Working this station helps you to develop some finesse because most dessert features are delicate food items that require the proper handling and storage. The refrigeration unit must stay at or below 41 degrees fahrenheit to ensure a quality product; desserts they must also be properly wrapped or covered to keep them fresh until they are used.

Some responsibilities of this station consist of preparing fruit purees and sauces to accompany these desserts as well as, the plate’s presentation. This process helps you to develop an artistic feel for food and how that relates to becoming a chef. We eat with our eyes first, so presentation is important.

Neccessary tools for working the dessert station may include a container of clean water for your knives. You need a chef knife, a ten to twelve inch slicer, a serrated knife, and parring knife, pastry bag with tips and a thermometer. You will be able to utilize each of these in some capacity while working this station. There is an assortment of culinary tools you will need and use but these are the staples.

As always, cleanliness is a very important issue when working with food, so knowledge and the proper training in this area is key. You should frequently be checking the temperature of your reach-ins and freezers. The freezer should be at or below zero degrees farenheit. When you are ready to begin cutting into a pie or cake, you should dip the entire blade in to the clean water first before cutting, this helps the dessert not stick or cling to your blade which could damage the dessert.

When working in the kitchen it is important to be able to follow directions and recipes effectively. This truely is the case when preparing or presenting desserts because your margin for error is very small and it could be very costly. Lets talk about proper storage for a moment.  I constantly have to monitor the conditions of the desserts, the number of desserts in the cooler because you do not want to have to many exposed to any collateral damage. Your sauces and garnishes should be properly covered, any pour bottles, pastry bags or squeeze bottles should be whipped clean after using and kept refridgerated if neccessary. You need to be aware of the condition of station and all of your tools, equipment and product.

The pantry is the next step in developing your knowledge of food, as well as the technical skills you need to be successful. This station requires that you handle and prepare menu items from scratch. Salad, appetizer and dessert preparation forces you to use knife skills, read and follow recipes, develop time management skills, multi-task, and utilize proper sanitation procedures.

The responsibilities of the salad station may consist of chopping and slicing vegetables, meats, poultry and seafood. You may also be introduced to using mechanical kitchen equipment. It is very important that you are properly trained on how to operate this equipment. Once you begin using convection ovens, grills, and oven ranges, it is very important that you stay aware of your surroundings at all times. It is also important to understand the proper safety procedures needed to safely use this equipment.

Classes are available to get certified in sanitation and basic food handling. This really should be a priority for any person who works in a kitchen. When you begin your day, you should already have a course of action set in place for getting your station prep done, working the station throughout your shift, and keeping your area clean and sanitary.

Creating good work habits is very important to the success or failure of your life as a chef. An important note is to be aware of staying on task and finishing in a timely manner. In the restaurant time is money and if you can save the establishment a couple of dollars, that will make you more valuable.

Washing dishes is one of the most basic and important tasks in the restaurant kitchen. It is a starting point for a lot of people in this field; some people will always be dishwashers and some take advantage of this opportunity to learn all they can about how a kitchen runs and were their job fits into that process.

Cleanliness is a must in the restaurant and this is were it starts. As a dish dog, you have to keep your station well organized, plates must be properly stacked, flat wear properly separated, and the glass racks need to be carefully squared away. Trash cans must always checked, emptied and cleaned. You have got to clean your kitchen effectively and efficiently, The management of your time is key because for a significant amount of time in you day you will be just washing dishes, so you need to utilize your down time to run plates, make sure there is enough clean flat wear, the garbage cans are not over flowing, and retrieving dirty cook wear and utensils from the front line.

The point that I am trying to make is for you to understand the importance of what your job involves. The dish dog drives the whole restaurant and in many cases the timing and organization of how the place will run. For example, I do not have a lot of idle time while I am at work, I can not spend my time waiting for saute pans or trying to locate a spatula or whisk. These things may sound petty but they happen and other similar issues that may effect how the kitchen operates.

Becoming a chef is a serious commitment to hard work in an industry that requires you to work long hours, involves high levels of stress, constant deadlines, public and internal scrutiny. If you have any illusions of some glamorous lifestyle and loads of money, you are in for a rude awakening. The kitchen is a grind and if you’re not willing to pay your dues, then you may as well find a new occupation.

I have been in kitchens for years, starting out in the dish room busting suds, working my way up the proverbial kitchen ladder, to where I stand today, as an established chef in the the food service industry. It is my hope that someone can benefit from the information provided on this web site.

I am going to start at the bottom to try and show the importance of being well rounded in the kitchen and building up your technical skills first and foremost. Second, to increase your knowledge of food while developing your organizational and management skills. For all prospective chefs, I suggest you start out your careers in an entry level kitchen position, maybe as a dishwasher, prep cook or pantry chef.

For those of you who are wondering what a pantry chef is, it is the first step to working the line, usually salad, appetizer or dessert preparation. The prep and dish area are excellent starting points. These areas will allow you to gain a sense of constant urgency that is crucial to any good chef.

Working in the prep area will sharpen the necessary technical skills that you need in the kitchen. Food preparation will allow you to see your products in a raw state, to touch, smell and taste. You are introduced to meats, fish and poultry and will learn how to properly cut and slice produce. You may be asked to produce a stock or a sauce, so it is important for you to learn what you can in the kitchen by asking questions, paying attention to what you see other more experience cooks and chef doing. It is your responsibility to do your own research by reading books, magazines, and improving yourself by utilizing the skills you have learned.