responsible for all the cold dishes, from entrees to salads, terrines to pate, salad dressings to special sauces, butter - and ice figurines for buffets and food displays and lots more. 

Like in the Hot Section, a "Chef de Partie" or senior Chef is in charge. We apprentices get to work on all sections for a few months to learn all about the different foods and how they getting made and finished to serve. 

Here is a breakdown on what gets made in a Cold Larder Section:

Terrines and pate: A very complex process to make terrines and pate. A terrine is a cold meat packed in a pastry with gelatin, a veal bones based jelly. A pate is also meat based but generally spreadable, therefor more soft. Pate can be made from chicken liver flavored with green peppercorns or any other suitable meats and seasonings.

Smoked trout, smoked salmon and smoked chicken, including some smoked meats: Some hotels have their own smoking machine or oven. The meats are placed on a wire rack where all fish is normally hanging on a hook. Special wood chips are placed on the bottom and ignited so they just create a smoke without fire. The oven gets closed and the smoke will flavor the fish. With meats, also heat is applied to cook the meat very slowly while the smoke will add the flavor. Some meats are getting seasoned with peppercorns and special herbs, including some salts to enhance the flavor. While I did my apprenticeship, we bought all the smoked fish and meats because we did not have any smoking ovens. We still had to learn theoretically how the smoking process works.

Canapes - amuse bouche - small bite size mini appetizers: Only by request, some functions had those mini appetizers served with before dinner drinks or aperitif. Bite size breads with smoked salmon, smoked trout, different continental meats like ham, salami, pastrami, shrimps and prawns, crabs, caviar, lobster and the like. It all depended on how much the customer was prepared to spend. 

Salads: Not your lettuce type salads but pasta salads, rice salads, vegetable salads, seafood salads, meat salads, with a ready made dressing mixed through. 

Salad dressings: Dressings like Italian dressing, French Dressing, Thousand Island dressing made in the Cold Larder section for the restaurants and buffets.

Special Sauces: Mayonnaise, Cocktail sauce, Tartar sauce, Vinaigrette, plus any requested sauces for functions or special guest requests.

Pickled vegetables: Also made on the Cold Larder Section, pickled vegetables are soaked in a hot vinegar based stock with mustard seeds, peppercorns, herbs and spices.

Condiments: Generally for buffets, small bowls with dill cucumbers, pickled vegetables, special sauces, chopped parsley and herbs, mustard's, chopped onions and garlic, chopped chili, plus anything required for a buffet or a guest request.

Whipped butter: Very traditional, in Switzerland, butter is whipped in a stand mixer until the color is snow white and soft and spreadable.Using a piping bag with a star nozzle, the butter is piped into small butter bowls and served with fresh bread.

Herb butter: A whipped butter with herbs, spices and flavors. A very common one is called "Cafe de Paris", not a coffee but a name for a common herb butter eaten with a grilled steak instead a sauce. There are a number of different herb butters depending what flavor is used. Using a piping bag with a star nozzle, small portions of this butter is getting piped on to a cold stainless steel tray and then frozen. 

Butter and Ice sculptures: A top Cold Larder Chef knows the skill of making figurines out of butter or ice. In my apprenticeship I was lucky enough to know the Cold larder Chef who had that skill. The butter used to make figurines is not edible. The melting point is lot higher so the sculptures don't melt away.

The ice used came in a block. You could not made a mistake, when working with ice. It is a very tricky job and one has to learn for at least 1 year to work with ice.In contrast working with butter is a lot easier. If you make a mistake, you can correct that mistake very easy, with ice, a totally different story. The ice needs to have a certain temperature to work with. If the ice is too cold, it breaks or a piece will snap off.

Platters for buffets and special events: All platters for functions and buffets except breakfast buffets are done in the Cold Larder section. Using mirror platters, wooden - and stainless steel platters. From seafood - to meat platters, cheese platters generally on a wooden platter, platters with terrines are done in the Cold Larder Section. Presenting the food is a vital part of any buffet as the guests also eat with their eyes. A skill to be learned, placing all the foods in the right order and keeping the platter spotless. The hardest platters are the mirror platters. Not even a fingerprint, sauce drop or anything out of place. 

PREPARATION FOR THE BREAKFAST BUFFET: 

The breakfast Chef prepares all the platters and foods for the next day in the Cold Larder Section. The reason for that is the ambient temperature. Part of the preparation was:

Platters: Continental meats, fruit and cheese platters

Large glass bowls with: fruits like cooked peaches, apricots, plums and pears. "Bircher Muesli" (a Swiss National Dish made with oats, nuts, fresh fruits, sultanas mixed with yoghurt, orange juice and finished with a touch of whipped cream), Portion Jams, Butter and Margarine, Portion Yogurts 

Egg mix: for scrambled eggs, also whole eggs to be cooked on the day for fried eggs and boiled eggs.

Bacon: placed on stainless steel platters to be cooked in the oven on the day

Chipolata sausages: white small sausages made from veal or chicken, popular in Switzerland

Tomatoes: cut in half's and brushed with liquid butter and seasoned with salt, pepper and herbs, placed on a stainless steel tray to be cooked on the day in the oven.

Bread rolls and croissants: from the pastry section on the day. Toast breads delivered early in the morning of the day.

Next week I will talk about the Vegetable -, Fish and Seafood - and meat section. Until then, enjoy life, eat good food and live well.

PART TEN: THE HOTEL FOOD PRODUCTION KITCHEN - THE CENTER FOR ALL HOTEL IN - AND OUTDOOR CATERING Part A

THE HEART OF THE HOTEL

Most larger hotels anywhere in the World with restaurants and function facilities have a Main Kitchen or Production Kitchen. The kitchens are large commercial kitchens, meaning that large amounts of foods are prepared and cooked for resell like menus and function menus right through buffets and Satellite Kitchen supplies. The Main Kitchen is the center point for all food outlets. All Chefs working in the Satellite - or Function Kitchens get everything they need from the Main Kitchen or Production Kitchen. 
All deliveries like, fresh goods, dry goods and all food related items are going to the main kitchen. Large walk in cool rooms to store the goods, like the cool room for fruits and vegetables, a cool room for all meats, a cool room for the cooked hot items like sauces, soups, a cool room for the cold - or larder section, a cool room or very large refrigerator for fish and seafood's, plus a large walk in freezer for all frozen goods. There is also a dry goods storage room with large storage containers for sugar, flour, rice and the like is also situated in the main kitchen. 
Also the temperatures of the cool rooms and freezers have to bone monitored at all times. Cool rooms have normally a temperature of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius and the freezers minus 18 to 20 degrees Celsius. Any temperature fluctuations have to be dealt with immediately, otherwise thousands of dollars worth of food can go off. 

Sections of a Main Kitchen

HOT SECTION: The hot section in the Main Kitchen is responsible for all the sauces, soups, hot foods for buffets, all base sauces for the Satellite Kitchens and all the base sauces for the Function kitchen. It can get very hectic depending on the work load. All foods cooked need to be of best quality and also need to be the same in taste every time. To ensure this, every food cooked has a recipe that needs to be followed every time. You may wonder, why qualified Chefs need to follow a recipe? They should know how to cook. The answer is very simple: In a commercial kitchen operation every recipe has been calculated exactly to the cost of the recipe. Every ingredient is included in the costs. Based on how much the recipe costs, the retail price will be calculated. The term used is "Food Cost". I will show you how the food costs works in a future blog. Let's get back to the Hot Section.
There are generally 2 to 3 chefs working in the hot section. Generally there is a apprentice with the chefs. When I done my apprentice ship, us apprentices where posted in one of the sections, working and learning alongside the chef in charge of the section.
Here are a few examples of what get's cooked and prepared in the hot section.
Bouillon: A base clear beef soup made from beef marrow bones, vegetables and herbs & spices
Consomme: Made from Bouillon. Minced beef meat mixed with egg white and minced vegetables, mixed into the cold bouillon and very slowly heated and kept on low to medium heat. The beef meat mix will slowly rise to the top, giving the bouillon a very nice taste and stronger taste.
Soups of the Day: Made for the restaurant, buffets and staff canteen. Also function menus with soup as an entree.

Special Base soups: Bisque D'homard, National Soups like Bouillabaisse and the like.
Sauces: Neapolitan Sauce, tomato based and used mainly in Pasta dishes.
Cream sauce: Made with pure cream, seasoning and thickened with a Roux. (Roux is a mix with flour and butter made to a paste to thicken soups and sauces). This sauce is also used for pasta and meat dishes.
Veloute de poison: French for fish sauce. Made from a basic fish stock, thickened with a roux. This base is used for fish and seafood dishes.
Fume de poison: A strong flavored fish sauce thickened with a roux and a touch of cream added. This base is used also for seafood dishes.
Demi glaze:A brown meat base sauce for mainly stews, steak sauces.
Meat glaze: Made from their base meat sauce, reduced by a lot until it becomes a glaze. Also used for a sauce to mainly steaks.
Curry Sauce: Not made in the Main kitchen. The reason for that is that some sauces are made in the main factory of Movenpick in Switzerland. Having resorts Worldwide, like a franchise, the food had to be exactly the same. (like Mac Donald's, KFC's, Subway and the like)
Sauces like curry, Mexican, plus other fixed menu sauces where delivered to all the resorts Worldwide and I believe it is the same today. I will keep you posted as I will go to Switzerland soon and visit my old place where i made my apprenticeship.
Rice, Risotto, Pastas: where also cooked in the hot section, mainly for the satellite kitchens.
Vegetables: Blanched and chilled for mainly functions.
All sauces, pastas, rice or risottos, where prepared in the hot section for the function kitchen.

IMPORTANT NOTE

I am currently in Thailand and will later this month of June go to Switzerland. I like to re-visit the Hotel I made my apprenticeship and see if I get permission to make some photos of the original kitchens I did my apprenticeship. That is the reason why I have no pictures on this blog. The next 2 or 3 blogs will have no pictures either. Also all computers here are in Thai language and I don't know the computer commands in Thai. I have been lucky enough to find a computer I can log in to Google. As you perhaps know, Google is very big on security and I find this at times a bit of a headache but it is for everyone's good. My apologies.

Next week I will cover some of the other sections of the main- or production kitchen. Until then, enjoy life and great food.