#34 - 16 February 2009 - "A Day at TFL"

I've been asked to relate what a day in the kitchen at The French Laundry is like. That will be tough because I don't think I have all the time and space necessary to do so! Here's what I can do - O.k., well it's like no other day I've experienced in the restaurant business yet the ebb and flow is still quite familiar. So, here's a day in my life as a stage at TFL:

First, I've gotten home from the previous evening at 2:30 a.m., so I'm in bed by 3:00 a.m. Up the next morning by 9:00 or 9:30. Coffee - it's the great equalizer between sleep and blogging! Computer work (now, in addition to the blog, I've begun to work on my staffing, preparations and menus for Assignments Restaurant at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Colorado as well as client events for 12 Seasons) until 1:00 p.m. and then get ready to leave Santa Rosa by 2:00p.m. It is a 50-60 minute drive to Yountville.

I arrive on-site and head to the tiny locker room that services 24 cooks and chefs. Lockers, uniforms and aprons are available here.

After donning TFL-insignia I enter the kitchen via the copper-clad back door and from that point on - 10-12 hours later - there is no stopping. I store my knives in the stage/extern drawer and it's time to shake hands and greet everyone. Everyone. It is a daily ritual and you are met with smiles and warmth regardless of what tasks are being undertaken at that time. Sometimes it's a fist bump and sometimes just a pat on the back but there is always a greeting. Very cool.

Then I make myself available to the commis-in-charge that afternoon. We are assigned tasks as necessary because there is always something happening. This is a shift change time so the primary job for those arriving for the evening schedule is to help clean the prep rooms - my primary home until 1:30 a.m. Everyone cleans and this is done very precisely with a ritual of organization that is followed exactly; the rugs are shaken out, rolled up and stored. The floor is swept. The proper cleaning solutions are poured on the counters and the floor. All hands attack the cleaning with gusto! Green 3M scoure pads are used on the counter tops, a deck brush on the floor. Clean wash water is the poured over everything. The counters are then cleaned with a hand-squeegee and then dried with the "blue towels". "Sheila Shine" is applied (also with a blue towel) to the counters and all s/s surfaces (reach-ins, ice-bin, etc.). "Windex" is used to wash the ceramic tile walls. Floors are scrubbed, rinsed, squeegeed and then dried. Rugs go back down and then the process is repeated on the OTHER prep room (there are two). Once all areas are cleaned, only then can the food work begin or resume.

The evening prep crew has specific jobs to accomplish and then others as necessary for each of the stations in the service kitchen. Egg tops need to be removed for "Egg Custards with Chive Chips" - remove the top using the egg topper, seperate the eggs (vacuum pack the whites and yolks seperately), soak the empty egg shells in hot water and vinegar, then remove the egg lining and store for future use. Need 60-90 each day.

Andante Butter is portioned (36g), and stored. The portioned butter is then shaped in cheesecloth to resemble perfect circles of butter with a texture from the cheesecloth on top. They are formed by hand and hardened in ice water. Removed from the cheesecloth they are stored between parchment paper in 2" lexans.
EVERYTHING IS LABLED WITH PRECISE-CUT (90 degree) GREEN PAINTER'S TAPE WITH THE NAME OF THE PRODUCT, THE DATE AND INITIALED... Need 50-60 shaped butters each night.

Brunoise. Not necessarily the shape (it's really Brunoise Fine) but the composition. A Brunoise @ TFL is turnip, leek greens and carrot. Cut, blanched in salted water and dried over a linen cloth. Stored in deli containers (EVERYTHING IS IN A DELI CONTAINER) with c-fold paper towels to absorb excess moisture.

Often the prep list includes; production of lamb, veal, duck and chicken stocks, straining those stocks, vacuum sealing the stocks, storing the stocks, blanching sous vide vegetables and refreshing in ice baths, setting sous vide lexans with immersion circulators, maintaining ovens, maintaining the stock pots (in decreasing size with handles all the same direction - same with chinois), picking various vegetables and herbs and paring them to pre-determined sizes. Retreiving product, organizing and maintaining reach-ins for the chefs des parties. All stations have a mise en place to set as well; c-fold towels, canola oil, salts, pans, pepper mills, various food products as the stations require...

At any time we may be called upon to produce some sort of vegetable cut, tournee, fabricated meat, sauce-on-the-fly, plates (which are laid out on the counter tops to cool before they get to the station chefs), chocolates, or just about ANYTHING. The poularde, uni, lamb, veal, chicken, fish, lobsters, sea urchins, tapioca, oysters, chive potato chips, gnocchi, tagliatelle, vegetables and pastries, etc. are produced throughout the day. Support to the Chef, Chef de Cuisine, Chefs des Parties and Sous Chefs are immediate and need to be attended to in a timely manner (i.e., FAST and ACCURATE).

The service is divided into two seatings - 5:30 and 9:00. Service extends to 12:30 a.m. and cleaning, prep for the next day and the chef's snack continues until 1:00-1:30 a.m.

The return trip is, again 50-60 minutes (depending on the weather...) and then the process begins anew... Need more coffee.

Peace.

~R