January 10

Zen and the Art of Prep

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When the Chaos of Working in a Restaurant Starts To Wear Thin, Remember There Are Also Peaceful Moments in Restaurant Prep.

Every cook has a war story. It might be about how a 17-top managed to order 20 steaks at 5 different temps. Or it could be the classic “I cut myself on the Hobart slicer and just super glued my finger back together.” What is seemingly never mentioned, however, are the quieter moments of zen-like peace and order – like when it’s time to prep.

It makes sense, too. Peeling garlic doesn’t translate to a good story. But to those who have spent countless hours prepping for service, those moments are the calm before the storm.

Here are my favorite ways to prep myself into the state of Zen.

Peeling Fava Beans

Depending on what Chef wanted, we’d either manually peel the favas or go with the blanch, shock, and peel method. While the latter made the second skin easier to remove, both were labor-intensive and repetitive. At first, we’d all stand around and talk, make jokes, and think of nicknames for Carl the Host. But after a few minutes, we’d each settle back into our thoughts and quietly peel those favas.

Turning Potatoes

This was one of the first things I learned in a kitchen – mainly because it was the only thing my first kitchen trusted me to do. I’d peel the potatoes, then turn them into little barrels. There was something so satisfying about running a small knife over a raw potato, bringing a slight curve to each side and finishing with a pile of nearly identical ovals.

Chopping Mirepoix

Chopping onions, dicing carrots, cutting celery – it was the perfect thing to hone one’s knife skills. We would’ve used the food processor, but it turned everything to mush. So there we’d stand, filling bowls with chopped onions, then carrots, then celery. There was something about the tri-colored final product that made me quietly smile.

Folding Napkins

The kitchen doesn’t get all the fun—folding napkins is one of the best repetitive activities out there. Napkins are soft and smooth and grow slightly warm as one runs the palm of one’s hand over the uneven seams to smooth them out. Three quick folds were all it took to make clean rectangles out of a pile of napkins. They’d get stacked in the server station like nested doves.

Polishing Wineglasses

When the wine glasses dried in their racks, they’d get streaks from the evaporated water. The Front of House would have to check all the racks ahead of service to ensure each glass was polished and ready to go. We’d use a white, lint-free cloth and remove any blemishes with quick circular motions. Once my hands learned the movements, I could do a rack in just a few minutes – and I wasn’t even the fastest.

So when the chaos of working in a restaurant starts to wear thin – and it will – remember there are also peaceful moments. After a tough night, you can go off and have a few shots of whiskey – or you can find something to quietly prep for the next day.

About the author

Jack Hott

Some say Jack Hott was born in a restaurant. Others say he wasn’t born at all but discovered behind a Hobart stand mixer. Wherever he comes from, he’s made a career out of only being a good enough employee to skate by in the restaurant industry since the mid-90s. Jack Hott, if that’s even his real name, has gotten lost in walk-ins, stared into the abyss of pizza ovens, spilled red wine on white linen tablecloths, and shaken cocktails he was supposed to stir. If you can find him on social media, for your own safety, please do not follow him.


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