# okay girls, lets rumble!



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

to all you females in the kitchen out there, and i think/hope there are more than a few...from head chefs to dishwashers...would love to hear  about your kitchen experiences...i know we are viewed differently, but does that get in your way, or do you or  how do you make that work for you? or do you?...is it tougher? are you  tougher?...do you let things ride more because you're a female or are you a kitchen nazi?...middle ground? no ground? do you care, or is this just a job, a paycheck or a passion..are you corporate or  a small indie op? punch a time clock and want to clock your boss? pet peeves? do you still go home and walk the dog,feed the kids, do laundry, clean the house and make dinner...are you having fun? any life, outside the kitchen? where do you see yourself in 10 years? come on girflriends...the good, the bad and the ugly...lets have it...time to rumble!

joey

 what works for me?...i have pms and a handgun!....usually gets someones attention!...lets have some fun with this thread...


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Good thread! 

We are viewed differently and I actually had a head office trainer say to me that he likes to see women in the kitchen and he finds us to be cleaner than our male counterparts.  That just said I had another trainer call me "lady" and that didn't sit well with me at all.  (guy is an arrogant a****** to begin with so I should have expected that out of him anyway)

I don't think I'm a nazi but I expect the crew to do their jobs and not screw around.  When I call board I expect communication from the crew and if someone winds up in the weeds or runs out of something just tell me and I will make sure they have help to get back on track.  I won't hassle them for getting weeded.. it happens and it's just how the orders come in.  If I had a dollar for every time I've been in the weeds I could retire right now. 

I work corporate right now but I have worked at indie shops. I'd still be at the cafe had the ownership not changed and things went south after that for food quality. 

Pet peeves.... too many to mention!  But the biggest is crappy work ethic.  I'm not paying you to play on your cellphone so put it away and do some work!

I go home, make dinner, tidy the house do laundry and on occasion walk the dog.  The kids tend to walk her when I'm at work and now that it's so hot my husband has been taking her at 9pm when it's cooler out.  Life outside the kitchen is there.. I do see friends and family.. not as often as I'd like to but working full time does that.  I sew, knit and garden so I keep myself busy in my offtime. 

In 10 years I want to have my own place.  The kids will be grown and I can focus on my career.  It's starting now.. my younger one just finished grade nine but I have four more years at least until I can commit to owning a restaurant. 

So that's me!


----------



## ishbel (Jan 5, 2007)

I am assuming this thread is specifically addressed to those working as cooks in a professional capacity...

Perhaps it would be better posted in the Professional fora?/img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

Ishbel said:


> I am assuming this thread is specifically addressed to those working as cooks in a professional capacity...
> 
> Perhaps it would be better posted in the Professional fora?/img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif


thanks, isbel, i thought about that later and have no clue how to move it over...do i have to rewrite the whole thing in the professional forum, or is there a way to move it...thanks

joey


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

durangojo said:


> to all you females in the kitchen out there, and i think/hope there are more than a few...from head chefs to dishwashers...would love to hear about your kitchen experiences...i know we are viewed differently, but does that get in your way, or do you or how do you make that work for you? or do you?...is it tougher? are you tougher?...do you let things ride more because you're a female or are you a kitchen nazi?...middle ground? no ground? do you care, or is this just a job, a paycheck or a passion..are you corporate or a small indie op? punch a time clock and want to clock your boss? pet peeves? do you still go home and walk the dog,feed the kids, do laundry, clean the house and make dinner...are you having fun? any life, outside the kitchen? where do you see yourself in 10 years? come on girflriends...the good, the bad and the ugly...lets have it...time to rumble!
> 
> joey
> 
> what works for me?...i have pms and a handgun!....usually gets someones attention!...lets have some fun with this thread...


Sounds like you have it covered

Gypsy


----------



## left4bread (May 8, 2009)

this thread offends my intelligence,

... however, sara moutlon rules.


----------



## sosa (Jul 18, 2010)

So other than the OP and another user, we've had no replies that make good on the original question. Nice work, gals.

Hello, my name is Sosa, I've been working in kitchens for the past three years - two on the line, one in the pit. After two cases of sexual harassment and one nervous breakdown, I've realized that I want to a chef one day. Not a good one, a great one.

Day-to-day working experience? Well, it's varied so far. One of my pet peeves is when I try to show male coworkers a technique or trick I've picked up and they're openly dismissive of my advice and continue in their backwards ways. Lo and behold! A higher-ranking cook (so far, always male) walks by, gives them the same advice I gave them beforehand, usually with a deprecating remark, and walks away. Sorry bro, I guess if I had insulted you while giving out advice, things would've gone a lot smoother for the both of us. I'm not saying I know best, but it bothers me when I try to act positively and share what little knowledge I do have with others only to have in thrown back in my face.

I'm a black anglophone (English-speaking) woman working in a male-dominated field in a (or should I say "the") francophone (French-speaking) province. I've described myself as an ethnic "cube" before. What the hell does that have to do with anything? Nothing in my mind. Yet sometimes I can't shake the feeling that I'm in Bizzaro Land, and when I do the best work I can, it's not recognized as such, and when I slip up and make mistakes, sometimes I feel like I get the lash doubly hard as other coworkers would.

There was one point when I became self-destructive over this, but at some point I also came to the conclusion that this world is full of jackasses. And it might take me a while for these fools to recognize what they're dealing with, but one day, it'll be undeniable, even to the most dense of them. And that thought keeps me going.

I've been described as "macha" - the female equivalent of "macho" by an associate before. Does it show through my post? ^_^

All that being said, I am a rocker of the double X and damn proud of it. Well, as proud as you can be of a random genetic assigning. Which in my mind equates to being a pretty empathetic, sweet, and sensitive person... without taking other's manure. Well, as much as I can help doing so. I feel like this job requires of fair amount of shit-eating/grinning & bearing it. Any thoughts?

Oh, and sometimes when I'm on the line, it takes all the mental strength I've had not to kick a coworker in the cajones.

Example:

Myself: "Hey, what are we are we going to do about XYZ?"

Coworker: [grunt... I'm not joking]

Myself: "Uh, so what are we going to about XYZ?"

Coworker: [more grunting]

Myself: "Yeah, so I'm going on a smoke break right now, be back in 5."

The thing that keeps me going so far is that it seems to be getting better over time.

Oh! And I'm a knitter too. Absolutely need music to keep sane. I like my bike, his name is Charles. I've had a brief taste of the Muay Thai and I LIKED IT VERY MUCH. Also, I like stupid movies, especially if they're framed by a TV show that's hosted on the "S.O.L." +10 points to the first person that gets the reference. These are a few of my favorites things. Other than food, duh.


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

left4bread said:


> this thread offends my intelligence,
> 
> ... however, sara moutlon rules.


if you get offended this easily, perhaps a kitchen is not the best place for you!...chill left4bread, just trying to peak a little interest here a have a bit of fun...where's the insult?

joey


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

durangojo said:


> if you get offended this easily, perhaps a kitchen is not the best place for you!...chill left4bread, just trying to peak a little interest here a have a bit of fun...where's the insult?
> 
> joey


well we are all intitled to our opinion are we not? Take a second look at your original thread girl....just sayin


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

gypsy2727 said:


> well we are all intitled to our opinion are we not? Take a second look at your original thread girl....just sayin


i did just take a second look at my original post.. and still remain confused about what offends exactly, which was definately never my intent...what exactly in the post is offensive.?..i just don;t get it..call me on it, specifically, please..the pms /handgun thing was , like a joke.(i live in the wild west remember)..you remember kitchen humor dontcha? geez..the only reason i even started this thread in the first place was to gather opinions of working females in all sorts of kitchens with their experiences in tow, that' s all..simple ,simple....guess i should just leave laying dogs lie and forgettaabout it.but if you or someone could enlighten me, i'd be thrilled...aboslutely no offense meant here...ever...i was thinking about more on the lines of women in kitchens... possibly solidarity on some level...guess i'm the wrong tune in the wrong place...so , why don't you new kitchen mavens start an interesting thread your selves...double dare you?

joey


----------



## left4bread (May 8, 2009)

whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa

I forgot to put the winky face at the end of my post.

Everybody put your guns away.

I formally apologize for my capricious post.  It was a failed attempt at humor.

I didn't mean to pique anyone's contempt.

Good thread idea .  I hope it continues to grow and stay on topic.


----------



## titomike (May 20, 2009)

....and what are we learning about women in the industry? /img/vbsmilies/smilies/rolleyes.gif

Seriously though, I've noticed a huge increase in numbers of women in kitchens and, more specifically, running them. The genders are not the same therefore your influence on the evolution of the work enviroment remains to be seen. A change is as good as a rest so I hope young female chefs dont succumb to '...if you can't beat 'em join 'em'.

Since, after reading various contributions, I respect most of the above posters professionally I _too _look forward to some insight into your perspective, motivations, aspirations etc....the chuckles are just a bonus!

If nothing else, may this post serve as a reminder that the girls may be writing but the boys are reading.....at least the smart ones! /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif

I'm out.


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

durangojo said:


> i did just take a second look at my original post.. and still remain confused about what offends exactly, which was definately never my intent...what exactly in the post is offensive.?..i just don;t get it..call me on it, specifically, please..the pms /handgun thing was , like a joke.(i live in the wild west remember)..you remember kitchen humor dontcha? geez..the only reason i even started this thread in the first place was to gather opinions of working females in all sorts of kitchens with their experiences in tow, that' s all..simple ,simple....guess i should just leave laying dogs lie and forgettaabout it.but if you or someone could enlighten me, i'd be thrilled...aboslutely no offense meant here...ever...i was thinking about more on the lines of women in kitchens... possibly solidarity on some level...guess i'm the wrong tune in the wrong place...so , why don't you new kitchen mavens start an interesting thread your selves...double dare you?
> 
> joey


I am not offended jo .I personally don't understand what you are asking. My kitchen experiences have been pretty good with the male gender ...I don't separate myself from them professionally,considering that is all there was in the kitchen 30 years ago....About your original thread it just sounded like you were looking for a male bashing session ....if that's not the case ...right on keep up this woman thread...good ,bad ,ugly ...whatever...lol


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Pardon the intrusion. One of the privilges of being male is sending a bottle to the ladies.



To truth, beauty, and your good health.

BDL


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Why thank you BDL!

/img/vbsmilies/smilies/drinkbeer.gif


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

thanks for the boo boo buddy bdl, but i'm a big girl now..thanks gypsy and left4bread for you both taking a second look at the original post...i don't even think i mentioned males in the post and i'm just not the male bashing type..i enjoy the comaraderie of  everyone in the kitchen as its usually such a tight crew working towards the same end goal...a wonderful experience for the customer...i view them(customers) basically as my paycheck..if they don't have a good experience, they don't come back, if they don't come back, business is down, if business is down,eventually i'm out of a job...even though i'm the boss...in my career, i have taken the long way home...i was a private yacht chef in the caribbean for many years, a caterer, a restaurant owner, restaurant starter chef  in the caribbean, which is another story altogether, chef on a small (more goats than people, and only accessible by boat small) island a ski resort chef where i had to ski to work everyday, and now i have been the chief cook and bottle washer at an historic, seasonal restaurant on a high mountain lake in the colorado rockies for the past 17 years..boy, it sounds like i should be atleast 100...i never went the corporate route..i think i did a short stint ( 1 year) in a resort club here because i wanted to be cross trained in all positions...pantry, garde manger, line cook, banquets etc..it was a really good experience, and i learned a ton..but in the end,corporate just ain't my thang. the challenges of running a 'historic' restaurant are many, and most have to do with faulty plumbing, electricity,water heaters, refrigeration,chipmunks, bears, and most recently a bobcat prowling around... i feel like a character in 'don't stop the carnival'..i have a kitchen the size of a postage stamp...i don't have a walk in and most of our refrigeration is ancient. most people have larger kitchens in their homes, and its at least 120 degrees on a cool night.....i am the only cook and we do about 50 to 70 dinners nightly, which doesn't sound like a lot, but its plenty, out of that tiny space trust me...guests come for dinner and they really spend the evening..its an adventure as its 25 miles outside of town...and its local...we are only open 4 nights a week, but we cater on other nights...it is a very busy place...food is eclectic and fun...its rumored to be the best restaurant in town, but its a small town and that comes with its own price tag as you're only as good as your last meal, in my opinion...hard,hard work , but i love it...okay,enough already.... so where do you work? what do you do in the kitchen? are you still having fun? or are you into 'serious' food?...good day all...the handgun is safely put away! (for now)!!

joey

thanks bdl...cheers!


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

I think that while more and more women are working in the kitchen, in general it's still considered to be a male dominated industry and I think the media does play a part in that.  I think it will be a while as Titomike said before we see just what influence the genders have on the industry as a whole.


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Joey.. wow!  You've done alot in your time in the business.  Corporate for me works right now.. steady pay but there is some room to be creative so I'm never bored. Yes I get frustrated sometimes and tempted.. there is a coffe house opening within walking distance of my house that is hiring a cook.. but having done the coffee house/cafe thing I know that while the potential for creativity is huge the potential for the owners taking over cooking in slow times is also there so... I am staying where I am.  Not to mention I really like where I work and who I work for.  I will approach the coffee house though and see if I can offer cooking classes using their site as a venue.. I did that at the cafe and they were well received.  I left the cafe because ownership changed and with the change came a downward change in food quality and I just couldn't serve what they wanted me to.  The new owners wanted us to use purchased dry mixes for muffins instead of continuing to use homemade muffin mixes (it cost too much to have me in there making the mixes so they figured they could save a couple hours pay and buy the mixes in bulk) they started cheaping out on the portion sizes and  at the same time, raised the prices!  They went from homemade soup to campbell's frozen (again to shave another hour or two from labour cost) but honestly that was done to the detriment of the place.  I've seen reviews of it on the web and every single person has said that since changing ownership the place has gone down.  Interesting too.. since becoming AKM where I am now, we make our soups on site.. and even though they're paying me to be there and make the soup... we're still saving money at the end of the day and our soups sell well because customers know they're really homemade.


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

That's really cool Joey and Leeniak,....I get ya now Joey ....I guess I just needed to hear a little bit about you.

I'm on Sabbitcal for the next year...we'll see what the future brings. I guess that is why I have so much time for this site!

I started in the kitchen of my parents restaurant when I was 12 washing dishes and busing tables. I got the culinary bug then and it never left. I have been the Chef of high end fine dining establishments,catering companies,pubs,conference centers,even corporate chef to a concrete company! It's been a wonderfull ride and I loved it ...but the world's not done with me yet! it's my time and I'm going to enjoy it!

Peace

Gypsy


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

Merci Beaucoup BDL.... simply gracious of you...chivalry is not dead /img/vbsmilies/smilies/wink.gif


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

thanks ladies...
[h3]for realizing the thread was' let's rumble, not 'let's 'grumble'...'rumble' , simply means rallly( think west side story...if you're a jet, your a jet all the way!) ....we all have a life story, which to me is so interesting to find out how we all ended up in the same place, at the same time,after having such different life experiences......i toast you all with bdl 's virtual champagne, which was really, really,really goood!.....[/h3]
cheers chefs


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

I love West Side Story!  I remember studying the book back in either high school or middle school... not sure what year it was but I loved the book and have reread it since then and I have no idea how many times I've seen the movie.

For me the interest in the industry started back when I was a stay home mom and my husband suggested that I look into food styling when I can go back to work.  I'd rather cook great food than use glue and paint to make it look pretty for photography so here I am.


----------



## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

_*Chef BDL,*_

_Thank you so much for the champagne, Pol Roger 2000 was an exceptional year, known as " delicious and exuberant." _

_ps. The Tempest Act 5 Scene 1_


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

The champagne is running out Petals ....

at least contribute to the thread fellow Canadian girl /img/vbsmilies/smilies/rolleyes.gif


----------



## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

sorry there Gypsy.....

I don't have an interesting story to tell really. My mother worked for a Swiss family (private chef) and did much catering throughout her career. 

Fifteen years ago I was looking to make a change in my career (RN). 

On weekends I used to visit my mother in her place of work and I would assist her on many occasions. It was then I realized where I wanted to be.

One night her boss came into kitchen and introduced me to his friend who was looking for a cook at his estate. He offered me the job and I took it. (who wouldn't)

I spent the next two years being trained by 2 French chefs in Montreal and one in the Bahamas.

My boss and his wife are not Canadian. By taking the job it also meant that I would have to travel a lot, they have a home in WPB (Trafalgar) , Guatemala (near Lake Atitlan), the Bahamas and here. 

I have to say its been a humbling experience and I have so much more I wish to know about. In 2006 I fell ill and thought of giving it up but could not. Went through 8 months of treatment till finally surgery. 

We do not travel as much as we used to ( I do not miss it) but I concider myself fortunate in sense that I have a job, it is challenging and very satisfying. 

When I read the posts here at CT , I am baffled at times , the wealth of information and learning here never ceases to amaze me and I am in constant awe of my peers here who just inspire me to be better. 

What has made me a better cook/chef ?.............my mistakes.


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

Oh But Petals it is a very interesting and " humbling" story ...thank-you. I am curious to all of my peers and ,what brought them to where they are today. I have a ton of friends who are chefs and still in the biz and also ones who have gone onto  a different career and never looked back. Your career path sounds like it was an exciting one full of travel and adventure. I know when your in it it doesn't seem that way. An aquintance of mine travels all over with her husband for his professional riding and she says it does get tiresome as they are grand parents now.

Yes mistakes are human ....it's not how we fall it's how we get up .....

thanks again for enlightening me

Gypsy


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

On that note ...I think we better order another bottle /img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gif


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Your story is very interesting, petals!  Thanks for sharing it with us.

And yes... we all do learn from our mistakes.


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

gypsy2727 said:


> On that note ...I think we better order another bottle /img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gif


i'm in! .....thanks for the reminder gypsy of how it is always about how we get up, not how we fall...petal...wow! you must really be quite the likable person as well as being really good at your job for your employers to still have you stay throughout all that...and little sosa, so tough new and raw..go girl..sounds like you'll be fine...mellowing will take its place later..for now you need to listen and learn and sometimes kick butt...okay, so whos buying ?what's in your wine cellar? give it up!...my dog just rolled in bear poop and i gotta go wash her down..just what i wanna do at this hour after a long tough night, but you rural(?)canadian girls are most probably use to it.....ending here with a thanks for keeping the thread , and well wishes to you all, chefs...gotta go... smell is really, really bad..oh, if you have doggies at home i make my own dog biscuits and frozen treats.these are treats so good, healthy and people friendly, i swear your dog will clean your house, water your garden, wash your car , and make your bed for you...killing the husband is extra though! (its a joke)....left 4 bread, where are you? what do you do in the brew pub? what kind of food to your serve there? where are you?...man,all these questions are making me really thirsty...tiny bubbles!!! you think we could hit bdl up for another little snooker? bet he's got a nice little wine cellar....but what a stand up guy to do that for us ladies...yeah, we are all kinda special in our own way, aren't we...hey, that was the whole damn point of the thread in the first place wasn't it.night night all...please continue to rock on! ciao

joey


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

so speaking of women in professional kitchens, whenever i pick up a trade mag or rag, i notice to my chagrin that in all of the group photos, award or 'top chef' mentions, the ratio of male to female is at least 5 to 1, maybe more. makes me wonder why women are no longer choosing this profession...money? hours? dedication? perhaps its different in canada or europe where the  so called 'male dominated' kitchen is still heavily embedded. (at least in europe)...here, i thought we had evolved somewhat, but perhaps am wrong. ....what gives here?  where are the womenfolk? have they all become t.v personalities wearing cute little clothes, in their cute, fake little kitchens, making cute little food for money and ratings? aargh, gag me....is this a sign of the times? and more importantly, why is it a sign and what is it to become of it? i know there are some really smart, really talented, and really dedicated women out there running kitchens...we just don't hear enough about them or from them....hopefully they are too busy making food and running kitchens to give interviews...we really need to celebrate these women who have given or give us a leg up..we need them in our kitchens doing the work, making the food, teaching , and making a difference...what positive difference do you make in your kitchen?...when i had my restaurant at the ski resort a few years back, we were open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner...35 employees..as chef/kitchen manager, i always tried to seek out any interested female kitchen staff..in five years i found 3...i love the balance and interaction of a coed kitchen, but the girls were tough to find....one huge imbalance  was the money differential between the boh and foh...foh made 2x the amount  of $ in less hours..they didn't get dirty, burned, sweaty, have to take out the garbage, or pick up the mats...maybe its that simple really...money....ca ching, ca ching! my policy was for both the waitstaff and the bartenders to tip out the kitchen.....at 200 to 300 fast paced, but not fast food lunches a day, the tips were pretty darn good.... fair is fair.... good day all

joey


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Time for another.



To you,

BDL


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

Well Joey there's a huge shortage of upcoming chefs. Males and females alike. They are the techy generation. They want to make money fast and do not want to do the grunt work we did when we started out. Becoming a chef takes long hours and tons of practical work for low pay in the starting stage.The children of today are going for the fast buck. They are smart ,well educated and can do a calculus exam while texting and listening to their Ipod. I am at the tail end of the baby boomer generation and I can tell you we are hard workers.....nothing came fast we worked hard for the almighty dollar!

The boomers are the largest market group right now we should gear all our marketing resources towards that segment.


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

BDL ....wonderfull timing

Cristal ...what a charmer

thank-you

Gypsy


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

thanks gypsy,

my rant was a rhetorical one really, and one to let off steam...while realizing that this generation is just following the money, i just want to know 'who the hell is gonna be cooking our food?' this cowgirl is heading to the barn in a few years. i've got 8, maybe 10 years(hopefully) left before someone puts a net over me and drags me out of the kitchen..but then again, look at julie and jacques...just seems so bleak to think of your cozy little corner restaurant being taken over by the star_ucks conglomorate and all our restaurants will be 'formula' restaurants.. ihop, dennys, chili's etc..eew, that just gives me the willys! there won't be any small indie places, cuz if we have to pay higher wages to the chefs, which we most certainy should, the cost will be passed down to the customer, resulting in higher prices, which they may not want to pay...might just have to find a little palapa in mexico...i have a friend(female) chef/owner of a restaurant in town coming in for dinner tonight, which always makes me a bit nervous, but hopefully i will have a chance to get her twist on things..she's pretty savvy and smart....okay,rant done...i need a cup a joe.....anyone besides me and gypsy want to chime in? hope your day is good to you...

joey

to the gentleman chef,bdl....again with sssthanks!...i swear,(scarlett ohara accent required), if i didn't know better chef, i'd think you're tryin to get us ladies a little tipsy...hiccup, hiccup...cheers!


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

> my dog just rolled in bear poop and i gotta go wash her down..just what i wanna do at this hour after a long tough night, but you rural(?)canadian girls are most probably use to it.....ending here with a thanks for keeping the thread , and well wishes to you all, chefs...gotta go... smell is really, really bad..oh, if you have doggies at home i make my own dog biscuits and frozen treats.these are treats so good, healthy and people friendly, i swear your dog will clean your house, water your garden, wash your car , and make your bed for you...killing the husband is extra though! (its a joke)


Well we don't live anywhere near an area that's popluated by bears but we do live right at the westernmost tip of Lake Ontario (it's a 5 min or so) walk from my house. The City of Hamilton redeveloped the west Harbour with beautiful park (Bayfront Park) and it's a great place to walk your dog but.. beware of what the dog rolls in because in those bushes there may be fish that jumped a bit too far out of the water or a host of other smelly things and more than once we've returned from a walk there with our dog aka el stinko and had to bathe her in the backyard. I feel your pain on the bear poop though.. not fun to have to wash a stinky dog down when you really just want to go to bed.

I'm interested in your doggie treats... what kind of goodies do you make for your pooch?


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

durangojo said:


> so speaking of women in professional kitchens, whenever i pick up a trade mag or rag, i notice to my chagrin that in all of the group photos, award or 'top chef' mentions, the ratio of male to female is at least 5 to 1, maybe more. makes me wonder why women are no longer choosing this profession...money? hours? dedication? perhaps its different in canada or europe where the so called 'male dominated' kitchen is still heavily embedded. (at least in europe)...here, i thought we had evolved somewhat, but perhaps am wrong. ....what gives here? where are the womenfolk? have they all become t.v personalities wearing cute little clothes, in their cute, fake little kitchens, making cute little food for money and ratings? aargh, gag me....is this a sign of the times? and more importantly, why is it a sign and what is it to become of it? i know there are some really smart, really talented, and really dedicated women out there running kitchens...we just don't hear enough about them or from them....hopefully they are too busy making food and running kitchens to give interviews...we really need to celebrate these women who have given or give us a leg up..we need them in our kitchens doing the work, making the food, teaching , and making a difference...what positive difference do you make in your kitchen?...when i had my restaurant at the ski resort a few years back, we were open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner...35 employees..as chef/kitchen manager, i always tried to seek out any interested female kitchen staff..in five years i found 3...i love the balance and interaction of a coed kitchen, but the girls were tough to find....one huge imbalance was the money differential between the boh and foh...foh made 2x the amount of $ in less hours..they didn't get dirty, burned, sweaty, have to take out the garbage, or pick up the mats...maybe its that simple really...money....ca ching, ca ching! my policy was for both the waitstaff and the bartenders to tip out the kitchen.....at 200 to 300 fast paced, but not fast food lunches a day, the tips were pretty darn good.... fair is fair.... good day all
> 
> joey


Well look at how the media portrays things too. If the average tv watcher takes the current season of HK as what it's like out there they'd get the impression that women suck and men rule. That isn't true at all but it sells ratings. I think the general public still sees the chef alot of the time as a male and there isn't much we can do about it. I had a potenital hire come in for an interview and he was actually taken aback that the AKM is female and honestly didn't take me seriously during the interview. I didn't hire him.. he would have been trouble and I saw that in him just with his attitude. I've always been tipped out in the kitchen.. at the cafe it was equal with the servers as alot of the time I'd run their food, take orders or bus their tables if I wasn't busy and they were. Where I am now we get 3% so it works out to an extra dollar or so an hour...since becoming AKM and going full time my tipout has never been less than $100 if I've worked a full week but if I take time off, of course it's less as it's based on hours worked.


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

BDL... thank you very much!


----------



## sosa (Jul 18, 2010)

Hey Jo, if it's any consolation, my dream is to run a tiny take-out place housed with former gastro cooks with the goal of providing food fresh as possible for cheap as possible - really _good_ food for the masses. It's a long way coming, but if I ever manage to get it off the ground, I'll send you word.  Also, I'm a girl, if the avatar didn't tip you off. And I'm also part of the techy generation - gen Y?.

Right now I'm feeling kind of low because I keep trying to find a kitchen to work in that'll do more than pay than bills - where I'm learning to make and prepare beautiful food instead of trying to do the best work I can with what I'm given, which sometimes has been wretched. But anyways, I realize that I have a long road to travel for this career, and the low page is stressing me at this point, but in the end, I love it, and I'd rather be paid a reasonable amount for doing work I love than a ton of cash for a university job that I'm not passionate for.

Cheers

Sosa


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

gypsy2727 said:


> Well Joey there's a huge shortage of upcoming chefs. Males and females alike. They are the techy generation. They want to make money fast and do not want to do the grunt work we did when we started out. Becoming a chef takes long hours and tons of practical work for low pay in the starting stage.The children of today are going for the fast buck. They are smart ,well educated and can do a calculus exam while texting and listening to their Ipod. I am at the tail end of the baby boomer generation and I can tell you we are hard workers.....nothing came fast we worked hard for the almighty dollar!
> 
> The boomers are the largest market group right now we should gear all our marketing resources towards that segment.


I'm in the generation that was after the boomers but before whatever the kids born in the seventies were called (I was born in Canada's centennial year) Kids of today believe that they can go to XYZ school, drop a ton of cash and walk out an exec chef and they won't settle for anything less. Unfortunately that's not the case and I'm sure reality hits when they get out into the real world. The top job in any business comes with experience and new grads have to work their way up. It's too bad the younger generation for the most part (there definitely are exceptions and I've met and had the pleasure of working with a few exceptions) feel that they are entitled to the best because all of their lives they have been told they can expect that.


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Joey you have more experience in this business than me (second career here) but we share the same work ethic and it does scare me when I see what walks through the door for interviews sometimes.  Best one yet (and I think I posted about this) .. buddy does not do closing duties, side jobs or prep, he cooks... WTF is that???  Is he a celebrity or something... come on... that is just crackers. 

I had to take my older one to ER on Thursday ...he's fine.. it was a false alarm and sometimes brain tumor survivors get headaches that aren't scary but with his history better safe than sorry.  I left work to pick him up and take him to ER and I didn't bother changing into street clothes as I was more concered with getting to him.  Once I saw him I knew the summer school teachers overreacted but in their defense they don't know him and don't know what his normal is so it was fine.  OMG If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me  "are you a chef" when they saw what I was wearing I swear I could take a day or two off, it was that frequent!!  Hmm.. chef jacket, baggy pants, clogs.. is that a fashion statement???  They were actually in awe that I am a chef and I also have a special needs kid...  Hmm... last I checked we were people too!


----------



## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

Hey Leeniek, Buddy would be closing every night in my kitchen, until he came into my office and said, I love to close Chef, thanks for teaching me......No slackers in the kitchen, I learned early in this career, if you pull you weigh, you get respect...............Chef BillyB

       P.S. I didn't know you had a special needs child, I did know you show heart and soul in all of your posts, so being a Special Mom doesn't surprise me.


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

leeniak, i will share with you and anyone else who is interested in the dog treats..."greta's biscotti and frosty paws..all people friendly food and your doggie, your bestest buddy  will just love you even more, if that's possible...will be back monday to share..long day today, even longer tomorrow, but have my 'fetal' monday coming up on, well monday! you girls rock, i gotta just  tell you all that...thanks once again for participating..night night all..i'm pooped

joey


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Well Bill.. buddy didn't even get an interview.  As soon as I heard what his former KM had to say about him (he worked at another location of our chain) I wrote a big NO on the top of his resume and noted what I was told on the back.  For me.. opening or closing I'm fine with but I have to say the 3am wakeup time for opening is not fun at my age! 

Interestingly enough I worked with special needs kids before I had my own... I had no idea that fourteen years into motherhood I'd be accessing community resources etc to help with my son's recovery but that experience did help me when I had to be the advocate for him.


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Thanks, joey!  Hope you made it ok through today... my day was interesting.  I arrived at work half an hour early to get a jump on making soups for the next two days (i'm off) and I knew that I could have them to the point that I could get another cook to finish them for me in about an hour and a half.  Well.. the place was flooded when I got there. We've had alot of heavy rain in the last few days and.. the place has a flat roof and a stingy landlord so... the roof leaked right over two of the stations in the kitchen.  Needless to say I started half an hour early but I wasn't making soup... I was helping clean up the mess.  We did manage to open at 10am with a modified menu and we ran all day on the modified menu.  That was a blessing for me as I was able to get the soups done with little help.


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

good day ladies,

hope all is well in your worlds and that your day is going well. had a bit of a rough and tumble weekend, but am 'back in the saddle' today. friends that pass away too soon with so much suffering is just so incredibly sad and hard. however, what it does remind me over and over again, is to enjoy this life...life is fragile and so are we...and i become even more intent in making a difference...somehow....better get busy, eh?

sosa girl, where are you on the planet? you sound like a city girl, where you should atleast have more job opportunities, than being, let's say,in kansas. its a good time now that summer is here to job jump..owners are hiring more as business picks up for the season. you may not find the perfect job, if that even exists, but you will most likely find a better job - one that you can contribute to. your job is to make yourself indispensible once in and with your energy and passion, that won't be hard! good luck with the future plans of good food cheap...its a tough nut to sell really good healthy food cheap...food is already tough to make a profit on. not only is the beginning product expensive, but then there is rent, insurance, payroll, taxes, electricity plus, plus plus a million more little expenses that can add up to some hefty amounts....now, if you could go mobile, that might be a sweet way to go. it's actually what i want to do..."streetfood"...who doesn't love it? i wanna go caribbean...lots of jerk spice and mango! you'll get where you want, don't worry..you got the moxie it takes...hopefully the talent to back it all up.... money(salaries) in the food industry will never be on par with the IT's or the 9 to 5ers, but thats okay...if it were easy, everyone would want to do it!!!!

part two: dog treat recipes

a few years back i had it in my head to become a 'dog chef'..thought dogs would be better customers as they would never complain and it would be really fun.. my husband said my talents would be wasted and in the end i guess i would rather sell a $32 dollar filet than a $2 dollar dog biscuit. i started thinking how many dog biscuits would i need to make to pay the rent...every month...yikes!! now i just make them for my friends, which is just fine...woof, woof!

'FROSTY PAWS'

1 QT, VANILLA OR PLAIN YOGURT

2 TBL HONEY

2 TBL PEANUT BUTTER

1 MASHED RIPE BANANA

PROCESS BANANA IN FP, THEN ADD YOGURT, HONEY AND P'NUT BUTTER..PROCESS TIL SMOOTH AND POUR INTO CUPS AND FREEZE..I USE A PAPER 'NUT' CUP..GIVE THEM TO FIDO IN THE CUP AND ENJOY THE FUN.

(nut cups are in the party section )

GRETA'S BISCOTTI (PEANUT BUTTER)

2 1/2 CUPS FLOUR

1/2 CUP OIL

1/2 TO 3/4 CUP WATER

1/2 CUP HONEY

1/2 CUP PEANUT BUTTER

1/2 CUP QUICK OATS

COMBINE ALL INGREDIENTS EXCEPT WATER...MIX ON LOW..ADD 1/2 CUP WATER AND KNEAD TIL BALL FORMS, ADDING WATER IF NEEDED. ROLL DOUGH OUT ON FLOURED SURFACE AND CUT INTO SHAPES(I USE SMALL HEARTS AND STARS), OR CUT INTO SQUARES. BAKE AT 350 ON UNGREASED PAN FOR 20 MINUTES, THEN TURN OFF OVEN AND LET BISCOTTI COOL FOR ANOTHER 40 MINUTES... I CHECK ON THEM AND PUT THE PAN ON THE TOP OVEN RACK, JUST TO INSURE THEY DON'T BURN...SOMETIMES I KEEP THE DOOR AJAR AS WELL, BUT ONLY IF GRETA IS OUTSIDE! I DIVIDE THE DOUGH INTO THIRDS, FREEZE 2 AND ROLL OUT ONE...USING THE TINY CUTTERS, ITS ENOUGH WORK ALREADY

i named these 'greta's biscottis because my husband ate a whole tin thinking they cookies...seems the stars and heart shapes didn't faze him...men, you can't live with em and yo can't delete em!


----------



## titomike (May 20, 2009)

_Girl_... those are dog _and _husband treats! Ain't nothing in their I wouldn't eat and I bet that wasn't his last one .../img/vbsmilies/smilies/licklips.gif


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

thanks for sharing the recipes, Joey!  Honestly I would eat Greta's biscotti too... it looks yummy!  I'm not off again until next Tuesday so I'm going to have to wait until then to give them a try.  I've made dog treats for Keisha (my doggie) before and she did seem to like them. 

I'm sorry you had to go through the pain of losing a friend too soon and I really don't think it's easy at any age.  It does definitely remind us of how fragile life is and how things  can change in a heartbeat.


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

leeniak, just wanted to add that if you can't find containers for the frosty paws, ice cube trays work, although not as much fun for the dogs...when i was seriously contemplating becoming a dog chef, i did learn that one of the best things you can feed your dog once a week, is sardines..great for skin, coat and heart..just like omega 3's for us 2 leggers...when i cut salmoin for the restaurant, i save the wonderful fatty belly meat and poach it for greta....don't know if you have that opportunity at your place..what type of restaurant is it? casual? fast? high end?..whats on the menu?  have a slew of other dog dishes that i would be most happy to pm...'slobber dog stew', 'mutts nutts', coonhound happy cake(chicken livers), sweet puppy breath bake(think bananas, cinnamon and honey)...

this one's for all...who(chefs) are your present day influences? what is your cooking style, and how has your style evolved or changed. thanks all..hope your day is a good one

joey


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Joey, what kind of dog is Greta? Keisha is a Siberian Husky.. here's a picture of her enjoying her doghouse



I don't have the access to fresh salmon you have. I'm at an all day breakfast place and while we do have smoked salmon on the menu it comes in already smoked so I miss out on the fatty cuts. I'd say we're casual breakfast dining with the average meal being around $10-$15. On the menu is eggs, omelettes (lots of variety in the omelettes), crepes... filled crepes, plain crepes, crepeomelettes, bobby buttons (kind of a quesidilla with an omellette inside is how I describe that one), panini crepes, salads, tuna and chicken melts, egg salad sandwiches, fruit plates, waffles, pancakes, blueberry pancakes, blueberry crepes, eggs benetict, poached eggs with fruit.. it goes on and on. It's a chain so you can check it out at www.chezcora.com. The website isn't the best and it doesn't show the half of what we serve but it at least will give you an idea.

I'd love your doggie recipes so please feel free to PM me.. and as for your other questions I have to answer later as the two legged kids are hungry!


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

First the good news. Every one of you grande dames gets her very own bottle.

Now the bad. The doggie pictures are coming out. Last round.

BDL


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

bdl, 

you da man!...will have to save my dame for another day...i'm hung over like a twenty year old today...ooochy!

ok, no more doggie swaps online, promise...don't know what we did to deserve such a gentleman caller, but cheers!

joey


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

This is my new addition to the family. His name is Thunder and he is very interested in my birds...Buddy and Holly.

Got any good Cat treat recipes to keep Thunder away from my frantic birds.... Joey? BTW ..Love the dog treat recipes.....sounds like a good man treat too...lol

Thank-you BDL I dipped into La Dame and look what happened ..a cat pic came out!...I am cut off!!!!!!


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Congrats, Gypsy!  I bet the birds are less than impressed with their new housemate.  I'm sure there have to be cat treat recipes somewhere out there.

Sorry for your hangover, Joey.. hope you're feeling better now.

Thanks for the dame, BDL! 

So..in Canda this is a long weekend... are you Canadian girls working it or are you lucky to be off?  I'm working it and I agreed to come in on Monday (even though it's my regular day off) just so the kitchen is covered in the event we get busy.  I'm not expecting it to be too busy but I have been wrong before...


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

Thanks Leeniak...he's a real handefull...just like another child! I think we'll have to hang the cage before the birds go into cardiac arrest.

BTW your pup is awsome...huskys are great. We had one years ago named Puck.(my son the hockey inthusist named him)..he had one blue eye and one brown eye!

Hope ya feel better sista Jo ...I know how those days can go!

This Canadian girl is house bound and determined to get stuff done around hear..my garden is full of weeds and I have a ton of papers sitting on the dining room table that I have been doing an excellent job of ignoring ...so that's my exciting weekend! My neighbourhood is like tumble weed town ...everyone packed up and drove out Thursday and Friday...although I don't know why it's so cool up here on the lake...just me and the cottagers around here right now.

Hey Leeniak you'll get time and a half for Monday!

Take it easy

Gypsy


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

gypsy,

 sorry, no cat treat recipes...i don't have any cats...they're not fun on hikes, don't guard the house, don't carry anything. don't fetch, and definately don't swim...what's the point?..plus i'm allergic as hell

joey

 hey girls, on a serious note, no answers back on any present day professional influences...male or female...


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

Well thanks anyway....I thought you might be starting a pet food company. I didn't realize it was dogs exclusive. I happen to be a dog and cat and bird and fish and rabbit lover ....horses too! I Anyhow it's funny you say cat's cannot hike but my Chaos who we think was a dog in his previous life... Hikes! They do all the things you stated above ya just don't know about them cause your allergic ...so sad to hear that.

My # 1 influence ....my mom


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Nope, no time an a half for me.  The Civic Holiday isn't a paid one in Ontario.  I think there are a couple of other provinces that aren't paid for it either. 

My biggest influence... I'm not sure on that one.  I've always loved cooking and it just seemed like the right  thing for me for a second career.


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

gypsy,

sorry about the misunderstanding about the pet treats...i make dog treats and i bottle/sell my own label salad dressings...not  time for much else with working like a donkey..or would that be an ass? i'm a total lover of all creatures, great and small...just so allergic to cats, i'd have to be hospitalized if inhabiting the same room....so sorry, no cat food treats..but i can imagine a can of sardines would get you a few purrs....whatever holiday you girls are having, have a good one...didn't realize that canada had to pay time and a half...thought that was a us govt thing..by the by,how do your wages compare with ours? good day all...cheers!!!

joey


----------



## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

durangojo said:


> ...didn't realize that canada had to pay time and a half...thought that was a us govt thing...
> joey


A little OT, forgive me...

Interesting "background" on the whole "time and one half" for overtime, did you realize that the concept was originally fostered to increase employment by making "long hours" so expensive for employers that they would hire additional employees. In other words, an "economic incentive" to hire more people!

It worked pretty well prior to payroll benefits (Social Security, MediCare, Unemployment, Disability, Workers Comp, health insurance) being added to the pay package BUT excluded from the overtime calculation.

As a result, one of those "unintended consequences", the "economic incentive" to hire more employees has been watered down to the point where it seems to be less expensive to pay the overtime premium rather than hire more people.


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

[Deleted my response to Pete's post -- this thread is the wrong place to take up the issue]



My apologies,

BDL


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

no nessicita migo,

just enjoy..and thank you for the nod...as always, you remain the gentleman...cheers!

joey


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

leeniek said:


> Well we don't live anywhere near an area that's popluated by bears but we do live right at the westernmost tip of Lake Ontario (it's a 5 min or so) walk from my house. The City of Hamilton redeveloped the west Harbour with beautiful park (Bayfront Park) and it's a great place to walk your dog but.. beware of what the dog rolls in because in those bushes there may be fish that jumped a bit too far out of the water or a host of other smelly things and more than once we've returned from a walk there with our dog aka el stinko and had to bathe her in the backyard. I feel your pain on the bear poop though.. not fun to have to wash a stinky dog down when you really just want to go to bed.
> 
> I'm interested in your doggie treats... what kind of goodies do you make for your pooch?


Merci Beaucoup BDL....Your gentleman kindness is astounding...are you trying to get us drunk? I think you have succeeded!

I meant to reply to this earlier....we had a bear in my neighbours yard last spring! We have deer come right up to the house and foxes, of course rabbits, raccoons,my neighbours are cattle ranchers, horse farms , pigs, lamb sheep .... well its a regular game farm around hear.... Wolves we only hear at night and well we know when they've caught something it is not a pretty sound! The big news was at the local general store as the police arrived in town to shoot a Possum hit by a car that had crawled up on a widows door step! I arrived in town to P\U my supplies and herd shots....well the towns folk all came running! We get worked up around here for those moments! Simple living ...small town atmosphere...that story kept us going for days!

You definatly do not want to let your dog or cats out at night or even during the day unsupervised. We don't have a fence around our yard.

Big City girl gone Country

Gypsy

I forgot to mention we have an Emu farm right in town! It's pretty cool and so are they! oh and the best local goats milk and cheese around....theres probably part of the local animal kingdom I have missed besides the best fishing!...lol


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Why thank you BDL! 

Just what I need after doing a seven day stretch.  What on earth was I thinking when I suggested the KM and I arrange our schedule so that we work Saturday-Wednesday opposite each other and then have every other Thurs-Sun off??  If I feel this stiff and sore after doing seven I think I would be crippled after ten!  ack!  I guess I'm not as young as I used to be when I did that kind of schedule...


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

> I meant to reply to this earlier....we had a bear in my neighbours yard last spring! We have deer come right up to the house and foxes, of course rabbits, raccoons,my neighbours are cattle ranchers, horse farms , pigs, lamb sheep .... well its a regular game farm around hear.... Wolves we only hear at night and well we know when they've caught something it is not a pretty sound! The big news was at the local general store as the police arrived in town to shoot a Possum hit by a car that had crawled up on a widows door step! I arrived in town to P\U my supplies and herd shots....well the towns folk all came running! We get worked up around here for those moments! Simple living ...small town atmosphere...that story kept us going for days!
> 
> You definatly do not want to let your dog or cats out at night or even during the day unsupervised. We don't have a fence around our yard.
> 
> ...


As what I remember to be countryside around Hamilton from when I was growing up, gets developed the wildlife that calls those places home has nowhere to go for food but into the city. I have seen deer up near Chedoke Hospital when I was taking my son there twice a week for physio and we also came pretty close to a fox when we were going for an early morning appointment. I have seen a possum.. man are they ugly. It was a few years ago and I was about to go out back to check on my laundry and on top of the pole there was this thing just sitting there and I looked at my husband and asked WTH it was and he said it was a possum. I think our dog scared it and it was just sitting there on the pole.

The Emu farm sounds awesome, Gypsy! While I don't think small town life is for me, I do like the laid back atmosphere in small towns. My sister in law lived in a two road villiage (riviere-a-pierre PQ) and we loved going to visit her and her family there. The village was surrounded by mountains and some of the most beautiful forests and marmites I have ever seen. My late brother in law was French-Canadian and very proud of his home province so every time we went he would make sure he took us to see something different. He knew so much about the history of his province it was always interesting to go out with him.

We were super busy this weekend.. and I am sore and tired after it. It doesn't help that I did seven days in a row but wow.. I have muscle pain going on that I haven't had in a long time. Guess I'm getting old...


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

I feel for you Leeniak...I'm old and well my sciatica bothers me just about everyday! You have much more responsibility than I with your children. I don't have that anymore and I still complain! Well the small town life was mainly for economics...children flown the coop and well we wanted more property and less noise...it was a hard decision but when we thought  about it ....it made sense. Mind you I miss the conveniences and the social swirl of the big city....My neighbors are all I got and ya gotta all get along ...which we do...I never been to so many bon-fires in my life...it's mandatory to have one in your back-yard!

I do miss my friends ...but when we get together it's special

Gypsy


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

You're only as old as you feel, Gypsy.. or so they say anyway... and for me today I'd say 99 is a good number.  I had sciatica when I was pregnant with my daughter.. that was miserable!  I had two weeks of feeling human after the morning sickness stopped and then she found my sciatic nerve and sat on it for the rest of the pregnancy.  Of course I had to split my tailbone giving birth to her so every now and then that flares up and well.. it hurts like the devil! 

Moving to Hamilton was a economic decision for us.  We had outgrown our little house in TO and couldn't afford anything bigger and decent in a decent area so after a weekend of camping with the boys my husband came home and said.. we have to move to Hamilton, it's so much cheaper there ... hmm I had only been saying that for ten years but who am I??  LOL  We moved here and rented  for a bit to see where we wanted to live and we found it in this house.  Now we're thinking selling might be in our future as the kids are growing and don't seem to be wanting to move out anytime  soon so we need a finshed (or finishable) basement and one extra room somewhere to accomodate them but I don't want a huge 25 room house that I will ultimately have to clean I just need some extra living space. 

I miss my TO friends but we have kept in touch.. some of them have been friends for 25 years and while we don't talk often they are true friends as when we do get together it feels like we have never been apart.


----------



## hausfrau (Aug 3, 2010)

Wow! what to add here. I have been cooking since I was 14 but only in "real" kitchens in the last 3 years. Huge 180 career change at 45. I have owned my own B&B, worked in a small hotel with a teaching chef who got me hooked, at a ski club for 2 seasons and then on to my first restaurant as line cook. I now cook as apprentice for a catering chef who also contracts a restaurant at a golf club. I have a huge variety of work and lots of it. I am hanging on a hook right now waiting to hear if I will be going to college this fall....but, dealing with the government is _painful._

In my experience...working in the restaurant was the worst because of the chef I was under. He definitely pushed me harder than the others because I was a woman and I eventually ended up leaving with much condescenion on his part. I have since found out that his policy is to keep an all male kitchen. Yet, on the other hand, the chef I am with now treats me as an equal. Kitchens quickly become a family. We share very tight knit places, in heat and pressure with knives in our hands....you learn to give and take as politely as possible and apologize at the end of the shift or your environment quickly disintegrates.

I am very optomistic about the future. Having my papers will open a few doors but the attitude of the chef towards females in their kitchen plays a huge role as well....human rights only go so far....they are accepting or they are not; no government policy is going to change that.

All in my humble opinion....


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Sadly there are still a few men who believe women do not belong in a professional kitchen. 

Good luck with the scholarship,

BDL


----------



## hausfrau (Aug 3, 2010)

Thank you...I just found out yesterday that I have my seat at college starting September 20th.  The apprenticeship board and the director are letting me do my basic and advanced back-to-back so I should be finished in May, and hopefully, be able to write my Red Seal right away so I won't forget anything.  I have my 6000 hours completed already.  Very exciting.


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

how are the girls doing over here in estrogen land?, just checkin in to see how everyones hangin...anything new and exciting? sosa and left4bread...are you still out there? speak up girls....hope all is well with you all...seems summer is almost over here...colors and lighting have changed as well as cooler temps at night and early mornings..how's it there? will try and post a painting that my artist friend painted from the restaurant.....good day all

joey

apparently, i'll have to find another way......back when i do! any ideas? it was sent through email...thanks


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

there, i think i've got it......enjoy all!....joey


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Very nice Joey!  Thanks for sharing!


----------



## sosa (Jul 18, 2010)

Hausfrau, keep on rocking, girl. I feel like I'm in a similar situation - I just got short-shifted out of a job to be replaced by a male cook with "more experience." So the first thing I did after my chef told me he wouldn't have anymore hours for me in the near future was drop off my papers for cooking school starting latest next Spring. Man, I really need to work on the run-on sentences. Also, I tired of getting pushed around, and I find it annoying that I need documentation to get a more solid foot in the door, but I suppose that's the way things are. For the moment.

Other than that, Jo, looking for a new job, which is stressing me, but this is the season to make the switch, as has been said before. Just waiting for the call backs to begin.

...any day now.


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

The summer's been too hot for my liking but other than that it's flown by.  We were supposed to have this week to do daytrips as a family but my husband's vacation was cancelled so we had Monday and Tuesday.  We will take a mini vacation sometime in the fall.   Work's been work.. same stuff different day.  I think it's not as busy as it was last summer but holy today sure was.  Normally on a Friday we do maybe 225 people at the most but today we did 305. We pulled together and go it done.. I have to start early tomorrow as fruits fell behind today and there are a few little things that need to be done.  I can easily do those things in half an hour so it's fine.  We're hiring again... we need one part time person for 2-3 shifts a week.  The KM has interviews set up for Tuesday so hopefully we can find someone.  We have a dishwasher that we're training for the kitchen and with him and one more person we'll be set.   We thought we were set until we remembered that one of our cooks will be a guest of the provincial government for three months come the end of September (he is going to jail) and we need to get someone in to cover his shifts.  We will take him back after he is done his time as he is one of our best workers. 

The new lady we hired a few weeks ago was telling me today that the KM at one of her part time jobs was really mean to her when she gave her notice.  When we hired her, she told him she was leaving and I didn't know her schedule there, so I scheduled her in at our place for this weekend.  She was fine with it and told him she had to go because her new job needed her and she didn't want to risk losing the position.  Apparently he freaked out on her and told her she didn't care, and not to use him as a reference.. she walked out after that and I don't blame her. (I would have too)  They only had her on prep and apparently her former KM prefers to keep an all male line staff.. our former KM worked at the same place as this lady and  I remember her saying the same thing about this guy.  Our new lady was happy to see that the AKM at our place  is female.. she said to her it meant that the KM values work over gender.  And knowing him as well as I do.. she got that one right on the head!


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

sosa girl, 

here are a few of my thoughts for you...take it, leave it, or pick through it as you will....first, you sound young, which is a good thing, a very good thing....where are you? in a city with access to many, many restaurants? personally, i would not take the corporate route...they have rules and endless policies...its just how they are, and you ain't gonna change that...find a small independent place...bistro, cafe, coffee house, deli etc., anything to just start the working/learning process...of course it would be best to find someone that would sort of take you under their wing and be willing to teach you...that would be ideal, and there are places like that out there, trust me...i'm one of them!...you have to be vigilant in seeking them out...if an owner/chef is astute enough, they will realize that you are just nervous when speaking during an interview...its amazing how quickly that goes away once you're comfortable in a kitchen...as long as you are willing to learn and contribute, these are the important things...you need to let them know what you can bring to the table...why having you in their kitchen would be an asset..i.e hard working, honest, willing, funny, and last but certainly not least, the passion.... whatever you think you have to contribute...maybe you should make a list of your good qualities...it might help you think a bit better of yourself when you see it written down! don't wait for call backs...call them...remember that 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease'....school...well, i'm not a big fan of what gets churned and turned out of culinary schools, but for you it may be a good route to start and to learn the basics and techniques as well as being a confidence builder...plus, you would be around other same likeminded people...you can absolutely learn everything you need to from a good kitchen...it just has to be the right one.....while i agree that there are some very narrowed minded lazy assed, mean spirited male chefs out there, there are just as many good, hard working ones too...having a good mix in the kitchen is a good thing....well, hope this helps somehow...if this is your true passion, you will make it happen...it just won't happen all at once. i am a big believer that things happen for a reason, but also a big believer that you just can't sit back and wait for opportunity to knock...you gotta go get it!!! no one is just gonna come to your door asking you to please, please come work for them.....you are young, little sosa...you will be just fine, i think!....

joey


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

Cool Estrogen Land /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smoking.gif

I have to agree some of these colleges pump out some lame people.....but so do other industry driven colleges in completely different professions

I was knocking on doors a few years back and all I got was "are you papered?" WTF seriously I knew my stuff....I could cook circles around most ...but they wanted to see that f'n Red Seal ...it haunted me for a year and I finally went to school and ,apprenticed and the whole shabang.... I grew up in a restaurant...the chefs who worked for my parents did not have papers and taught me so much ...inspired me...in a Greek Language I generally did not understand!

I don't want to get into the whole red seal commotion but it does help in certain geographical areas...big cities ...


----------



## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

Hm, this one???








http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:...m/albums/nn14/DjRedBone1/red_seal_web.jpg&t=1


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

don't know if you have this in canada, but here we have acf(american culinary federation), that among other things gives accreditation for time worked in the  industry...lots of cooks who never went to school but worked in kitchens their whole lives can get certified...think you may have to take some online classes to round it out....food safety, sanitation, etc...of course, after having worked so long in a kitchen, why would you need a certificate anyway?...unless its just a thang!....i know from cooking on luxury yachts that they generally want some kind of degree... like a piece of paper makes you a better cook..and they typically want someone who cooks classical 'french', which, to me is not even close to the end all of cooking, but don't tell jacques pepin that! i've lost out on lots of jobs cuz of 'no papers', but, you just keep movin on!

joey

this is weather related, not food...38 degrees here night before last and snow on top of wolf creek pass, which is on the continental divide, close to here.....yikes!


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

Yes we do have apprenticeship programs here in Ontario ....really good ones if your under the right Chef ....which is like any other profession...There are good teachers and there are bad.

Some of my apprentices just needed a letter stating the amount of hours they did with me , and never set foot in a College. Some of them want a letter of recommendation after 3 months and they are moving on...I just state they have worked for me for x amount of hours...that's it


----------



## k-lost (Sep 1, 2010)

Hi, I'm new to the board.

Been working in kitchens for 7 yrs. Trying to broaden my horizons, move out of my comfort zone and really push myself, before I wake up and realise too late that i'm still just another (easily replaceable) cook in someones kitchen.


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

hi k-lost,

 would like to welcome you to CT...  sorry,no basket of cookies, but please, take off your chef shoes and stay awhile....hopefully you will feel comfortable enough here to enjoy and share...it is a motley crew,for sure, but people with real knowledge, definate opinions, and a willingness to share abound!!!......when the testosterone gets too thick, we just come over here for a breather...anyway, welcome!!!!...where are you geographically?(amazing i spelt that before coffee!) what type of kitchen do you work in? hotel?restaurant? little indie spot?

and for all you canadian girls and boys...have you seen the movie "frozen river"?...really good flick...mohawk reservation and illegals to start...also, a film out of australia..."rabbit proof fence"...good day all...happy labor day! is that a canadian holiday? think its just to give us americans another play day off..i don't know, but i know i'm always working...i know someone out there knows how it started...

joey


----------



## sosa (Jul 18, 2010)

Hey Jo, thank you for the words of encouragement. I realize that this is going to be a long journey for me, and I look forward to it! I found a place that I'm really happy to be working in - a catering company of all places! The kitchen is humongous, all the staff is incredibly friendly, and for the first time, I have all the equipment I need to do my job properly! I'm so happy I could spit. I'm actually working as an assistant baker, which I thought would be no big deal, but lo and behold, THERE IS NO ROOM FOR ERROR IN PROFESSIONAL BAKING. Ouch. But I figure if I can become a decent baker, it'll only add to my strengths as a cook.

I'm located in Montreal, Qc. Which is a large foodie city, which I think is kind of a drawback and well as an advantage in some ways. Starting salaries are kind of low for the work that's usually entailed. Almost all of the past restaurants I've worked in have been grossly understaffed for the number of people to serve, or on the flip side, service entails serving a dozen people on a "busy" night. I know there are goldmines out there, but right now, I'm happy with catering company. It looks like a great place for me to learn a whole bunch of stuff. 

Welcome aboard, K-Lost! Where are you from? Where are you working? Do you have any documentation? Don't lose hope!


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Sosa, I'm glad you've found a place you're happy in and that you can learn alot while you're there.  This business is all about learning and I think we never stop learning no matter where we are in our careers. 

Welcome K-Lost!  Please do tell us a little about yourself.

Labour Day is a holiday in Canada and the best part about this labour day is... I'm off!!  Yay me!  Mondays are my scheduled days off anyway and we have enough strong people that the kitchen will be covered.  Plus after the miserable day I had on crepes (I got smoked early on and that landed me in the weeds more than once today.. not fun) I want tomorrow off.  My feet hurt, my allergies are really acting up and I want a day off.  Ok whine over...


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

good morning ladies!

thanks petals for the concern of my whereabouts...have been working like a donkey lately...does that make me dumb ? will be thinner than oxygen at this pace, but think i can see light at the end of the tunnel...actually got to spend more than a few hours in my bed last night for the first time in a while....amazing what a bit of sleep can do for the body and soul!...almost as good as pizza!!! as far as the fires, we are on the other side of the state from them, but its always a concern since we live in a state that is mostly national forest land. in 2002 we had a devastating fire(missionary ridge) here that burned for 2 months and over 70,000 acres and was very, very very close to home.....couldn't open our windows for weeks because of the ash...2500 homes burned down and some people just left cuz they were too old to rebuild...it was so sad.....and the wildlife, they were rescueing bears with their coats so burnt they were unrecognizable, not to mention all the other little forest creatures...that was the hardest to deal with...all the animals...us humans can rebuild or relocate, but the creatures are just so vunerable....the terrain was so steep in the canyons and the firefighters just could not get to it, then it jumped the river and became even more destructive..most of the homes here are log construction, so the threat is even higher...needless to say, it was a very tough summer....speaking of which, i think is over here...telluride got 3 inches of snow this past week and it has been very cold here lately...below freezing last night...the squirrels are going nuts gathering for the winter...so i guess we will be seeing yet another season pass.....well now, hope you are all doing swimmingly...anything new? any vacations planned? cook anything exciting lately? i have, but i will save it for later so as not to hog up this forum space...hey petals, do you live with this family that you chef for or do you have your own place, then come in? is this daily? weekly? special dinners or all meals all the time?...very similar to cooking on a boat for the 'owners' and their guests....one of the perks though of boat cooking, was that the owners were not always there, and when they were it was only for a week or two tops at a time....gotta love that......oh, sosa girl...you rock! and spittins' a good thing!!! baking is a SCIENCE...there ain't no getting around that...everything HAS to be measured or weighed....since you're in canada i'm guessing that you weigh out everything...is that right?...working for a catering company will be great for you as you will be making different foods to suit each party menu, so will be learning lots.....that makes me smile for you...okay chefs...have yourselves quite the day...and do good by it...ciao for now...its good to be back...felt like i've been gone for awhile, or maybe i just plain missed ya"ll.....

joey

*Edit*: removed profanity


----------



## petalsandcoco (Aug 25, 2009)

Glad to hear your doing ok.

When I saw the reports coming out of there , well, it had me worried. I live ten minutes away 20 with traffic. I start fairly early , prep as much as I can before I leave.

I get a schedule a week in advance "usually" but sometimes that does not also work out.

It can be anywhere from 1 to 20-50 then parties.

I do not get holidays like everyone else.

There is a weekend shift. Parties over 10 , servers come in. For big Parties of 100 , I normally have 6 serving. He has one gardener , a handyman and a chauffeur.

Then I am call for travel as well. It is much like when you worked the boat.

Everyday has a new surprise, I was taught well by two French chefs here. My mother used to work for a Swiss family, private as well. Both men knew each other.

Do I enjoy it ? well like everything else , it has its ups and downs but when your in the moment, nothing beats it.

Today I made duck confit with an orange sauce and flowered beats and white and green asparagus.....what i mean to say is, I concentrate so much on what I am doing that time almost stands still, and when I finish plating , I look at it, and then I decide how I feel about it....(and this is with planning yet) like looking at a painting at a museum.....then I file it in my mind ....the good, the bad or the ......What in suffering succatash did I make ? http://www.entertonement.com/collections/8805/Sylvester

Glad to here your ok ! The weather here has been ugly, cold, rainy, wind....


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

hi petals,

aahh, duck confit... i have always wanted to make that but never have...i'm thinking of it in a spring roll or fried eggroll...maybe with a light coconut thai chile sauce..whaddya think?....could you pass along your recipe for me? i think the other girls would appreciate it as well, but you could also p.m it to me if you like...as for beets, they are my favoritest vegetable in the world, especially the gold ones...a friend just brought me a big sack from his garden..nirvana...thanks petals, hope your weekend is going well..

joey

perfect fall day here today...perfect!


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Hope I'm not interjecting a too male presence, but I've made slow smoked duck _flautas_ (aks _taquitos_) that worked out very well. The slow smoking process gives you similar results to confit, except, of course, for the smoke and fat.

By way of apology:



Directions: Apply internally. PRN (repeat as necessary).

mmmm duck,

BDL


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

mmm... flautas... sorry BDL but I've never been a fan of duck. It's just too fatty for my taste. (or maybe the duck that I had was poorly prepared and it turned me off of it for good)

Thanks for the medicine Dr BDL! I'm sure all of us will follow your directions to the letter /img/vbsmilies/smilies/drinkbeer.gif


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

So how are you ladies doing today?  Any exciting stories to share from your kitchens?

I have a situation with the KM that is going to take time to resolve itself.  On Tuesday he felt incredibly dizzy all day and went to the walk in clinic after work.  They gave him a diagnosis of inner ear infection and told him to see his family doctor the next day.  He called me on Tuesday a soon as he got home and told me he had bad news and of course first thing I thought was something with his mom as she is 86 and visiting from Europe right now.  Then he told me what was going on. So he went to his own doctor and it turns out that he doesn't have an infection but an inner ear malfunction and he has fluid draining into his inner ear that shouldn't be there.  So he has been having a bunch of tests to find out where the fluid is leaking from and then they can do what they have to do to treat it.  He plans to work through it.. subborn a**  but I can see his point.. the room is going to spin whether he is at home or at work so he may as well do modified duties.  Today he did the cold side and unfortunately I need him on the hot side tomorrow as I have to do crepes.  (yuck.... I am not a fan of crepes on the weekends but whatever I have to suck it up) 

We talked about it today and we're going to wing it depending on how he feels but I don't want him in front of a grill at all so I am going to have a chat with the egg guy before the KM gets in tomorrow.  I had a frustrating day with him today on eggs..  he was not interested in cooking but instead chatting and I had to ride his a** all day.  This guy does not like it when I call board and he is on eggs.  I am the main egg cook on weekends along with the KM and I call eggs like I would run my grill and I expect the egg cook to be able to handle that.  There is no time for chit chat if there are orders and that is how I work.  I call eggs as soon as they come in... even if I know he has no room on his grill I will say "when you have room, new order three sets over easy going on eggs bacon or  eggs whatever"  and he hates that.  I want it out asap as I know the network standard for chit times and I want happy owners.  He is not the one who the owners will rail on  if there are issues... it's me and the KM.   He made a comment to the FOH manager today that I heard.. he was mid chat and I sald.. Bob new order three sets easy and he actually turned to her and said  "this is why I hate eggs"  and I heard it.  He knows I heard it too because I called him  on it.    Nice.  He is in for a shift cut.  I don't need that BS on the line and he is a student and not committed to us anyway so I'd rather give one of his shifts to our adult staff.  He's quite friendly with the foh manager (she thinks he is amazing)  but whatever.. it is boh that I am worried about.  I'm expecting him to quit soon anyway...

We had some contestants from "The Bachelor" in a few weeks ago and a few servers went nuts over them.  Frankly I thought they were not that hot but super annoying as I could hear them in the kitchen over the sound of the fans.  They clearly wanted to be noticed.  We get the Barenaked Ladies in now and then  and they are such great customers.  They don't want to  be the centre of attention, they just want breakfast or lunch and to be left to eat. 

I posted in the late night cafe about a culinary fundraiser for womens cancers and my husband's work has picked up the pledging and if they are one of the top pledgers they asked me to go in and represent them.  I took it on but OMG I am afraid if they win a spot in the kitchen.  I doubt they will but still... I am nowhere near good enough as the celeb chefs appear to be (and they could be like our head office trainers, great with the knowlege and crap on the line)  but that I have no idea of going in.   Ramsay is the Chef of the kitchen and well.. to even see him is a lifetime experrice.   Wish me (the team at the studio) luck

I think that's all of my news


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

wow bdl...

you sure know how to apologize well and as always,in style!!!...just not sure why really...you,as anyone else are always welcome here, for sure...man, i could use a bathub  full of martinis to soak in tonight...'they done this cowgirl in', that's for sure...leeniak...just go wth your best shot, your best plate, your strongest dish...and i think that perhaps you should be the one to do it....whaddaya think bout that one missy?.....focus on your strongpoint...whaddaymean your not good enough?...of course you are...you know the dance steps. the food, the presentation and all the b.s that's behind door #3.....tell us more about what's involved......thinkaboutit sistah!!!! if you don't win, at least you can't bitch!!!!  come on!!!   why not?!!!

joey

oh, cheers all and thanks to our lovely personal  virtual bartender, bdl...cheers, kind sir!!

bdl and petals, would love to get some sort of duck confit recipe...even in simple basic form...duck breast...roasted?...i don'r have a smoker bdl, but that woudl certainly add a new dimension to the flavor for sure.....grill and oven is what i got.....thanks to you both


----------



## titomike (May 20, 2009)

Joey...

Duck confit refers to a preservation technique of salt curing then storing air-tight under fat. The full method will preserve for six months or so (winter was the original intent), it will be easy for you and is _so _good.

Whole duck legs is the go. Make a rub of your choice if you want ...then salt generously inside and out (having cut through the tendons at the base of the leg bone) and cure for 24-36 hours on a rack in a hotel pan. Discard runoff, pat dry (after rinsing if necessary) and return to the pan...keeping them tight lessens the amount of fat required. Cover with duckfat (if you dont have enough to cover...baste and or/turn over during the cook), bake at 140-160C FOR 2-2 1/2 hrs. 'till 'fall off the bone'. Allow to cool in the fat then store under fat.

Can omit the salt curing if you don't need to hold it longer than weeks to a month...

_Very _rich so we serve it with a bittersweet orange gastrique or something similar to cut it...delish!

Hope this helps...


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

sooo,

 the duck confit is probably not what i was thinking of, in the end..thinking more of something to use as a filling of some sort, like bdls taquito thingy, but not fried...is the confit pate like in texture or when you take the meat off the bones do you kind of 'smoosh' it with your fingers, then put it back under the duckfat? then you serve it with what? baguette? cheese? preserves? the duckfat itself?..so its eaten as a small plate sort of thing? cold?...sounds pretty straightforward enough in prep as basically the duck does all the work really...petals, do you use just the legs or the whole duck? can you just buy duck legs? all those ducks without legs...like the frogs....always wonder about them! 

leeniak, when is your contest, and do you get to decide what to cook, or does someone tell you what you must do? gordan 'ram it' ramsey...thats worth the price of a ticket, just for the fodder!...i just can't stand that guy..i know its all about ratings and money and perhaps its just his tv personality that is so obnoxious and not the real person, but anyone that makes money deliberately belittling the most pathetic, is 'scum on the ole bum shoe', in my book..i know we've had this discussion before, so won't belabor it.....as for your coworker...man, what if he gets dizzy and falls down and hits his head on the way to the floor...worse case scenario is that he seriously injures himself( think brain), then sues...the workmen's comp lawyers will be like maggots on a dead horse......does your  medical insurance allow for some sort of medical leave or compensation? don't you have socialized medicine up there? you're a smart cookie, leeniak..and no one wants to cut a good coworkers hours/pay, but i think it could be a potentially dangerous,potentially costly situation...just my 5 cents(inflation, go figure!)

okay, on a lighter note...if you had but one cookbook to keep out of your whole 100+ book collection, which one would you choose?...good day all, hope you are all well.....one more night before my 'fetal monday', which i have missed for the past several weeks due to extra caterings...i am truly toast!....hope i did not offend anyone with my rantings, truly not my intent..ciao

joey

p.s....whats a leeniak?


----------



## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

durangojo said:


> ...if you had but one cookbook to keep out of your whole 100+ book collection, which one would you choose?...


"Ratio", Michael Ruhlman, Scribner, a Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc., Library of Congress Control Number 2008032679


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

_*Confit:*_

Confit is nothing like pate, it's more like carnitas, a lot more like carnitas. Confit is usually put away as whole duck legs (including the thighs). No meat is removed and pushed back under the fat. You're conflating confit with its cassoulet destination and coming up with something entirely unknown. Sounds like you're on to some sort of duck p'tcha. If so, make mine with extra garlic. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you're very, very lucky.

The word "confit" is now used as a verb, and you can confit other things besides duck legs however you want. There are no rules. Words have no meanings. It's all cool. Just remember, "'Big, bold, flavors;' 'Tuscan,' and 'Friends and family,'" and you'll be just fine on the Food Network. Ready for my closeup Mr. Brown.

_*Book:*_

Pellaprat's _French Culinary Art _aka _L'Arte Culinaire_; one of the sixties or early seventies editions with all the great photographs and without all the editing -- especially Jeremiah Towers'.

Sorry dude,

BDL


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

> leeniak, when is your contest, and do you get to decide what to cook, or does someone tell you what you must do? gordan 'ram it' ramsey...thats worth the price of a ticket, just for the fodder!...i just can't stand that guy..i know its all about ratings and money and perhaps its just his tv personality that is so obnoxious and not the real person, but anyone that makes money deliberately belittling the most pathetic, is 'scum on the ole bum shoe', in my book..i know we've had this discussion before, so won't belabor it.....
> 
> as for your coworker...man, what if he gets dizzy and falls down and hits his head on the way to the floor...worse case scenario is that he seriously injures himself( think brain), then sues...the workmen's comp lawyers will be like maggots on a dead horse......does your medical insurance allow for some sort of medical leave or compensation? don't you have socialized medicine up there? you're a smart cookie, leeniak..and no one wants to cut a good coworkers hours/pay, but i think it could be a potentially dangerous,potentially costly situation...just my 5 cents(inflation, go figure!)
> 
> ...


I think that Ramsay sets the menu and the winners get to cook it alongisde famous chefs kind of like in a top chef competition. It's a fundraiser for women's cancers and the money made will be donated to Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto for cancer research. He's done these sort of events before and from what I gathered from the website is that you have to raise a serious amount of money. I know the people my husband works with and for very well, and well.. they're not going to raise enough so at least I won't be subject to the R-man's tirades. And knowing me, I would give it right back to him instead of cowering in fear! I don't mind Kitchen Nightmares where he actually goes in and tries to help them but I'm not a fan of Hell's Kitchen. How some of those people ended up on the show is beyond me.

Well the KM came in on Saturday like I knew his stubborn self would. He stayed to the back of the kitchen and did prep. Sunday he had to call board and I had a talk with the egg guy before the KM got in. I had a difficult time with that cook on Saturday so I told him straight up that he needed to curb the chit chat with the servers because we have a brand new guy on meats and that is going to be hard on the KM and he's still not 100% so he needs to pick up the pace. I don't think he liked being told about it but he did keep it to a minimum. The KM seems to be ok and he knows what he should not do and he is careful. He has vertigo and it is one of those things that has to work itself out. When I worked at the cafe one of the owners had vertigo and it lasted for a couple of months before it went away. During that time we did not let her do anything but take orders and cash people out. I'd do all of her hot drinks and take them out and I ran the food as well depending on what it was. Soup and chili, I ran but if it was just a few sandwiches in baskets I let her run those. My husband had it a few years ago and I think for him it lasted three weeks.

I hear you on being toast, joey! I'm on day six of an unexpected seven day run. One of our new hires lost her father on the weekend and she has been off since Saturday morning when she got the call at work. She knew it was coming (he had stage 4 cancer) but still even when you know about someting like that it's not easy at all. So the KM did her open shift today and I went in to cover him, and tomorrow I'm doing her open shift. She'll be in on Wednesday and I'm going to have a much deserved day off. I'm not upset or angry that I have to do seven days in a row because this is an emergency and she needs to be with her family.

To add to my toasted feeling, I completely re-organized our dry storage shelves today and also the storage area for pop and other stuff. It took me the better part of two hours but I think now that I have a system in place it will work well and make inventory for me and the KM much easier. This is the only place I have ever worked at where when stock comes in the boxes are placed on the shelves and people take stuff from open boxes. So I unpacked alot of stuff and organized the shelving to be a little more efficient when it comes to use of space. It is going to be maintained as well. I'll make sure of it. There are still full boxes of product on the shelves but they're unopened and waiting for the stuff we have to be used up first. Our first KM was the one who set up the dry storage area when we opened and I think it just became status quo and no one thought about changing it because we all were used to doing things that way.

A leeniek is me... my nickname is leenie and my last name starts with a k. I came up with it one day as my msn id and well it just stuck with me!

As for my cookbook.. it's not anything that has been published as a whole but the collection of recipes I have dating back to 1987 when I got married that I clipped out of magazines (alot of Canadian Living, Chatelaine, First, and BGH mags) and glued and taped into binders. I have three of them. Then I added to that with recipes I downloaded from the internet. That is the collection I have to keep. Alot of it is sentimental.. like when I make southwestern chicken stew I remember the first time I made it and how my husband said he could smell it all the way from the elevator on our floor and he was surprised that the smell was coming from our apartment. (gotta love apartments with the kitchen right near the entry door!) and that is the book that means the most to me.


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

bdl,

have you been drinking? ducks have things? what sort of 'things'?....duck p'tcha? huh? so, do you eat confit cold? and with what? bread? preserves? anything? so, on your plate it just looks like a pile of stringy meat with fat? must be more to it than that for all the accolades it seems to garner ..... yeah, well i'm thinking maybe pulled duck spring rolls with a cabbage/carrot sambal in the mix and a coconut water/thai chile sauce on the side..we'll see how it will most probably morph.....think i asked this before, but can you just buy duck legs? guess i'll probably end up using breasts, cuz i can get them easily...we don't have any butcher shops here...just normal grocery store meat departments....any martinis left in the shaker?...make mine a double dirty please!....cheers...

joey


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

I'm not after martinis but maybe some advil?? My feet are KILLING me and so are my arms after today.  Apparently I'm out of shape.


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

Wow

Thank-You BDL..........long day , feet up, martini in hand ,,,,,and it's only Monday!.....and duck to boot ....I can only be so lucky to be in The Rumble Bar......now now you started it BDL!

Well ....I've read through these posts and apparently I've missed some great stuff.

Leenie are you talking about the "Eat to the Beat" down at Roy Thompson Hall?  Love to know....it's a wonderfull event....my aunt is on the board of women there....and one of the founders....it is one of the causes close to our family and I have been there for a few events.....good on you to volunteer your expertise...

Well Joey ya started something good here for the girls. It's fun.  I specially like the tarbender....oops I've had enough


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

thing about matinis leeniak is that they work way way faster than advil, are waaay more fun and also provide a bit of arm exercise......AND you can do it in your jammies!!!!

gotta love that!!!....cheers sistah!...what happens to keisha all ay while you and hubby are working? she's a big dog with big exercise needs...gotta come back tomorrow and tell you a story about 'greta' saving a neighborhood doggie frined...very touching...if only people could be that good......ummmm...nite nite girls

joey

what does 'calling' board mean?


----------



## culinuthiast (May 4, 2010)

i'm not professional yet, no wait.. prolly not ever, at this rate, but i just gotta say this ladies.. when you have your face on there's no one i want to work with more, i DO NOT understand that anti-gurl thing in the kitchen because quite frankly the men are too frequently scared and weak and don't do their homework and I find that the gurls do.

if it's all about forearms then i give up, the men win, but i'd still rather have a woman on my 6 than a work-dodging man.

just sayin, from the scholastic-side of things so far.

(delete as necessary)


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

ok then, 'The Rumble Bar' is born!....love it!!!...we gotta have some kind of sign...like 'where its always five o'clock', or 'smoke drink, never think' ..you ladies think something up.....oh, this is gonna be fun with a capital F....

joey


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Gypsy, no it's not the one you're thinking of.  This one is at one of the studios in the Liberty Market complex off of  King Street West. 

Joey, we've had Keisha since she was a puppy and we have always left her inside when we go out or all of us go to work/school for the day.  When she was a pup we left her in the crate (and had to padlock it so she'd stay in.. she was quite the escape artist)  Puppies and dogs will not soil where they sleep so she learned to hold it until we got back.  The last person out the door would take her for a short walk so she could go to the bathroom and then the first person home (me again...lol) would take her out so she could go again.  She's actually not that big.. Siberians are medium sized dogs and considerably smaller than their Malamute cousins.  She only weighs 42 pounds.   She's ok with other dogs as long as they don't get too up close and personal with their sniffing.

Calling board = calling orders during service to the station(s) responsible for that particular item.  Basically it amounts to running the line and making sure everything is up in good time before passing the ticket over to expo to finish.   Hope that made sense.


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Culinuthiast, thanks for your comments.   I wouldn't say that all males in the kitchen are work-dodging just as I wouldn't say that all females in the kitchen are work machines.  I have worked with some male cooks and chefs who have a strong work eithic and want to be there and have the passion for the food, and I have worked with some guys who slack off after doing the bare minimum and want to have the glory but not do the work to earn it.   Same goes for women... I have worked with some great women chefs and cooks who are passionate and excellent workers and same with the guys.. there are some women who will do the bare minimum and then slack off as soon as they can.  I think to be honest it comes down to the individual person instead of whether or not they are male or female.


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

petals,

 in a previous post about duck confit, i asked how it was served. i am trying to get an 'on the plate' visual, so bear with me...you mentioned that you served it with an orange sauce, flowered beets and asparagus, which sounds great, but was it served cold? whole legs or meat taken off the bone and shredded? then shredded meat atop a fresh buttered  piece of baguette with some sort of preserve? i get that 'confit' is the method of cooking/preserving the duck...what i don't get, is how it is served...thanks...enjoy your day!

joey


----------



## cinnamongirl (Sep 18, 2010)

durangojo,

In class, we've just finished being introduced to duck confit (done by a sous vide method instead of the traditional oven method).

How it was served, was by searing the legs to crisp the skin and warm the meat.  It was accompanied by braised cabbage and a root vegetable pave.

It was delicious.

But I'm sure that are more ways to serve duck confit.


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

happy autumn ladies!

 okay, we're gonna have a party down at 'The Rumble Bar'!  sunday night...everyone's invited! kids, dogs, menfolk.... sosa girl can make the birthday cake, maybe pete can jump out of it, you girls can chill down the beer and champagne, polish the glasses and whip up some appetizers! its bdl's birthday and we need to help ease him through to the other side!!!! so, gypsy, if you would, post an invite on the late night non cooking forum....for people to cruise on by sunday for a toast and to toast bdl's special day....come on girls, lets rumble!!....

joey


----------



## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Originally Posted by *durangojo* 


> [...] make the birthday cake, maybe pete can jump out of it...


Thanks Joey. Everything else sounded lovely, but please... not that.

No offense Pete.

BDL


----------



## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

boar_d_laze said:


> Originally Posted by *durangojo*
> 
> Thanks Joey. Everything else sounded lovely, but please... not that.
> 
> ...


Assuming I'm the "referenced", none taken, although I AM capable of jumping ON the cake!


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

durangojo said:


> happy autumn ladies!
> 
> okay, we're gonna have a party down at 'The Rumble Bar'! sunday night...everyone's invited! kids, dogs, menfolk.... sosa girl can make the birthday cake, maybe pete can jump out of it, you girls can chill down the beer and champagne, polish the glasses and whip up some appetizers! its bdl's birthday and we need to help ease him through to the other side!!!! so, gypsy, if you would, post an invite on the late night non cooking forum....for people to cruise on by sunday for a toast and to toast bdl's special day....come on girls, lets rumble!!....
> 
> joey


Well , what a coincidence! It's my birhday too! I am having family over but I'll sneak out for a quick drink to celebrate with all of you .Sounds like quite the bash at the Rumble Bar ... see what I can do regarding the invites....but I am really busy right now....if you think of anything for the invites before me ,by all means go ahead!


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Happy Autmn everyone!  So, BDL's big day is on Sunday.. I'll be by after work so save some wine for me!


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Wow... two  birthdays.. .even better!  I can think about posting an invite in the non food area if that's ok with you girls..


----------



## gypsy2727 (Mar 9, 2010)

Well that would be great Leenie,

                                                  this is a birthday Milestone for BDL so make it just special just for him.


----------



## titomike (May 20, 2009)

gypsy2727 said:


> Well that would be great Leenie,
> 
> this is a birthday Milestone for BDL so make it just special just for him.


Not sure where I should be looking...so what's that in kilometres?


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

leeniak, 

 i posted an invite on the late night cooking forum just cuz i thought you'd be working til later, and i have to go to work soon...just wanted it taken care of....thanks os much for the offer..of course, a reminder tomorrow wouldn't be a bad thing, if you would....can you think of another forum as well? we could do a double whammy!!!!

joey

sosa girl, i sent you a pm regarding the birthday cake, since you're a baker now...let me know if yo can do this...pictures would be nice!...thanks


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Thanks, Joey.  I'll post a reminder in the late night cafe, tomorrow.  Maybe we should consider having the party in the late night cafe... this area is for pros only and it would be nice for the birthday boy and girl to hear from everybody.  Whatever you decided I'm fine with.


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

thanks leenie,

good idea..can you take care of that?...i know you work breakfast, and i work dinner, so our timing if usually all off.....again, thanks...see ya at the party!!

joey

p.s.guess  my thought that bdl helps out so much in the pro forum, that they might want to be included.....hey, what the hell, its an epic birthday!


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

No problem Joey!


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

leeniek said:


> Thanks, Joey. I'll post a reminder in the late night cafe, tomorrow. Maybe we should consider having the party in the late night cafe... this area is for pros only and it would be nice for the birthday boy and girl to hear from everybody. Whatever you decided I'm fine with.


well leenie,

i haven't heard back from nicko, and i sent him another pm this morning to see if we could just move the whole rumble thread to the cooking/food discussion forum.....i think we should set it up so that people can post on either forum...food and cooking, pro and late night...if you think it less confusing, we could just do it on late night as i think most people go there at some point...okay, i gotta get to work soon, but this is what we'll do......i will post on the rumble thread again for people to drop by with their comments well wishes and toasts, and if you could post a similar invite on the late night and maybe even the non pro cooking forum, that should cover everyone being able to come...don't know where the other girls are, but i will send over the cakes to each forum in the morning..i hate that i have to go to work, it always seems to get in the way of fun, somehow!!!...thanks....maybe petals is traveling...where is sosa, nan, gypsy, culinarinist?

let me know what else needs to get done.....ciao

joey


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Let's do the party on latenight... I think having multiple forums would be too confusing... well at least for me it would be anyway.


----------



## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

Hey everyone this thread is moving away from a professional topic and more into fun and social so could we move the discussion to the late night cafe? Thanks.


----------



## leeniek (Aug 21, 2009)

Nicko, is it possible to move this entire thread to the late night cafe?  If not wecan start a new one there but it would be nice to not lose the posts that are already in the thread and the non pros can chime in with their comments too.

Thanks so much!


----------



## durangojo (Jul 30, 2007)

good day nicko, how do i move the thread into late night? just start it anew there?......would like to pick it up again if there are any womenfolk to be found...thanks...

joey


----------



## nicko (Oct 5, 2001)

Hey guys start a new one ok. I am going to close this one down since it seems to have run its course. 

P.S. In the future instead of posting in the thread pm me your request. Thanks.


----------

