Bringing home the bacon...
Saturday, February 24
Well, not really bringing home the bacon but smelling like it! It was my second shift at Beckta last night and I awoke this morning smelling like bacon. There is a lot of grilling, deep frying, sautéing, searing, braising and cooking in very tight quarters and my whole body must have absorbed the smells of the Beckta kitchen. I thought it smelt like bacon but it could have been a hundred of other things on the menu like the organic roast loin, roasted skate wing, pan roasted chicken breast, grilled Angus striploin, red wine-braised beef short ribs, braised Pacific sablefish, pan seared Atlantic salmon, pan seared foie gras, panko-fried oysters, or the special canapé or amuse guelle that was created for the evening, consisting of a crostini, bacon, quince chutney, and shallot relish, topped with a deep-fried tomato skin and a totsoi microgreen. Quite the work and creation that is made to order for each guest when they sit down to enjoy their meal at Beckta.
I was in the garde manger station with Andy and the dessert station, right across, with Trisha. Andy is a very nice young guy from Thunder Bay, and he said he already had about six years experience after culinary school. He comes from a family with several older sisters and he was the one who ended up with the interest in cooking, actually he started off studying in something else and decided to change directions and follow his passion, cooking. I told him that was smart as many people don't follow their passions until later in life, like me. I'm envious. The afternoon was spent prepping the station for service, making sure the 9" hotel pans in the cold station were filled up or creating new contents. I remembered more than I thought I would in helping him to prep and was able to ask him questions along the way if he needed this or that topped up or changed or fill in blank.
Andy was focused on his creation of the amuse guelle or canapé for the evening, which he was having some trouble with but kept on experimenting with. He needed to have it ready for the first guests coming in at 5:30 pm for dinner so he said that pressure can be hard if you're trying to create something interesting and have to set up the station at the same time. He started thinking of a simple creation but changed things as some things didn't work out as he expected. For example, he wanted to put everything on a piece of bacon but the bacon that he got didn't take the right shape and he ended up making crostini, actually I did this for him, to hold it all together. It was quite interesting to see him so intent on making this right and interesting and that the head chef just lets him go with it without direction or tasting the final product. Actually, he was still working on his creation when we had our family dinner with all the staff to go over the evening and the chef looked to me to explain what Andy was doing as all he heard was "bacon". I did my best to explain that it was this bacon, quince, shallot mixture on a crostini, and he seemed satisifed with my answer. The owner Stephen Beckta was there and I am always amazed how dignified he appears and warm he is. He introduced himself to me and asked me how it was going. Again, they introduced me at the family meal to any staffers that hadn't met me, or should I say that the chef introduced me briefly and asked me to say a few words.
The family meal was a lovely chicken stew and a salad that I made with assorted greens and roasted beets. I had some leftover beets from the beets I was preparing for the station and told Andy I could prepare them as part of the salad for the family meal, which I did with care and left them at the side, not knowing when and how he would prepare the salad for the family meal. At about 10 minutes to 5, the time of the family meal, Andy said that I could make the salad for the family meal if I wanted. I said "sure" but didn't realize that I would have to prepare it in less than 10 minutes, a large bowl with salad and dressing that would be tasted by all, including the head chef and Beckta. I had the roasted beet salad as a basis but then ran downstairs to see what I could find in the walk-in fridge that was plentiful, cheap and could be easily prepared, some of the rules for family meals. I grabbed some stuff and started chopping and thought I could put on a light emulsified dressing at the end with a variety of ingredients and spices. As I was finishing my chopping, Andy said he had to put it out "now", poured a lot of oil on it, said it didn't matter and to "go now". I was horrified as my creation was drenched in an uninspiring dressing and I didn't even get to taste it. I stopped for a second, saying it needed more salt at least, and went with it, not happy with it and cringed as people ate it. It was ok but certainly not what I would want staffers and the chefs to remember me by. Oh well, there was only about 10 minutes or less for the family meal and explanations of who was coming in that evening and special requirements, and the table was being cleared and we had to leave. Not much time to wallow in my sorrow or salad or even eat it. Before I knew it, I was back in the kitchen to continue helping to prepare the station. I prepped a lot of vegetables, including shallots, though only about 10 this time and in the finest of dice, made tuna tartare, and tested the canapé and ate one... very good.
The evening was like last week but more relaxed as there were less customers and no big parties. I helped prepare the dishes on both the garde manager station and the dessert station, working even more on the intricate dessert dishes under the guidance of the dessert chef, including the Baked Alaska that I created from beginning to end, including the torching of the meringue around the ice cream and the fresh fig pieces. Very lovely and fun. During service, we ran out of oysters and Whalesbone made a special delivery (where Chef Vardy now works) and we were low on ice cream and sorbets and Pure Gelato came to the rescue with a delivery. All their ice creams and sorbets come from Pure Gelato and I asked if it was the owners who came to deliver personally about 10 large containers of ice cream with smiles. The pastry chef said "yes" and that the owners are very happy that Beckta gives them a lot of business, especially during the cold winter months. Of course we had to try the new arrivals and see if they were ok. The dessert chef handed me some spoons and said I could dig into some of the new flavours... pistachio, fig, pineapple, black cherry. Yum, tough job! This reminded me of my first job at Baskin Robbins when I was 15 and I would look forward to going there after school to taste all the ice creams. This didn't wear off through the two to three years that I worked there part-time, though I couldn't eat ice cream for about 10 years after working there as a result.
The kitchen is an interesting place to work and you never know where the discussion will go, with conversations ranging from everything from AC DC, to new tattoos, to the rhythm method, to golfing, to the tequila party after work for a staffer that is leaving, the affects of too much drugs and alcohol, roommates that have found new girlfriends and are never home, looking for a new place to live, the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy and which part was best, and other topics I just can't mention here without being embarrassed. I don't contribute much but just listen and only comment when they get stuck on one subject for just too long or I get tempted to add something. It's certainly one of the most interesting work environments I've been in where people speak quite openly, say what's on their mind, and where swearing is a normal part of the language and usually one of the must adjectives in speaking about food. Oh yes, there is discussion about food but it's usually short, abrupt, to the point, and swearing to accompany good and bad points. "This dish or stock ___ sucks!" "This sauce is ___ awesome." "That soup smells like ___ ___." "Oh, that was __ hot dude." "I'm ___ in the weeds (swamped, over my head, for those like me who might think it might mean smoking weed)." Either there is a comment about something they are working on or with, or they want someone to try something they are working on, or they are asking people for something they are short of or don't have for service. Very short, curse, straight to the point sentences, without much sentence structure if I was a grammar teacher, which I'm not. Oh yes, and because this is a young crowd there is often a lot of "dudes" and other language that I'm learning along the way. Another language? Who would think that you would have to learn a new language of the so-called "younger" generation when you get older? I can't bring myself to come in and say "what's up dude?" with the kitchen staff but I catch myself saying it to Dave and giggling while I do.
During the evening, there were numerous tasting menus ordered and our section was busy rolling out the panko-encrusted oysters wrapped in a sashimi tuna belt that is part of this. I asked the chef about tasting menus and he said that he is open to doing anything people want... vegan, all fish, all seafood, etc.... but he needs a few days in advance to buy the ingredients and think of what to make. If someone walks in and asks for a special tasting menu, not the regular one, then he has to refuse them if they haven't phoned in advance. It would be interesting to see what he would do for a vegan or vegetarian tasting menu, especially in a kitchen that is quite meat focused. Would it be up to par of a Millennium? Some of the top restaurants in the US are now offering vegan and vegetarian tasting menus as part of their tasting menu selections such as Per Se, one of the top restaurants in NYC, however you'll have to pay top dollars for it. I believe all tasting menus at Per Se are at least $200 or so each.
I assisted with the clean up as much as I could and headed home. Upon leaving, I ran into the head chef who asked if I was having fun and of course I said a big "yes" and smiled. He was exhausted as he had to get up very early in the morning, which most chefs detest, to do the breakfast morning show on local TV, which he said was exhausting especially knowing that it was 6 am and he had to be in the kitchen until 12 or 1 am that day, but he said it was worthwhile and fun. Well, not exactly, but that was the jest. So another shift over until next Friday. I'm planning to go once a week for my weekly dose of fun and kitchen confidential.
Well, not really bringing home the bacon but smelling like it! It was my second shift at Beckta last night and I awoke this morning smelling like bacon. There is a lot of grilling, deep frying, sautéing, searing, braising and cooking in very tight quarters and my whole body must have absorbed the smells of the Beckta kitchen. I thought it smelt like bacon but it could have been a hundred of other things on the menu like the organic roast loin, roasted skate wing, pan roasted chicken breast, grilled Angus striploin, red wine-braised beef short ribs, braised Pacific sablefish, pan seared Atlantic salmon, pan seared foie gras, panko-fried oysters, or the special canapé or amuse guelle that was created for the evening, consisting of a crostini, bacon, quince chutney, and shallot relish, topped with a deep-fried tomato skin and a totsoi microgreen. Quite the work and creation that is made to order for each guest when they sit down to enjoy their meal at Beckta.
I was in the garde manger station with Andy and the dessert station, right across, with Trisha. Andy is a very nice young guy from Thunder Bay, and he said he already had about six years experience after culinary school. He comes from a family with several older sisters and he was the one who ended up with the interest in cooking, actually he started off studying in something else and decided to change directions and follow his passion, cooking. I told him that was smart as many people don't follow their passions until later in life, like me. I'm envious. The afternoon was spent prepping the station for service, making sure the 9" hotel pans in the cold station were filled up or creating new contents. I remembered more than I thought I would in helping him to prep and was able to ask him questions along the way if he needed this or that topped up or changed or fill in blank.
Andy was focused on his creation of the amuse guelle or canapé for the evening, which he was having some trouble with but kept on experimenting with. He needed to have it ready for the first guests coming in at 5:30 pm for dinner so he said that pressure can be hard if you're trying to create something interesting and have to set up the station at the same time. He started thinking of a simple creation but changed things as some things didn't work out as he expected. For example, he wanted to put everything on a piece of bacon but the bacon that he got didn't take the right shape and he ended up making crostini, actually I did this for him, to hold it all together. It was quite interesting to see him so intent on making this right and interesting and that the head chef just lets him go with it without direction or tasting the final product. Actually, he was still working on his creation when we had our family dinner with all the staff to go over the evening and the chef looked to me to explain what Andy was doing as all he heard was "bacon". I did my best to explain that it was this bacon, quince, shallot mixture on a crostini, and he seemed satisifed with my answer. The owner Stephen Beckta was there and I am always amazed how dignified he appears and warm he is. He introduced himself to me and asked me how it was going. Again, they introduced me at the family meal to any staffers that hadn't met me, or should I say that the chef introduced me briefly and asked me to say a few words.
The family meal was a lovely chicken stew and a salad that I made with assorted greens and roasted beets. I had some leftover beets from the beets I was preparing for the station and told Andy I could prepare them as part of the salad for the family meal, which I did with care and left them at the side, not knowing when and how he would prepare the salad for the family meal. At about 10 minutes to 5, the time of the family meal, Andy said that I could make the salad for the family meal if I wanted. I said "sure" but didn't realize that I would have to prepare it in less than 10 minutes, a large bowl with salad and dressing that would be tasted by all, including the head chef and Beckta. I had the roasted beet salad as a basis but then ran downstairs to see what I could find in the walk-in fridge that was plentiful, cheap and could be easily prepared, some of the rules for family meals. I grabbed some stuff and started chopping and thought I could put on a light emulsified dressing at the end with a variety of ingredients and spices. As I was finishing my chopping, Andy said he had to put it out "now", poured a lot of oil on it, said it didn't matter and to "go now". I was horrified as my creation was drenched in an uninspiring dressing and I didn't even get to taste it. I stopped for a second, saying it needed more salt at least, and went with it, not happy with it and cringed as people ate it. It was ok but certainly not what I would want staffers and the chefs to remember me by. Oh well, there was only about 10 minutes or less for the family meal and explanations of who was coming in that evening and special requirements, and the table was being cleared and we had to leave. Not much time to wallow in my sorrow or salad or even eat it. Before I knew it, I was back in the kitchen to continue helping to prepare the station. I prepped a lot of vegetables, including shallots, though only about 10 this time and in the finest of dice, made tuna tartare, and tested the canapé and ate one... very good.
The evening was like last week but more relaxed as there were less customers and no big parties. I helped prepare the dishes on both the garde manager station and the dessert station, working even more on the intricate dessert dishes under the guidance of the dessert chef, including the Baked Alaska that I created from beginning to end, including the torching of the meringue around the ice cream and the fresh fig pieces. Very lovely and fun. During service, we ran out of oysters and Whalesbone made a special delivery (where Chef Vardy now works) and we were low on ice cream and sorbets and Pure Gelato came to the rescue with a delivery. All their ice creams and sorbets come from Pure Gelato and I asked if it was the owners who came to deliver personally about 10 large containers of ice cream with smiles. The pastry chef said "yes" and that the owners are very happy that Beckta gives them a lot of business, especially during the cold winter months. Of course we had to try the new arrivals and see if they were ok. The dessert chef handed me some spoons and said I could dig into some of the new flavours... pistachio, fig, pineapple, black cherry. Yum, tough job! This reminded me of my first job at Baskin Robbins when I was 15 and I would look forward to going there after school to taste all the ice creams. This didn't wear off through the two to three years that I worked there part-time, though I couldn't eat ice cream for about 10 years after working there as a result.
The kitchen is an interesting place to work and you never know where the discussion will go, with conversations ranging from everything from AC DC, to new tattoos, to the rhythm method, to golfing, to the tequila party after work for a staffer that is leaving, the affects of too much drugs and alcohol, roommates that have found new girlfriends and are never home, looking for a new place to live, the latest episode of Grey's Anatomy and which part was best, and other topics I just can't mention here without being embarrassed. I don't contribute much but just listen and only comment when they get stuck on one subject for just too long or I get tempted to add something. It's certainly one of the most interesting work environments I've been in where people speak quite openly, say what's on their mind, and where swearing is a normal part of the language and usually one of the must adjectives in speaking about food. Oh yes, there is discussion about food but it's usually short, abrupt, to the point, and swearing to accompany good and bad points. "This dish or stock ___ sucks!" "This sauce is ___ awesome." "That soup smells like ___ ___." "Oh, that was __ hot dude." "I'm ___ in the weeds (swamped, over my head, for those like me who might think it might mean smoking weed)." Either there is a comment about something they are working on or with, or they want someone to try something they are working on, or they are asking people for something they are short of or don't have for service. Very short, curse, straight to the point sentences, without much sentence structure if I was a grammar teacher, which I'm not. Oh yes, and because this is a young crowd there is often a lot of "dudes" and other language that I'm learning along the way. Another language? Who would think that you would have to learn a new language of the so-called "younger" generation when you get older? I can't bring myself to come in and say "what's up dude?" with the kitchen staff but I catch myself saying it to Dave and giggling while I do.
During the evening, there were numerous tasting menus ordered and our section was busy rolling out the panko-encrusted oysters wrapped in a sashimi tuna belt that is part of this. I asked the chef about tasting menus and he said that he is open to doing anything people want... vegan, all fish, all seafood, etc.... but he needs a few days in advance to buy the ingredients and think of what to make. If someone walks in and asks for a special tasting menu, not the regular one, then he has to refuse them if they haven't phoned in advance. It would be interesting to see what he would do for a vegan or vegetarian tasting menu, especially in a kitchen that is quite meat focused. Would it be up to par of a Millennium? Some of the top restaurants in the US are now offering vegan and vegetarian tasting menus as part of their tasting menu selections such as Per Se, one of the top restaurants in NYC, however you'll have to pay top dollars for it. I believe all tasting menus at Per Se are at least $200 or so each.
I assisted with the clean up as much as I could and headed home. Upon leaving, I ran into the head chef who asked if I was having fun and of course I said a big "yes" and smiled. He was exhausted as he had to get up very early in the morning, which most chefs detest, to do the breakfast morning show on local TV, which he said was exhausting especially knowing that it was 6 am and he had to be in the kitchen until 12 or 1 am that day, but he said it was worthwhile and fun. Well, not exactly, but that was the jest. So another shift over until next Friday. I'm planning to go once a week for my weekly dose of fun and kitchen confidential.
posted by Caroline at 5:37 PM
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