Lessons Learned Today
El Chivo and La Cabra are two ways of saying goat, like bull and cow. So, the legendary Chupacabra prefers to suck the blood of female goats. Otherwise it would be Chupachivo.
I asked a Thai person I work with if they have chupcabra in in Thailand, she says she doesn’t think so.
10 Minutes to Close
Last night, as I was shutting everything down for the night, the ticket spitter kicked out a multi-course meal for two. Yay. As a younger cook, I would have probably freaked out on the server. As an older cook, I just keep my annoyance contained. And get some pasta water on, because I had succumbed to the dishwashers desire to take the pasta pot a half-hour ago.
After I put all the food out, I finished closing and changed into my civilian clothes. I grab a beer from the bartender, and head out to the patio where everyone is sitting. I see four or five tables full of people enjoying themselves. I even notice the table of the final order I pushed out, just finishing up. The very happy looking couple was sitting side-by-side, holding hands, idly watching the people and the traffic go by. These are the moments when I feel good about the work I do.
Maybe all kitchens be open. Open kitchens definitely mitigate ticket rage. It is really nice to be able to see the customers eating what you just made, and smiling. Sometimes they give you a thumbs up or something, or stop by and say “thanks!” We definitely like that!
Donut Things
Some kid tonight just waltzed back into the kitchen and asked if we had “those donut things.” I had to say no… Wish I could have helped the little guy out!
100 Degrees
Tonight it was about 100 degrees in the kitchen. I am pretty sure a lost a few pounds in sweat. I am not actually sure if it is technically possible to lose weight that way, but it sure feels like it. I suppose that the complete lack of desire to actually eat anything even vaguely heavy probably helps in that regard.
When the weather is super humid like this, people don’t like to sit on the patio as much. Hardcore AC is the order of the day. No one here in the north has developed a tolerance for this kind of climactic brutality yet.
What this means for a restaurant like mine is that you get REAL busy after the sun goes down, and a time when I am accustomed to doing prep and cleaning up. This also tends to happen after the swing cook is cut, so I get to deal with this solo. And I did. It was a fight, but I came out on top, if only by a field goal. All the food went out looking good. Even the crazy person who wanted her ratatouille served over a bed of pasta got her wish.
Saturday night, 22 May 2010 – a missive on labeling things.
Yes, I date everything in the British style. You can call me a wanker if you want, and yes, i can be a complete wanker sometimes. However, I do this for a reason.
In a pro kitchen, the day of the month is far more important then that actual month. Not a whole lot sits around for more then a week. Indeed, in the eyes of the law, NOTHING sits around for more then a week! So, by default, the most important date is the actual day of the month. I always lable things thusly as I did in the title of this post- 23 may 10. Truth be told, I almost never write the year at the end, but I do always write the 23 may. Yes, I write the first three letters of the month. That way, I can mitigate any confusion about my reversed style in a way that makes sense in English and Spanish. Just how I do it.
Kind of a slow news day at work tonight. Unlike last Saturday, when we had our asses handed to us, we worked well together tonight. Our plates looked great, and we had a good plan of attack.
Sometimes you feel good about that shift drink, because you earned it. It tastes a lot better then when you are drinking it because you need to numb the pain.