Not everything is beautiful in gastronomy; you have to know how to deal with problems in order to find ready solutions. Usually, in a kitchen, we are faced with a team of people who have the purpose of achieving an excellent and tasty work. But always within any brigade, we will find some or several people who have errors or attitudes that do not seem very appropriate to us. From unhygienic actions, abundance of pride, sabotage of colleagues, dislike of dishes, criticism without foundation, rumors, gastronomic ethics, etc…
Within the learning in the kitchens, when I assume high positions I worry about the good functioning and professionalism of the work team. The idea is to show why you are here and to encourage people to correct mistakes in a disciplined and respectful way.
The vocation and constant monitoring are keys in this. Even so, it is normal to find attitudes or actions quite unpleasant, and each can assign the degree of severity in each case, as far as I respect, this is a listing of 5 things that I personally cannot tolerate in a cook:
Lack of humility
We have said a lot and we will continue repeating: humility is the most appreciated value in a cook, and the lack of it mixed with pride is something that is unprofessional.
One can have passion and desire to be more, but if each day you scourge your triumphs and you never recognize some mistake of yours or that is bad, because you are a person without humility. If you always strive to be the best, but on the hunt to go to take your companions telling them how useless they are, it is another example rather than clear.
The same error 2 times
One must have a vocation to teach and discipline at the same time. In a kitchen, the chef gives the orders and criticizes the disobedience. If at some point they corrected you, but after a while, you make the same mistake again, because you are doing something that bothers your superior, and the day that you do will feel that the frustration.
For example, if you explain to your assistants not to use the cleaning cloth to clean the room, if they do the criticism, but if they do it again they are proving that they are not very attentive or try to hurt you in any way. This is also a clear example of when many accidents at work: they do not want to listen…
Lack of hygiene
People expect a tasty meal, and also that this one they like and does not present health problems. In a kitchen work should be as hygienic as possible, as it is a sign of professionalism and concern.
It is normal that at first we work something dirty, but the persevering cook learns and demonstrates an excellent cleaning. But there will always be those who prefer to cook rich to have to clean, who do not mind cooking over a real dump in order to deliver the finished dish. There is always time to clean the work interior.
Irresponsibility
This may be a mixture of all of the above, but being responsible is something we must do on a daily basis. Being punctual, with good disposition and recognizing mistakes will form us as real professionals.
It is that practically all the work is synonymous of responsibility, since as one grows in the positions, increases the commitment and the end to obtain a good work.
Even so, we see how some cooks are still late to work, do not assume their tasks or their mistakes, and what is worse, they blame whatever it takes to get rid of the problem.
Making excuses for their serious actions
Finally, something that really can not stand: cook an excuse for everything. It is normal that in case of a problem we have to defend ourselves, but if in the daily life we manifest ourselves based on arguments that are not valid, once again we are not professionals.
For example, it is typical to listen to excuses when arriving late to work, or to blame the ingredient that our dish does not manage to be acceptable, or to blame the co-worker, to blame that there are no grooming staff, that there is no olive oil, that today I am tired, that I do not have time, that the chicken had a bad smell, that the refrigerator was broken, that there is no soap, that I am in a hurry … as you can see thousands and thousands of possibilities as if from a book of excuses. The purpose is to avoid this and it is better to have a valid foundation or take responsibility with humility.
As you may realize, many of you dear readers have seen or experiences of this style, it is common to find someone like that inside a kitchen. The important thing is to have the criterion and the ethics to differentiate the good from the bad, and that only gives the experience.
And clearly there may be many more things that are not tolerated in a cook, if you have something to add, I invite you to do it, I want to hear that you have a professional attitude!