Module #3: Three Week Summary

From your weekly experiences and observations during weeks 1 through 3 complete the following module. Mention the following topics; raw products, techniques and methods, preparation, presentation, flow of service, utilization, new culinary ideas and consistency. To make the most of your experience you should also consider gaining some exposure to areas outside your assigned location. Asking to be rotated, coming in early or staying late to help with special projects or events will increase your learning level significantly.
One full page is required (single space, font size 12pt.) Utilize spell check and proofread to ensure proper grammar and punctuation. Present your work neatly and professionally. Supervisor's signature must be on the typed page.

Date:______________________________ Position/Station: Cook/Banquet Supervisors Signature: Gerald FORD Title: Executive Sous Chef

Please sign here. If the actual student work is begun on a different page, your signature is required on that page.

Submitted at the end of week three:

Yes

No

Three week summary: [The first note that should be made during the reporting is that the WCC to service their Summer 2013 needs has converted each work week from 5 to six days and the posting of weekly schedules is not conducive to cross training.)

Food
I noted that as a ACF approved establishment I feel the WCC utilized far too many per packaged confections. While all of the breads are baked I noted were baked from scratch but the tarts, fondant, cakes, pies, macaroons, pie fillings etc. were all pre-packaged and not created on site. I thought this to be quite unusual.

Service /Event
During this week I participated in a wedding with 500 guests. The plating operations were something to behold. The way that members of the staff were deployed to make sure that

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everything was covered. Salad service

Figure 1Banquet Plating for 500 guests

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Supervisor Interactions
This week I was given the assignment to; retrieve a particular cut of meat from another of the onsite venues and transport that cut meat I determined the most prudent and efficient approach would be to Cryovac the piece for transportation from the ancillary site to the main kitchen. Unfortunately the size of the cut was greater than the available Cryovac bags; exercising initiative to trim the piece so that all parts could effectively fit the sack. Upon arrival at the kitchen, the Chef, conducted a barrage of insults and berating that where neither educational nor productive to the situation. A judgment call was made, one that did not suit the Chef but at no time was a corrective action offered, but the conclusion I did draw was. I delivered the meat from point A to point B and it was prepared and severed to the clientele which I felt to be the bottom line issue. I have also noted particular attitudes concerning certain Chefs but I will wait and observe to be sure that I am not jumping the gun

Peer Interactions
While I am still going through the feeling out process, I can see that the operations here at the WCC are, as I was cautioned, territorial, with the Banquet Kitchen where I am currently stationed being the lowest rung on the ladder. While not forming a lasting opinion on the operations at the WCC because I am just learning and I need to be acclimated my surroundings? I have been exposed to enough people in my life to recognize a caste system when I see one, and there is on in place here steeped in both race and gender not that I expect my reporting to change any of the operations or industry trends, but I have chosen to speak now rather than forever. This is not to suggest that there is anything inherently evil, this is the real world I believe that in social settings people will and should be themselves; unfortunately many people are not able to separate their off-time persona from the work personalities and I envision some of that spillage occurring during work hours. There are good and bad everywhere but you know what they say about one bad apple.. that is my downside observation. Looking at the good side I see the camaraderie from much of the group offsite with a willingness to share information about the idiosyncratic trends of the Senior staff and hazing for new members of the staff particularly externs and Interns .

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