Most of my days are filled with a series of emotional highs and lows. One moment I can experience the exhilaration associated with executing near perfection, only to be deflated moments later when something does not reach my standards. You don’t have to be a Four Star Chef at a high end restaurant to feel this way. Passion and pride are not exclusive to any single segment of the industry, ethnicity, gender or age; you either feel this way or you don’t.

I beat myself up pretty good when things don’t work out as planned. Sleepless nights followed by stress filled days are common occurrences. Those days are lost forever! What a waste of my most precious resource, time. I know that during these challenging times, many of my fellow Chefs are feeling the same strain. We are all on edge. Uncertain of what tomorrow will bring and how our daily performance will influence our futures, we sweat it out through the end of each month, hoping and praying we hit our numbers and live to cook another month.

A little extra planning, a few more hours committed to the job, and a backup plan for most everything will allow you to better enjoy your down time. You may actually have a little less down time, but it will be higher quality down time and definitely worth considering. Remember that even the worst day will come to an end, try to brush yourself off, learn from it and set yourself up for future success.

Here are a few stress buster suggestions.

* Answer all emails, return all phone calls, and read all change logs  and daily reports before you go home. Ignorance is bliss until you're called on it. Know the answer; that’s what they pay you for.

* Read and know upcoming menus for at least a week in advance; run scenarios; think them through to identify and solve potential challenges.

* Plan your daily 5 minute staff standup meeting to provide the most useful and pertinent information, such as specials, prep lists and anything out of the ordinary.

* If you don’t have people you can trust to purchase, properly receive and store food. You need to oversee it. I can't tell you how many nights I counted steaks, not sheep, running scenario after scenario through my mind. Did we get that? Is it enough? This is not the way to recharge your batteries.

* Know your numbers before they're official. Run a daily food, labor and line item cost through a spread sheet.

* Don’t serve what you shouldn’t. I would rather 86 something than serve inferior or poorly prepared foods. In a preplanned banquet setting, you don’t always have this option. Proper planning and execution are crucial. Don’t be cheap; buy quality ingredients, and have a backup plan. You won't regret it.

* You're not running a test kitchen; cook what you know. Your customers expect a quality product for their hard earned money. Specials and new items must be researched, practiced and perfected before rolling them out.

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I have been lucky enough to be temporally assigned to a new property (within my company) in Napa Valley, CA. at the Silverado Resort.  If you have ever been part of transition team at a large property you know how demanding it can be. Long days for multiple weeks combined with living out of a hotel room can be a rough and sometimes an overwhelming experience. Being away from loved ones and breaking your normal routine can take its toll if you don’t have a little fun.

 

 That being said I have pushed myself to have a little adventure whenever the opportunity arises. Last Sunday I rode a bike 11 miles up and down winding roads to Yountville in search of the French Laundry. My friend Bill talked me into this and I followed with the thought that you only live once. After an hour or so of peddling in 90 degree heat, past miles and miles of wineries and endless vineyards we came upon route 29, the road to Yountville. When we finally arrived both Bill and I were pretty sweaty and quite disheveled. I was wearing gym shorts and Bill a YMCA shirt that looked like he had just finished cleaning his garage. I am not sure what we were thinking, but in the front door we went.

The maitre de was puzzled; he was either thinking that we were pan handlers or a pair of Tommy tourist that lacked any class or good sense. Bill having the gift of gab explained we were actually F&B people and that we had just made the before mentioned journey. He seemed amused but was still not clear what we wanted. Bill then went on to say that we were Chefs and would it be possible to look at the kitchen. To our surprise he said yes and began to lead us through the DR until his good sense kicked in. After a brief pause he said maybe we should go around the back, so we entered through the rear door and into a small service hall, walls adorned with menus, awards, wine lists and assorted celebrity signed posters and memorabilia, I could not get a real good look as service was actively being executed and I tried as hard as I could to be thin and stay clear of the organized frenzy. Square footage is at a premium in this very small, heavily equipped and heavily staffed kitchen. As servers moved quickly in and out of the kitchen, efficiently relaying instructions on the progress of courses within their stations all I could do was offer my apologies for being in their way. During the 15 or 20 minutes that we intruded on their space, not one person appeared to be anything but polite, professional and patient with us.  I have to say that I wouldn’t have let me in my kitchen looking like we did never mind during service at one of America’s top restaurants. As I stared, eyes wide open like a kid in a candy store, the sous vide butter poached lobster circulator, the plates silently moving down one of the four prep lines staffed by a team of about 25 cooks and chefs, I had to remind myself this was lunch.  The Chef de Cuisine, Tim Hollingsworth a nine year veteran of the restaurant did not say much, but was very polite and cordial.  As we watched multiple courses slid forward in each station waiting for Chef Tim’s final approval, complete with almost surgical like placement of the final garnish and a wipe of the plate we began to salivate. We dropped a few hints about being open to tasting a thing or two. Chef smiled and went back to his work, it wasn’t going to happen, we counted our blessing for what we experienced, shook a few hands, thanked all concerned and politely excused ourselves. We vowed to return, but unfortunately did not have the opportunity.

Uva Downtown Napa-A Local Place



A great place with live music, awesome service and pretty good food. We shared several appetizers that were pretty standard fare, but good quality and cooked properly. 


Brunch at Ad Hoc

It was OK, nothing to write home about, I was somewhat disappointed. We were told the menu was geared towards the Holiday weekend tourist. At about $40 a head I expected more.

Course One: Potato pancake, duck trap smoked salmon, crème fresh and a nice fennel-greens salad.

Course Two: Sliced Omelet, 2 Slices Each of Braised Nuske Bacon and a Snap Pea Salad

Course Three: An Oreo Cookie and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwich that was off the charts!


 Waiting For A Table                                 Chef David                                                   Course One

Course Two

Chefs Market Napa

Every Thursday from 6 - 9 pm a Chefs Market a.ka. Street festival takes place.  I didn’t see any Chefs, but I did enjoy the offerings of many stalls. Roasted Oysters with the choice of 4 sauces at $2 a piece were really good. The local favorite called Malfatti was pretty good.
http://vitisenoteca.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/san_fran_chronicle_08-13-04.pdf




Dinner at Whitehall Lane Winery

The Chefs from the Silverado Resort catered this amazing meal. The food, the ambiance, the wine and the company were the best.

 
Zuzu Tapas- Great place, great food with big flavors.
http://www.zuzunapa.com/

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The Total Package Chef

I haven’t written a blog in awhile. I have been pretty busy; I lost some staff, and had to tackle multiple projects at both work and home. We all go through times like this, periods of overwhelming challenges, deadlines, personnel commitments and sometimes health related issues. Thirty days ago I wondered if I would fail or could I rise to the occasion and execute at the expected level? I was reading one of my older blogs and thought it may help to motivate others toward both personal and professional success. I have seen many chefs and cooks with top notch skills and good intentions never reach their potential. An ongoing pattern of self destructive behavior and poor decision making has sidelined them from the fast track. We all need to take a look in the mirror from time to time and give ourselves an attitude adjustment. If you can change your thinking you can change your habits, that’s all it is, bad habits. If you want to be successful in today's no excuses, just get it done world you need to be a Total Package Chef, no ones going to pay you for half of the package.

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The Mother of all Days

by Chef Leonard W. Elias CEC

Its 4 am, as I sit here drinking my coffee, surfing the net, clipping recipes and gearing up for the “Mother of all Days” all I can say is that I am glad I have a place to go. Yes today will be crazy, at last count we were up to 670 reservations for Mothers Day Brunch. It is what we do and under the right circumstance can actually be fun and challenging. Last night I had two weddings and a full day of regular serviced meals, so prep for today actually started on Wednesday. It sounds like a Christmas carol, 12 beef tenderloins, 11 boxes of shrimp, 10 roast turkeys, 9 legs of lamb, you get the rest.

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Last weekend I traveled to the ACF Regional Conference in Birmingham Alabama. I was scheduled to arrive Friday, but could not leave until after I put out the Saturday Night Banquets. After driving through several tornado warnings, torrential rains and 60 mile an hour winds, I arrived safely at my destination. With no harm done, I looked forward to finding something to eat, but ended up ordering a pizza delivery. Sad to say compared to the $20 room service burger and less then desirable hotel lounge setting, I think I made the right choice.

On Sunday Morning I took part in several seminars and spoke with many chefs about the taboo subject “Are Culinary Schools Helping or Hurting the Industry”? I first of all will say that I have nothing but respect for a quality culinary education and the majority of dedicated and committed instructors. Their work is very important and crucial to the future of our industry. My problem is that I think we have hit the saturation point, too many schools, too many graduates with too few real opportunities. Where will all these graduates work? Is the $50-$100,000 cost of culinary education worth the payoff or will most graduates find themselves disenchanted finding little opportunity for advancement and eventually leave the industry?

If you are currently a culinary student or considering it, read on, you need to make an informed decision. My intent is not to discourage you or turn you off to the industry; I love the industry and have no regrets on my career choice. If this is what you want to do, great, but realize you will have a long journey ahead of you filled with many challenges and sacrifices? Working off hours including weekends and holidays will be the norm. While family and friends are gathered for holidays and get-togethers, you will be busy at work. You better get use to it; it’s the path you choose.

Some of you will be lucky and fall into great situations working under great chefs. Just realize how lucky you are and take advantage of it. Controlling and shaping your future starts each day that you suit up. Your attitude and commitment can never waiver. I am convinced that anyone can be successful at something; you just need to find that something, whatever it is and work it! If Culinary is it, give it all you got. But first you have to ask yourself, why are you contemplating a career as a chef? Here a few common answers. Please add some of your own questions and comments.

1. I love cooking and my friends and family tell me I am very good at.

That may be true and serve as a starting point but it’s usually not relevant to required basic industry skills and knowledge. I would suggest getting a job at a local full service or white table cloth restaurant; develop knife skills, elementary prep methodology and some kitchen savvy. Work for free if you must, it may save you thousands in tuition and will certainly give you a jump start on your career path.

2. I love watching reality TV Cooking Shows. The Culinary School commercials are also inspiring.

Read my blog on the subject @. http://www.fohboh.com/profiles/blog/show?id=1411008:BlogPost:334116

Just remember it is TV and many of the contestants are unemployed.

3. The Industry pays well.

You can definitely do well down the road and make a good living, but it won’t come easy. The attached UD Dept. of Labor statistics published are accurate.

Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations

Median /Mean /Mean Annual

Chefs and Head Cooks $18.64 $20.39 $42,410

First-Line Supervisors/Managers of Food Preparation and Serving Workers $13.93 $14.81 $30,810Cooks, Fast Food $8.12 $8.47 $17,620

Cooks, Institution and Cafeteria $10.68 $11.19 $23,260

Cooks, Private Household $11.57 $14.91 $31,020

Cooks, Restaurant $10.57 $10.94 $22,750

Cooks, Short Order $9.26 $9.73 $20,230

Cooks, All Other $11.09 $11.91 $24,770

Food Preparation Workers $8.96 $9.54 $19,850

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Are You One of Them?

Who are they? They are a large percent of the workforce and as a group wield a great deal of influence and power. They work within all areas of the hospitality industry. There is no socioeconomic, gender, educational or physical requirements to be one of them. All you have to do is show up for work everyday, it’s that easy. Most of them feel that the world owes them a living. And that by virtue of their presence, the majority of their daily responsibilities have already been completed. The fact that they are doing their job at any level should be enough to satisfy anyone who dares to question their intent or the competency of their work. The sad part is that most of the group had big dreams earlier in their careers. Many had the potential to rise through the ranks and even to become leaders but some how lost their way.

I say it’s never too late! Escoffier published Ma Cuisine in his late eighties. Surely you can put a little more effort into what you do and get back on track; it’s a new year that comes with new challenges. There will be upward and sometimes outward movement within the ranks creating new opportunities, are you prepared to capitalize on them? Don’t let opportunity pass you by. Take the “Are You One of Them Test” to get an honest assessment of your status and how rank and file may perceive you.

*The Are You One of Them Test*

• Do you consistently show up exactly or slightly after your daily scheduled start time?

• Does your day often seem like it will never end?

• Are your breaks more important to you then getting your work completed?

• Do you ignore the needs of others in favor of completing your own daily agenda even when you have the time and ability to assist others?

• Do you turn a blind eye to the incompetency of others when you have the knowledge or skill to correct them?

• Do you walk past spills, debris on floor, out of place equipment, a spotty glass on a set table etc. never intending to contribute to the overall organizational efforts?

• Do you prefer keeping ideas for improvement to yourself, hoping to save it for your next job or the right opportunity to look good?

• Do you choose your daily level of productivity based on how you feel that day?

• Were you once a candidate for advancement before you became one of them?

• Did you once have a dream to become an executive chef, manager or even an owner?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions, see a career counselor. Life’s to short, find a job you like and even love, you will be much happier, productive and successful.

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Staying On Top Of Your Game

Its three days later and I am still shaking off the effects of the weekend. We did 600 covers in about three hours. I gave my AM Sous Chef the day off? His kids are young and mine are grown so I didn't mind doing the work, but I was cemented to the line and did not move for almost 10 hours. It was out of control, but in spite of the economy it was very encouraging to see so many people come out and spending money.

I was off yesterday but ended up spending most of the day working from home trying to close the financials for the month. It would be nice just to be able to cook all day, but the fact is results count. If you can’t run the numbers, you can’t run the business and you won’t last long. Even the most successful chefs have got to wonder what they will need to do to stay on top of their game. Running the business, keeping yourself contemporary and your food exciting is a full time commitment.

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I don’t consider myself over the hill. I may have a few more aches and pains as well as a couple of gray hairs, but I can still work the pants off most people. I do wonder what I will do in the next 10 years as I move towards senior status and become a card carrying AARP member, as well as a senior American Culinary Federation member. Will my body continue to cooperate, allowing me to do what I love or will I have to make some decisions about my line of work?

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This was the first blog I ever wrote and thought everyone might enjoy it. I look forward to contributing and sharing new ideas and concepts to the site.

Having served thousands of buffets over the years, I consider myself to be somewhat of an expert on the subject. I am actually a fan of buffets. When executed properly, a buffet can be a great way to experience new foods while meeting a wide range of guest preferences.

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