kitchen Angst!

I want to focus on the kitchen workers, the heart of any restaurant. I have been working in professional kitchens for the better part of the last 20 years now, so I think I have a good idea of how they work. I also know who works the hardest, and best in this very stressful job. I will probably offend some people with this entry, but if you have been following my blog you will already know I don’t care! OK, maybe a little, so I want to apologize before I move on and get it out of the way.I’m sorry!

Now lets move forward with my point shall we!

In most (if not all) American kitchens today you will find the majority of the workers are Latino! This is not just because they work for cheap, but also due to their hard work ethic! They will put in the long hour, in a smoldering kitchen to get that paycheck at the end of the pay period. They will preform the same task, the same way, every time no matter what! Every plate will look the same, every time they plate it. As long as you give them a list of the “job description” you wont have to Have to worry about it getting done! Latino people also understand the importance of food in the social scheme of things, and when you have a happy crew, not only will they do anything for you, but they will feed you home cooking like you have never had before, teaching you something new. They are proud of there heritage and want to share it with you!

On the down side… They will not take the initiative necessary to complete a task on there own. If you haven’t shown them, they will not do it! This is not out of laziness, It is out of Honor! This is where the conundrum lies, They want to be right, not aggressive! They also demand respect, and If you don’t show it, they wont either! It really is that simple… If you treat them like a member of your family, they will as well. If you only treat them like a worker, thats all they will ever be! A kitchen is a family, more so than your real one sometimes, Treat It with the respect it deserves! They work hard and give you your down time, so take care to give them what they need. It isn’t much in the end! You will be happier for it!

James