prep work

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    Half of my day is spent
    getting ready for dinner.
    The prep list hangs
    from the ticket holder
    and I pull my Sharpie
    from my sleeve pocket
    to mark my progress:
    green beans, succotash,
    gnocchi, Swiss chard,
    cod, swordfish, halibut,
    butter sauces.

    There is a certain way
    to do things.
    The aim is consistency
    rather than conformity.
    Each portion of salmon
    should weigh eight ounces.
    The chives should be diced
    to be the same size.
    Does any diner look
    at the plate and say,
    “This chive is too large,”

    or pick up his salmon
    and reach across to grab
    the fish at the next table
    to see if their weights
    are commensurate?
    But I can tell
    when I pick them up
    and place them
    in hot sauté pans.
    They don’t know,
    but I do.

    After his days off,
    Chef comes in early
    and checks all
    the dressings and sauces
    to see if they match
    the recipes. He looks
    at peppers, mushrooms,
    even the chives –
    we sweat the small stuff.
    It’s how we show
    we mean what we cook.

    Peace,
    Milton

    11 COMMENTS

    1. and as a veteran restaurant server,, i know from being on the front lines that every now and again.. someone will find fault with anything… so if you are secure in your knowledge that they are full of it… so am i….

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