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July 31, 2024by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Essential Kitchen Equipment for Every Chef

Essential Kitchen Equipment for Every Chef

by Nathen Dubé

In the world of culinary arts, the right equipment can make all the difference between cooking a good dish and crafting an extraordinary one.

Whether you’re a home cook or a professional chef, having the right tools at your disposal is crucial for efficiency, precision, and creativity in the kitchen.

Tag along as I explore the essential kitchen equipment every chef should have, from basic must-haves to advanced tools. I also share usage tips, maintenance advice, and personal stories about my favorite equipment.

Equipment: The Essentials

Knives

A good set of knives is the cornerstone of any kitchen. High-quality knives can improve your cooking experience significantly, making prep work faster and more precise.

The key types of knives every chef should have include a chef’s knife, paring knife, bread knife, and boning knife. A chef’s knife is versatile, suitable for chopping, slicing, and dicing, while a paring knife is ideal for peeling and intricate work. A bread knife, with its serrated blade, is perfect for slicing bread and pastries, and a boning knife is essential for de-boning meat and fish.

To make the most of these tools, it’s important to keep knives sharp, as sharp blades ensure clean cuts, and reduce the risk of accidents.

Use the appropriate knife for each task to maintains efficiency and precision. Hone knives regularly with a honing steel to maintain their edges, and sharpen them with a whetstone or professional service periodically to ensure long-term performance.

Hand wash and immediately dry knives to prevent rust and damage, which will prolong the life of your knives.

My chef’s knife is my most trusted kitchen companion. I remember purchasing my first high-quality chef’s knife early in my career. The difference it made in my chopping speed and accuracy was astounding.

Cutting Boards

Cutting boards are essential for providing a safe and efficient surface for food preparation.

The primary types of cutting boards include wooden, plastic, and composite boards. Wooden cutting boards are gentle on knives and durable, while plastic cutting boards are easy to sanitize, and are often used for raw meat and poultry. Using separate cutting boards for raw meat and vegetables is crucial to prevent cross-contamination.

Secure the cutting board with a damp cloth underneath to prevent slipping, and ensure safety.

Wooden cutting boards require regular oiling to prevent drying and cracking, while plastic cutting boards should be cleaned with hot soapy water and sanitized in the dishwasher. It’s also important to replace cutting boards that show deep grooves or signs of wear to maintain hygiene and efficiency.

I’ve always been partial to wooden cutting boards for their durability and aesthetic appeal.

Cookware

Quality cookware is essential for various cooking methods, from sautéing to baking.

Essential cookware includes a skillet, saucepan, stockpot, baking sheets, and a Dutch oven. A skillet is versatile for frying, searing, and sautéing, while a saucepan is perfect for making sauces, boiling, and simmering. A stockpot is ideal for soups, stews, and boiling large quantities. Baking sheets are indispensable for baking cookies, roasting vegetables, and more. A Dutch oven is great for slow cooking, braising, and baking bread.

To ensure even cooking and avoid overcrowding, it’s important to use the correct size of pan for the job. Preheat pans before adding ingredients to achieve better searing and browning.

Avoid metal utensils on non-stick cookware to prevent scratching, and clean cookware according to the manufacturer’s instructions to maintain their non-stick properties and finish. Season cast-iron cookware regularly to maintain a non-stick surface—and prevent rust—to extend its lifespan.

Mixing Bowls

Mixing bowls are essential for combining ingredients, marinating, and more.

The main types of mixing bowls include stainless steel, glass, and plastic. Stainless steel bowls are durable and resistant to stains and odors, while glass bowls are non-reactive and versatile for mixing and serving. Plastic bowls are lightweight, and often come with lids for storage.

Use larger bowls than you think you need to prevent spillage when mixing. Also, ensure you have a variety of sizes on hand so you’re prepared for different tasks. Clean bowls thoroughly after each use to prevent residue build-up, and avoid abrasive cleaners on glass bowls to to prevent scratching.

Mandolin

A mandolin is an essential tool for achieving uniform slices and julienne cuts, which are crucial for presentation and even cooking.

With adjustable blades, a mandolin can slice vegetables, fruits, and even cheeses to precise thicknesses.

Using a mandolin can be dangerous without proper handling, so always use the hand guard, and work slowly to avoid accidents. Clean the blades regularly and make sure they’re sharp to maintain the efficiency and safety of this tool.

One of my favorite uses for the mandolin is preparing vegetables for ratatouille. The uniform slices not only show off their color and texture but preserve their crunch.

Equipment: Advanced

Stand Mixer

A stand mixer is an invaluable tool for any chef, capable of mixing, kneading, and whipping with ease.

Stand mixers come with various attachments, including a paddle for mixing, a whisk for whipping, and a dough hook for kneading. Starting on a low speed prevents ingredients from splattering out of the bowl and ensures thorough mixing.

To maintain a stand mixer, clean attachments and bowls immediately after use to prevent residue from hardening. Check and tighten the attachments regularly to ensure they are secure.

My stand mixer has been a game-changer, particularly for baking. I remember making my first batch of bread dough with it. The ease and consistency it provides are unparalleled, allowing me to focus on perfecting recipes rather than spend valuable time on manual kneading.

Food Processor

A food processor is essential for tasks like chopping, slicing, grating, and pureeing.

Use the pulse function to control the consistency of chopped ingredients, and avoid overfilling the bowl to ensure even processing. Clean the bowl, blades, and attachments promptly to prevent food from drying on them, and handle blades carefully as they’re extremely sharp.

My food processor has saved me countless hours of prep work. Creating salsas, dips, and marinades are a breeze with the press of a button!

Sous Vide Machine

Sous vide cooking involves vacuum-sealing food and cooking it in a water bath at a precise temperature, which results in perfectly cooked dishes. Season food before vacuum-sealing it to enhance flavor, and use a container with a lid or cover the water bath with plastic wrap to minimize water evaporation.

Clean the sous vide machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and regularly descale it if you use hard water to prevent build-up.

My sous vide machine revolutionized the way I cook proteins. I recall preparing a sous-vide steak for a dinner party; the precise temperature control ensured it was cooked to perfection.

Immersion Blender

An immersion blender, or hand blender, is perfect for pureeing soups, sauces, and smoothies in the pot or container directly. Move the blender up and down for blending, and avoid overfilling the container to prevent splattering.

Clean the blade and shaft immediately after use so food doesn’t dry on them, and be cautious when handling the blade as it is sharp.

My immersion blender has been a versatile tool in my kitchen. Again, soups, sauces, jams, etc. are all done directly in the pot, saving time (and mess) from transferring to a food processor.

Digital Scale

A digital scale is an essential tool for any chef, particularly for baking, where precision is key. Measuring ingredients by weight rather than volume ensures accuracy and consistency, which is crucial for successful recipes.

To use a digital scale effectively, always set the scale to zero after placing your container on it to ensure you are only measuring the ingredients. Calibrate the scale regularly, and replace the batteries when necessary so it maintains its accuracy.

I use my digital scale extensively when baking bread. Precise measurements of flour, water, and other ingredients are crucial to achieve the perfect texture and rise. This tool has improved the consistency significantly.

Set of Ring Molds

Ring molds are invaluable for creating uniform and aesthetically pleasing presentations, particularly in fine dining. They are used for shaping and plating dishes such as tartares, layered salads, and desserts.

Use ring molds to elevate the presentation of your dishes; they’ll ensure a professional and well-crafted appearance. Ensure the molds are well-greased or lined to prevent sticking and achieve clean edges.

Equipment: Maintenance Tips

Proper maintenance and care of your kitchen equipment are essential for longevity and performance. Regular cleaning prevents food from hardening and becoming difficult to remove, and proper storage in a dry, safe place prevents damage and ensures easy accessibility.

Perform routine maintenance checks, such as sharpening knives, seasoning cast iron, and descaling appliances, to keep equipment in optimal condition. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for care and usage to avoid voiding warranties and ensure optimal performance.

Having the right kitchen equipment is crucial for any chef, whether professional or amateur. From basic essentials like knives and cutting boards to advanced tools like stand mixers and sous vide machines, each piece of equipment plays a vital role in creating culinary masterpieces.

Proper usage and maintenance of these tools ensure they perform well and last for years, enhancing your cooking experience and efficiency.

Invest in quality kitchen equipment to improve your cooking and make the process more enjoyable. Take care of your tools and learn how to use them effectively, and you’ll elevate your culinary skills and create dishes that impress and delight.

Image: Los Muertos Crew via Pexels

A red pepper resting on top of a bar of chocolate

October 6, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

The Science of Flavour Pairing

Unlocking Culinary Magic: The Science of Flavour Pairing

by Nathen Dubé

In the world of culinary arts, there exists a fascinating and almost mystical aspect that elevates a dish from ordinary to extraordinary: flavour pairing.

The art of flavour pairing is like a symphony of tastes and aromas, orchestrated to create harmonious and memorable dining experiences. As a chef consultant, I invite you to embark on a culinary journey that delves deep into the science and creativity behind flavour pairing.

Whether you are a seasoned industry professional or a curious food enthusiast, this article will unveil the secrets of culinary magic that lie within this art and science.

The Science Behind Flavour Pairing

To truly understand the art of flavour pairing, one must first grasp the science that underpins it.

Flavour pairing isn’t just about randomly combining ingredients. Rather, it’s about exploiting the complex interactions between different compounds that create flavours.

Here’s a brief look at the science.

The Flavour Wheel

Imagine a vast wheel with hundreds of spokes, each representing a distinct flavour. This is the flavour wheel, a tool that categorizes flavours into primary, secondary, and tertiary categories.

Understanding this wheel helps chefs identify complementary flavours and build balanced profiles.

The primary flavours include sweet, sour, salty, and bitter, while the secondary flavours encompass umami, fatty, and astringent notes. Tertiary flavours delve even deeper, encompassing specific aromatic compounds found in various ingredients.

The flavour wheel serves as a roadmap for chefs, allowing them to create harmonious and balanced dishes by combining flavours from different categories.

For example, pairing a salty ingredient like prosciutto with sweet melon exploits the contrast between saltiness and sweetness for a delightful taste experience.

Chemical Compounds

Flavour compounds are the building blocks of taste and aroma. These compounds are responsible for the diverse spectrum of flavours we encounter in food.

Understanding which compounds are shared between ingredients is key to successful flavour pairing.

A well-known example of shared aroma compounds is the presence of vanillin in both vanilla beans and oak barrels used for aging wine. Vanillin is a key aroma compound responsible for the sweet and creamy notes in vanilla. When wines are aged in oak barrels, they can acquire subtle vanilla and spice undertones from the wood, creating a harmonious and recognizable flavour pairing in wines, especially in the case of oak-aged Chardonnay or red Bordeaux wines.

This shared compound, vanillin, illustrates how we can derive the same aroma compound from different sources (vanilla beans and oak barrels) and contribute to the complexity and appeal of various culinary creations, enhancing both desserts and wines.

Contrast and Harmony

Flavour pairing often revolves around the concept of contrast and harmony.

Some pairings work because they contrast flavours, creating excitement and intrigue. Others harmonize, creating a seamless and balanced taste experience.

Consider the classic contrast between sweet and sour in dishes like sweet and sour chicken. The sweetness of the sauce contrasts with the tanginess of vinegar, resulting in a harmonious yet exciting combination.

On the other hand, a harmonious pairing might involve complementary flavours that meld together seamlessly. Think of the classic combination of tomatoes and basil in a Caprese salad. The earthy, herbaceous notes of basil harmonize beautifully with the juicy sweetness of ripe tomatoes.

Umami

The fifth taste, umami, has gained prominence in recent years.

Umami is often described as a savory or meaty taste, and it can be used to elevate a wide range of dishes.

Ingredients that are rich in umami—mushrooms, soy sauce, and Parmesan cheese, for example—can enhance and deepen the overall flavour of a dish.

One popular example of umami-rich flavour pairing is the combination of Parmesan cheese with ripe tomatoes. The umami in the cheese amplifies the tomato’s natural sweetness and creates a more complex and satisfying flavour profile.

Classic Flavour Pairings

Now that we’ve dipped our toes into the science of flavour pairing, let’s explore some classic pairings that have stood the test of time.

Salt and Sweet

This classic pairing is all about balance. The saltiness enhances the sweetness in dishes like salted caramel and chocolate-covered pretzels. The contrast is what makes it so delightful.

When it comes to savoury dishes, the addition of a touch of salt can elevate the overall flavour. Consider how a pinch of salt can enhance the sweetness of roasted vegetables or a perfectly seared steak.

Acid and Fat

The acidity in ingredients like lemon or vinegar can cut through the richness of fatty dishes, creating balance.

Think of a zesty vinaigrette dressing on a buttery avocado salad. The acidity brightens the dish and prevents it from feeling overly heavy.

Spicy and Cool

Combining spicy and cooling elements can create a dynamic and memorable flavour experience.

For example, a fiery hot sauce paired with a creamy yogurt dip offers a pleasing contrast of temperature and sensation. The coolness of the yogurt soothes the heat of the spice, creating a balanced and exciting flavour profile.

Savoury and Sweet

The umami-rich savoury notes of ingredients like bacon or prosciutto can beautifully complement the sweetness of fruits, as seen in dishes like melon wrapped in prosciutto.

The salty, savoury elements create a perfect counterpoint to the natural sweetness of the fruit.

Herbs and Citrus

The fresh, aromatic qualities of herbs like basil, cilantro, or mint can be elevated when paired with the zingy brightness of citrus fruits.

The combination of fresh herbs and citrus can add layers of flavour to salads, marinades, and cocktails.

Modern Flavour Pairing Techniques

While classic pairings are timeless, modern culinary innovation has taken flavour pairing to new heights.

Here are some cutting-edge techniques and trends to explore.

Molecular Gastronomy

This avant-garde approach to cooking employs scientific principles to create unexpected flavour combinations.

Techniques like spherification and foaming can transform ordinary ingredients into extraordinary culinary creations.

For instance, the technique of spherification involves transforming liquid ingredients into tiny, flavorful spheres with a thin membrane. These spheres can burst with flavour in your mouth, creating a unique and memorable dining experience.

Imagine a burst of basil-infused olive oil encapsulated in a delicate sphere served alongside a tomato salad.

Global Fusion

As our world becomes more connected, so do our culinary influences.

Chefs are exploring fusion cuisine, merging ingredients and techniques from different cultures to create exciting and unexpected flavour pairings.

For example, Korean tacos combine the bold flavours of Korean barbecue with the convenience of a taco, resulting in a fusion dish that offers a delightful balance of sweet, spicy, and savory elements.

Experimenting with flavors, techniques and combinations both classic and new, and mastering an array of techniques will elevate any kitchen team’s skills. In turn, that team will elevate the menu, restaurant, and guest experience.

Image: Karolina Grabowska via Pexels

Chef handling flaming pan in commercial kitchen

June 30, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Kitchen Parlance, Part One

Kitchen Parlance, Part One

by Nathen Dubé

Entering a professional kitchen might seem like a whole different realm with its own governing rules, and certainly its very own language.

“Clopen?” “All day?” “Behind?” “Covers?” “Deuce,” “dying on the pass”… If these terms sound foreign and made up to you, you’re not alone!

A busy kitchen can be a hot, intense, and stressful environment. Having a full-on conversation takes up valuable time when minutes and even seconds are the difference between a perfectly cooked plate of food and trash.

When actions need to be conveyed quickly and efficiently between two parties or a full team in a loud and fast-paced environment, slang develops out of necessity. Kitchens are no different, with their use of a creative and interesting lexicon.

New owners and operators opening their own concept may find many words and phrases they hear from the kitchen and servers strange at first. This is particularly true of owners and operators who may have little to no back-of-house or serving experience.

To lend a hand to hopeful operators or those opening their doors for the first time, let’s take a look at some of the more popular kitchen terms.

Operational & Equipment Terms

First, let’s take a look at the structural element of a restaurant and how they’re referred to.

Floor

The dining room (or whatever is deemed as guest seating in your establishment) is referred to as “the floor.” When someone asks, “who is on the floor tonight?”, they’re referring to the staff—usually servers—working the floor. Managers will walk the floor to check on guests and aid in service.

Note: The bar area, although it may have counter seating and its own tables, is referred to separately from the floor.

Low Boy

An under-counter refrigerator is called a “low boy” for its below-the-waist positioning, requiring cooks to bend down low to gather ingredients. This can include freezers as well. There are a variety of door configurations, including swinging, and drawer-style. Some even have salad tops where ingredients are kept in the top, under a lid.

Walk-In

A (very) large fridge or freezer, often constructed on site. It has a big swinging door that can be opened from both sides for safety reasons. The majority of raw ingredients—plus some prep and leftovers—are stored here. If you’re wondering where the word comes from, the clue is in the name: it’s so large, you can walk into it.

The walk-in is also notorious for being where restaurant staff go to scream some stress away, as the excellent insulation creates a nice sound barrier from guests.

Mise

The word “mise,” pronounced “meez,” is a slang term for “mise en place.” Mise en place is the French term for “having everything in its place” prior to service. Cooks use “mise” to refer to their own specific set of prepared ingredients, whether in terms of having it ready or not, or even worse, missing.

On the Line

The line, and the term “on the line,” refers to the area in the kitchen where the cooking equipment is located. Of course, this where chefs do most of the cooking during service. A typical line includes a walkway where the cooks work, and a flat table space—usually at the “window” or “pass” (see below)—where they plate, on the opposite side. Not surprisingly, that opposite side is referred to as the “plating area.”

If a concept requires it, there are separate “hot” lines where the hot cooking is done, and “cold” lines, where dishes that don’t require cooking are prepared. Deep fryers, ovens, and ranges are located in the former, and salad stations are located in the latter area. In classic French terms, the garde manger cook usually prepares most dishes on a cold line.

Pass / Window

The pass or window is the area opposite the cooking line where completed orders are placed for server pick-up. Think of passing dishes from the kitchen and you’ll understand this term immediately. Sometimes it will be referred to as a “window” in restaurants that have actual windows into the kitchen line from which food is passed to servers. The pass area is typically where the heat lamps are located, meant to keep dishes warm during a busy service.

The Rail / Board

The term “rail” or “board” refers to a strip of metal mounted to the food window that holds the food tickets (orders) from the kitchen printer in place. This keeps the flow organized and is normally overseen by the chef or line supervisor.

“Calling the board” means the person in charge reads out tickets as they come in, and directs cooking traffic to the other line cooks. Doing so helps to avoid disagreements and chaos in the kitchen. This position is reserved for the highest-ranking or most-talented cook, as it requires excellent cooking and communication skills. “Clear the board or rail” means completing all orders that have come in for the time being.

Chit / Ticket

When a server enters an order into the POS system, a chit or ticket, or even “dupe” (meaning “duplicate,” from the fact that some systems use three-color paper that prints a kitchen copy, a server copy, and an expo, bar, cold line, or pasty section copy), is printed to the kitchen. That ticket is then read aloud to the cooks before being placed in queue on the rail or board. When the food on the order is complete, the copy is marked in some fashion (stamp, marker, pen) and placed under the plate in the window. The server then picks up the food and the chit is “stabbed” on to a spike.

Don’t let spiked tickets fall out of the rail or all hell can break loose and derail a service!

Two-Top / Three-Top

Dining room tables are referred to as “tops” and are identified by how many guests they can accommodate (seats). A table with two chairs is a “two-top” or “deuce.” Tables with four or six chairs are “four-tops” and “six-tops,” respectively.

Covers

Each person who enters the restaurant is a cover: they “cover” one seat. The more covers, the busier a service will be, and vice versa. These numbers are used to project future numbers, staffing requirements, and inventory required. Covers are also a point of pride for kitchen staff. The more covers, the busier the service, and if you can navigate it with few mistakes, the adrenaline rush can directly convince yourself of your own talents.

Dead Plate

A dead plate is a dish of food that’s no longer worthy of the dining room. Sitting in the window too long, incorrect preparation, or even worse, being sent back by a guest results in a dead plate. Untouched dead plates are usually given to dish washing staff or porters; those sent back by guests are tossed in the bin.

Section

A section is how the floor is divided amongst serving staff. Typically, the more talented or senior staff get a bigger section. Designating sections, with all their tables in one close area, helps servers move efficiently during busy periods and keep close tabs on guests. Managers and floor captains will oversee a few or all sections and offer help to the individual servers during busy times or for large parties.

Server Alley

The front-of-house equivalent of the kitchen hot line. This is where everything servers need to do their jobs is located. Extra napkins, spare side plates, cutlery rolls, and cleaning supplies for clearing tables can all be found here. There are usually a few POS terminals here for entering orders.

Team & Guest Terms

These next few slang words are used to talk about certain people.

Expo

“Expo” is the shortened term for “expediter,” or the position of organizing, plating, and (in some cases) garnishing food at the pass. The main responsibility is to makes sure each dish is correct before the food runner or server brings it to the table. This role can be the liaison between front of house and back of house, allowing both teams to do their jobs without having to stop and coordinate.

Busser

Part of the porter team, the busser is the person who clears dishes from a table when guests leave, and drops them in the dish-washing area. The term refers to the bus bin or large plastic tub into which the bussers put all the dishes, flatware, glasses, and debris. They might also be tasked with wiping down tables and resetting them for new guests. Sometimes, the busser will pull double duty and also wash the dishes they bring back to the kitchen.

Trail / Stage

Note: In the foodservice world, “stage” is pronounced “staahj.”

A trail is essentially a training shift during which new team member will “trail” behind a cook or server. This provides the new hire the ability to learn, get comfortable with SOPs, and mitigates any potential mistakes. However, not all establishments have the staffing to offer this scenario and will train a new hire during live action.

A stage is a longer-term trail for a designated period of time. This can be a couple of weeks, a month or two, or an entire season at destination-style dining places, like Michelin-starred restaurants and hotels. The expectation is that this is a learning experience for the cook, who is exposed to new ingredients, recipes, and techniques. An agreed upon time frame is set and the cook trades labor for education.

A Personal Note on Stage

The short-term stage commitment includes the understanding that the restaurant won’t reward you monetarily. We all know the costs of training staff. Imagine investing all that effort and having that person leave after just a month or two.

Now, I despise the term “free labor” for the kitchen or benefiting restaurant. There’s a new argument that has been surfacing over the last few years that stages should be paid internships. I have two problems with this thought process.

One, these are often highly touted restaurants that operate at an elite level, and they’re extremely busy. Having a new body takes up valuable focus and resources from somebody in that kitchen. They are willing to work with you and share all their knowledge and experience.

Often times, there isn’t a chance in hell in getting a job there, and this can be the only way to get a chance at learning from these masters of the craft. Having gained valuable career experience from stages myself, they can be a great alternative if you can’t gain employment with the venues.

Two, those who raise these arguments have no experience in doing them; think they have learned nothing from the stages they may have done; had a bad experience overall; or really have no other alternatives to the points I just mentioned.

Hot tip: If you don’t like working for free, don’t! If you the value in stage, go for it!

Campers

This is a term for people who linger at their table well after they’ve finished and paid. While all guests are welcome to make themselves at home, the problem with campers is that they can take up valuable real estate during busy periods. This is the reason for table time caps at operations that run on the reservation system. They also prevent servers from “turning” tables to serve more guests and increase their tips.

Action Terms

These are some random terms that indicate actions and requests.

Fire

The process of finishing a dish. When an order is printed out, it may have courses such as appetizer, main, and dessert. All courses might be started and cooked to 80 percent completion and then held. The main wouldn’t be fired until after the appetizer. When the person in charge of the line says, “Fire table six mains,” that means finish cooking, plate the dishes, and send them to the pass.

All Day

A very quick way for a cook to request a tally of all the dishes ordered from their section. The line lead will provide totals of each dish, instead of reading out each table’s order. For example, a cook will ask for an all-day on fryers, and the lead will call back, “Six large fry, three medium fry, two poutine, and one chicken nugget.” The cook can quickly add up what they have cooking or need to prepare to fire.

Behind

As you can imagine, in a busy, happening kitchen, there are people racing in all directions in tight spaces. One quick way to avoid collisions around hot equipment and sharp objects is to yell “behind” when passing someone or a station of people. It gives them time to either move out of the way or stay in place to avoid catastrophe.

Other variations include “hot” to indicate hot pots or pans, or the potential of getting burnt. “Sharp” means a knife, and “corner” means coming around the corner. “Behind hot” and “hot, corner” are combinations which mean exactly what you think they mean.

Flash

To reheat a dish, or an item on a plate that sat under the heat lamp too long, or if a guest has requested something cooked further. Usually under a salamander, a convection oven, or a deep fryer for fried food. I’m sure for some establishments (I started out in places where this was the norm), “flashing” means “cooking” an item to well done via microwave.

Heard / Heard That

The acknowledgement that an order has been read by the person running the pass or the line and understood by all in the kitchen. Also works for a direct order to an individual.

In the Weeds

When one station is receiving the majority of the orders at any given time, or the dining room has filled up all at once and all the orders are coming in together, this can create a downward spiral between starting to cook and plating or finishing existing dishes. This is known as being “in the weeds.” The only way to survive is to put your head down and cook your way out. I’ve experienced surviving the weeds and having it ruin an entire service. It all depends on the resilience and talent of the cooks, servers, and leaders involved.

On the Fly

The request for something that is needed quickly. Perhaps the item was missed, dropped, or incorrect, and the rest of the dishes are at the table. Whatever is needed “on the fly” takes precedence over everything else or, worst-case scenario, gets shoehorned into orders coming up.

Stretch It

Kitchen lingo for getting as many portions out of something nearing its end as possible. For example, a saucepan only has enough for four steaks but five are needed. The sauce has completed cooking and the plates are waiting. So, the kitchen needs to “stretch it” and make it work or be down five plates of food.

Waxing a Table

This means giving a table special treatment. This person or these people could be VIPs, return guests, the owner’s family and friends, or an influential food writer. Whoever the are, they’ve been identified and are given a little extra attention by staff.

86

When a menu item has completely run out, the kitchen manager will say the item has been “86ed.” It’s important for the kitchen staff to communicate this to servers as soon as possible so that no more orders are placed for the item.

Family Meal

The pre-service meal enjoyed by all staff on premises. Usually made by the staff from leftovers as a way to showcase creativity and skill.

Comp

Referring to items removed from the bill for an error or because the guest didn’t like it. A comp also comes from waxing a table, of course. It’s important to track comped items for accounting purposes. Comps can be a great way to make guests happy in a pinch. However, owners, operators, executive chefs, and lead bartenders need to be aware of how often comps are being handed out; they can be indicative of quality-control problems or employee theft.

Clopen

This is a portmanteau of “close” and “open.” The dreaded weekend brunch shift comes to mind. Working a busy late Friday or Saturday service and having to come back in the following morning to sling eggs to hungover patrons is a difficult and thankless task. In short, a team member who works back-to-back closing and opening shifts is working a clopen.

FIFO

This stands for “first in, first out,” and references inventory organization, crucial for perishable items. The new items go behind the older ones so that the items that were there first get used first, ensuring freshness and quality. I once had a chef who decided that “FIFO” stood for “fit in, or f*ck off.”

These are just some of the slang terms in the culinary lexicon used to convey quick understanding when under fire. You might also hear differences in dialect between cultures and regions. I’ve worked in both Toronto and Montréal, and there are similarities and differences between terms used in Ontario and Québec, French and English, and English and South American Spanish.

So, next time you’re out dining and you hear one of these words or phrases, you might be able to figure out what’s going on behind the scenes. Tip well, be polite, and try something new!

Image: lasse bergqvist on Unsplash

June 21, 2023by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Fire and Ice: Bring Your Teams Together

Fire and Ice: Bring Your Teams Together

by Jared Boller

If you want to elevate your concept you need to ensure the front- and back-of-house teams are working with each other, not against one another.

There’s nothing wrong with a healthy rivalry and competition, of course. But the key word there is “healthy.” Both teams are crucial to your success, even if they seem like polar opposites.

Analogies are one of the singular greatest educational selling points when you have a group of people in front of you. Not only do they help you get your point across, they also help you to make a topic relatable to the listening novice.

In hospitality there are numerous ways to use analogies as teaching tools. When it comes to mixology or bartending, I like to use fire and ice to represent the kitchen and the bar.

I take this approach because the bar (ice) is the friendly counterpart to the fast and furious kitchen (fire). If you follow my train of thought, you’ll see why I preferthis approach: ultimately, we’re speaking about temperature and its importance in both spaces.

Consider the art of crafting cocktails. You and your bar team should understand dilution and melting rates the same way you know how important temperatures are to steaks. Nine times out of ten, individuals at the table have a personal preference regarding the temperature of their steak.

Guests don’t hesitate to relay this information to the server. Next, the chef and their brigade uses fire and cooking times to ensure each state is cooked properly. Not only that, the mastery of their craft leads to each steak coming out at the same time, cooked to each guest’s preference.

This process is the same for the bar. Stirred, shaken, egg-white cocktails… Bartenders must master their craft to ensure they understand the different types and uses of ice (or no ice) when building drinks. Moreover, they need to use that knowledge to ensure each drink for a table or group comes out at the same time, with the appropriate level of coldness.

In the end, when drinks hit the pass or server’s station, we want drink orders to be delivered as quickly as possible because they’re on the clock. The ice in the drinks start to melt. Hot food begins to get cold. We’re fighting time.

Understanding temperatures and times relates directly to the guest experience. We can tell how well-oiled and skillful front- and back-of-house teams are by watching drinks and dishes hit tables.

Fire

According to Anthropologist Richard Wrangham, who wrote the book Catching fire: How Cooking Made Us Human, people started cooking over open fire more than two million years ago.

Wrangham states that cooking was first seen as “simply chunking a raw hunk of something into flames and watching it sizzle.” Modern chefs may not agree with this style but we are able to see that early human “cooks” came to a few realizations regarding their use of fire. Their food was healthier, tastier, and they may have had more revitalized immune systems.

Obviously, the evolution of modern cooking techniques have advanced through tools, techniques, and vessels over the years. However, regardless of how much innovation we introduce to our kitchens, we’re still using fire and heat to cook our food.

Unless they’re expecting a salad, sushi, or another amazing raw or cold food, guests anticipate their food will be hot or warm upon arriving in front of them. Great chefs take control of their kitchens, techniques, and tools. Their masters of temperature. They have a nearly supernatural understanding of timing.

It’s always a site to behold when someone is masterful in the kitchen. A seemingly endless number of pots and pans raging on burners. Infinite elements of dishes flowing in and out of ovens. Chaos to the novice’s eyes but in reality, flawlessly composed dishes arriving at perfect temperatures.

Ice

We can trace the use of ice in drinks as far back as ancient Egypt. Icy drinks are also well documented by first-century Roman society; emperors, it’s claimed, enjoyed “chilled” cocktails via glacier runoff extracted from the mountains.

Emperors, according to some historians, would store giant blocks of ice in cool cellars, garnishing their tipples with shards of ice. This was both a decadent display of their elite status, and evidence that humans have long appreciated a cold, refreshing drink.

It wasn’t until early 1800s Boston that humankind really began to master ice. A young entrepreneur, Frederic “The Ice King” Tudor, pursued an idea with his brother and launched the ice or frozen water trade. Over the course of just a few decades, the New England-based trade was able to ship ice worldwide.

The Wenham Lake Ice Company, established in the 1840s, harvested giant blocks from the eponymous lake and stored them in a network of ice houses, accessed by a small railroad system. Once a luxury, ice was on its way to going mainstream. Everyone was coming to the realization that drinks tasted better with a bit of dilution and colder temperatures.

Eventually, ice production led to ice harvesting innovations. For example, Clinebell machines that use cold plates to 300-pound, crystal-clear blocks. Along with being clear, the ice blocks are super dense to reduce dilution rates significantly. From glaciers to “harvesting” ice from lakes to full-on factory production, our obsession with ice has led to technological innovation.

Interestingly, however, early 19th century methods of ice extraction are once again in vogue. A cadre of passionate bartenders who view ice as a premium ingredient in and of itself are hand carving ice cubes, spheres, and spears for perfectly curated Negronis or Old-fashioneds.

Takeaway

The bottom line is, temperature is important to anyone working in hospitality. Kitchen and bar teams need to work together to create the best possible products.

Some people think of food or drinks when asked to consider the best restaurants and bars in the world. However, those are products. What sets the best concepts apart is the teams they’ve each built and nurtured.

It’s the passion of each team member and their consideration of the fine details that makes a restaurant or bar notable. So, when we think about fire and ice, we can consider this idea the ultimate geekery in regard to our profession.

Take it from me: When the front of the house and back of the house collaborate, then they’re in sync with one another and nail the small details, they transform first-time guests to repeat brand evangelists.

They may not understand why their experience was so incredible but they’ll become outspoken ambassadors.

Image: Alexander Startsev on Unsplash