Sunday, March 25, 2012
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| Trees or forest? |
Am I changing from a pessimist to an optimist? Or does it depend on what I am looking at? Or am I just mature enough to see situations for what they are?
Last night, I worked a "test party" for a new event space. We had to serve a meal for 125 people in a brand new event space that has a brand new kitchen that is about 80% complete. We also had to serve a brand new menu which had NEVER been executed in that kitchen by any of the cooks involved.
So, what when wrong? Well, from the kitchen point of view, nothing. The food was properly cooked and delicious. The food went out on time. There were a few miscommunications. Everyone had a moment. The guests loved the food so much that very little of it came back. There was not an exorbitant amount of leftovers. And the owners seemed to be so happy with the outcome.
So, why was the chef unhappy? Because he is young and pessimistic. And why is his most senior female cook cosigning on his unhappiness? Because she has no self-confidence as a cook and thinks the world is out to get her. And why am I, Mr. Pessimistic, not playing along with their reindeer games? Because I see it as a test of what we can do and a way of trying to improve the kitchen timing.
Where there some things that needed improvement? Yes. We could have made more potatoes. We could have cooked the lamb a touch more. We could have had more quinoa tomato rolls. The salad needs to be less labor-intensive. We could have been prepped earlier. Can all these things be changed? Absolutely! Are we going to change them? Without a doubt.
Maybe I should be called Mr. Realistic, instead. So maybe I am not as pessimistic as I think I am. Maybe my reality is just too bitter for some to swallow. No matter what or what view someone else looks at. Later.
