Christian Chefs Newsletter
October 15, 1998

OUTLINE:

Introduction
Managing Our Jobs
Christianity in the Kitchen
Chat Times
Employment Opportunities
Featured Recipe
Additional Websites

All those things that have been in the works for up to a year now, are falling into place! God is allowing this fellowship to experience a vast number of opportunities. Our newsletter has been growing every month in both content and size; we have a Chat Room with two scheduled meeting times per week; there are job opportunities for cooks and chefs which can be found in our forums (see below); and we have volunteers providing help to and blessing our members in several ways. We're currently working on getting our name out to other Christian cooks and chefs, through advertising. We know and understand that the best way for any organization to grow is through word of mouth, which is what we pray for on a daily basis and ask YOU to pray for also. We intend to get our own domain name, probably along the lines of www.ChristianChefs.org. Having our own domain name would make it a lot easier for people to find us when using any of the popular search engines. Additionally, it's very tedious to write out the lengthy current web address. Before we have our own domain name, if God so wills, we will be needing both finances and someone with knowledge in this area. We also need volunteers and finances in order to see many of the other proposed benefits of this fellowship become reality. So that the content of our newsletter doesn't start to dwindle, and so we can try to provide you with more benefits, we have decided to send our newsletter once a month, on the 15th. There will also be a short note sent out on the 1st of every month, which will briefly explain what's new with the fellowship and inform you of the upcoming scheduled chat times.

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MANAGING OUR JOBS

This is a seemingly never-ending subject that affects all in our profession. I am sure that from the day we begin working in a kitchen to the day we retire/achieve Supervisor/Sous Chef/Executive Chef status and beyond, we will suffer from the seemingly inevitable shortage of time, spanners in the works--or "who put the clocks back and turned out the lights?"
The scenarios and stories I am sure our readers have will also be of interest to all of us. You know how our colleagues always wish to share not only recipes for dishes, but also how to solve problems. We are not much into gossip, but rather into sharing ideas on how to resolve problems and assist our culinary colleagues, for "small minds discuss people, average minds discuss events, and great minds discuss ideas."

Who of our readers has experienced something similar to the following scenario?

A last minute banquet had been given to sales the evening prior and you as a.m. Sous Chef have just walked in to find that Night Manager pass you a handwritten Function Order.
No one is in the Storeroom, but you have an idea of the stock levels; yet you're sure that the specified basic meat item is not readily available.
You know that the Executive Chef and Banquet Chef will not be in until 10:00 a.m., and you have no means of contacting them.
You are supposed to have a meeting with your morning staff at 12:00 regarding service and quality, gratuities, etc., and points to resolve certain problems, plus discuss a new menu being installed for the following week.

WHAT DO YOU DO?

PANIC?!?!?!? Sure, for 5 seconds-------and then..........

THINK (as with a recipe) in rational, thought-out stages

1) Call a reliable supplier whom you know is open and will have the meat. Place the order and stress the urgency---explain the situation briefly as time is going and there's no time to chat.

2) As your morning Brigade is setting up for their service, have a very quick meeting with them to explain the situation. Be sure to inform them that the meeting will be postponed until approximately 12:30 or 1:00 and that you understand that they have concerns to discuss in this meeting, but ask for their support in this situation first.

3) Divide the work load and do not forget to include the Stewarding Department. Also inform the Senior Service Staff Supervisor because by this time the Night Manager may be on his final rounds, or checking with a guest on early check out, checking Night Audit, etc.

4) Assist with and help to speed up your ordering from the line staff and for the function. Do not forget to inform Storeroom staff of the situation and the need to work together, and also that you have had to by-pass the system and order the meat.

5) Once you are confident that Breakfast Service is set, check where you can/and whom you may ask to assist on the function prep. (Do not forget the Bakery and Pastry--for extra bread and pastry, etc.)

6) Even though the main item of meat is not there yet, prep basic needs, salads, appetizer, soup or even court bouillon for cooking; example: shrimps for appetizer, etc.

The more you organize now, the better---as you never know what else may happen:

A PHONE CALL---Chef will not be in as he has a fever of 102.

ANOTHER PHONE CALL--Banquet Chef will not be in until 11:30 and the function is at 12:00 (you were unable to talk to him as the Operator passed on the message).

KEEP TO YOUR PLAN! When the Lunch Staff comes in at 8:00 and 9:00 a.m., have a quick meeting with them and explain the situation briefly. Have someone who normally assists on Banquets set up everything needed in the function's area.

10:30 a.m.---SUPPLIER CALLS----his vehicle has broken down and cannot make the delivery until 11:30 at the earliest---??---Inform supplier that you will send a taxi to collect the meat and ask for the location of the broken-down vehicle. Explain the situation to the Concierge and/or Sales, and ensure they send out transport.

YOU KNOW that this will definitely hinder the production of the meal and will surely slow down the service time by at least 1/2 hour----WHAT NOW?

Go to the Maitre 'd and explain + have them stall--give a complimentary cocktail upon arrival, etc.

Now the Banquet Chef and Staff are in----take time to go through prep, explain what has already been done, tell the location of items and inform them that the meat should be there in a short time, etc.--don't worry about explaining problems.

ALL GOES OFF WELL

Now you have your meeting with your staff. Make it constructive and a morale booster. Thank them for all their assistance---a confidence builder--and assure them that you feel that the new menu should not cause any real problems for them, having seen the conscientious efforts they put forth today.
When Chef returns, ask if it is possible to have a meeting with Sales and clarify that if a similar instance occurs to explain to the guest that the specific meat requested may not be available and that a substitute may have to be used.
Make sure that some form of written thanks is distributed to staff for their assistance and send a carbon copy to all Departments, including General Management, etc. (Show your organizational and problem solving skills.)

Now--what was the real solution to the problem??????

COMMUNICATION!----It's the factor that either makes or breaks all our efforts; not memos, chat or complaining, but communicating. You could be the best surgeon in the world, but if you are unable to communicate with staff, nurses, technicians and patients, where would you be? It applies to all areas of one's life and all forms of work and situations.

Many diverse and worse scenarios have happened to me in my 25+ years of working in a kitchen. Sometimes, it seems they just keep coming and on the rare day that all goes well, you feel that it may be the calm before the storm!

Roger Wiles

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CHRISTIANITY IN THE KITCHEN

(Please read James 1:19-22 first.)

One true character quality I've found that many Christians in the workspace possess is the ability to keep calm. What possible benefit could be realized when a person, especially a manager, is angry or frustrated in the kitchen? Well, you might think more work will get done, but in the long run, when the manager starts losing his calm, he also loses his employees' respect. I am by no means saying that a manager shouldn't be firm with his/her employees, pushing them to do the best job at all times, but when somebody outwardly "loses it", they have gone too far. The great thing about being a Christian in all this is that you have God helping you. Yes, you do still have worries and stresses that need to be taken care of, but you also have an ever-present loving God helping you keep your head above ground.
After being Christian for a while now, I couldn't even imagine trying to take all things into my own hands, especially when I think of all the experiences I've had in the kitchen. And when I say experiences, I'm mainly focusing in on the managers with the extremely short fuses, for when you keep to the three C's (Calm, Cool, and Collected), the job itself really isn't all that bad. It's your REACTIONS to certain events that turn things for the worst. And like James says we should do, "get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you." James 1:21 (NIV).

By Ira Krizo

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CHATROOM

We are still having two scheduled chat times per week. We are currently meeting on Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings. On Thursdays, we meet from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., including this morning (if you get this message soon enough). On Wednesdays, we meet in our chat room from 9:30 to 10:30 p.m. (Eastern Time). These times are also posted on our Chat Room page and should rarely ever change.

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Prior to this week, we had a page on our website devoted to providing information about jobs available in the industry. We now have space for specific employment opportunities posted in a special section in our forum devoted solely to that. Please feel welcome to post any culinary-related job opportunities here for other Christian cooks and chefs to view.

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FEATURED RECIPE

Cream of Wild Mushroom Soup
Yield = 2 Gallons

Ingredients:
Clarified butter = 12 oz.
Onions, 1/4" dice = 20 oz.
Shallots, sliced = 1 cup
Domestic mushrooms, sliced = 2.5 lb.
Wild mushroom stems, chopped = As needed
Flour, all purpose = 16 oz.
Water = 1.5 Gal
Heavy cream = 1.5 qt.
Salt and black Pepper = To taste

Garnish:
Whole butter = 3.5 oz.
Shiitake mushrooms, 1/4" slice = 1 lb.
Oyster mushrooms, 1/4" slice = 1 lb.

Method:
1. Sweat onions and shallots in butter until translucent.
2. Add mushrooms and stems and sweat until tender.
3. Add flour and cook for 8 minutes.
4. Add water and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Puree and strain through chinoise.
6. Return to kettle, add heavy cream, and bring back to simmer.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Sweat garnish in whole butter and add to soup right before serving.


If you have a recipe that you really enjoy, please feel free to post it in our forum. One of the recipes posted there every month will be featured in this newsletter.

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ADDITIONAL WEBSITES

We do not have a featured website this month, for we are currently lacking time and volunteers to complete all the necessary functions of the fellowship. This is also the reason we have changed from sending two to only one newsletter every month.
If you find a culinary-oriented or Christ-centered website that you really like, please e-mail us at the below address with "website" in the subject column.

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For more information about us, please visit our website at the address below. Feel free to e-mail us with any additional questions, comments, concerns, or ideas you may have about the fellowship. If you would like to be removed from our mailing list, please send an e-mail to the address below, with the word "unsubscribe" in the subject column. If you have a friend who would like to be added to our mailing list, we welcome his/her e-mail address, but we ask that you please FIRST personally inform them that they will be hearing from us.

God Bless,
Ira Krizo, Editor and Coordinator
Christian Chefs Fellowship
Christchef@aol.com

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