In the last few weeks, I have changed stations at work. I am no longer producing thirty pies at a time or baking off a hundred pounds of cake batter. I am working on a restaurant station doing small parties and detail work within several different restaurants. This has also included a change in shifts, no longer am I able to sleep in until nine or ten, but I am up and moving by four or five. I actually enjoy getting up and getting the work part out of the way as the first thing of the day.
The only thing I miss is working with the other person on second shift. She is a very organized person and after working with eachother for more than a year we have gotten to the point where things just get done and very quickly. We either split tasks or split up a recipe depending on the size of the batch and what needs to be done that day. On first shift, however, it is every man for himself. Literally. The idea of sharing does not exist. If we were all on a sinking boat I have no delusions about what would happen. They would all scrabble for the most available spot on the life raft and claim that there isn't anymore room for anyone else.
They not only do not work well together, but they are unorganized and dirty. When you point out that one didn't clean up after themselves they will quickly point fingers at another and claim that it wasn't them. While annoying this is not the thing that actually irritates me the most. It is the time wasting.
One of the girls put a sheet pan of tuille in the oven, set a timer, and stood there. Now this is a busy day, so when I point out that tuille takes at least seven minutes to bake she through me a dirty look. Really?? You are just going to stand there and wait for it to bake? Why not just watch paint dry? Seven minutes is a hell of a long time. I could get a ton of stuff done in seven minutes. Even when I check something in the oven and put a two minute timer on it, I am finding something else to do in that two minutes. I can't believe that people get away with this stuff and get paid for it. No wonder it takes people two hours to cut two sheet pans of carrot cake. If you just stand there is doesn't magically cut itself.
I'll admit that at the end of the day I have to kick myself in the ass to keep moving at a fast clip, after all I have been standing on my feet and moving all day, but at least I am moving, CONSTANTLY! In my opinion, if you are standing still...you aren't working. Sometimes it is probably a good thing I am not in charge, because if it were MY money I were paying these people for a paycheck. They would find themselves quickly without a job.
In our recipe book from school there is a quote from Charlie Trotter: "Always ask yourself these two questions: Am I working good enough and fast enough? The answer to both questions should always be no." The idea in this industry is to get better, to be faster, to be more experienced and more educated, to discover new trends, and to try new things. If you are in this industry and you are happy to do the minimum everyday...you don't belong in this industry. Period. Leap higher, run faster, fly farther and all of that...sheesh.
Oh, PS: When making french macarons (the non-italian meringue way), you can take out the almond meal and replace it with dessicated coconut. Not only does it turn out beautifully they taste amazing with a little raspberry jam. (perhaps I should try the next batch with some passionfruit curd)...YUM.
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Watching the oven for even 30 seconds wouldn't fly in my kitchen. I am lucky, oh so lucky that there isn't a lazy one in the bunch where I work. But you are right, the answer should always be no. We could always work smarter, always work faster and we SHOULD always try to push ourselves. Be the leader my friend and show them what FPS chicks are made of!
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