Sunday, July 4, 2010

Well to say the least weeks three through six have been just as crazy and hectic as the first three weeks, yes we have a chef but with that several of the old employee’s chose to depart and go work with the old chef at his new place. With having to open all three food venues Fine Dining room/ Bar room service, the Banquet room and Pool Snack bar service as well as to hire the remaining needed staff and staff to replace the departing old stuff the chef has been extremely busy these three weeks. That is not to mention the level of activity we have experienced in the dining room. Every night we are open we are serving more meals then had ever been served before at the Patterson Club. On Saturday night of week four the Club had it Gala Grand Open to show off the new Club House to all the members. We had to prepare for 600 people to be at the event. The event food included chef staffed interactive stations as follows, cooked to order pasta station, a Lobster Mac and Cheese station, two meat carving stations with Tenderloin of Beef, Duck Breast and Rack of Lamb, cooked to order Pan Seared Foie Gras station that I worked as the chef. When looking for people to work stations the chef inquired as to who of the kitchen staff had worked with or had knowledge of Foie Gras and because of the work I had done in my writing class at the Culinary I was the most knowledgeable and experienced with Foie Gras so I was chosen to cook at that station. I needed to prepare the Foie Gras requiring that I check them for veins and clean portion approximately 500 portions of it. Next was the making of 500 crustiness’ requiring slicing then brushing with garlic oil and baking them off, next a sprinkle of drunken goat cheese then back n the oven to melt the cheese. The item required two sauces a puree of fig and shallots for under the Foie Gras and a pureed fig and balsamic vinegar sauce for the top. Once both sauces were finished the food prep was done now all that was left was to set up the station and wait for the members and guests to arrive. The event went very well my station was outside on the patio overlooking the golf course and at 9:00 I was able to watch the fireworks display from my station. The members and guests that eat Foie Gras enjoyed the food very much but it was interesting to see the reaction of the people when they asked what my station was serving, those that liked Foie Gras were very excited and several came back for seconds and thirds. Those that did not like to eat it or were opposed to the idea of the force feeding of the ducks could not get away from the station fast enough. To say the least it was a very long and exhausting day but very rewarding as I was able to use the work knowledge and experience from school to get a prime station for this big event and demonstrate to the chef I had the knowledge, experience and confidence to succeed at a challenging task. Week five saw the continued work at the sauté station as well as assisting with a 100 adult and 100 teenager party in the banquet room. I did not assisted with the preparation of the food but the chef asked me to set up and run a cook to order pasta station at service time. I spent the day getting the sauté station ready for diner service then left and went done to set up the pasta station and cook the pasta for the party guests. Once that was over I was asked to scoop ice cream at the ice cream sunday bar for the remainder of the party. Week six was more time at the sauté station and on several occasions I was asked to assist with the preparation of food for several banquets of which one was a multi course wine tasting diner. This dinner was only for 30 people but it was six courses and each very different then the next. I prepared several of the starch items and well as the chocolate sauce for the dessert course. I believe the reason the chef chooses me to assist with these events is because of the training I have received at the Culinary, I understand the terms he is using I follow his directions and do the work he expects.