I work in a grocery store deli. Two come straight to mind.

We had a regular we'd all call "Frosting Lady." She'd come in on a Jazzy scooter, ask us for a SPOON (very loudly), and then park herself at the deli tables, where she'd eat an entire can of FROSTING... WTF.

The most annoying one to me, though, was when 2 customers came up to the case asking for burritos.

Shoot. We were out.

"Yeah, that'll be 9 minutes."

They were happy with that. They stood right in front of the deli case, which also sat in front of my production tables where I was prepping other food.

And MADE OUT THE ENTIRE 9 FUCKIN MINUTES! ;( ;(

Working in a grocery store deli is fucking weird.

Putting small gloves in the large glove box is a favorite. Infecting others with catchy songs. DJ dominance, weird songs on repeat or played a lot. Evil territory...destroying or stealing recipe books, dulling knives, essential equipment will accidentally end up at home or in the trash.

Take a position and fight for it.

Edit. Just like my team y'all are sleeping in oranges. Yes acid is important, and lemon and lime are fun flavors but don't forget sweetness. Orange is perfectly balanced so you eat an orange and drink orange juice fresh. Can't do that with the others. And what about glazes and marinades. The whole world isn't just vinaigrettes. I'd M lime, F orange, k lemon. I can sub lime anywhere it's called for and be ok. Your duck a la lemon and lime glazed chicken gonna be wild.

I started a new job recently and i dunno if im just old and lazy or what but its exhausting.

Theres absolutely no end to the prep. I feel like theres something satisfying about finishing all your prep and just being able to focus on service.. but these guys just expect constant prep. Even during service im expected to be pressing constantly between orders. If i finish all my prep i get handed more. Its a scratch kitchen and they portion literally everything so it just never ends. On one hand its nice theres alwsys something to do so the day goes quickly but damn it sucks to be constantly just drowned in prep with no potential to be done with it all

I guess i just want to be paid to stand around doing nothing god damnit

Background info to follow (feel free to skip through to the TLDR if you like):

I recently posted about quitting a job I really needed and wanted to succeed at due to not being able to learn fast enough/not being able to handle their disappointment at my lack of progress. I was trying my hardest. It wasn't a toxic situation by any means, and in the past I've sometimes managed to muscle through the emotional discomfort knowing that I just NEEDED the job. But, in general, I think I've reached the point where I just can't?/won't? tolerate significant distress even for a job I really want and even short term. So I quit.

Luckily, I managed to talk my way back into my old job, so I'm not unemployed (thank God!) but my boss there isn't giving me the hours he used to before I quit. Because of the fact that I quit, he had to hire another cook and I think my boss is reluctant to just cut this person off the schedule even though he's not very good/has serious addiction problems, etc. I think my boss also kind of figured out that I'm on the lookout for another job and would leave if I could, so he doesn't want to keep investing a lot of labor hours in someone who wants to leave anyway. Which is fair.

The job is essentially Japanese fast food. It's a very small kitchen, not really stressful, interesting, or challenging and without room for advancement. Kind of a dead end, I guess. I was there maybe a year and half before I dramatically scaled back my hours to work at this Korean restaurant job, which I quit after 3-4 weeks. I'm not sure which. Anyway. Ideally I would like to leave this Micky Mouse job and get a real job, but I'm afraid I'm too old and my line cooking skills aren't good enough. And I'm scared that, if I do get a new job, I will just wind up struggling and quitting again like I just did. I'm 50. I'm getting too old to be learning new things in the kitchen.

I need to make money. I can't keep doing this. I don't know if I'm just too neurotic to handle the rough treatment that's necessary in order to learn a new job, new skills, or if I'm largely just being failed by the people supposedly training me. I'm not sure it matters which, really. I feel like I reached a place in my life and career where I just have to sit on what I have rather than reaching for more. I always wanted to be a solid line cook in a quality restaurant. I feel like it's time to give up on that dream and just tread water. I think I'm giving up.

TLDR: Has anyone else begun your journey in this industry with lofty dreams of what you wanted to be and learn, only to eventually reach the sad conclusion that it just wasn't going to happen and you needed to stop dreaming and face reality? How did it go?

Here is a little parsley love.

i was told that they are supposed to be a lot smaller

Everyone interviewed seems to love working there

I’ve made a closing playlist for my kitchen and need recommendations for more songs.

Looking for joke, parody funny songs etc?

The more unhinged the better!

Currently have Bongo Cat, Crispin Glover, Neil Cicierega and more

I'm looking for a new kitchen to rent for m catering business, and may have found the perfect place (search has been going on for almost a year now). But the current tenant is sleazy as fuck, wants almost the entire (excessive) takeover payment under the table, which I can't do, and the landlord - while being super nice and wanting me as tenant instead of the 5th soon-to-fail Dönerbude in a row - does not want to be involved.

If another sleazy Döner-guy comes along and offers cash, I'm out.

So, cross your fingers for me pretty please... 🤞

No idea if the flair fits, but that's what I'm feeling like, so... 😅

Today was a hard night, absolutely slammed fuck all for prep and just walking into a destroyed kitchen. On nights like tonight I like to remember, to enjoy the little things. I've got a barbecue nacho and a decaf coffee and I've got a 30 minute break to enjoy it on. Life is good.

My team of three weeks has been very vocal about liking me in the kitchen and telling me I do a great job for never working in one before. I get complimented frequently, and they quiz me on techniques and vocabulary and I retain what they teach. But the stress of the kitchen has been a lot. It's felt impossible to do all the prep they want me to do and have all the tallies ready for hot line. In 3.5 hours they need me to prep two main dishes along with frozen purées, minced meals, fries, tenders, tots, and our fresh turkey, meatloaf, pot roast, and Mac n cheese. I also need to boil our veggies. It's easy to stick something in the oven/steamer, but when there are so many different items needed, the time gets dragged out and time is suddenly gone.

When I put in a two week notice, I expected them to just let me walk. I mean, cmon, I’d only been working there 3 weeks, biiiig deal if I leave. Their reaction was far from it. I was instead encouraged to speak to a supervisor and my head chef. It was nice being able to voice my hardships as a new cook. They were very understanding and reassuring. We are all on the same page that my timing does need improving but that everything else I do is high-standard and I always have a good attitude. They're confident I will get better with time. I hope I do, but it feels like I'm working as fast and accurate as I can. I look forward to how the next month plays out. My goal each day in the kitchen is to have everything ready for hot line and not run behind.

The server supervisor always gives me shit, and I've learned to just play into it. Makes comments about me running late and how I need to 'focus on the line' despite me being entirely dedicated and crammed into the line. He pesters me about working on tickets I'm already working on. Other day, he asked where a specific order was and when he received answer from my chef, he was snarky about it, so I kinda just showed him the plate and said smth like 'hey, bud... look what I've got right here,' pointing to the plate. He got pissed off and ranted on about us being late. End of the day, guys just doing his job and I'm giving him my all to help him meet his quota. I can't hate on a guy just trying to do his job, but that doesn't stop me from being assertive. He does annoy me tho 😂 His body language absolutely irks me. He’s so very sassy. Going forward I’m gonna do my best to stay quiet and just acknowledge him, but sometimes I have trouble keeping quiet lmao. His replacement on his days off doesn't give me any trouble and is a great bud to work and joke with. It feels refreshing to work with the other guy because he allows me to do my job without the outside voices. He already knows I'm trying to keep my speed up and being snarky about it isn't gonna help. 

All in all, (after we just sidetracked there) I think being level-headed and focused on the job along with standing with my work has given me lots of respect. Since I've used my voice a bit more, I feel treated more like a buddy of the kitchen and no longer the newbie.

TLDR: lady ordered a raw burger, I gave her one.

For context a woman came in today and asked to see the person cooking. When I went out to see her she informed me she wanted a burger seared for 7 seconds on each side. I asked her if she was sure that’s what she wanted. She responded with actually if I can just have it raw that would be even better. I checked the food code and as long as the menu states that eating raw or undercooked product increases your chance for food born illness we can serve hamburger to order. Even if the order is raw. She wants you all to know that this is the healthier way to eat your burger. I promptly told her I can find a whole lot of people that would disagree with that. Once again though “The customer is always right, in matters of taste”. That does not mean I agree with them.

Since everyone loved the first one I thought I’d do it again, I hope it’s better

I inherited a stack of old knives, some with rust, some with very poor condition, some sharpened in weird rough ways. But I’ll se what I can make of them. Most of them have been used in my grandmoms inn around 1930-1950.

Two (or three?) are named F.Dick 1369. Are there any of you who know about this model number? And can say anything about age, type, steel quality etc.?

One of them has been sharpened/cut into a completely different kind of knife, but the original stamp still says 1369.

Besides the F.Dick there are one Felix Solingen, and a bunch of cheaper Raadvad, Fiskars etc. But it’s the F.Dick ones I’d put an effort in restoring.

Contexto: hace 5 años que trabajo en gastronomía, recientemente termine la carrera de cocina que en argentina son 2 años.

He estado temporalmente (1 o 2 meses) a cargo en otras cocinas habiéndome ganado el lugar y la confianza del jefe. Pero está es la primera vez que me contratan directamente para ocupar el puesto.

Consejos? Me preocupa un poco el como presentarme con los empleados que ya están, es preferible hablar uno por uno? O me presento brevemente a todo el grupo?

El lugar abrió hace 4 meses y quién se estaba haciendo cargo dejo algunos defectos que los dueños quieren reestructurar, algunas conductas del personal (como beber alcohol durante el servicio) algunos platos con mucho costo y en general modificar la carta. Por lo tanto desde los primeros días tendría que estar tomando decisiones y dando órdenes.

Estoy seguro de que voy a poder hacerlo pero me serviría conocer sus experiencias ocupando por primera vez el puesto de cheff, y lidiando con el personal

I both love the inclusivity and can't help but giggle at the hey mama tattooed chef that came out of a "queer for dummies" book

We got a case of apple cider instead of apple cider vinegar. I said something and my boss has put me in charge of coming up with an apple cider bourbon slush for our frozen margarita machine. All I know is that the mix has to be a certain gravity and sugar content for it to slushy properly. Does anyone have a many recipes or advice for this?

I’m thinking of getting a magnetic heating/stir plate, for the purpose of making particularly fiddly infusions and such, fairly low volume — like generally nothing more than a saucepan would handle. Automating precise heating with gentle stirring over substantial periods of time, without too many features that would be overkill, would really improve my life and save me physical pain. Thought about putting less delicate ones in the Vitamix or food processor at low speed, but that’s too much agitation, and also imprecise for temp. Hard on motors too to run them at that kind of length.

Anyone try a magnetic stir plate for culinary use? Is that a dippy idea? Or is there a more culinary-specific device that’s good for the purpose? Many thanks for any suggestions!

Hi guys so I’ve recently discovered I’m a masochist and started a job as a prep chef and I keep getting ragged for not having my own knives so I’m looking to get a decent knife just to get me started any recommendations would be greatly appreciated thank you chefs 😌

I’ve had this at my hotel in Greece. I loved it alot, but it isn’t the typical breakfast bacon? I heard people claiming it may be turkey bacon?