Job Hunting

What do you consider when looking for a new job? I find myself searching for a new place to work. With the economy down and the precipitous fall continuing, spending in restaurants will continue to fall and we'll see a lot of closings within the next year or two. So what do I consider? I've been a professional cook for 3 years now (not a long time) and a sous chef for half that time ?. But having the title sous chef isn't important to me. I want to learn, be challenged and feel like I’m contributing to the kitchen and restaurant. I'm at the point now where my basic skills while always being honed are strong. So where do I go from here? One restaurant I’ve been talking to has a great (maybe one of the best) development programs. Nothing but whole animals are brought in, they make (almost) everything there. The meals are simple and good and the opportunity to increase my knowledge and skill there are really only limited by me. It also means I’m back to being a line cook with the pay of line cook. The second place needs a sous chef. The chef wants me to work with her, bringing in attention to detail and strong basic skills that can help elevate a menu. She's been working by herself and needs support now that the small restaurant is busy. It means learning through experimentation and using the solid skill foundation and high standards to learn. It also means learning the financial part of the business. Trying to bring in new customers while keeping food cost down and producing great tasting well priced food. The question I have been asking myself is "am I ready". The question itself is important. I have doubt and that doubt is guiding me to think I need more time to develop. So I'm looking for a line cook job. But not any line cook job. The restaurant needs to be established with professionals and a mentor. My search is now for a mentor, someone who can help guide me through the next stage of development, help me focus my skill to move to the next part so the next time I ask "am I ready" I won't hesitate to answer yes.

Defining a chef

I have been thinking a lot about what a chef is and have come to some conclusions. These of course will change and develop as I move through my career, but I think it important to define what I am trying to achieve (can't move towards a goal unless one exists). The first idea and maybe most important is that a chef be a leader. Leadership is important, especially in a busy kitchen where a cook’s decision can make or break a service. If the map and compass of leadership is missing then there is no clear path to take, ideas get lost in translation and things can go in strange directions. Standards that mark the path become different for everyone because everyone is working to their own, or lack there of. That customer who came back because the halibut dish they had was so great walks away wondering why this time is was overcooked, the sauce to thin, and everything was bland. Inconsistencies can kill a restaurant and a lack of leadership is a large contributing factor. But what makes a leader? Motivational poster quotes aside, leadership isn't just telling people what to do, it's showing them. If a chef takes a short cut, he better be prepared for every cook to take it too. A chef sets standards, not only standards for food, but standards of how to work. In The Soul of a Chef it's pointed out (through the story of The French Laundry) that the basics, keeping a clean station, working methodically, taking care of equipment and cleaning, these are the important things. These are things a chef must do everyday; show cooks how to work. Food knowledge and skills can be taught, the desire to learn them, passion for working, and working in a professional manner cannot. They must come from within. When a cook says someone has "it" I think this is the meaning of "it", desire and passion for the job that translates into actions. This is what I strive for everyday, in my personal and professional life. The basics, It doesn't mean that I want to necessarily do everything, but that I am willing because I see the value, I recognize the process in the end result.