FINALLY.... Phase 2

Washington state has one of the most strictest pandemic mandates.  2020 was a whirlwind of fuckery that seemed like a worldwide reboot.  Hundreds of millions infected, over two million deaths, and the vaccine is finally here - but it isn't coming quick enough, and mutations are happening; more infectious than it's predecessor.  Just when you thought "maybe we hit rock bottom, so naturally, the only way is up," other things in the media are looming in the background, whispering, "hold my beer."  Pandemic, murder hornets, wildfires, toilet paper shortage, meat shortages, riots and occupations, a crippled economy, businesses closing for good, millions out of work and fighting the unemployment process, massive multi-billion dollar hemorrhaging of unemployment funds to Nigerian scammers, and a failed attempt at an overthrow of our own government.

What does 2021 have in store for us?

With the waning of the pandemic that created an "evolve or perish" mentality for businesses that are struggling to hang on, Western Washington is now questioning, "is the big one coming?"  A swarm of earthquakes recently are creating speculation in many.  Back in 2020, I made comments, mostly jokingly, that the "big earthquake and a volcanic eruption" will take us out just as we are emerging from this wreck.  I am not saying that I am Nostradamus in a past life; have to admit sometimes that my little predictions come true.  I predicted that my bartender was going to be a double-grandma.  That was fun.  I got to be happy with her when her son showed up at work one day.  I also had this lingering thought in my mind that Thomas and Kayla were going to have a baby before they actually announced it.  There is also my "superpower" of being able to predict the weather better than the weather forecasters.  So...  I said repeatedly when people posed the question, "What's next?" on social media about "the big one" and "Mt. Rainier will erupt."  It was half-jokingly, although at 2 in the morning, I saw a news ticker come across my phone about a swarm of mini earthquakes in the PNW, some of it is seismic activity within our volcanoes.

No, seriously, what does 2021 have in store for us?

We have a new President.  We have vaccines, but there isn't enough -- there was an article recently that it is expected that every American should be totally vaccinated by JULY.  So, it looks like we will be mask wearing bandits for a while longer.  This is getting old.  A link below to some really killer masks.  Businesses are starting to reopen.  It's time to emerge from the darkest corner in the room where the elephant is sleeping lightly, and we must lick our wounds and assess the damages.  I am not in the mood to make this political; both sides of the fence need to heal, set aside differences and begin a healing process of some sort.  It's time to evolve, to engage, to support, and change direction.  We have all gone through something traumatic that will become a chapter in school textbooks.  This will eventually be forgotten as new generations are born and raised.  For now, it's still too fresh and we need to learn to not pick at the scab.

What I've learned from this pandemic, as a temporarily displaced Chef...

Washington state had been sent back to Phase 1 twice.  We are presently in Phase 2, and reopened to Phase 2 with restrictions just this week.  As I said a couple of paragraphs ago, we must evolve or perish.  Let's look at it in these terms:  The mythological Phoenix bursts into flames and dies, but then is reborn from the ashes.  We are the ashes, and our country is the reborn.  All that it takes is to step back and look at what all we have gone through.  What can we do to help nurture this new baby and have it grow stronger and smarter?  

I am not always the person that will tackle things head-on.  Life is like a vast Interstate with on-ramps and off-ramps, lane merges and turn-arounds.  Beyond the interstate are surface streets.  Some streets are one-way, some have round-abouts (ring roads for you Brits out there), intersections, and dead ends.

The bigger picture is never clear and there's no clearly defined point A and point B, because circumstances that can arise at any given moment may require that you take an exit prematurely and drive through those surface streets.  Sometimes you gotta take 3 rights before you can take a left to put you back on the intended path.  Take in the scenery and see everything that is surrounding you.  You may not want to revisit that originally intended path.  Maybe there's another alternative than point B.  You may never find it unless you had taken those 3 rights.  So, tick your turn signal and go for it.  As long as you are going in the general direction that is intended, a little road trip isn't always a bad thing.

And that's what I've learned from this pandemic.  Situations that have never been experienced before have sent me on this wicked little road trip that seemed to have no real end in sight.  And suddenly, there it is...  the end in sight.  In the process, I've thought of more efficient ways to manage my kitchen, how to produce less waste, and streamline.  It's been a rough journey, with only part of our staff back.  I found that putting everybody that we can fit into the skeleton crew schedule on a 4 long days on, 3 days off made it a little easier.  Just a little.  I can't speak for my brigade, and can only speak for my own experiences - I am a cook, a cleaner, a dishwasher, a chef, and a manager.  I have to stuff as much tasks as humanly possible in this whirlwind of...  

Wash a dish, the ticket machine goes off, run to the line, cook the food, go back to washing dishes, halfway through walking to the dish pit, the ticket machine goes off....  Cook the food, go back to washing dishes, get a dish washed, ticket machine... Go back to cooking food, another ticket, another ticket, another ticket, another ticket.  oh no, we don't have this on the line, prep it on the fly!  Go back to washing dishes, wait, haven't I already washed this dish?  Crap, if ever in doubt, do it over.  Nope, I definitely washed that dish three times.  Cuss quietly, OMG is that the ticket machine again?  Go to the line, cook the food.  Realize half the shift is over and I haven't even started the chowder for tomorrow's special.  Start the vegetables, start the roux, prep the herbs, cut the bacon, THAT FUCKING TICKET MACHINE!  COOK THE FOOD...  Go back to the prep table.  Oh, forgot the seasonings, Sherry and the potatoes.  Cut those quickly.  TICKET TICKET TICKET TICKET TICKET.  Shut off the pot so that I don't burn the mise en place because WE ARE OUT OF CARROTS.  Cook cook cook cook cook.  Go back to the chowder, a call for bus tubs in the dining room.  Start heading for the front of house when that fucking ticket machine goes off again.  There's nobody in the dining room so where is this order coming from?  Staff food?  Really?  Fine.  Grab a bus tub, put it in the dish pit, turn off the chowder AGAIN.  This goes on for hours.  And you look up at the clock, the chowder isn't done, and there is peace and quiet with the ticket machine that you desperately want to pitch into the deep fryer at this point.  Seriously, Sysco?  You're showing up now?  Okay...  Turn off the chowder AGAIN, check in the order.  TICKET.  Cook the food, go back to checking in order.  Put groceries away.  Start the chowder again.  By the time it's all fully assembled, it's 8:00 and it's time to pre-close.  Shit, forgot those damned bus tubs, at which point, are overflowing and I'm thinking to myself, there's two people in front of house, couldn't one of them bring the bus tubs before they get this full?  I swear, if one of the servers asks me one more time for a Ranch, I'm going to slit my own throat.  I hate Ranch dressing because I am a Chef.  In this state, Ranch is a cocktail with a chicken strip or french fry chaser.  Do people really need this much Ranch?  OMG is that the ticket machine?  Gotta drain the dishwasher again and refill, the water got cold.  Yep, that's that with a cup of Ranch.  At the end of the day, I get upset with myself because I didn't get a chance to re-organize every freezer, cooler, dry storages and the walk-in because whoever put away the other order that arrived on my day off just put things in the most random of places.  Cussing quietly to the point where I want to cry, but I am emotionally flat at that point.  Where's the tylenol?  I get home, get out of my clothes that smell like french fries and spite.  I grab a yogurt because that's all I am in the mood for.  And I lay my head down on my pillow.  3:00 in the morning, the ticket machine goes off (in my head).  It's moments like this which brings me to an epiphany - this is why there's so many alcoholic and drug addicted Chefs.  Thankfully, I am not one of those and I realize, it's 3am and I'm home in my bed, the ticket machine was a dream.  I lie there wide awake.  What's going through my mind?  Did I remember to turn off the deep fryers?  (Yes, I did)

I hope the last part was amusing to someone.  This is not limited to my cafe.  This is worldwide.  Somewhere there's a Chef crying in the walk-in and this is exactly the scenario that they are facing, and likely will be facing for some time before normalcy is returned.  

Am I still a Chef if I am a brigade of one because of Covid?  (Fuck you, Covid).  I earned my title, it can never be taken away, it's mine for life.  I should have pursued Neurosciences in college.

Valentine's Day is this weekend.  And we are in the middle of a snow storm.  Alas, the chowder is ready.  YES!  The glorious chowder is ready!  Now comes the fun part; prepping for Valentine's specials.  Decided that because of Covid (yes, Fuck you, Covid), we are going to do simple and easy, but freaking delicious.  Beer Cheese Mac and Cheese with Wild Boar lardons, side salad and garlic bread.

Try these masks by ChefWorks, click here.