What other Chefs FEAR the most that won't admit?

[eat cake]

This is hard for me to admit because that would be admitting to having a weakness. So, here it is: TIMING was my number one nerve killer.. In catering, banquets if you cannot produce your food on time eyebrows start rising. The pressure cooker builds from there. If something were to go array " Pray" that you have a suave captain able to finesse such a situation. As we know in this industry { really} nobody has your back but your own.

Curious if anyone shares my same anxiety?

 

[petemccracken]

Fear, for me, is the unknown.

Once I understand what I don't know, fear disappears!

Knowing one's weakness(es), provides guidance to develop strengths, and when weakness(es) are converted to strengths, fear disappears.

Analyze, improvise, overcome!

 

[foodpump]

My biggest fear?

Handcuffed to a couch with my eyelids taped open and forced to watch Babwa Streisand's "Yentl".

Other than that, waking into work on a "big day" and being greeted by a blast of warm air in my walk-in..............

 

[transchef]

I'm always scared of time. Do I have enough time for this thing to set or to cool down or to rest like the case of meats? Time is the constant problem that ruins my work. Blast chiller won't work with meats as they will get cold. I think covering a steak with aluminum foil makes sense. Aluminum is a good conductor of heat. Resting a steak before slicing will not take long.

 

[chefbillyb]

FEAR, is a bad word to use, concern would be better. If your preforming under fear, you not 100% focused on the problem. Your mind will be running a mile a minute, and you will fail. If I have concerns, I make them the priority and make sure I spend more time in that area. My employees would ask me, how do you stay so calm during a catered function. My answer is, I have already gone over everything a 100 times in my mind, we are just executing the plan........The Best...ChefBillyB

 

[durangojo]

being as good or better than my last meal..not fear really, just always a nagging thought..more like, "how can i best that last meal"...good motivator though.....one paralyzing fear is if something were to happen that prevented me from cooking...like a debilitating disease or accident that left me in a wheelchair, unable to use my hands...think i'll go cook something while i can!

joey

 

[eat cake]

confidence, plan of action, focus, a good team, and a sigh of relief not being hand cuffed to the  couch. I GET THAT!

 

[eat cake]

Point taken!

 

[eat cake]

Thanks for your reply.  A really good friend of mine recently spent some time in Durango, CO.  He has shared how beautiful it was and that he had enjoyed some wonderful experiences. Especially the what the great outdoors had to offer.   Curious on the cuisine in the local area?  Could you share from a chefs point of view? 

 

[xjmrufinix]

I think everyone who's ever run a banquet was a little intimidated the first time they ran a service, the trick for me is to is not to keep thinking about all the things I could possibly be forgetting and instead just go into every function with a plan burnt into my brain and just keep cycling over it. Eventually I started channeling the anxiety into an adrenaline rush and I love the stress of service now. These days my work-related nightmares are always about 1) Forgetting to order something (or the order not coming) 2) Equipment breaking or 3) Staff not showing up for work. Not much I can do about any of those things when they happen but deal with it though. 

 

[durangojo]

[quote name="EAT CAKE" url="/forum/thread/64395/what-other-chefs-fear-the-most-that-won-t-admit#post_343040"]
Thanks for your reply.  A really good friend of mine recently spent some time in Durango, CO.  He has shared how beautiful it was and that he had enjoyed some wonderful experiences. Especially the what the great outdoors had to offer.   Curious on the cuisine in the local area?  Could you share from a chefs point of view? 
[/quote]

eatcake...
if i had to sum up in a word durango cuisine, i would say 'healthy'. everyone here bikes, hikes, kayaks and skis, so they are not afraid of carbs. from muffiin head bakeries to serious delights, for a small town, there lots of choices. its a college town(ski u!), so there is lots of beer being consumed. micro breweries and the food that goes with it to trendy upscale bistros with heavy accents on southwest and california cuisine. mexican of course, east by southwest, and italian. no steakhouses per se, but you can certainly get a steak, no rib or bbq joints either. most restaurants try outsourcing to local farmers, ranchers, growers, and winemaker's. organic produce, beef, cheeses, artisan breads, wine and now some locally distilled gin, vodka and rum. restaurants here are very good about supporting the local farming/ranching community. most restaurants have lots of vegetarian and vegan options and we have 3 health food stores. we also have lots of bars...more bars than churches, i think. durango colorado is truly a great, great place to live with a wonderful community...but like sedona, telluride, aspen, jackson hole and santa fe, you just have to figure out how to afford it!
joey