lists

Yesterday was a day off yet the season of lists is upon us so I sat drinking mocha at a local cafe and compiled several. What to prep when, what needs to be special ordered, what recipes need to be compiled, what can be frozen in advance., when to have special order forms ready, what to replace in cases, equipment needs and, the inevitable, prep list.

I love prep lists, mis en place, whatever you want to call them. It is soul satisfying to cross items off and the days when it is one sheet with lines through everything are joyous. Of course, the carryover happens more often than not. The beauty of the carryover is that, for me anyway, it tends to be the administrative crap that is not accomplished while to physical food needs are completed. This is supposed to be the primary part of my day anyway (I think, truth is, I have no idea what my job description really is anymore, that hanging nebulous phrase- 'anything else the department manager asks'- is a stroke of genius on the part of HR) and lately, it sort of has been.

While I lamented the arrival of November, the reality is that I am thrilled it's here. This is the food I love. We are going to be filling cases, containers, pie tins, pastry boxes, ovens, walk-ins, shelves, every possible surface. What does this mean in the short term. It's ok to put aside the paper work! A few months of freedom from sitting at the desk banging at inventory, invoices, reviews, the stuff we want to avoid though it has to get done somehow. Hello long days of being on my feet cooking and inventing. So glad to have you here.

coming to jesus

We had one of those types of staff meetings today. Starting with talking about the customer service video we watched last week (which had and has some great points, not that I want to get on that bandwagon in any way) to let out what you have been holding back. The holding back brought nothing really new, simply that which has been squelched publicly though voiced all along. Do I feel like a crappy manager who has no clue how to 'manage'? Oh yeah.

Here all along for the past year I thought I was getting the hang of it finally dealing with the same people day in and out. Life crisis, getting a thank you note from one who needed more time, having the boss out and shifting priorities hourly, having it all somehow hang together. Yup, stands for nothing. It all feels like it is sucky.

What did I say at the meeting? Need you all to (once again, why does this have to be said every time? and this really can't be new information that we want you to act, if not really believe- this reflects on you since you wear the white jacket and that is all the customer sees (they do not care if you specialize- they want answers and consolations) need you all to take ownership. Not my job/problem/area? I DON'T CARE. You wear the jacket, you care.

Savory vs. sweet. Holiday menu vs. every day. Hot bar vs. salad bar. Cold case vs. grab n go. It's really all the same. Really. The customer does not care what we do when they see us in the white jacket. It's all the same to them. It needs to be all the same to us. We all own all of it. If you can't agree with that, it is time to move on.

I know I am tired and getting burnt and missing the game of restaurant where it is easier to drive the bus. NOT ready to walk back in tomorrow and tell staff that things are changing, yet again, and not changing how I want them to. Need more control...

realizations...

next week is November. What happened to all those lazy summer days full of tomatoes and corn with hand churned ice cream- blueberries tossed in for the last few minutes- eaten standing outside juice dripping down grinning chin and no napkins in sight? Next week is November. Time for hard squash, roasted Brussels sprouts, mulled cider, hot chocolate and 400# of turkey to arrive in two weeks.

Thanksgiving already. The menu is set. Order forms being developed. Preview day is scheduled. Boxes being ordered for pie. Shite, pie. Last year it was over 250. This year? Who knows. This year we will not be doing the overnight bake. This year we will be compromising and not making the crust ourselves. This year we will be taking advance orders. This year we will be baking instead of the bakers. And mixing and recipe developing and packaging and labeling and waking up to do it all again. Next week is November.

Did I say that already? Let me say it again. Next week is November. The holiday season is upon us and I still have not eaten an ear of local corn. Am I burnt? Crispy? Frustrated? Tired? Feeling alone? I love autumn. I miss writing. The low sun lighting up tree tops flaming with all hues of crimson orange yellow gold mustard green glimpsed briefly. Strange random drives on days off looking at trunks lining Ichabod Crane worthy roads that appear to have been paved over remaining foot paths. Given the time, I fall in love with this valley again.

Realizations? I realize that I am tired of feeling like I am doing too much alone. Realizing that the partner is not now able to partner. Realizing that the funk I am in will lift when there is green again. Realizing that I cannot live without this up and down that defines good days from bad. Meanwhile, there is the glow from that low sun lighting up the under limbs accompanying me on the drive home. Next week is November...

is there somehting like this here?

British Artisanal Food Gains New Champions

news

Started a new job today. Kinda...

I have quit the bakery...the drama was finally too much and the owners of the BBQ joint made me a good offer to work for them at their other restaurant. So today was the first day.

We started with a lot of cleaning...someone has not been taking care of business there...then a lot of prep and then scaling and butchering fish...that will be my main focus once I get trained up on the line and figure out everyhting.

I was told that they need someone solid to take over the day to day stuff from the chef so that they could focus on the things that chefs need to focus on. So I will be cleaning and receiving and storing and opening and ccoking and whatever else needs to be done...

I am still working at the BBQ joint at night...the hours and the wages will work out nicely, and I will be getting insurance now...which was part of our deal...good times.

The computer is on the brink of death so I don't get to spend as much time on it as in the past...so posts might be few and far between...but...we'll see.

celebrities

John Besh came in the other night. He was in town to do a book signing for his new book. He was very nice and chill.

His new book does look good.

just when you think

there is an end to the chaos and uncertainty, it's a new day...