Question Of The Day #37

So this morning, I slept right through my alarm. Forty minutes late to work, fun times. Let's translate that to the kitchen. We've all been in the weeds before.... at least I hope we all have! Obviously, the ideal is to not get there in the first place, but best laid plans gang aft agley (or so they say). When things go terribly wrong, what do you do to recover? Change recipes? Change the whole darn menu? How do you regain your mojo when the kitchen gods throw you wobbly?

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Comments

michaelnatkin

Been there so many times, in both professional and home situations. Wherever you are, cooking requires continuous adaptation, whether it is oh-so-sensitively responding to the temperature a delicate Alpine cheese wants to be served at, or realizing you just oversalted the mac & cheese. So I think the main thing is just learning to keep your head, take a deep breath, and think through your options.

Kyle_Swanbeck_13795

Everytime I have been in this situation, like Michael said you just have to stay calm and take a breath. Worst case to get back on top of things just keep you head down and work one ticket at a time. A lot of times if you can start doing that you will start climbing out of that hole and quickly get back on track and start slaying it again!

Johan_Edstrom_5586

Or order Pizza.... I agree with the keeping calm though, that really is the key.

Brendan_Lee_56950

If you're really screwed, as in you cannot possibly use the same menu, then I usually suggest we head out to eat and scrap the idea altogether. However, if i'm just behind, I'll just make them wait and get them nice and liquored up and they won't care by the end of the night anyway.

HammeredChef_DEFINITELY_does_NOT_work_at_22134

So, remember home cook here, I have this happen occasionally and have found when you start to panic EVERYTHING gets screwed up. The following is my SOP;

1. Pour another glass of wine

2. Make sure your guests get another glass of wine

3. Assess the situation

4. Pour another glass of wine

5. Resume with the modified plan

6. have another glass of wine

7. If things aren't back on track refer to Johan's post below Michael's

8. Have another glass of wine....because at this point you couldn't fix it anyway and you are so hammered you don't give sh#t...

Above all remain calm....you don't want to spill

HammeredChef_DEFINITELY_does_NOT_work_at_22134

The last part happens at the home of "Muffin and the Hammered Chef" weekly....and NOBODY complains ;-b

Samuel_68313

Not sure when doing a dinner party at home you should be stressing or stretching yourself to a point where total disaster is possible. It's fine not having a sorbet that is totally set or something similar but building a menu for a home dinner party that can go vastly wrong is bad. I've had times when cooking for the family has gone awry and I've had to go with something totally new though.

In a professional kitchen the shit can hit the fan quite badly, all you can really do is bury yourself and work twice as hard to get everything done, all while cursing the bastard who's "allergic" to garlic, mushrooms, and nuts. Then relax with a lot of beer afterwards.

tshewman

Typically won't change the whole menu, but will modify things accordingly. I've learned if it's a special occassion, to test things first if possible (which for me means cooking in my measuring cups for really small test servings). If it fails, then I can either change the dish, or compensate and improve. Even then, doesn't always work, so I take a deep breath and improvise but I usually havea mental back-up plan. This thanksgiving was one of those times. I made a brioche crumb/foie gras/black truffle/powdered goose butter cigar.....piped it into a tube shape. Froze it (picture below). Took some partly cooled goose skin (from the crisping goose skin), added a touch of TG and made a cigar roulade (so small closer to a cigarette). Didn't work, goose skin was much to soft and chewy even after the deep fry. Knowing I would have to cook the skin some more and glaze it. I set enough aside for thanksgiving day (Goose have ALLOT of skin :-)...) and a few cigars. They rolled and came out of the bath and looked perfect. Put them in the oil, they looked perfect. I tried one before anyone else..........outer bite crisp....hit the inside of the goose skin...like rubber. Tossed them and took the remainder of the mixture and warmed it in he bath, put in the frying pan. Really pretty hard to go wrong with those ingredients and the crumble I ended up serving with the main dish was nice but that cigarette was a darn failure.

Like many others.....deep breath and more wine please. :-)