I cook, and the people i meet in the industry always seem to be awesome people. so how many totseans are food workers? i know some of you are hidden out there

sambob claims to have been an executive chef at one point, I'm not sure what he's doing now.

jackketch seems also seems to be in the arena of professional cooks, if I remember correctly - not sure what he's doing now either.

Then there's a smattering of us who worked in fast food or casual restaurants - myself among them, I spent seven months at Penn Station East Coast Subs (http://www.penn-station.com/menu.php).

currently i am working at a locally owned sandwich joint. making sandwiches an frying up appetizers. before that i spent close to a year working in chillis. started as a prep cook, worked my way onto the grill line. and prior to that i spent close to another year at a local seafood joint. started washing dishes an worked my way into the prep line.

one day i want to try an go to a culinary academy, get some real training.

I have cooked in a normal diner/family restaurant and I have cooked in a Italian restaurant. I was just doing Sandwiches, fryer, oven, and occasionally helping the main cook do whatever.


I can cook really good and shit, but I just don't know enough good shit to cook.


If you work at Applebees or Chilis... Is everything pre-portioned out and whatnot?

This summer I was the king of the dish pit at a bistro in my home town. Then I moved up to being Chef's bitch.

i forgot to mention my own damn history. i started dishin in a diner 2 years ago and mover up to prep. about a year ago i got a job as prep in a 3 star restaurant in a hotel and now i do the grill there.

If you work at Applebees or Chilis... Is everything pre-portioned out and whatnot?


by an large yes. we do a bit of cooking at chilis, much more so that at applebees. but by an large yea its all pre done as far as sauces, rubs, an spices go.

the veg is done in house an all the meats are cooked in house. but just about everything else comes off the back of truck.

I worked at McDonald's for like a week, does that count?

I worked at McDonald's for like a week, does that count?

depends, did you microwave the meat or did you man the register?

depends, did you microwave the meat or did you man the register?
I don't think McDonald's microwaves their meat.

Either way, manning the register is so much better than working on the order prep line.

They only microwave the hotcakes.

Yeh.

I work at nando's(Portuguese Peri-Peri chicken place). Basically just cooking burgers, pita's, wrap's, salad's, chips(average 60kg for lunch, maybe 45-50 at dinner).

Actually a qualified chef, but dont have the experience to get a job in a "real" kitchen. Work harder then the average fast food place, as i have to cook all my burgers etc to order, aswell as chips.

I'm not, but I would relish the chance to give it a go.

I'm not, but I would relish the chance to give it a go.

turn in a application at your local eatery. if you are a good worker you should be able to work your way out of the dishpans in a couple of months

turn in a application at your local eatery. if you are a good worker you should be able to work your way out of the dishpans in a couple of months

I guess I could do this. So long as I could learn something from the chef(s).

haha. i work at Mcdonalds...fuck my life

I don't think McDonald's microwaves their meat.

Either way, manning the register is so much better than working on the order prep line.

no we don't microwave the meat. we cook it from frozen & raw on a greasy ass grill then keep it for a couple hours, even though we're only supposed to keep it for about 30 min. and manning the register fucking sucks cause you have to deal with the stupidest, most ignorant, rude fucking people. but it pays alright with new minimum wage laws and what not. i think we're actually above minimum. as long as we're not too busy, it's an alright job.

i run a kitchen. i dont consider myself a chef but i can cook very well.

I'm an apprentice working in a french restaurant as a sous-chef in the south of France. Were the only cooks in the kitchen. We arrive in the morning around eight and begin cooking. We have a menu that is the same everyday. And a 'carte' which includes three 'plats du jours' that changes everyday. So basically we cook three different things every day, enough for about 40 people each. Then setup and put everything into place for the service.

For the moment I prepare salads, make the desserts in the morning (usually three or for different ones, this changes everyday also), and aid the chef during the service for garnishing the plates.

I started out as a dish bitch and now I'm a dish bitch AND food prep. It would make sense to just promote me and hire a new dishwasher right? I guess it saves them money since I can do both with no problems.

I make the shit nobody wants to make including pizzas and desserts. I also make appetizers and garnish the plates.

Pizza's are easy to make though, but all the prep is a pain in the ass.

Desserts suck, as im shit at making them look any good :)(although i can make food taste pretty fuckin good)

One of my job titles is Cooking Assistant. I show amateurs around a professional kitchen and show them the ropes. It's good fun.

I'm attempting to head down to Australia to study cooking and bartending, but it isn't decided yet. At the moment, I'm focused on the service and management side of F&B.

I was a prep cook at a country club lounge/restaurant. I didn't actually man any grills or anything (I could've but I really didn't want any responsibility), but I made sauces, prepared big caters and etcetera. The best day was stuffing and mounting a pig on the big outdoor rotisserie.