One thing a lot of people don't understand as they sit behind there desks nine to five, rushing home to watch the next food network star and exclaiming the word foodie when the topic of potato salad comes up at the family BBQ is this: A chef ain't shit with out his boys (cooks)
Take the last post for example. I conceived the dish. I worked out the recipes. I turned to my saute cook whom Ive known for 7 years and said " Put it on a rectangle plate, garnish on top, sauce under"
and after banging out roughly 20 of them he came to the presentation to the right. Its all about recognizing the ones you can let the leash out on and the ones you cant.
A good chef will give back as much, if not more than he takes from his crew. He will stand monolithic, representing an ideal and a philosophy. He will encourage and nurture. He will be right beside you when you do 450 covers and your arms are hairless and screaming from the hot saute pan handles kicking back onto your forearms. And unlike so many parents out there he wont be afraid to tell you to stop fucking up.
When you go to work and the chef doesn't talk food, doesn't leave the office, doesn't print out articles off websites for you, and cant cook your station better than you, get a new job. Simple. Its just a give take relationship. You give, he takes.
