Chef De Cuisine | What I do & how much I make | Part 1 | Khan Academy

Summary

Zia Sheikh, a 35-year-old Chef de Cuisine at Paowalla Restaurant, oversees all kitchen operations, from menu development to ensuring timely dish preparation. He emphasizes seasonality, sourcing fresh ingredients from local farms and markets. His role involves managing the team, ensuring coordination across kitchen stations, and maintaining quality standards. Despite the challenges of long hours, high pressure, and personal sacrifices, Zia finds fulfillment in his passion for cooking and the ability to create memorable dining experiences for guests. He makes $75,000 a year, though salaries vary based on the type of restaurant.

Takeaways

• 👨‍🍳 Zia Sheikh is a 35-year-old Chef de Cuisine at Paowalla Restaurant, earning $75,000 a year.
• 🧑‍🍳 His primary role includes overseeing all kitchen operations, from menu development to dishwashing, and working closely with the kitchen staff.
• 🌿 The restaurant focuses on seasonal ingredients, mainly sourced from the Union Square Greenmarket and local farms.
• 🍅 The menu is entirely dictated by what is in season, with regular trips to the Greenmarket to ensure fresh produce.
• 🎶 As a Chef de Cuisine, he acts like a conductor, coordinating the timing of food preparation across various kitchen stations to ensure smooth service.
• 🧮 Basic math is crucial in his job, as he must balance food and labor costs, portion sizes, and pricing to create a valuable dining experience for guests.
• 🏃‍♂️ Endurance is a challenge for new chefs, as the job involves long hours, standing, and working in high-stress, fast-paced environments.
• ⚔️ Mistakes are part of the learning process, and chefs must develop the ability to move past errors and keep progressing.
• ⏳ Sacrifices, such as losing social and family time due to long hours and working holidays, are common in this profession.
• 💖 Despite the challenges, Zia is deeply passionate about cooking and enjoys the fulfillment of making people happy through his food.

Q & A

What is Zia Sheikh's main responsibility as Chef de Cuisine?

Zia Sheikh is responsible for overseeing all kitchen operations, including menu development, working alongside the cooks, managing food and labor costs, and maintaining the quality of the kitchen's output.

How does the restaurant Zia works at utilize seasonal ingredients?

The restaurant sources ingredients from the Union Square Greenmarket and local farms, ensuring that only in-season items are used on the menu. If an ingredient isn't in season, it doesn't appear on the menu.

What is the role of the Union Square Greenmarket in the restaurant's menu planning?

The Union Square Greenmarket is where local farmers gather, and the restaurant chefs visit regularly to talk to the farmers, taste produce, and pick up ingredients that are in season to use in their dishes.

How does Zia Sheikh describe his role during dinner service?

During dinner service, Zia acts as the conductor of the kitchen, ensuring all stations are set up, focused, and working in sync. He calls out orders to different stations and ensures the timing is right so that food is served hot and promptly.

What challenges does Zia mention for someone starting out in the kitchen?

Zia mentions the challenges of enduring long hours on your feet in high-heat conditions, working with sharp knives, and facing constant mistakes. Learning to overcome these challenges is essential for success in the kitchen.

How does Zia describe the sacrifices required in the culinary profession?

Zia explains that being a chef often means giving up a social life, family time, and personal time, as chefs typically work weekends, holidays, and long hours, sometimes up to 14 hours a day.

What does Zia say about the emotional demands of being a chef?

Zia notes that in addition to being a good cook and leader, a chef must also be a therapist, parent, and friend to the kitchen staff, balancing multiple roles.

How does Zia approach mistakes made in the kitchen?

Zia acknowledges that mistakes are frequent in the kitchen, but stresses the importance of not dwelling on them. Instead, chefs must learn to keep moving forward, accepting that mistakes are part of the learning process.

What is the financial consideration that chefs must be mindful of in the kitchen?

Chefs must consider the cost of ingredients, the cost per portion of a dish, and the overall restaurant costs to ensure that they price items appropriately on the menu while providing value to guests.

What drives Zia's passion for cooking despite the challenges?

Zia is driven by his love of cooking, the satisfaction of making people smile through his food, and the sensory joy of being in the kitchen, which he experiences daily. Despite the hard work and sacrifices, he finds fulfillment in the craft.