The following quote is from a culinary student doing their externship at The French Laundry; "I'm working on being organized and pushing myself as hard as I can, all the time. My goal is efficiency of movement. Right now it permeates my entire being."
It permeates my entire being... Huh. I love it when younger cooks proclaim to the world their passion and goals... We spoke about the necessity of having a game plan and then following through with it. Without a focus there is little chance for success. To be a complete chef and manage time, product and people there must be a plan. With that, here is the secret - in order:
Game Plan
Mise en Place
Cook
Serve
A cook cannot digress from that methodology. Good lessons to be learned by all cooks that were precipitated by a young cook, full of raw passion with a future in someone's kitchen (or perhaps, their own).
A side trip.
Working hard in any chosen field requires some down time, some recuperation. As a culinary instructor and business owner, the day-to-day operation of a restaurant kitchen is mostly behind me - my days are different, now. Now, when I produce an event for a client it is easily an 18-20 hour day (plus the shopping, pre-prep, packing and travel to and from the site - an average of 27 hours). I have the complete luxury of creating menus and curriculum, inspire passion, provide education, taste food and give the requisite critiquing of food. Now I am one of the minions, a stagier. I'll get used to the hours, the work and the travelling to and from the restaurant...back in the ballgame, so to speak. The end result is that I was pretty tired after the first week and took yesterday completely off...
However, today was different. I took a journey to Bodega Bay, just 35 minutes due west of Santa Rosa. The drive towards the coast was refreshing and rejuvenating. I could smell the salt air and it brought me back to the ocean of my youth, the Atlantic of Rhode Island, Maine and Massachusetts. The land gave way to the silent black sentinels of wave-beaten rocks. The descent down the bluff was on yellow flower-lined wooden steps, filled in with wind-blown sand was quite exciting. With Crocs in hand I walked along the chilled tarmac of sand and stepped into the crashing surf. O.K., that was cold...! Couldn't have been more than 35 degrees. The beaches were assaulted by white sea foam waves and the gulls amassed as if in an Alfred Hitchcock inspired movie, a la "The Birds" (which, btw, was filmed in this exact spot...). Kites, kids, clouds and fog were the action being framed by this panorama. The breeze washed away my pent-up anxiety of the previous week and my senses were awakened and I felt a joyful skip in my step as I smiled broadly on my way along the Miwok Beach. Time stopped and I was once again my old self, now ready to face the new challenges. My Game Plan has been reset...
The alarm is set for 4:00 a.m. tomorrow morning for the trip to Napa Valley and a 5:30 a.m. start at The French Laundry. With a week of acclimation behind me I am confident and rearing to go - to learn new things, to stay current and continue my work with empowered, passionate, intelligent cooks with the same beliefs and commitment as myself. Peace.
~R
About Me
- Chef Robert N. Corey
- I started in the food and beverage business in May of 1974. I am Chef/Owner of 12 Seasons Personal Chef and Sommelier Services(www.12seasonswinebar.com). The inspiration for the concept of my Personal Chef Service (originally called The French Manner) began in 1988 in Estes Park, Colorado. It began with the cooking of France and eventually migrated to other parts of the globe. Twenty-one years later in 2009, The French Manner has gone global and now operates as 12 Seasons Personal Chef & Sommelier Services. I still seek to do business under three basic premises: • We shall seek the highest echelon of clients for our services and cook creative, individualized menus for them • We will go anywhere, and do anything (for the appropriate costs) to provide memorable food & wine experiences • We will prepare the freshest of food products and serve our cuisine and wine in a professional and dignified manner... Peace.