18-07-2005, 09:38 AM
A number of years ago a very good friend was heavily involved with Medical Rescue in Cape Town. His observations of the 'loony people over full moon' were to have a profound, if not informal and very unscientific study that I decided to undertake.
When I was training under my Chef Mentor, he turned to me and said: "No matter how often you make something, there are some days that it just will NOT work! It's written in the stars!"
A bizarre comment to make - how true it was and yet at the time I failed to grasp the enormity of his statement.
Over the course of many years, observing on a monthly basis, I have concluded that one day I will open a restaurant that is open for 25 days of the month and shut for the period preceding FULL MOON! Granted it's a bit harsh and might give you the idea that full moon continues for the whole of the month - what I'm referring to is the 3 days prior to full moon, full moon itself and the day after full moon. A whole five days!
Time after time, no matter what you do to try and please your guests, come full moon - all the rules go out the window.
A lot has to do with passions running high, people's emotions on edge and in the guest scenario (with their body space being invaded for 2 hours or more) it seems to magnify the whole effect.
In order to achieve a reputation for food - consistency is the cornerstone. It is the single, most important factor after quality of ingredients used. For this reason, most recipes are written down (or typed up, printed and laminated - filed away for reference) and therefore the ingredients used in the preparation of the dish will have a consistent measure and yield. Not only does this assist in the costing of a menu item, but also it ensures that 'the show goes on - no matter what happens'. The only variables that you then throw into the equation are the quality of the products and the passion of the Chef cooking it.
We'll stick with the first part - the quality.
As has been mentioned previously, if you use mediocre ingredients, no matter the quality of the recipe, the BEST you can hope to achieve is MEDIOCRITY! With this in mind, we try and source the best possible quality at the best price - granted, quality does not come cheap but if you wish to attain a near perfect dish, consistently, then this is the route you will have to undertake.
The passions of the Chef are running pretty much on a constant basis - it seldom has huge variances as the rush of adrenaline coupled with the buzz of service, the lunar effect etc always seem to be in harmony. Granted, some Chefs do take 'chemicals' or 'pharmaceuticals' in order to keep them on that creative plane - I for one have never felt the urge. My 'rush' is the adrenaline in a hectic service - there is no sweeter feeling when the pressure mounts and you have to perform IMMEDIATELY! That guest sitting out there, paying a fortune for your creations does not want to know the problems in your life, the effects of last night's party or any manner of things that make up your persona. He's paying for a 'show' that allows him to escape into another world and thereby forget his worries, if only temporarily.
Getting back to the effect of full moon on service. Succinctly put it is a nightmare. Profiling of guests, 'guestimates' of what they might eat, the smooth operation of service, in fact everything that you have been doing for the whole 25 other days in the month, literally fly out the window. The replacement is the UNKNOWN.
Granted, if a trend is recognised you tend to take steps to minimize the disruption it might cause - yet every month there is some scenario that you could not have foreseen. Unfortunately this is a fact of life. And it's a somewhat bitter pill to swallow at the best of times.
In Cape Town we had a restaurant critic for a nationwide magazine that frequented our establishment, funnily enough over full moon. To see this person walking in the door became a small joke amongst the staff "Oh, it must be full moon again!" would be the comment. As true as God made little apples - it was!
Difficult is not a word that I use lightly - I'd rather use words like 'pedantic', 'fussy', 'particular' etc. This person was simply put, difficult - in the extreme.
On the rare occasion that this person ventured in for a meal, outside of her normal dining habit, she was actually quite pleasant and a joy to cook for. Perhaps it was a co-incidence that it was always around full moon that she became difficult?
I'm not a believer in co-incidence.
Ian still chuckles when I tell him about my 'scientific' observations in this regard. He's not surprised by it at all. I was fortunate enough to accompany him on a call-out one fine full moon. Listening to the broadcasts on the police and rescue frequencies was incredible - the amount of calls, accidents, stabbings, assaults etc was astounding. All in a day's work I guess. Yet this was no ordinary day - everything had increased four fold or sometimes higher. It sounded like there was a quiet revolution going on.
I salute those in the services who time and again have to go out on these calls and deal with the problems. It makes our problems seem tiny in comparison and helps to get me through the rough patch of full moon.
What a joy it would be to be able to close for service over those several days and then re-open to normal guests again. I don't think it's possible from a financial viewpoint but one can dream.
Until the next full moon and you swear blind that this will be the last time that you have to endure the comments:
"There's no cream in my soup"
"Why are the plates hot"
"Can you change the music please"?
"This is NOT Kingklip (insert all manner of variances here)
Etc
Cue the "duh" exclamation and the severe rolling of the eyes from the Chefs and restaurant staff alike.
Whilst most people would look upon this as a quirk of nature or perhaps just ramblings of a Chef who managed to get too close to the stoves - just ask yourself one thing:
"Do I change over full moon?"
If the answer is YES - surely you'll understand what I'm getting at.
If the answer is NO - then a re-look at your life might be in order before answering this simple question again. For I for one do not believe you.
As sure as God made tiny apples, the birds to sing and the sun to rise every morning then He in His infinite wisdom has declared that full moon be the bugbear of me and fellow Chefs alike.
It's understandable too - nothing that is easy is worthwhile pursuing and to have a vocation that one truly enjoys, one that makes you wake with a smile on your grumpy face (after late nights and early mornings coupled with copious amounts of coffee) is surely worth living through five days of sheer hell.
Yet others in times gone by have celebrated the arrival of the full moon - after all their lives revolved around the cycles of the moon. Full moon being the central point
Evolution is a wonderful thing - I'm just not convinced that they had restaurants in those days without Chefs that dreaded their arrival.
Or maybe I just need to get in touch with my lunar self and to hell with everyone on those five days? I think I'll stick with just living through it for the time being.
Tomorrow is full moon. So far nothing really untoward has happened - the odd gripe, the odd staff member coming in bleary-eyed but tomorrow should prove a whole different kettle of fish.
Venturing into the unknown, yet familiar, is something of a journey in itself - not altogether unpleasant, but something that needs to be done in order to complete the month since the last occurrence.
My only hope is that this month there'll be no reaction at all - it's kind of like asking for Tony Blair to switch allegiances and become a Tory. Absolutely no chance in hell!
A little feeling of trepidation sweeps through the veins, but I'm far too awake to notice the late hour and excessive coffee and cigarettes coursing through my blood.
I'll awake with an unusual amount of energy in the morning and be ready for the onslaught later in the day. The joy of not knowing where it's going to come from will keep me on my toes all day and only after the final plate of food has been sent, will we sit down as a team, dissect the problem areas of service and come to the same conclusion:
Full moon sucks!
At least we have only two more days to live through and then a relatively hassle-free month ahead.
Its written in the stars.
Author: Grant Hawthorne AKA Cheffie
Copyright. All rights reserved.
July 2005
When I was training under my Chef Mentor, he turned to me and said: "No matter how often you make something, there are some days that it just will NOT work! It's written in the stars!"
A bizarre comment to make - how true it was and yet at the time I failed to grasp the enormity of his statement.
Over the course of many years, observing on a monthly basis, I have concluded that one day I will open a restaurant that is open for 25 days of the month and shut for the period preceding FULL MOON! Granted it's a bit harsh and might give you the idea that full moon continues for the whole of the month - what I'm referring to is the 3 days prior to full moon, full moon itself and the day after full moon. A whole five days!
Time after time, no matter what you do to try and please your guests, come full moon - all the rules go out the window.
A lot has to do with passions running high, people's emotions on edge and in the guest scenario (with their body space being invaded for 2 hours or more) it seems to magnify the whole effect.
In order to achieve a reputation for food - consistency is the cornerstone. It is the single, most important factor after quality of ingredients used. For this reason, most recipes are written down (or typed up, printed and laminated - filed away for reference) and therefore the ingredients used in the preparation of the dish will have a consistent measure and yield. Not only does this assist in the costing of a menu item, but also it ensures that 'the show goes on - no matter what happens'. The only variables that you then throw into the equation are the quality of the products and the passion of the Chef cooking it.
We'll stick with the first part - the quality.
As has been mentioned previously, if you use mediocre ingredients, no matter the quality of the recipe, the BEST you can hope to achieve is MEDIOCRITY! With this in mind, we try and source the best possible quality at the best price - granted, quality does not come cheap but if you wish to attain a near perfect dish, consistently, then this is the route you will have to undertake.
The passions of the Chef are running pretty much on a constant basis - it seldom has huge variances as the rush of adrenaline coupled with the buzz of service, the lunar effect etc always seem to be in harmony. Granted, some Chefs do take 'chemicals' or 'pharmaceuticals' in order to keep them on that creative plane - I for one have never felt the urge. My 'rush' is the adrenaline in a hectic service - there is no sweeter feeling when the pressure mounts and you have to perform IMMEDIATELY! That guest sitting out there, paying a fortune for your creations does not want to know the problems in your life, the effects of last night's party or any manner of things that make up your persona. He's paying for a 'show' that allows him to escape into another world and thereby forget his worries, if only temporarily.
Getting back to the effect of full moon on service. Succinctly put it is a nightmare. Profiling of guests, 'guestimates' of what they might eat, the smooth operation of service, in fact everything that you have been doing for the whole 25 other days in the month, literally fly out the window. The replacement is the UNKNOWN.
Granted, if a trend is recognised you tend to take steps to minimize the disruption it might cause - yet every month there is some scenario that you could not have foreseen. Unfortunately this is a fact of life. And it's a somewhat bitter pill to swallow at the best of times.
In Cape Town we had a restaurant critic for a nationwide magazine that frequented our establishment, funnily enough over full moon. To see this person walking in the door became a small joke amongst the staff "Oh, it must be full moon again!" would be the comment. As true as God made little apples - it was!
Difficult is not a word that I use lightly - I'd rather use words like 'pedantic', 'fussy', 'particular' etc. This person was simply put, difficult - in the extreme.
On the rare occasion that this person ventured in for a meal, outside of her normal dining habit, she was actually quite pleasant and a joy to cook for. Perhaps it was a co-incidence that it was always around full moon that she became difficult?
I'm not a believer in co-incidence.
Ian still chuckles when I tell him about my 'scientific' observations in this regard. He's not surprised by it at all. I was fortunate enough to accompany him on a call-out one fine full moon. Listening to the broadcasts on the police and rescue frequencies was incredible - the amount of calls, accidents, stabbings, assaults etc was astounding. All in a day's work I guess. Yet this was no ordinary day - everything had increased four fold or sometimes higher. It sounded like there was a quiet revolution going on.
I salute those in the services who time and again have to go out on these calls and deal with the problems. It makes our problems seem tiny in comparison and helps to get me through the rough patch of full moon.
What a joy it would be to be able to close for service over those several days and then re-open to normal guests again. I don't think it's possible from a financial viewpoint but one can dream.
Until the next full moon and you swear blind that this will be the last time that you have to endure the comments:
"There's no cream in my soup"
"Why are the plates hot"
"Can you change the music please"?
"This is NOT Kingklip (insert all manner of variances here)
Etc
Cue the "duh" exclamation and the severe rolling of the eyes from the Chefs and restaurant staff alike.
Whilst most people would look upon this as a quirk of nature or perhaps just ramblings of a Chef who managed to get too close to the stoves - just ask yourself one thing:
"Do I change over full moon?"
If the answer is YES - surely you'll understand what I'm getting at.
If the answer is NO - then a re-look at your life might be in order before answering this simple question again. For I for one do not believe you.
As sure as God made tiny apples, the birds to sing and the sun to rise every morning then He in His infinite wisdom has declared that full moon be the bugbear of me and fellow Chefs alike.
It's understandable too - nothing that is easy is worthwhile pursuing and to have a vocation that one truly enjoys, one that makes you wake with a smile on your grumpy face (after late nights and early mornings coupled with copious amounts of coffee) is surely worth living through five days of sheer hell.
Yet others in times gone by have celebrated the arrival of the full moon - after all their lives revolved around the cycles of the moon. Full moon being the central point
Evolution is a wonderful thing - I'm just not convinced that they had restaurants in those days without Chefs that dreaded their arrival.
Or maybe I just need to get in touch with my lunar self and to hell with everyone on those five days? I think I'll stick with just living through it for the time being.
Tomorrow is full moon. So far nothing really untoward has happened - the odd gripe, the odd staff member coming in bleary-eyed but tomorrow should prove a whole different kettle of fish.
Venturing into the unknown, yet familiar, is something of a journey in itself - not altogether unpleasant, but something that needs to be done in order to complete the month since the last occurrence.
My only hope is that this month there'll be no reaction at all - it's kind of like asking for Tony Blair to switch allegiances and become a Tory. Absolutely no chance in hell!
A little feeling of trepidation sweeps through the veins, but I'm far too awake to notice the late hour and excessive coffee and cigarettes coursing through my blood.
I'll awake with an unusual amount of energy in the morning and be ready for the onslaught later in the day. The joy of not knowing where it's going to come from will keep me on my toes all day and only after the final plate of food has been sent, will we sit down as a team, dissect the problem areas of service and come to the same conclusion:
Full moon sucks!
At least we have only two more days to live through and then a relatively hassle-free month ahead.
Its written in the stars.
Author: Grant Hawthorne AKA Cheffie
Copyright. All rights reserved.
July 2005