pet peeves for cooks

I love my job........If it weren't for those dang customers, everything would be just great!!!

Cooks who lick their fingers after every task. Eww.

TV cooks and cookbooks that use the phrase, "available in every store."

Showing up for work on Monday morning only to find my work station has been changed or something moved. It is more than a pet peeve for me.......

Looking into the pantry only to see that the product I am looking for has been used and emptied and no one bought another or left a note telling me there is none left. (weekend shift)

People asking me , " Do you  like to cook ?"

Getting ready to plate and someone walks into the kitchen and wants to talk.

When I get asked for something that isn't on the menu or even have ingredients for in the restaurant.

Servers that don't know the menu....especially after a month of work.

you guys sound like my mom!

I have to agree with halmstad.........

people who feel TV personaliites are the best chef's ever--

People destroying their knives on a steel... thinking they are cool because they can do it fast and make a lot of noise.

Watching cooks on TV drip sweat and drop hair into food because they don't wear hats... health inspectors would definitely write you up for that.

Watching Emeril for years on TV and thinking he is the greatest, only to find out his food is crap...

People who think you know everything.

People who think you know nothing.  :D

Pet Peeve of a Chef?

                                 No one truly  gets this industry unless your in it! ...after over 30 years...including the time working for my parents restaurant it is in my blood for life.

We are a different breed , that is in no way explainable  unless you are living the same dream as I am. Don't ask me to come over for dinner and then say " Would you serve this in your restaurant? ....and don't ask me if I would like to help in the kitchen or my opinion on anything over the meal ...I just love it when someone else cooks .Even if it is a grilled cheese sandwich

I do have my own down time too!

Just two...

customers

and servers.

people using my station and not cleaning the mess they made, servers coming around to my station to look for food and in my way. coming to the dessert station and finding and empty bag of whip or empty bottles of sauces, just dont see why they cant refill it or  just have it washed. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by halmstad 

a few of mine:

 

going to someone's house and randomly having to cook. the knives are always dull and rest of the equipment is substandard.

 

when people ask "what is your specialty?"

I effing HATE both of these. Good equipment totally makes the difference and unfortunately most people don't have decent knives.
 

Anyways I am going to add a couple of my own:

1. People not respecting the craft -- par example there is a waiter/cook at a place I work at who claims he is going to put "sous chef" on his resume because he has been watching the Food Network for years and works in the kitchen a few shifts a week. He was absolutely floored when I properly rolled an omelette and gussied up one of the dessert presentations. Jesus I'm getting fired up just thinking of it.

2. Fellow cooks who are talking to you as they're walking away/not facing you then get pissed you didn't hear them. Either speak up, look in my direction or don't get angry I had to ask for a repeat. I don't have microphones planted in the walls.

That's all.

>Had domestic Kobe Beef as a special one weekend.

>Burgers for lunch, filet for dinner.

>First burger order is well-done.

>First filet is well-done and butterflied.

Also, people ordering a medium burger or steak, and sending it back because "it still has some pink in it."

Koi... yup.

"I'd like it medium rare, please... but no blood".

"I'd like it well done, but juicy"

Customers that have no clue what they're ordering drive me nuts.

A few years ago (pre-retirement),  I was waitressing in a very nice restaurant that had "Steak House" in the name.   It ticked everyone off when customers whined because the menu didn't have more vegetarian offerings (there were at least 3 veggie plates,  plus the cooks did try to be accomodating).  Like ... hello...its a steak house... why did you even come in here??? Grrrr...

I'd like it well done, but juicy"

Well, waddayaknow, PrairieChef. Seems like you've served my brother.

The boy insists on having his steaks cooked to the shoe leather stage, then douses them in ketchup because they're so dry.

Quote:

Originally Posted by amazingrace 

  It ticked everyone off when customers whined because the menu didn't have more vegetarian offerings

Well, were the vegetarians you served fresh or previously frozen?  It makes a difference, you know.

mjb.

 Har d har har har

In my kitchen my pet peeves are the dogs under my feet...

someone putting my knives and cookware in the dishwasher..

oh don't forget metal in my nonstick cookware...it makes me cringe and strangle them at the same time!!!

Just a home cook here.

People touching my knives.

People wanting to chat with me while I'm cooking a meal for 8 people and then getting offended because I'm not paying attention to them.

Employees at grocery stores telling me that poor product is "Just as good" as what I'm looking for.  Applies most especially to "produce specialists" trying to sell blemished food.

People salting the food before they even taste it.

People touching my knives. 

A number of years ago my wife "did me a favor" and scrubbed out my favorite cast iron skillet with lots of hot soapy water.  It took a while to get the seasoning back.  Now no matter how gross and skanky the cast iron looks after I cook a meal she lets it sit until I clean it up.

mjb.

At home cook here too - its a different kind of peeves for me than in a  pro kitchen, but similar I guess.

-People putting used cups & plates etc on my clean boards

-Knives going into the dishwasher, then whinging when I have to re-sharpen them because of the noise it makes

-Someone clearing out the dishwasher, then stuff ends up in all the wrong place, and I gotta spend ages hunting something down...grrrr

-Telliing people dinner will be ready in 10 mins, so please finish off what you are doing - and waiting 20 mins after having to nag - I don't make a nice dinner so it can go cold and spoil.  Me not hungry by then

-Texting or answering the phone during dinner - arggh

-Someone promising to do the dishes, then in the morning - hey - guess what?  They're where I rinsed and stacked them still

-Empty beer/wine/soft drink bottles left cluttering up my bench space

-Bags of bread left unsealed

.....I could continue, but it's making me angry thinking about it lol

Oh I so forgot the whole dinner will be ready in 10...Oh I feel your pain especially when your making nice seafood that doesn't taste good cold

Going to friends/relatives and getting stuck cooking.

Catering the family Thanksgiving and everyone at first was all for it and was ready to pay thier share of the bill.. to have only six out of twenty people pay us and hear complaints about the food at Christmas..  I really didn't care about the cash.. I did it to help out, but the complaints were a bit much.. hmm.. you got  a FREE  meal and did not lift a finger to do dishes but come Christmas you have issues?  It was only one person who complained but they were rather gossipy about it and that really irked me.  You can't please everyone and what matters most to me is that my mother in law enjoyed the meal I made and she appreciated not having to do all of the work. 

Pet peeve at work.. the  "last minute larry's" who turn up five minutes before closing and expect full serice.. ack!!