Going Bananas

I was told to come in for noon again today. I actually hate being told to come into work later – sounds ironic – but I would rather get in early and know I can achieve everything and not feel rushed or stressed, and the first hour not everyone else is in yet so I get more done. But I feel like the head chef has ordered me to come in later, and I don’t want to disobey him. I managed to wait until 11:30 or so, then wandered in, trying to be unseen. It didn’t work.

I set up, then chef told me to scoop ice cream for the surprise function for forty people we had today. I got that done, then made up thirty-two crème brulées for our function tomorrow. Next he asked me to do him a favor and fill some molds with stuffing for the mains. Once done that I moved on to my big task of the day – making a huge batch of banana tarte tatin. The dishes were already lined with caramel, so I just had to slice up about ten hands of bananas, press them into the dishes, and top them with puff pastry circles and bake them. I was halfway through the bananas when I got the preorders for the luncheon – twenty-seven apple and berry crumbles, nine selections of ice cream and sorbet and one selection of sorbet. I put the crumble topping on the crumbles, then went to put them in the oven. The head chef had me help plate the main courses. Then I set up my dishes for desserts, and sent them off. Then back to the bananas.

Speaking of bananas......I remember this delicious banana waffle from my trip to the city :)

Yesterday one of the prep cooks who is responsible for putting away orders made two trips delivering me a bunch of bananas, and I began singing the theme song from the old television show, ‘Bananas In Pajamas’. She thought I was absolutely nuts, or rather, bananas, and then got upset with me for getting the song stuck in her head. Today she came in saying she decided to look up the show after all, since the song was still in her head and I was still singing. Some of the others there actually knew of the show and didn’t think I was bananas at all, though they did not realize the show was popular outside of their country as well. 

At that point it was nearly 3:00p.m. and I realized I had to get the bread done now; the puff pastry would have to wait. This is why I wanted to come in early – my only saving grace was the fact there were only seventeen diners in tonight, meaning less bread to make, less sorbet to scoop, and less petit fours to tray, and the first diners were not in until 7:00p.m. I baked the petit fours, made up my bread rolls (tomato basil, cinnamon raisin, cheddar chive), trayed more petit fours, cut out puff pastry, baked bread, scooped sorbet, baked the banana tarts, then did a good clean up. I had wanted to accomplish more today, but I had to prepare for service as it would be only me and the other intern covering apps, starters, potato, veg, and desserts, with the head chef on the pass.

Of course the first diners were late, giving me some time to make a prep list for tomorrow and go over lists. I had to plate a lot of starters tonight, which I am not used to doing but did alright. Desserts went smoothly as always, everyone ordered one, except the last table of two took a break after their main course and ordered a good half hour after everyone else. It is annoying to just be waiting on two people, not able to do anything else, but I was still home early.