Home Cooking 1.3

Location: At the house

Finally, I went to the local restaurant supplier. This place is literally my toystore. In the back there is a warehouse stored with industrial sized stove, lowboys, large mixers, freezers, two door ovens, basically the works. That day I had picked up some squeezy bottles for sauces and such. Also I finally got the chance to pick up an oil stone for sharpening my knifes. The stone is a savior.

Me doing some knife sharpening.

 My knifes: Both are Globals. One is a six Chef and the other is a veg cleaver.

 In addition to sharpening the knifes that night, I also made a simple pasta. It consisted of: tomatoes, evoo, garlic, brandy, chili flake, parsley, and s&p. Simple yet delicious.

The Sauce

Added some Farfalle to it.

The Intern 1.1

Location: Dell'z California Grill
This last Saturday, I prepped and cooked for dinner service until around eight. Although I did not cook until closing hour, this might have been one of my most stressed nights at the restaurant. Also during my time I had a killer headache which really made me lose a lot of focus that night. Once I got there I sat outside waiting for Rhyan (sous chef) to get there. Once he got there I went straight to the line to check for back-ups because service began in at least 1 hour. Within that one hour, I replenished my station, cut shitakes, julienne carrots, cauli floreets, and reconstituted the sauces.
At five, dinner service began. Often, customers don't come in until around five thirty but customers were already pouring in with two and four tops. Tonight I ran the cold apps, salads, and grill. At this point my headache was throbbing and was in pain. I tried to complete and pt the dishes on the pass as fast as I could. Also this is one of my first nights that I fell behind at least two tables. The ticker kept tickin the whole night. What really screwed me up that night were three orders of mixed greens but each one was alternated. That order set me back at least three minutes. Even though I was behind I kept pushing and dishing out plates. Fortunately, it slowed down a little after a couple of hours. Even though it can often be considered a slow evening and the hours were not long, I was very stressed this night. My headache was still there for the rest of the night.

Dell'z California Grill: The Intern

Location: Dell'z California Grill

For at least the past two years I have been cooking in the kitchen at Dell'z California Grill under Chef Rhandell Molina and his brother Ryhan. Ever since I started, they had me cooking on the line and preparing meals for the customers. One time I even had the opportunity to cook for a wedding party and busted out the chicken dish for the bride and groom. I suppose they have some trust in me becasue they allow me to do almost all of the tasks that need to be done. While at the restaurant, I have learned many skills and techniques by the chefs and cooks that work there. The restautant is quite small and there is a lot of help being passed around. Although I am just in High school, the guys at the restaurant are extremely encouraging and helpful.
I do not get paid (and I definitely don't mind) but in return, I get much of the knowledge pertaining to kitchens and food from the cooks and chefs and I often get to make my own lunch and dinners (One time chef had even let me cook myself a dry aged ribeye which was easily one of the best steaks I have ever eaten). My experiences at Dell'z California Grill has fueled my inspiration of becoming a chef one day. Although during dinner hours, it may get really busy and I may be disoriented, it is totally worth it because it is what I love and I keep coming back for more for that sense of accomplishment and satisfaction of serving a dish. I am forever grateful for the staff and Molina family for allowing me to learn and cook under their guidance.

Here is a link to check out the restaurant's menu.
http://www.dellzcaliforniagrill.com/