ravenlynne wrote:
> TammyM wrote:
>> On Sun, 1 Apr 2007 07:33:27 +0100, "Shaun aRe"
>> <shaun_areaALL_SUFFERINGzenlunatic@beatsSPAMnheat. plus.com> wrote:
>>
>>> "Andy" <q> wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>
>>>> I'm pretty much a "by the recipe" cook.
>>> <Wordectomy>
>>>
>>> S'pose that's what makes ya a mere 'cook' and not a 'chef' ',;~}~
>>
>> I know you're tongue in cheek, but we're mostly all just cooks.
>> Pretty good ones too. I am guided by recipes, but don't follow them
>> slavishly. Frankly, a lot of recipes aren't very well written and
>> anyone with cooking experience under their apron can spot that and
>> alter accordingly. I also "wing it" with cooking much of the time.
>> But of course, that comes from experience too, having once followed
>> the recipe! I didn't learn cooking at mom's cooker, you see :-)
>>
>> TammyM
>
> I don't know why anyone would want to be a chef anyway. I like to
> cook, but wouldn't want to do it for 18 hours a day for people who
> may or may not be all that appreciative.

I must agree with you on this one. I've worked in restaurants (never as a
chef, thank goodness!) and I wouldn't want to be responsible for all the
ordering, produce (and here, seafood) delivery, deciding the specials for
the day, directing the line cooks and the sous chefs and making sure
everything was going out of the kitchen in a timely manner (not to mention
cooked correctly). And the totally long hours. Even when I was 30 I was
worn out standing on my feet for 10 hours. As a chef it would have been, as
you point out, more like 18 hours. Um, no thanks.

Bad enough I had to direct a bunch of hosts/hostesses on how to seat people
on a proper server rotation (don't put them in the weeds! some servers can
handle and will ask to be double seated, with others you're simply going to
generate complaints from the guests). And make sure you aren't walking
someone to a dirty non-bussed table! No no no!

I also did the server check-out at the end of the night and divvied up the
tip sharing (which is a joke, or at least should be). I've no clue why a
server who doesn't make minimum wage should have to share tips with the
bartender and the busboys who make more money per hour than the server does.
And the servers are taxed by the IRS on percentage of sales whether they
actually get that much in tips or not. (Usually not.) It's a screwed up
system we have here in the U.S. Yet the servers are expected to smile and
be pleasant; gotta earn that quarter someone left on the table so the
government can tax it!!

Jill