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NEED SOME ADVICE: What can i do to be more professional?

post #1 of 2
6/20/12 at 7:47am
Thread Starter 

I have been working as a line cook for 7 years at various resturants but for the past 6 I have only been cooking for a paycheck not for the love of the art. I finally got a job that is 1 tier above you typical cooperate resturant. You actually cook the food to order! I am grossly obsessed with cooking now. The history, the culture, the science, the tools of the trade, the creativity and the satisfaction of putting together a dish that was once just a thought in my mind is soothing to the soul.

I asked a retired chef what i need to change about the way i work and he said " Mark, you gotta be all over  it!"

What are some things i can practice at work to really improve myself?

The question sounds a bit dumb but I need to know to become better at what i do.

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post #2 of 2
6/20/12 at 8:27am
  • Pay attention to detail.
  • Don't get too impressed, it's only food.
  • Taste and touch everything. 
  • Focus on smoothness, and doing things correct, not speed;  pushing too hard not only results in mistakes but makes you go slower.
  • If you make a mistake, let it go.  Don't dwell, it takes you out of the present and good cooking is all about the present.
  • Hot pan and hot grill skills:  Never turn before the "release;" toss turn everything which can be toss turned. 
  • Never, ever, but never overcook.
  • Hit your seasoning levels, especially salt.  Ingredients don't arrive seasoned. 
  • Knife skills -- mostly sharpening, very few people including professionals have a clue; if you can't already make dead-straight cuts, practice;  if you either don't know or aren't proficient at the basic cuts, practice. 
  • If you're doing sauces, keep them clean; get them off the heat before beating in that final piece of butter; and sieve, sieve, and sieve some more.

 

BDL

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http://www.cookfoodgood.com
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ChefTalk.com › ChefTalk Cooking Forums › Cooking Discussions › Food & Cooking › NEED SOME ADVICE: What can i do to be more professional?