Birds Eye View Part 2

Chapter 215-1

Birds Eye View

Part 2

 

We walked back to the kitchen and he gave us a grand tour of the place which wasn’t much.  Compared to schools kitchen, as Dad and I began to sweat how hot it was inside being next to all stoves that were busy working. It wasn’t even close to a home kitchen even with the upgrades they had made in our cabin. Big giant kettles that could hold a small person in, that sat almost to the floor. Several large wooden block counter-tops as people worked in small aisle bumping into everyone when walking by.

Chef Philips explained each of the working stations that were divided into 3 groups; salad, Bakery and his Main prep area where he can overlook each of the areas without moving around the kitchen. The other areas were where the pre-cooks worked. So they wouldn’t get in the way of the rest of the kitchen and the rest are line cooks and runners to keep the steady supply of food coming to the main line as their runners took things out of hot carts that held everything hot until they needed it They also had cold cart as well tall and thin big enough for large sheet trays. It wasn’t anything new I haven’t seen before, considering I had worked in several cafeterias, but mostly I was more familiar with the dish room and the serving line.

Dad gasped seeing the size of the dishwasher as two boys about my age were working both boys were black as Chef introduced them to me as his boys, Luke and Martin also wearing brown jackets like the boys I have seen sweeping around the kitchen and prepping simple things like peeling potatoes, carrots and onions dumping them into large five-gallon buckets that are dated. They gave me a nodded as we went by as they whispered behind our back catching the words new meat for the grinder. I didn’t say anything as I followed Chef Philips around.

We walked into each of the Fridge and Freezers that were the size of my bathroom at my cabin. There were several long carts that held large sheet pans with pre-made salad and things to make them. There were 3 sets of fridges and 3 sets of freezers. For each of the areas and plus small counter top fridges and freezers at each of the work, station to keep thing cold until they were transferred to the bigger ones. The storeroom too was huge Dad said it looks like their wine cellar, but they had only two walk-in fridges and Freezer. I took his word for it because I hadn’t been down there.

He completed the tour said. “Well, that’s it. It’s a little small compared to the one at the estate but it works and does the job. Now lets put you to work, you said you have dish room experience so we will start there, while your Dad brings Eli, I was pretty sure I had told someone to call your place before you left, but it gave us chance to talk, and get acquainted. You might want to change out of those thermal garments or you will get heat stroke.

“Once the dishes are done will work you around a bit to see how your knife skills are and so on. But well tackle the other stuff once I am confident you can handle each of the stations on your own. You can’t lead a kitchen without knowing how each station works. “The crew would kill me and laugh at you and not follow orders under a person that has never spent time in the trenches. It's not a cooking class like in high school and its not your Moms kitchen, we sever over 1000 meals per day here and we put in long hours on the weekends and sometimes during the week, determine on how the weather is.”

Dad said he’d be right back. I was on my way back to the dressing room when Luke grabbed me to start work and gave me my second grand tour regarding were everything goes, telling me to ignore the comments as he overheard them call me names like a little mouse, meathead and sprout. I was already sweating to death not having a chance to change out of my thermals. 

Which explained the brown jackets with the stripes which indicated what area they work mostly in; the red strip meant he was Chef Phipps main prep guy, the yellow strip meant prep in general and the white stripe meant dish crew or janitorial staff that unloads the truck and put things away in the fridge and freezers. As well as keeping the kitchen and all the walk-ins clean.

Or anything else that needs to be cleaned, like the big kettles or the small sink kettles which were like large cauldron that could hold up to 5 gallons they use a lot instead of the big kettles. My maroon jacket meant as an insult, being the new boy with no position or title, and they could see me a mile away. He put me right work and I was already sweating to death not having a chance to change out of my thermals as I finished washing the dishes something I was really good at after spending a lot of lunch hours in the dish room in school.

I watched as the main line shut down as they pulled down the large metal curtain as the music blasted all over the kitchen, Mom would be going into a nuclear meltdown, because it wasn’t her kind of music, known to us a heavy metal or hard rock; with twisted sisters, AC & DC, and Black Sabbath and other hard rock heavy metals. Chef Philips quickly blew a loud whistle as they turned it down said he wanted all the lead cooks to come into his offices and motioned me forward to join them. I still hadn’t changed out of my thermals and I was soaking wet in some places.

He closed the door as I felt the blush on my cheeks. He said. “Ok everyone; I have hired a new crew member.” He was interrupted that some someone named Eli Carrion was told that you wanted to see him the moment he got here. He gave me a smile and said to the guy to bring him right in it will save time having to explain anything twice. Eli busted a gut the moment he saw me. I knew how I looked… I looked like was in a clown suit. Eli stood next to me as Chef Phillips introduced me as Eric Rothwell and Eli Carrion.

He quickly stated I was a Chef in training. And everyone laughed until Chef Phillips made them stop telling them he wasn’t joking. That I was experienced, and been told by Stringum that I had the skills, getting mumbles that they would put that to the test. Chef Phillips told them that was exactly what he wanted. That I had been challenged to prepare a banquet for about 1,000 people, causing everyone to laugh again because I was 16, and had no schooling other than some high school cooking classes, that I couldn’t cook myself out of a paper bag. I took it knowing they were right; I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

He said they can laugh all they want, but it was true, but it was going to happen, that I needed to be ready by Halloween, for Stringum’s annual Halloween party that has is now fundraiser. To raise money for one of his personal charities that buy Christmas for children and their families. That caught their attention which stated they believed in that fundraiser. Yet they didn’t believe in me which was understandable. They asked about Eli as if he too was part of this Halloween scam.

He said. “No, he wasn’t, he starts at the bottom just like everyone else. He has no kitchen skills, or work skills that he knows of. That this was his first serious job; but Stringum would like to see if he is capable of climbing up the ladder quickly if possible. Says he is a bright kid and can do anything puts his mind too.” He told them. There is one condition and its deal breaker which would cost them their jobs and he stressed that he didn’t care how long they have worked for him or their position he would fire them the moment they mentioned my name. To anyone outside these kitchen walls, that had to do with the undercover work regarding the satanic church.

You could hear a pin drop when he said that Eli and I were responsible for taking down two schools like the one in Salt Lake City and putting two High Bishop and High Judge plus two inquisitors in our pockets. Earning me and Eli bragging rights and little respect, how much was still undermined. That if any found out about me working, when my alias is supposed to be glued to a wheelchair, and it got back to them, they would kill us quicker then they could say pumpernickel.

He asked if anyone had a problem with that if they did they can pack their bags, clean out their lockers and head somewhere the sun doesn’t shine, and kiss their jobs goodbye and start right back at the bottom at some hamburger joint as a fry cook. No one moved as they agreed to the terms. The man who put me in these clown clothes wearing a Black jacket with red stripe who I understood was Chefs Phillips second in command known as his Sous Chef said. “So Boss, your saying, we can have our fun, with the new brown mice, as long as we kept it between us, as we put them through our grinder?”

Chef Phillips said. “Of course you can, I am just saying handle them like breakable eggs, and don’t make omelets out of them. Just make sure this one knows what he is doing, because when the time comes he is the one going to be running the big show,” placing his hand on my shoulder.  He gave them each of his buddies a fist bump that said I was just going to be put in the meat grinder.

Chefs Phillips said. “Ok boys lets play, we have lunch coming up in 3 hours. Any more questions, before I turn you loose with my new little mice?”

The same man said. “One little question, are these mice’s on a temp basis, or they here to stay? We hate to train them just for a big show and give up all our hard work and our secrets.” 

He said. “Stringum said they are to be one of us until further notice to keep them nice and safe here in their little cages, which as concrete as it gets.”

The man gave two thumbs up and said. “You heard the boss boys. Let’s get making some omelets.” He said to me “Do you want to go by Eric or Nate.” As he put his right hand on my shoulder noticing he was missing a finger.

I said. “Both, Nate is only my alias when I am in my souped-up ride, and Eric is my real name.”

He said. How about we give you nickname instead that way we never get it fired, because we all really like our jobs here, and the benefit plan is something worth keeping.”

I nodded and he said. “Dishes are done for now until lunch and so we’ll start with going over your knife skills. Bring me 3 cases of potatoes and 3 fifty pound bags of carrots and 5-five gallon buckets and fill them up with cold water about 2 quarters and wait for me at my station which is the first one when coming into the door.”

I said. “Yes, sir.” He placed his hand up by his ear leaning in I said “Yes Chef,”

He nodded and grabbed Eli said. “Come with me little brown mouse. I got just the job for you once we get you into some proper clothes. ”

Eli looked back and me and swallowed hard asking him. “Please tell I am not going to wear a clown suit like my husband?”

He said “Husband? Oh God no, you better not be gay or I am castrating you right here?”

Eli said. “No. not gay just married to him that’s all.”

By the time I had everything waiting. Eli was dressed in a brown jacket with a white stripe and brown matching pants and black shoes just like mine including a paper hat. The guy whistled like he was calling for his dog. “Here Luke, come here boy.” Making a couple of whistles then repeated the call as he peeked outside the dining room and the dish room. When he found him he said. “He’s all yours to play with a little brown mouse, he’s greener then mold, just so you know, he is still in diapers and still breastfeeding. Boss wants him to be weaned from Mama’s tits as quick as possible.”

Luke nodded and Eli looked back at me and I gave him two thumbs up as he pulled along and around the corner watching Luke hand him a plunger and mop and said. “Follow me little brown mouse you’re going for a swim in the sewers.”

Eli growled. “My name is Eli not little brown mouse.”

Luke turned around and said. “Of course it is little brown sewer mouse.”

The man said, leaning against the wall. “Count yourself lucky little mouse. That the boss has taken a shining to you, the crew call me Mack, Chef Mack to you little mouse. He says you got skills and I plan to see if that is true, the fellows and I have bet that you never handled a knife in your life.”

Chef Mack was a big husky guy which some people would call fat or big boned. There is a saying never trust a skinny Chef. Which Mack wasn’t, he had dark brown hair almost black with a little gray in it, and I could tell he was thinning a little when he took off his hat to wipe off the sweat with the sleeve of his jacket, he brown eyes and very white teeth with gold one in his upright front teeth. He spoke broken German, and he had the face of Pillsbury dough boy, fat cheeks and fat squishy nose and round double chin, with a small thin mouth.

I nodded answering his question that I did have knife experience, and he said “May I?” As he noticed my knife set. I nodded as he opened my kit and tsked.  “These knives are for housewives and high school cooking classes to make little brown mice like you think you’re something special. But they do tell me that you keep them sharp and have used them a lot even though they nothing but poor quality. That if I throw this knife into a block of wood it would wiggle like a flagging penis.

“Which would cut off your fingers quicker then you can blink… once it slips on the bone that you’re sawing through.” I watched as he took my Chef knife and bent it a little so I could see it curve. He did the same to his as it stood bone straight he handed to me so I could feel the weight and said. “This is my most trusty friend, little mouse. I paid dearly for it; you might notice my missing finger. I used one your knives once thinking it was a great buy and then it slipped one day my finger was gone and our pet dog back there ate it.”

He said picking up a carrot, “I want you to peel 10 carrots and 10 potatoes and 10 onions giving me these cuts. I want you to give me Julienne, small dice, french cut. From each of these.” He quickly took one carrot and diced it up using each of the cuts, placing each of the cuts into a large cottage cheese container.

He stood against the wall and watched me do it, as he conversed with his buddies as they stood and watched me. Chef Philips stood against the other wall watching. Timing me to see how long it took me to do it. He smiled at me when he stopped his stopwatch. The boys mumbled that I had skills, but then again I had a cheat sheet right in front of me.

Mack said. “Ok, not bad, it just means you have been paying attention in classes, but can you produce that in large quantities with same skill level and under pressure in a real live pressure test. So I want you to peel all these carrots and potatoes and put them in these buckets, and then when you’re done come find me. Your cheat sheet just landed in the stock pot so I hope you didn’t need them. I said. “No Chef, I know my cuts?”

He said. “We shall see. You have 1 hour to complete as much as you can. Before I tell you which cuts I want you to make.” I nodded and stood there for a few minutes and left me to it.  I was just wiping down my station when he came back and looked at the timer that said I had ten minutes to spare.  I had yet to see Eli come back through the door, but I heard him cursing my name inside my head that someone made one hell of a mess in the bathrooms. That would almost rival my mess I closed my eyes and cringed as I saw it, water all over the floor and two out of three toilets backed up.

Mack leaned up against the wall admiring my handy work he didn’t say anything other than. “Are you ready for some more work?” I nodded and he said. “Not tired yet, your sweating like you have been racing against the clock.”

I said. “Yea it’s hot in here, but I can handle it.” Not wanting to give the impression that I was dog tired or weak after very little sleep and melting in here being so close to the ovens. He smiled and said. “Well, then I have just been informed we are going to get a late delivery. I hope got strong muscles because it’s your job to put it all away. Oh as you know we rotate everything. New stuff goes on the bottom and old stuff on the top; don’t forget to mark everything with a date.

“One last thing when you get to the Walk-ins being as it is Saturday we sweep and mop the floors inside each one before we put the stuff way inside. We also go through and write down waste we need to throw out. That has expired. I’ll go find you’re your mate so he can help you.  You have about an hour before the truck gets here maybe more depending on the roads. Luke will show you where you can find the cleaning supplies. Now get going.”

I nodded he said. “Are forgetting something?” He pointed to the buckets on the floor that I had filled, I said. “Sorry Chef, I thought just wanted me cut them when I am done with the other task.”

He said. “Oh I want to do that, but don’t you find it little awkward for us to work around them while you are away from your station little mouse? I tidy kitchen is a happy kitchen. A messy kitchen is an unhappy kitchen. I said you would be cutting these up but, I didn’t say when and I didn’t give you how I wanted them.”

I nodded and grabbed two of the buckets, He stood in my way said. “Aren’t you forgetting something little mouse?”

I said. “No…not that I could think of.”

He rolled his eyes and tapped my forehead. “If the health inspector came into this kitchen and finds these buckets in the fridge he makes us dump these buckets out into the garbage and why do think he would do that, for two reasons. Think little mouse, I just told you, that everything is dated; I don’t see any dates on these in marker or with our magic date gun. What's the second reason he would throw these way costing us time and money?”

I said. “Not covered.”

He said. “Very good, now cover these and date them so we know what they are and when they were done. Pop quiz; how long can these vegetables be in the fridge like this before we have to toss them?”

I said. “Carrots a week and potatoes 2 days or they go soft and the water turns rancid, onions overnight unless sealed in a bag they can last up to a week.”

He said. “Very good, at least they have been teaching something. So if you are in the fridge what the first thing you do when noticing something that isn’t marked or has expired?”

I said. “Throw out and write it down.”

He slapped me on the back of my head lightly said. “Wrong answer; the answer is you come find me first, then I tell you if you should throw it and write it down. That way I know and I won’t go looking for something that isn’t there. Now get to work instead of standing around when there’s work to be done.” He waited and then places his hand over his right ear.

I said. “Yes Chef,” and he nodded with a smile left me to go find Eli and my other brown mice.