If You Can't Handle the Heat....

I realized this week just how strong of a person I am when it comes to dealing with crap put out in the kitchen. It is quite cliche and everyone has heard of this statement but honestly... if you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen! Get out of my kitchen son.

For 3 months, I went through some of the worst times that made fellow cooks question as to why I was still at my job. I even wondered why I was still there. What was keeping me there? I honestly had no idea other than just the goal of staying somewhere for an entire year before moving on to a new kitchen. But I stayed! I never gave up, I came reeeeeeallly close believe you me. But I stayed.

This past week we had a new guy starting on sandwiches for lunch service. Sandwiches. How hard is that? Let's get real... I have to run 2 stations. That equates to cutting and making salads to order, pulling and building flatbreads to order, build desserts to order, do prep, make vinaigrette's, switch out both stations and start to set up for the night cooks. Do I get yelled at? I used to. For the longest time I thought I was the slowest and messiest cook at work; I had diminished my self confidence because of constantly being yelled at during service.

All homeboy had to do was build sandwiches, set up his station and just. make. sandwiches. He was slow and couldn't keep up; my sides were waiting on him. The chef was telling him to step it up and get it together. He ran out of stuff and it was just a rough lunch for him. I thought he did alright though... but what do I know... I'mjustasaladgirl... The next day he came into work 45 minutes late and threw in the towel. He "helped" set up the station and deuced out... Really??? he said that he couldn't handle the "hostile" environment and the constant being yelled at... Boy you wanna not be yelled at??? You are in the wrong industry. Chef's don't know how to talk with inside voices... it's too loud in the kitchen. If you think you suck when you start at a new kitchen, you're right! You do... but still not knowing sets for sandwiches after 5 lunch services... check into becoming a gym teacher... not much you have to do there.

Obviously, I don't appreciate primadonnas in the kitchen, especially when they believe they deserve certain things when they're the new guy. My advice: get over yourself and just bang out dishes. "Yes Chef" "Yes Chef" "Yes Chef." It's just food. Once you get people in the mix... that's when things get messy.

It boosted my confidence when my chef told me how good I have been doing the past 6 months there and how he wants to progress me in the kitchen, where he wants me to move and how valuable he sees me. I am actually good at my job. Looks like a girl can hold her own in a kitchen... I out lasted a new guy by just doing what I do best.