The Northern Stories of Chef Lao Tan

Chapter 7 Want to cut off the chef
Lin Yan asked Lao Tan about his get off work after work, and Lao Tan said that he would go to work at someone's house in the Kanto region the next day.

Lin Yan asked: "How much is the salary?"

"Seven thousand." Old Tan replied.

"Okay, it's a lot. Give me [-] a month, and the remaining [-] is your pocket money." Lin Yan said happily.

"I can give you everything." Old Tan said.

"No, I'm not greedy, five thousand will do."

After Lin Yan finished talking, she thought about Lao Tan's transportation to and from get off work, and planned to buy him an electric car.Lao Tan said no, it’s not far from home, just walk, it’s time to exercise.In addition, it is the probationary period now, the boss inspects him, and he also inspects the hotel, two-way choice, it will take a while to decide whether we can cooperate.

At [-]:[-] the next day, Lao Tan came to the Guandong family.

First came to the kitchen, there was a lot of meat piled up at the door, including elbows, pig’s trotters, ribs, lean meat, pork belly, beef brisket, etc., and a cutting board was being taken in for all of them.The rest of the staff were absent and should have breakfast in the restaurant.

Lao Tan came to the entrance of the staff restaurant, where many people were eating breakfast, so he didn't go in, and turned into the green vegetable room.

Fresh vegetables were piled up in the middle of the house, and the vegetable shelves were full of vegetable baskets, some of which contained the leftover vegetables from yesterday.There are four vegetable sinks in a row near the door, one of which contains scissors, steel wool, rags, rubber gloves, leather knives, detergent, and leather aprons.

Mops, brooms, and pickles are scattered all over the side of the vegetable sink.The trash can is in the house, and the lid is not closed, and there is no garbage bag.

The entire green vegetable room is very messy, the sanitation is not clean, and there are garbage and vegetable leaves left on the ground.

Old Tan thought to himself that it would take a few days to put this house together.

Coming out of the green vegetable room, Zhang Li also came out of the dining room just after breakfast, and saw Lao Tan coming over to say hello with a smile, and said, "I wanted to call you yesterday, and I thought you were at home, lest your wife think too much. "

"Thank you for that." Old Tan smiled.

"Officially starting work today?" Zhang Li asked.

"Officially on duty."

"Tell you that the kitchen is quite messy. You have to gather for a while. Most of the employees are Wang Gang's people, and several of them are his apprentices. They all listen to him. I have been to the head chef before, and I told him to mess around. Pay attention Son. Look at the green vegetable room, isn’t it messy? Don’t talk nonsense, the one who picks vegetables is the second aunt of the proprietress.” Zhang Li reminded Lao Tan.

Old Tan nodded.

A red Jetta drove over and stopped in front of the green vegetable room. Wang Gang got out of the car and greeted Lao Tan and Zhang Li warmly.

Lao Tan said to Wang Gang: "Okay, people with cars."

"Madam, the boss bought an Audi for the lady during the renovation last year, and the lady drove this car for me." Wang Gang asked, "Have you eaten, Master Tan?"

"I've eaten at home." Old Tan said.

"I also have a bite at home." Wang Gang said, looking at the watch on his wrist, and said, "It's nine o'clock soon, and the regular meeting will begin. I'll introduce you to the kitchen brothers, so we can get to know each other."

Wang Gang walked towards the kitchen and said: "Master Tan, I am a cheap person. I haven't studied for a few years. I'm a rough old man. It's almost as good as asking me to take care of a small kitchen. I haven't taken care of a big kitchen. You can feel free to take care of the kitchen when you come. Brother didn't even say anything, how many years have you worked with me, be obedient.

Also like me, no culture.You don’t know that those of us who work in the kitchen have not studied for a few years. It’s not that the family’s conditions are not good and they can’t afford to go to school, or they don’t want to study. The mischievous guy has no quality.Besides, whoever is educated and qualified will work in the kitchen, isn't it Master Tan, do you think I'm right? "

Old Tan nodded with a smile, and said, "The kitchen doesn't mean that anyone can do it. Good men don't like to do it, and poor men can't do it."

Wang Gang said: "That's the thing. Humans can't do the kitchen."

At the regular meeting, Wang Gang introduced Lao Tan to the kitchen staff, and Lao Tan said a few words briefly.

Everyone didn't show any enthusiasm for Lao Tan, the new head chef, and they all thought that it was not certain whether he could be a chef.In addition, the new Du Xinguan took office three fires, and first cracked down on them for two days, which made everyone feel uncomfortable and disgusted.Then there was heavy thunder and little rain, that's all, it was still the same as before, if it didn't work out, I had to leave.

In the end, it was Wang Gang who took care of it. Instead of giving enthusiasm to the new head chef, it is better to keep a good relationship with Wang Gang. If he is too enthusiastic, he should be laid off when the newcomer leaves.

Although Wang Gang has a bad temper, howling at every turn, swearing at people anxiously, and kicking when serious, but fortunately, he is not strict in control, and he is laughing and joking all day long, without so many rules and regulations, and is relaxed and at ease.In addition, 70.00% of the kitchen is owned by him, and everyone can still tell who is the big and small king. They know that in the Kanto people, they would rather offend the boss than Wang Gang, and there is nothing good to eat if they offend him.

The employees are right to think so, because the hotel kitchen has its own system and has its own rules and order.

In the past, cooks belonged to the lower class, and they were ranked together with hooligans, thieves, and car dealers.Although the low-class people live at the bottom of society, these people are particular about their work and value loyalty.

All chefs have teachers, and each teacher is very particular about it.Take apprenticeship as an example, even now cooks worship their masters three times and nine times, and serve tea as a salute.Apprentices must respect their masters and treat them like their fathers.

The cook can talk back to the boss, but he never dares to talk back to the master.If he dared to contradict the master, it would be a big crime, at least he would be kicked out of the kitchen, and at worst, he would be kicked out of the teacher's door.After being kicked out of the teacher's school, it is a bit difficult to want to be a chef. Everyone knows what kind of person he is, and he is unwilling to introduce him to work.

Brothers in the same school are very united, not to mention like brothers, they are almost the same.If one of them takes over the kitchen, all the brothers and sisters will help unconditionally until the place is successfully taken over.

In the kitchen, the head chef is the boss, and the employees all listen to the boss. This is the rule.If the boss withdraws, the younger brothers will follow suit, even if the boss raises his salary, he won't be able to keep it.Although large-scale catering is now managed corporately, the rules of the kitchen still exist and are being followed.

Take Lao Tan as an example, when he came down from Binhai years ago, those who followed him from the provincial capital all returned.The new helm wants them to stay and continue to work, and promises to raise their wages. They would rather find a new job than stay. The reason is very simple, the boss has quit, and they have to quit.

The level of education of the kitchen staff is not high, and they have not received much education, so it is best not to beat around the bush when talking to the kitchen staff.Don't talk about the big truth, you can't accept it, it's the most practical way to talk in the house, anyone can understand it, and can understand it.No matter you are the head chef or the chief chef, don't pretend to be a cultural person, the most annoying cultural person who works in the kitchen.

As long as you are a good person, decent, and loyal, even if you are almost crafty, you can get mixed up in the kitchen.No matter how good your skills are, it will be difficult for you to survive if your conduct is bad, your virtues are not enough, and you are not particular about your life.

There are often conflicts in the kitchen, and quarreling and fighting are common. Otherwise, it is said that all the kitchen workers are bandits and hooligans.But the people in the kitchen are united. No matter what internal conflicts there are, when they encounter external bullying, they will immediately huddle together, and even the hooligans in society have to stay away.

That's where the saying "I'd rather mess with hooligans than mess with the kitchen" comes from.

The cooks have contacts with all kinds of religions and streams, and they are friends from government officials to ordinary people.You can call the policemen on the white road brothers and sisters, and you can also drink and chat with the big brothers on the underworld.

A small society in the kitchen, a big stage in life.

To put it bluntly, it’s not easy to do anything. In order to survive and support the family, you have to pay for all kinds of people and work for all kinds of people.

Lao Tan has worked in the restaurant for [-] years. He knows everything about the situation and the rules of the kitchen. He understands the attitude of the employees who are neither welcome nor unwelcome, and don't take it to heart at all.After the regular meeting, he began to follow Wang Gang to familiarize himself with the kitchen.

The hot dish main kitchen is eight meters wide and more than [-] meters long, with an overall area of ​​more than [-] square meters, which is large enough.

Entering from the kitchen door, there are firstly the miscellaneous and claypot area, three steam cabinets, two sets of eight-eye claypot stoves, one set of stoves, and three employees.

Wang Gang said: "One of the three steaming cabinets is for pasta, steaming rice and dumplings, and the other two are for hot dishes. The claypot stove makes Gaba pots and iron pots rely on big goose. There are three people here, our family Fish heads with chopped peppers, steamed pork blood, and stewed eggs sell quickly, all of which are sold here.”

"Hello, Master!" A young man greeted Wang Gang with a very loud voice, a little like a demonstration to Lao Tan.

Wang Gang said: "This is my apprentice, Li Yong."

Old Tan looked at Li Yong, the young man was quite handsome, with a baby face, big eyes and double eyelids, and a small dimple on each cheek when he smiled.

Next to Shangza is the fish stew stove. The fish stew master is Xu Jun, a very simple and honest man in his thirties.

Immediately afterwards, there were two kitchen stoves. The cooks were Wang Gang's apprentices, one was Cui Kai and the other was Cui Xuan, two brothers.Like Li Yong, the two brothers greeted Wang Gang loudly, but ignored Old Tan, and Old Tan didn't care.

There are six chefs on the main stove.In the middle is Li Xu, the head chef, 28 years old, from Henan, and a fellow villager with the proprietress, who has worked with the boss for eight years.

Li Zhongqing, the head pot master, and his younger brother, Li Huaqing, also cook here.Gaipeng, a master of Sichuan cuisine, and two apprentices of Wang Gang, Niu Hongtai and Ma Shunren.

A group of stoves by Li Zhongqing and Gai Peng, a group of stoves by Li Huaqing and Li Xu, and a group of stoves by Niu Hongtai and Ma Shunren.Next to Li Xu are two other kitchen staff.

After the main stove is the stew stove, then a set of eight-eye clay pot stoves and three hearth stoves.The claypot stewed the small stupid chicken, the ground hearth stove made old soup, and the other two were cold dish miso soup.

There are a total of [-] chefs on the stove, from miscellaneous dishes to stews.It stands to reason that the food should not be served slowly. Lao Tan feels that the problem lies in the cooperation between the chef and the chef.

Paste kitchen is a common existence in old kitchens in the past.The master cooks the stove, and the apprentice is the assistant cook, responsible for cleaning the oil and water.While cooking, the master taught the apprentices how to cook, and brought the apprentices out after coming and going.

Generally, a master leads a chef, and the salary of the chef is low, which can save money for the boss.

There are very few kitchen stickers in the kitchen these days.After all, the person who sticks to the kitchen is not a chef, and his cooking skills are not good enough, so he cannot directly make dishes.

In addition, most of the kitchens are born after the [-]s, and some are born after the [-]s. These children are all born after family planning. They are one in a family. After graduation, I have nothing to do at home and always make trouble.Parents have no way to send them out to work, not for earning money, just for exercising and saving snacks.

It was too tiring to send to the construction site, so most of them were sent to the kitchen.It would be even better if I could learn some skills in the kitchen, so that I can support myself when I grow up.

These children are spoiled and spoiled, and they haven't developed good habits, but they have a temper and are very rebellious.In addition, I don't feel the pressure and hardships of life, and I don't realize the hard work and expectations of my parents, as long as I am happy.

In fact, they are not selfish, but they are regarded as ancestors from birth, and they think that they are really ancestors over time.If you make a mistake, you can realize it yourself and change it, but you are not allowed to tell others.If you say it, you will be unhappy, and if you have a good temper, you should not contradict it face to face.

Let them be cooks without too much sense of responsibility.I think that I am too oily, not responsible for frying, and it’s over after frying. Your chef likes to fry or not. Anyway, my work is done. It doesn’t matter to me how much the food is pressed. Getting out is a chef's business.

Unlike Lao Tan and his generation, they cherish the opportunity to go to the stove very much, and they can't wait to learn the craft right away.Seeing that the master is busy, I know that my opportunity has come, so I help to cook some simple small fry, which not only relieves the pressure on the master, but also improves the skills.

Therefore, once the chef and the chef do not cooperate well, it will directly affect the speed of serving and the quality of the dishes.

Lao Tan canceled the post of post chef from the kitchen six years ago.The reason is very simple. First, young chefs today do not have the professionalism of the old chefs. They treat the dishes as their own lives. The quality requirements are very strict, so the requirements for the chefs are also strict, which can guarantee the quality of the dishes.Today's chefs are getting younger and younger, and they are still apprentices, so how can they lead the chefs well.

The second is that few young people today are willing to learn to be a chef. Being a chef at the stove is not for learning skills, but for showing off. I feel that standing on the stove is a master, and I have a sense of accomplishment.

In order to ensure the quality of the dishes, Lao Tan canceled the post of post chef.

He feels that if the four chefs are replaced by four chefs, then all problems will be solved, and the dishes will be served faster and the quality will be improved.

But two of the four chefs are Wang Gang's apprentices, and two are his relatives, so it would be difficult to cancel.

　Thank you for reading, and for your valuable comments.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)