2C

Well, it is off another wild adventure for me. I have a new job, I am out of the Country Club life and now in the Hotel life again. It is much different being in the hotel setting. There are a lot of outlets to manage,and the guests you have in front of you are only there a brief time. You have to really be on your A game to make that lasting positive impression with these types of people. Some are business people, some are families. It only takes a very small thing to turn their experience into a negative. There are so many opportunities to drop the ball. You may over order or under order in either cases it can bite you in the ass. I have challenged myself ever time I go into work, I push myself to the breaking point and than beyond. I am using everything I have learned and putting it to the test and seeing what works and what does not. I have worked to get the staff to respect me, by just doing their job faster, more efficiently and giving praise when needed. I have been more focused on being positive at work and trying to get others around me to be the same way. I have made it a point that I don't want to hear, "the am people do this and the pm people do that". I quickly nip that talk in the butt.
With this new job there is new times. That is the biggest transformation that I am having a problem getting use to. I work 2 nights, 2 days off (not in a row) and three morning shifts. I am not at all use to that. It is taking me some time to adjust. I have to force myself to do better if I want to achieve my goals. I am working less hours but the time schedule is what is really messing me up. I have to develop better time management skills. I have to find that balance in my life between work and social. I am more aware of the out time even though I am not married to someone. I am more focused on my needs and wants and second guessing if I should open my mouth to do more. I am not going to lay all my cards on the table this early in the game. I am going to play slower and watch each move carefully. Become a better chess player per say.
In the time that has past me by since last July (almost a year)I have grown into such a different person. I am more vocal about my feelings and not just saying what the other person wants to hear. I am saying what ever it is that is on my mind, even if it hurts the other person. It is better to tell the truth than to lie and try to hide.
I have read more than ever in my life. I am trying to soak up enough knowledge to become a better chef. I am testing myself and pushing myself to think outside the box. I am reeducating myself on cooking. I have bought a book on chemistry and I am looking to buy a little chemistry set to start doing my own experiments with food on the molecular level. I am not looking to reinvent the wheel, but from what some of the books have talked about what chemist uses to do what a chef might use, the chemists way is FAR faster then the old chefs equipment can do.
The TV show, I am still working on, and I will do it. I have to, I love to educate people on food. It is so simple and yet people do not know how much of cooking is science. People do not realize that some of us chefs are MAD scientists, pushing the pressure cooker to new PSI! To see that person's eyes light up because they just figured out what was actually happening, that is priceless. There is nothing more rewarding to me than when someone realizes that cooking is an art form, a science, and yet we are not killing anyone at the end of the day (hopefully). Check out the new place Marriott palm beach Singer Island resort and spa. Check out Solu the restaurant, you will see some of me in that restaurant. Simple but elegant decor and the food, taste bud blowing. Give me a couple of days I will have more to write about. I want to go read more on molecular gastronomy now. Ciao for now and happy inventing!