After finally getting well stuck into a cooking class that attempts to push us volume-wise as much as it does quality-wise, I developed a simple system I now use in all my cooking classes with great success.
Our school requires us to hand-write all recipies for a given day of cooking on 3x5 index cards. We also use evaluation forms at the end of the day to self-evaluate the work on each table (usually 3-4 students per table, with up to 6 tables per class). The idea is that you are forced to at very least look at the recipie once all the way through before you attempt it in class, and to at least consider the results once.
I quickly realized it's very easy not to spend enough time familiarizing yourself with a given recipie, as well as factor in the proper production considerations. So I came up with a system in MS Word that forces me to think through recipies more than throughly before class, as well as produce a very useful production schedule & requisition sheet for each class (which if they aren't required by your Chef, are extremely valuable in any cooking class, and really get you thinking holisticly about the menu in the context of a working kitchen).
The system:
1. Break the recipie into tasks by "ingredient groupings", which is to say organize ingredients according to your mise en place procedure: eg for a baking recipie, one ingredient group can be your dry ingredients, another group is the wet ingredients. This focuses your work flow according to each task, rather than having you mise everything at once, or mise things now that you do not need until much later. (Example will follow).
2. Identify any "pre-awareness" needed throughout, eg pre-heating an oven or setting up a frying station. This is about equipment awareness more than ingredients. Need to make tomato concassee? Then you need a blanche/shock station. Put these kinds of needs first on your list. Include the things you always forget, like the time it takes to properly wash rice.
3. Include timings in all your tasks so that you are thinking through how long a task is going to take, but also so you can produce a quick and easy production schedule after you're done. My format is:
"(task): (estimated minutes):"
... followed by the ingredient listing for that task.
4. Create a "master sheet" that lists all recipies broken down by task and associated ingredients. (If you use the columns feature in Word, you can fit up to 5 or 6 recipies on a page)
5. Save the document as a new/different Word document; go back and delete all ingredients and print/save your new production schedule.
6. Go back to the master sheet; save the document as a new/different Word document, delete all your tasks & timings and print/save your new requisition sheet.
7. Fold the tops of your new documents and hang them on your speed racks as necessary.
8. I write out my index cards to follow this pattern, but having a standard format recipie on hand is probably a good idea too.
Examples:
Master Sheet entry:
Edited by Culinuthiast - 5/4/10 at 10:40am
Our school requires us to hand-write all recipies for a given day of cooking on 3x5 index cards. We also use evaluation forms at the end of the day to self-evaluate the work on each table (usually 3-4 students per table, with up to 6 tables per class). The idea is that you are forced to at very least look at the recipie once all the way through before you attempt it in class, and to at least consider the results once.
I quickly realized it's very easy not to spend enough time familiarizing yourself with a given recipie, as well as factor in the proper production considerations. So I came up with a system in MS Word that forces me to think through recipies more than throughly before class, as well as produce a very useful production schedule & requisition sheet for each class (which if they aren't required by your Chef, are extremely valuable in any cooking class, and really get you thinking holisticly about the menu in the context of a working kitchen).
The system:
1. Break the recipie into tasks by "ingredient groupings", which is to say organize ingredients according to your mise en place procedure: eg for a baking recipie, one ingredient group can be your dry ingredients, another group is the wet ingredients. This focuses your work flow according to each task, rather than having you mise everything at once, or mise things now that you do not need until much later. (Example will follow).
2. Identify any "pre-awareness" needed throughout, eg pre-heating an oven or setting up a frying station. This is about equipment awareness more than ingredients. Need to make tomato concassee? Then you need a blanche/shock station. Put these kinds of needs first on your list. Include the things you always forget, like the time it takes to properly wash rice.
3. Include timings in all your tasks so that you are thinking through how long a task is going to take, but also so you can produce a quick and easy production schedule after you're done. My format is:
"(task): (estimated minutes):"
... followed by the ingredient listing for that task.
4. Create a "master sheet" that lists all recipies broken down by task and associated ingredients. (If you use the columns feature in Word, you can fit up to 5 or 6 recipies on a page)
5. Save the document as a new/different Word document; go back and delete all ingredients and print/save your new production schedule.
6. Go back to the master sheet; save the document as a new/different Word document, delete all your tasks & timings and print/save your new requisition sheet.
7. Fold the tops of your new documents and hang them on your speed racks as necessary.
8. I write out my index cards to follow this pattern, but having a standard format recipie on hand is probably a good idea too.
Examples:
Master Sheet entry:
Beet and Apple Salad with Horseradish Vinaigrette
preheat 400(F)
chill plate
emulsion: 10 mins
1 Tbl. brown mustard
2 Tbl. prep. horseradish
¼ C. raspberry vinegar
& drizzle ¾ C. olive oil.
season tt.
prep: 5 mins
1# beets
bake: 25 to 40 mins
(fork tender)
cool/prep: 10 mins
peel/julienne beets
dress beets: 5 mins
2 Tbl. vinaigrette
1/8th C. green onion whites, minced
mix slaw: 5 mins
½ C. celery hearts, ¼ inch slice
1 Tbl. chives, minces
2 Tbl. parsley, chopped
2 apples, peeled & julienne
(lemon juice preserve for apple)
1/8th C. green onion whites, minced
dress escarole:
remaining vinaigrette
Same entry in the Production Schedule:
Same entry in the Production Schedule:
Beet and Apple Salad with Horseradish Vinaigrette
preheat 400(F)
chill plate
emulsion: 10 mins
prep: 5 mins
bake: 25 to 40 mins
cool/prep: 10 mins
dress beets: 5 mins
mix slaw: 5 mins
Same entry in the Requisition Sheet:
Beet and Apple Salad with Horseradish Vinaigrette
2 Tbl. vinaigrette
Same entry in the Requisition Sheet:
Beet and Apple Salad with Horseradish Vinaigrette
1 Tbl. brown mustard
2 Tbl. prep. horseradish
¼ C. raspberry vinegar
& drizzle ¾ C. olive oil.
1# beets
2 Tbl. vinaigrette
1/8th C. green onion whites, minced
½ C. celery hearts, ¼ inch slice
1 Tbl. chives, minces
2 Tbl. parsley, chopped
2 apples, peeled & julienne
(lemon juice preserve for apple)
1/8th C. green onion whites, minced
Hope the idea might help someone out there. The task oriented thing is useful for me, but if you don't like that, consider still doing a req sheet and production schedule for your classes. It makes a huge difference in terms of what you learn in class. When you know the recipies that well, you can focus on what Chef is teaching instead of trying to keep up with the recipie you should already know fairly well.
I guarantee you if you walk into class with a production schedule and req sheet on top of your recipie cards you will be well prepared for class, and make an excellent impression on your Chef - and possibly motivate your fellow students to meet your effort and thus raise the standards of your classroom.
Take the time to fill out a plate diagram or two (maybe even bring some blanks with you to class) and you'll really be on the ball. Also, consider doing an equipement requisition sheet as well, or incorporating equipment thoroughly into your ingredient req sheet.
I guarantee you if you walk into class with a production schedule and req sheet on top of your recipie cards you will be well prepared for class, and make an excellent impression on your Chef - and possibly motivate your fellow students to meet your effort and thus raise the standards of your classroom.
Take the time to fill out a plate diagram or two (maybe even bring some blanks with you to class) and you'll really be on the ball. Also, consider doing an equipement requisition sheet as well, or incorporating equipment thoroughly into your ingredient req sheet.
Edited by Culinuthiast - 5/4/10 at 10:40am
, now, in school it may be different.
