I have gone through some major changes in my life in the past couple of months. Some of my friends will know for sure what i am talking about here. I was lost, but I wasn't afraid. It was like following a fool proof recipe to the "e" where in the scope of improvisation is quite limited or none, and more so you already know how the end result is going to look, taste and feel like. The only improvisation that you can actually do is in the presentation part. Fortunately or unfortunately, thats my forte. As always, this time it is very crucial as well.
I was away for a bit and my friend "salt" had kept the kitcherie alive by injecting the special marinades time and again.Wanting to write again after some time is a bit of a challange for a Chef. Just that you get sucked into so many of the everyday chores that keeps you busy. Everyday chores here will be new menu planning, costing it, marketting activities, photoshoots, training, presentations, execution and follow ups, top it up with occassional out door caterings. They are quite some fun too. Your life is pretty much exciting and juicier as a Chef, or we like to make it sound like that, whatever be the reason, its quite amazing being one and being able to live upto it.
"Salt" can give you a fairer idea with his all time favorite sayings that "Chefs never sleep, they take rest, Chefs never eat, they taste......." and my personal favorite one "Chefs never COME.. they ARRIVE!!" And I know a lot of CHEFS who live by this statement.
Recently I did an outdoor catering event. It was pretty high profile event considering the fact that the host was one of the richest in UAE and comes under forbes list of te richest entrepreneurs. Trust me, outdoor caterings are always fun, there are always unavoidable last minute things which will go wrong and then the key is to change gears and make the sticky situation into a caramel toffee and use it to benefit. I had been negotiating with the host on all the planning, menu, set up and everything majorly. Last moment requests were happily accomodated. Now, the degree of happiness varies when you get these last moment changes on a weekend and you know that there wont be any supplies till the begining of the week. All said and done, as usual my new enthusiastic assistant Chef or the Sous Chef as we call in kitchense, made a couple of extremely well defined checklists to be checked off. Cooking was done in the degree of fondness for teh food. Each Chef I have ever seen is passionate about certain dishes which he calls his speciality, I usually prefer them to freely do those particular dish as the level of confidence is higher and there is always this sense of competition amongst the cooks to cook better than the other one. Althogh, I do make sure that they follow a certain recipe and I am aware that wht dish will it come out to be. Its good to be unpredictable, but in Kitchen trust me you love to be predictable!!!
Coming back to the checklists, it was perfect. everything looked so good on paper, but then I had this deja vu moment where I knew that no matter what you follow or do, MURPHY's LAW prevails. Something will go wrong! In this case the other day, I checked everything but we manged to loose out the dessert garnish, the siphone gun won't work there and to deal with a sudden request to organize a live bar be cue for 50 people, while you are away from your set up by 80 odd kilometers! Its like fighting the battle on a foreign turf with no ammunition.
But then, there I was equipped with two other CHEFS in the team, and as our training or talim goes, we never say no. So, somehow we managed to pull off a great night for th hosts. They awere all merrily happy considering the fact we were serving food a'la zafran fine dine style and drinks till 4 AM.
The team was physically and mentally exhausted after 17 hrs or work for some and 12 -13 hrs of work for some others, the function got over, but its still not over for us. We need to unwind, repack and come to the base, unload, cleaup and then you plan for the next day and if you may, get some sleep.
All this pain goes and becomes a satisfying smile with the host turning and telling you how godly good the food was. Well, not that I didnt know it was good, but still you wait all evening to listen to those golden words of gratitude. Isn't this very similar to being in the entertainment industry? We are still no superstars.. but for me that day the entire team was a super star!
The star on the menu that night was the "seared malai scallops with zafrani jhinge" went very well with figs and berry chutney. Rumali rotis were another attarction, its old claasy and still works to draw crowds, just like the gran torino car.
As I see the busy weekend pass by and sail into a relaxed sunday (now you know, where the bolg came from) other things are catching up the prioirty on the list which I need to check off. And time and again.. Muphy's law will prevail... or rather hope not.
Adios...
Pepper
I was away for a bit and my friend "salt" had kept the kitcherie alive by injecting the special marinades time and again.Wanting to write again after some time is a bit of a challange for a Chef. Just that you get sucked into so many of the everyday chores that keeps you busy. Everyday chores here will be new menu planning, costing it, marketting activities, photoshoots, training, presentations, execution and follow ups, top it up with occassional out door caterings. They are quite some fun too. Your life is pretty much exciting and juicier as a Chef, or we like to make it sound like that, whatever be the reason, its quite amazing being one and being able to live upto it.
"Salt" can give you a fairer idea with his all time favorite sayings that "Chefs never sleep, they take rest, Chefs never eat, they taste......." and my personal favorite one "Chefs never COME.. they ARRIVE!!" And I know a lot of CHEFS who live by this statement.
Recently I did an outdoor catering event. It was pretty high profile event considering the fact that the host was one of the richest in UAE and comes under forbes list of te richest entrepreneurs. Trust me, outdoor caterings are always fun, there are always unavoidable last minute things which will go wrong and then the key is to change gears and make the sticky situation into a caramel toffee and use it to benefit. I had been negotiating with the host on all the planning, menu, set up and everything majorly. Last moment requests were happily accomodated. Now, the degree of happiness varies when you get these last moment changes on a weekend and you know that there wont be any supplies till the begining of the week. All said and done, as usual my new enthusiastic assistant Chef or the Sous Chef as we call in kitchense, made a couple of extremely well defined checklists to be checked off. Cooking was done in the degree of fondness for teh food. Each Chef I have ever seen is passionate about certain dishes which he calls his speciality, I usually prefer them to freely do those particular dish as the level of confidence is higher and there is always this sense of competition amongst the cooks to cook better than the other one. Althogh, I do make sure that they follow a certain recipe and I am aware that wht dish will it come out to be. Its good to be unpredictable, but in Kitchen trust me you love to be predictable!!!
Coming back to the checklists, it was perfect. everything looked so good on paper, but then I had this deja vu moment where I knew that no matter what you follow or do, MURPHY's LAW prevails. Something will go wrong! In this case the other day, I checked everything but we manged to loose out the dessert garnish, the siphone gun won't work there and to deal with a sudden request to organize a live bar be cue for 50 people, while you are away from your set up by 80 odd kilometers! Its like fighting the battle on a foreign turf with no ammunition.
But then, there I was equipped with two other CHEFS in the team, and as our training or talim goes, we never say no. So, somehow we managed to pull off a great night for th hosts. They awere all merrily happy considering the fact we were serving food a'la zafran fine dine style and drinks till 4 AM.
The team was physically and mentally exhausted after 17 hrs or work for some and 12 -13 hrs of work for some others, the function got over, but its still not over for us. We need to unwind, repack and come to the base, unload, cleaup and then you plan for the next day and if you may, get some sleep.
All this pain goes and becomes a satisfying smile with the host turning and telling you how godly good the food was. Well, not that I didnt know it was good, but still you wait all evening to listen to those golden words of gratitude. Isn't this very similar to being in the entertainment industry? We are still no superstars.. but for me that day the entire team was a super star!
The star on the menu that night was the "seared malai scallops with zafrani jhinge" went very well with figs and berry chutney. Rumali rotis were another attarction, its old claasy and still works to draw crowds, just like the gran torino car.
As I see the busy weekend pass by and sail into a relaxed sunday (now you know, where the bolg came from) other things are catching up the prioirty on the list which I need to check off. And time and again.. Muphy's law will prevail... or rather hope not.
Adios...
Pepper
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