Otázka: The cook’s job
Jazyk: Angličtina pro hotelové školy
Přidal(a): Kristýna Koutníková
Describing the cook’s job as you know it
Jobs at the restaurant:
Some of the restaurant employees work at the front of the dining area, some of them work in the back. They all report to the manager: The food & beverage manager is responsible for the kitchen and restaurant staff. He plans the menus with the chef, handles the day-to-day running of the business, does the accounts, and manages the team. He/ she has to deal with the complaints of the guests. A food and beverage manager has to be well organized and efficient. Three people report directly to him: the head waiter, the bar manager and the head chef.
The kitchen staff works in various kitchen sections. There is a fish section, vegetable section, sauce section, meat section, pastry section, cold meat / salad section and dishwashing section. There are also the offices of the kitchen management. All the food for the restaurant is prepared and cooked in the kitchen. The head chef is the best, most experienced cook in the kitchen. He makes up the orders for the kitchen. He gives the recipes to the sous chefs. He prepares the main courses – meat, fish… The assistant chef is responsible for all the side orders, hot soups and hot starters. The pastry cook bakes fresh bread and rolls and prepares the hot desserts. The prep person prepares the food before it is cooked. Sometimes he is called a prep cook or a kitchen helper, or from French a commis. The commis also helps with the cooking and sharpens knives…The dishwasher is the employee who operates a dish washing machine and washes dishes. At the end of the shift he must scrub the floor and clean everything in the kitchen – sinks, boards etc.
Uniform and equipment:
Cooks wear white cotton trousers, white cotton jacket with long sleeves and an long apron to the knees, and a special white cotton hat (chef“s hat). White anti-skid work shoes are a necessity, Jewellery, rings and watches should not be worn. Each cook has his own set of knives.
Responsibilities and qualities of a cook:
The kitchen staff must work together as a team. It takes a lot of planning and preparation. Hygiene must be on a high level in the kitchen. The cooks clean the vegetables, peels and blanches them in boiling water and refrigerates them until needed for cooking. They marinade special kinds of meat in herbs and wine for some time before cooking. They make salads and cut and chop meat. Gateau bases are made the day before and decorated in the morning. The cooks have to be able to explain what dish they prepared, what ingredients they used, where the dish comes from, what is special about it. A good cook must love his job.
Advantages and disadvantages of cook’s job:
The cook’s job is quite hard – you have to move a lot and carry heavy things. It can be very hot in the kitchen even if it is modern and air-conditioned. Working in a kitchen may be very hectic too. The restaurant staff works in shifts, irregular times, often long in the evening in long shifts. Sometimes you are under pressure because of a lot of orders coming in at the same time. Accidents and injuries like cuts or burns can happen often. But there are also some advantages of this job – you work in a team, the work is not the same all the time, and you can be satisfied when the guests are happy. You may work in your family or your own restaurant. If you are really good, you can take part in cooking competitions or perform your skills on TV.
Your practical training
During my studies I worked as a trainee …………. in …………… I got experience in all aspects of food preparation: I learned how to ……………..…
