When the line cooks arrive at work they begin to set up their stations. This means filling refrigerated pans with sauces, vegetables, cheeses, meats, fish, and other ingredients. They will also chop herbs, blanch vegetables, butcher meats and fish, and gather all of the tools they will need. Just before service they will light their salamanders, finish their prep and organize their stations so everything is within reach. Cooks set up their stations the same way every day, the most used items closest to them in the greatest quantity and the least used out of their way, but still within arms reach.

Because they have strict budgets, restaurants allot a certain amount of time to the cooks to set up their stations. That’s the challenge. You get the work done and your station “set”, or you go find another job. Reason being is when the doors open, we cook food and you’d damn well better be ready. If you aren’t I have to stop doing my job to come and help you do yours, and I don’t have time for that. The customers don’t care if we are ready or not. When they place their order, they expect food, properly prepared and in a reasonable amount of time. That’s what cooks are expected to do, so you’d better be set when it’s showtime.

Now if you do your job well, you get your station set before the doors open. At least that’s every line cook’s goal. I’m going to be ready at least 20 minutes before the doors open. All of my prep done, my station organized and my plate ware warming and ready to go. If I do that, those 20 minutes are mine and mine alone.

For those 20 minutes I’m the king of the world getting paid to do nothing at all.