Hump Day

I no longer think of Wednesday as "hump day" because I no longer have the traditional Monday-Friday, nine to five work-week. Wednesdays can still make me happy, especially those where I work the day shift as opposed to the evening shift. I had such a Wednesday today.

There was nobody in the kitchen when I got there at 11 am. The server on duty shared that Chef has been chilling in his office all morning. This annoys me a little because I have been told that someone has to be on line at all times and there has been many a time where I am alone in the kitchen, am dying for a break but cannot leave as there is nobody else there to watch the kitchen. The fact that he was chillin' while there was a lot of prep to be done does not annoy me as much. My Chef works long hours, arrives some days before 7 am and doesn't leave until after 7 pm on a good day so I am all about cutting the guy some slack. But don't tell me there's a rule to have someone in the kitchen at all times but that rule doesn't really apply to you, Chef.

Another peeve was that he was going to teach me some desserts today but didn't. I think he completely forgot about it. But the thing that gets me the most is being called inefficient simply because I can't keep up with the dozen of orders coming out of his mouth at any given time. I have written about this in the past, why I believe it was just yesterday! Another example, if I may make my case... Shortly after I got in, Chef came in the kitchen and we discussed the daily soup. A breakfast order came in for two sunny side ups, one with pemeal, one with sausage, both with homefries and brown toast. As soon as I finished the order and turned around Chef says to me "is the soup ready yet? it's 11 o'clock!" I just want to say to this guy... "hello, have you not been here the whole time? I have been making breakfast, and no, I don't have a twin that went in the back and made soup while I was making these eggs." So I put the soup on the stove and then he says "go upstairs and bring the striploin, we have to cut this right away." I am stressing "right away" and you know why? Chef left at 2:00 pm without having cut that striploin that I had to rush and get, in the middle of making the daily soup. I just don't get the guy. I really don't. You'd think that striploin was the most important thing today the way he made me drop everything to get it and then it sat there on the table, for three hours, untouched, until the Chef de Partie finally cut the 6 oz. steaks later in the afternoon.

It was a very quiet day though, especially after he left! I could focus on my prep: dicing onions, peppers and tomatoes, cutting romaine, making chipotle mayo and julienning (is that a word?) peppers for my salads. I had also cut up fruit -- pinapple, honeydew and cantalope -- and washed leaf lettuce. I had to do this in between making lunch orders but it really was not a busy day. When I left at 7 pm the line on the cold side was fully stocked and I am sure the three cooks remaining would get out of there within an hour as well.

I think tomorrow will be a different story, I think it's supposed to be sunny and a little warmer, bringing winter golfers out in droves, especially before Thanksgiving!