Back to Basics Part 3

Chapter 225-2

Back to Basics

Part 3

 

It still felt that I hadn’t earned it, so I played that I had and went about my work. Mack came back around as I was just finishing the chili and tasted it and then my two soups. He leaned forward and asked one question. Why haven’t I changed my jacket? I blinked a couple of times as he ordered me to get inside the locker room. I said. "Yes Chef" and did what I was told; he followed me as I opened my locker as I looked inside finding a black Jacket with a green strip on the sleeves.

I blinked a couple of times watching him take it out asking me to try it on for size. He said I had earned it and his crew agreed that I had earned their respect, now I needed to look the part. I put it on finding my name above my left pocket and a ball cap that said best little chef in town. The moment I had buttoned it up he looked at me and dusted my shoulder off with his hands. He said. “I have never had such a fine chef such as you that could work circles around any chefs, he has trained so quickly.”

He took out his meat thermometer and put into the pocket on my left sleeve. He stood back a moment and eyed me up and down rubbing his chin. He said. “Now you look like a Chef.” I smiled as I looked in the mirror as he looked at me and I was dressed like him, the only difference was his sleeve was strip was red and mine was green. Indicating I was his chef and nobody else’s. He said. “Chef, lets light a fire under our little mice, times a wasting.”

I said. “Yes, Chef.” Giving him the respect he deserves. I walked out into the kitchen as the entire kitchen crew gathered around and started clapping. I bushed feeling the red reach my cheeks and goose-flesh running up and down my body. Even Chef Phipps was clapping and so was Stringum.

Chef Philips said. “We’ll celebrate this tomorrow night folks. Our newest member has work to do. Chef Mac may I have word with you in my office and your wife.” They nodded as everyone returned back to work, as they all shook hands with me.

Once I had started my second batch of cream soups while I had Greg, and Eli empties the two-floor kettles and put the chili into several long hotel pans and set them in the hot water bath and clean the kettles. I quickly made my way around the kitchen to see where we were at in getting dinner to the line ready for service, and where we were at in our deep cleaning. The roasts were doing fine as I estimated another 1 maybe two hours before they would be done. With chili done and the first round of my soups, it freed me to check on things.

I noticed Chef Mack’s wife was behind and stepped in and pulled Ricky from cleaning duty and Kirk from vegetable prep after he had labeled and his prep work and put in the coolers; being the only one prep cook besides Chef Mack’s wife capable of using a knife. Considering her normal prep cook was off today. I stepped in and took over making sure her prep work was getting done until Kirk could take over. Not knowing how long she would be, as the lead Chef I couldn’t allow any us to fall behind.

Once I had given Kirk his orders and showed him how to use the steamer to cook hard boiled eggs and shred the cheese and the cabbage. I left him to it.  So I could attend to my soups and make my rounds. Everything was running like a smooth oiled machine. I soon finished my soups and turned them down low so they wouldn’t separate and found that the bakery was following behind,

He had a lot to do still after making closes too 700 bread bowls, 30 trays of cornbread and the desert which was brownies alamode. I asked if I could help. He asked if I had any experience in the bakery. I used my fingers said a tiny bit. He nodded and put me right to work. Even though I still had a kitchen to run I needed to get him out of the weeds.

I tried not to worry or pretend to notice they had been in the office for a very long time. I called Greg over once I had gotten him out of the weeds and I was basically plating the brownies. I told him to take over what I was doing. And told the Bakery Chef that Greg was all his to use if he needed another helper and I’d come back once I had made my rounds if he still needed my help. He gave me a yes chef and left them to it.

I needed to get the soups out, check on my roasts and the salads. I was glad Ricky had done salad prep before but had never seen him plate up the salads. They need to be done within the next hour and a half. So I jumped back in and took control and showed my prep cooks how to plate them, as Kirk cooled and peeled the eggs and chopped them, while I had Eli clean the steamer; for the night.

I wanted my roast to be right at a light-medium rare. Knowing they would continue cooking, but also knew they would be reheated in the morning after they had been sliced and warmed up into the Au-jus and finish cooking them at that time. I quickly set up the line, for dinner using Martin and having the three boys Eric, Mark and Randy work on finishing the deep cleaning now that dishes were basically done. I removed my soups and placed them in a warm water bath, even though I needed Chef Mack to do the final tasting, even though too me, they tasted pretty close the same as the others. I needed them out of the kettles so when they came to get them in the next 30 or forty minutes they would be ready.

Still, I tried not to worry as I noticed they were still in the office, reminding myself this was my kitchen, and it was my job to make sure everything was on time. I checked on Greg in the bakery he was doing just fine, and he couldn’t have been happier with the changed and he seemed to get along with the Bakery Chef as they worked in sync moving everything to the line where it belonged. They didn’t need my help so I refocused on the salad station noticing the sloppy work, knowing this wasn’t the way I was taught do it.

I corrected the problem told them to re-plate them exactly as I had shown them leaving one completed plate as a reference. Once they were following my orders. I checked my roasts and finding them ready. I pulled them out to cool so I could finish the line and move everything from the water bath after calculating how much chili I would need and put them in the hot cart near the line. Telling Ricky to place the salads on to the station coolers and the rest into big cooler; getting a yes Chef.

I checked the line making sure we had the entire menu ready. Then went back to my roasts and started to drain them and wrap them up setting them on long trays so I could put them on a rack to cool. As well as drain the juice into a round hotel pan and taking my roasting pans to the dish room. The people from the LDS Church was waiting for me, too take my soups, and their bread bowls and their portion of the deserts.

Still, they didn’t come out of the office. I reminded my self again that this was my kitchen and I was the one in charge when the Head Chef was busy. I had them taste them to see if they liked my cooking, that way I had something to go on besides my own tastes buds. They agreed they tasted good as I had them sign over that they had taken them for billing purposes. I had Eli and Ricky help them as Kick clean down his station where they had been working.

There were thirty minutes left before we were scheduled to eat before our dining room would be full by the building crew. Everything was done and set up as everyone was clearing down their stations. I pretend not to notice when they came out of the office as I double checked and triple checked everything and was very satisfied that my dining room was clean; my restrooms were clean and orderly. My kitchen was on the last stages of being cleaned all that was left was the floor which we would do after the dinner was shift was done.

Chef Mack’s wife checked on the salads kissing me on the cheek telling me they look exactly as she had taught me. Chef Mack tasted everything including a serving of each of my soups that I left for him even though they had already picked them up. He checked the line finding it ready to go, he did a final check. I waited for him to call me on the carpet for my mistakes since he hadn’t said anything and neither did Chef Phillips.

I remained to keep watch as I cleaned my station that didn’t need cleaning. Watching him go back into the office and closed the door taking the receipt of the purchase orders that the church had signed. He came back out and shook my hand said. “Job well-done Chef, what do have to say for yourself, now that you have just completed your first dinner service?”

I said. “Not as easy as it looks, sir.”

He laughed. “Yes, but you did it, you should be proud, knowing that you did it without my help or Chef Philips. You made every decision on your own using the people you have.”

I said. “Yes Chef, I am proud but tired.”

He laughed and put his arm around me said. “Well, then I say we go and eat your work. Then you can have a nice long break while your crew finishes cleaning up; unless you want to put back on that brown chef jacket?”

I said. “No Chef, I like my jacket just fine.”

Everyone picked up a tray and served themselves and smiled as Kirk’ three friends groaned how tired, wet and sore they were. Kirk said to them. “You think it was any easier for us?” They nodded and we laughed.

Chef Mack said. “And to think today was a light day for our little brown mice.” They gasped, wonder how he considers it an easy day, but to the rest of us we had to agree it was a light day. Even dinner tonight would be very light in regards to dishes.

With the salads in plastic bowls and chilly in a bread bowls served on paper plates; all they would have to do is wash the trays and silverware and line dishes. I estimated two hours of work if that and they would be done and they would be home no later then 6:30 or 7.

Eli, Greg, and Kirk would be done the moment the floor was scrubbed; which they would do while building crew was eating. I, on the other hand, would be taking a nice long break doing the final paperwork for the day.

Everyone commented on how good the food was as the Mack and his wife and our prep cooks put on a white serving Jacket. Chef Philips had me take a seat in the office as he updated me that Mr. Tate had agreed to the terms and has hired him to be his new personal Chef and Mack would be the new Head Chef here…

Stating tomorrow he would have to start and that next weekend if things go well Kirk and I would be spending the weekend at Mr. Tate’s estate. With his two boys, and Mr. Stringum and his wife the new High Priestess as well the High Bishop and his wife the Holy Queen with his three boys. Plus a few of my friends; that want to star in his movies.

It would be a bold move for him because it would show he had aligned himself with the 5 riches men here in Heber as well state he has accepted the fact that he was decremented regarding black people. It would also give us access to his books, as well as a full investigation on our part. That he won’t see it coming as we take him down so quick, he won’t know what happened.

We will also be planning my menu for the Halloween fundraiser. I cringed when he said that count was over 1,000. That Stringum was thinking once Mr. Tate has been taken down we could use his estate to throw the party in. And Stringum would move in with the High Bishop and his wife as well as Mr. Grays family; until their cabins are finished.

He would either sell or tear down the other estates that Mr. Tate has and keeping the big one for him. Depending on if he needs them or not if he could convince Mr. Grays and Mr. Benson to take them off his hands since they have just started to build their cabins. It would take almost two years to complete them. I nodded. “That could work. Knowing how big their families were.”

He again shook my hand telling me that I had done a good job today and to go change and get ready to go home; noticing that my friends were just about done. I wore my Chef Jacket home so I could show Mom and Dad that I had been promoted. Plus I really didn’t want to take it off. I felt proud of what I had accomplished, I may be green around the edges, but Chef Mack was right I had earned this position.

Mom and Dad were very proud of me. Dad more so knowing what it takes to run a kitchen. Before he used to think it was woman’s work, but after getting a quick view what a real Chef does, he had changed his tune stating too him it was job worthy of a man, because it wasn’t just cooking a meal, it was a leadership position, that required skill and lots of hard work. He didn’t state a woman could do it just good as anyone else. He was stating that both could do the job.

Being that next day was Friday, and that I had to work a short shift before we all went to dinner and us teenagers were all going to the school dance. The ordering still had to be done at home so our families could eat.

Eli and Greg didn’t hesitate to go down to the cellar with me as I quickly did the order and I gave them their chores to clean the coolers and the floor as I made my way back up the stairs. I smiled seeing Mrs. Henderson cradling Kirk in her lap as his brother Darren was having a well deserved Kirk snack as my brothers laid on the floor in front of the TV playing video games butt naked as Mom was cradling Jared while Dad was having a Jared snack.

Rhoda pulled me down the hall as Jackie went to grab Eli so they could bathe us and gives a well-earned massage. Mr. Earl and Mr. Vincent were down at Tomas new cabin with everyone else to help them move in. It seemed everything was back to normal, giving us a small breather, for now at least.