I have worked at Bon Appétit for six years, which is longer than I’ve worked anywhere. But before I got here, I went to cooking school and then spent 15 years working in restaurants—first as a line cook, then as a kitchen manager, and later as a general manager. People often ask me if I think the expense of cooking school was worth it, and the truth is that if you end up at the right restaurant, you’ll learn more working alongside professional cooks in a week than you’ll get out of a month at school. Don’t get me wrong! I have no regrets about going to cooking school, but my most-ingrained kitchen habits were adopted while I was on the job. Here are a few of the lessons that stick with me to today, no matter whose kitchen I’m in.
1. Resist the urge to stir or flip food constantly. You need it to make contact with the pan, and for the pan to be on the heat, to actually cook anything.
2. Wrap cheese in fresh plastic wrap every time you use it or else it won’t be properly sealed.
3. Never dump the contents of a pan onto a plate or platter. Only hacks do that. Use a serving spoon to dole it out.
4. You can never have enough dish towels.
5. Make a list before you start cooking.
6. Store meat and fish on the bottom of the fridge so they don’t drip juices on anything below them.
7. Clean as you go.
8. Don’t cook for anyone when you’re sick.
9. Never throw water on a grease fire.
10. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.
11. Make sure you have white vinegar in your kitchen.
12. Be nice to the person who cleans up after you.
13. Un-excellent ingredients will never make an excellent meal.
14. Waste is a sign of poor training, laziness, and lack of skills.
15. The best way to tell if something is cooked is to taste it.
16. Hot fish is overcooked fish.
17. Sometimes you have to clean the ceiling.
18. The best place to be is in the kitchen in the morning before anyone else gets there.
19. If you see a single pantry moth, everything must go.
20. You’re better off serving okay food in a great, welcoming, fun environment than giving people amazing food with a frown on your face.