Making It Happen
Another Cheffy Babble
“This is who I am and this is what I do” is one of my favorite sayings at work, (I took it from an episode of Kung Fu a long time ago).. If I am bouncing off the walls rocking and rolling or if I am sitting at my desk with scratch paper and a calculator trying to figure something out, “this is who I am and this is what I do”, just “a magician that dresses funny…”
There are many professions in this world, why I have chosen to become a culinarian I have often wondered, as I am sure a lot of us have.
Is it the sense of and need for urgency? The speed, the energy, or do you just love to cook? Are you projecting your creativeness and artistic ability through food? Maybe your energy comes from the organization, development and imagination? Or is it the rush from seeing a major event come together from beginning to end, knowing that you were an instrumental part in”Making It Happen”
The line between success and failure in our business is a mighty fine one, but failure is never considered an option.
You have to do whatever you have to in order to “Make It Happen”, there is no alternative to success, and we are never given an option, we are expected to “Make It Happen”
Does that mean crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s? Absolutely.
I have seen successes and near failures (quite a few of them my own), and sometimes “it jus’ ain”t pretty”. It’s all about respecting everything that you are and everything you do.
We all have fallen prey to this situation before (myself very much included). As chefs, cooks, culinarians, managers, prep or stewards/dishwashers for all that matters, like I said, we have but one option: Make It Happen
“Are all the ovens set right? What product is going in what oven? What temp are the hotboxes? Who didn’t show up for work, where in hell is everybody? Is that enough sauce? Hmm, now that I think about it, do I have enough starch? Kristopher???? Where in heck is the banquet event order? How many pounds of potatoes did you have them cut? Where’s my calculator? Who’s got my probe? What time is it anyway??? OK, FIRING PROTEIN AND VEGGIES IN ONE HOUR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!??
** Cheffy takes a breath of air and tries to figure out what he is forgetting**
This scenario may seem a little exaggerated, but the funny thing of it is, that this happens more than not.
I feel that a process must be going through your head all the time; the second our guard is let down is the time we get slapped the hardest.
This occurs mostly out of not paying attention and respecting every logistical level of imagination, preparation and execution of the product you are permitting to leave your kitchen.
SO!!! MAKE IT HAPPEN BABY!!!!!!!!!!!
