If you've ever enjoyed a
meal in a fine dining establishment, a market, restaurant, a buffet or
cafeteria, or a simple hawker centre you have to wonder, how do they do it? How
do they prepare hundreds of appetizers, salads, soups, main dishes and desserts
all under the pressure of time, consistency, and quality and get it right every
time or almost every time? It seems like magic, doesn't it?
It may seem like it but
there's really no magic to a successful kitchen operation. It comes down to
planning, organization, communication, timing, and most importantly, people and
students like you who want to develop the skills and the attention to detail
that make high volume food preparation and service possible. You can learn all this and more at DIMENSIONS International College.
At DIMENSIONS International College, you’ll look at the operation of a commercial kitchen and
learn about the organization, tools, and systems that will help you contribute
to its success. Specifically, you'll learn about food safety and sanitation,
working safely in the kitchen, kitchen organization and operation, the
importance of recipes, preparing and storing food ingredients, maintaining par
stocks, watching portion control and avoiding waste, safe and efficient knife
skills, the various equipment involved in preparing and cooking food, the
variety of cooking methods, and quality food.
Remember that every food
service operation is unique with specific rules and procedures. But the
fundamentals that you’ll learn at DIMENSIONS International College can be used
in any kitchen, anywhere, anytime.
Let's begin with food safety
and sanitation. At DIMENSIONS International College, you will learn that your
first responsibility in a kitchen operation is to protect your guests and
co-workers from contaminated or spoiled food. This means practicing basic food
safety and sanitation procedures when handling food. Understand and follow the
food safety rules and procedures established by your management as well as the
local health department guidelines which may mean mandatory education and
certification.
Another safety issue has
to do with preventing accidents and injuries. Your kitchen can be a dangerous
place with heat, fire, sharp objects, machinery, electricity, slippery
surfaces, and many other dangers. Your future restaurant will expect you to
know these rules and regulations regarding workplace safety and you will need
to follow them strictly.
Stretch lightly before work or prior to a task
and learn to lift safely using your legs rather than your back. Get help or a
hand cart for heavy loads. Always select the correct tool or utensil for the
job and use it properly. Avoid repetitive motions for long periods of time
switching hands or muscle groups if you can or finding a machine to do the job.
Wipe or mop up spills immediately and mark wet or slippery surfaces. Move
efficiently but cautiously through preparation and service areas maintaining a
clear view and communicating with others. If you're unsure something is hot,
assume it is. If you know it’s hot then warn others.
Now let’s look at kitchen
organization. Every restaurant must be organized to efficiently create the
types of food offered to its customers. Some food service operations are as
simple as one cook and a server but even at this level the responsibilities are
clear and the workflow streamlined so that guests are served consistent food on
a timely basis.
In larger restaurants,
the jobs become more specialized. There
may be dozens of people involved, managers, chefs, expeditors, assistant chefs,
cooks, line cooks, food prep workers, dishwashers, pot washers, and bussers.
Each has specific responsibilities in the preparation and delivery of food to
the customer.
Most kitchens are led by
an executive chef, kitchen manager, or a head cook. This person is responsible
for supervising and managing the overall preparation and delivery of food to
the customer. This person is usually very involved in the development of the
menu and recipes, ordering food supplies and ingredients, buying and
maintaining equipment, as well as hiring and scheduling staff. He or she may
actually create the food, or simply supervise others while managing quality. In
any case this person is under a lot of pressure and he or she must delegate to
others in the kitchen.
Who are the others in
commercial kitchens? The second line includes assistant chefs called sous
chefs, cooks and line cooks. These people are actually involved with the
preparation and cooking of food items and their responsibilities are usually
divided according to the complexity of the kitchen operation and/or the type of
food they prepare. For instance, a large kitchen may have a grill cook, pastry
chef, or vegetable cook while a smaller diner may have one or more breakfast
cooks. In any case, these people are almost always busy and must have an
adequate supply of ingredients to prepare the food they cook. This is where the
prep cook or food prep worker comes in. These valuable staff members slice,
peel, chop, grate, sauté, and otherwise prepare the hundreds of ingredients
that go into the dishes cooked and served each day. Their skill and attention
to detail is critical to the success of the kitchen because their work goes
into every dish on the menu. Other behind-the-scenes players in every
successful kitchen are the bussers, dishwashers, and pot washers. Just as
important as having adequate food ingredients, every kitchen must also have
clean pots, pans, utensils, and service ware in order to prepare and serve food to the
customers. The work of these kitchen team members becomes even more important
during busy or rush times.
There are many more
things that you will learn when you enroll as either a full-time or part time
student in a hospitality course at DIMENSIONS International College. These things include recipes, food prep,
portion control and avoiding waste, knife skills and safety, and kitchen
equipment.
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