Your worst mistake, and what it taught you

[Live_to_cook]

To this non-chef, from reading these message boards, it seems that becoming an excellent chef requires, partly, trial by fire.

What was the worst mistake you ever made on the job, and how did you learn from it to make yourself a better, stronger chef?

I think it would have been many years ago.

I was a green cook and the chef told me to clean out the walk-in fridge. Well I tried to figure what to throw out...Chef I said "How do I know if it is bad?"

Well I asked him at the wrong time (he was running during service)"Just use your nose!" he barked "If it smells bad get rid of it!"

Little did I know the awfull smelling liquid I found was lobster stock he needed the next day for a bisque to be served to a wedding of 60.

He never noticed untill the next day when he went to make the bisque.

I was sweating as he started yelling..."What the **** happened to the ****ing lobster stock!It was here yesterday!"

"What does a lobster stock look like?" I asked. It was in three pails of liquid in the walk-in.

"Oh the bad smelling liquid...I got rid of it like you told me to Chef."

After that I ALWAYS asked before I put anything into the garbage. And I may add I still do to this day.

[cookM]

I learned a lot of little things, really.
1) Do not go racing around the corner w/o checking to see if the oven door is up. Oww!
2) Don't assume a sheet pan is cool.
3) If 500 degree mashed potatoes are sticking to you leg, attend to that first over your turkey pie.
4) If you don't want your fellow culinary students to keep stealing your clarified butter, label it *yellow lipids* instead.

[Nick.Shu]

i think one of the hardest things to learn is how to organise others. It is one thing to be given the gift of both common sense and organisation and another to pass it on.

[shroomgirl]

Really checking the list before doing offsite
catering....Especially things that can't be bought at a gas station.
Trusting your intution....whenever I've done an override it's not turned out for the better.
Knowing my limit and not going over....stress is an ugly thing.

[chefjohnpaul]

I think my worst mistake early on was to develop an attitude because I had some natural skills. After eating humble pie after a number of "ball droppings" I started to grow up.

There are a number of chefs with pretty big attitudes, some are perfectionists and treat their people very poorly, I believe the lives and well being of people are more important than food, even though there is a job to be done and at time individuals need to be corrected, disciplined,and trained people deserve to be treated with dignity and if one has natural talents or abilities a prima donna attitude needs to be agressively resisted. What Jesus said about treating others like you would want to be treated is the best rule of thumb.



[This message has been edited by chefjohnpaul (edited August 31, 2000).]

My biggest mistake. . .Three of them.

1. Not checking my ego at the door when I first started working. I learned the hard way to check myself.
2. Realizing that the grass isn't always greener on the other side, even if the money is.
3. Letting someone else prep my wedding parties. Its a mistake I think we've all made.

[Nicko]

I can agree with that Chef Tiss. My biggest mistake was always thinking the grass was greener on the other side. Always going for a better place, better money only to be disappointed that I left. It has taught me to way the pro's and con's a lot more, and not to make my decision based on emotion.

[Chef Chris23]

My Biggest mistake, was making things harder on my self then they really are as well has going in with a closed mind thinking that nobody else's opnion matterd but mine. But that comes with learing the ropes. And I learned really fast, that is something you dont do.

[augiewren]

I agree with the others here. Learning to be a good supervisor and trainer is the hardest. I did a lot of yelling when I was younger. Not any more. It doesn't solve the problem and makes you look like an *** . I had a cook start a fire one night and never even raised my voice. He learned more from that experience on his own than I ever could have accomplished by yelling and berating him.