February 4, 2012

I return to the other mildew-stained dawers, making sure that everthing is stocked. The top, center dawer hold bags of spiced, pre-cooked chicken, parboiled spinach that hasn't been drained properly, clams and bay shrimp, concentrated portabella-mushroom tortrllini,

and peas and ham. The top and bottom left drawers are packed with pasta. the top holds fettuccine and linguine dinner (8 ounce), lunch (6 ounce), and side (4 ounce) portions. The bottom stores angle-hair and spagehetti portioned in the same manner. The right drawers have the same setip for the east saute cook. The drawers are so full that I squish and mangle pasta when closing.

I return to the dish I'm cooking, flip the crackling chicken with a shake of the pan, and add a handful of brown mushrooms. I glance at Mike and see him open the top, right drawer and remove a dinner-size bag of over-cooked fettuccine, empty it in a pasta basket, then dunk this in the Pasta Perfect. Ten seconds later - when the pasta temperature has risen to 165 degrees - he pulls up the basket, and shakes it like he is having convulsions, to drain the excess water. Next he pours the steaming pasta onto a dingy gray, oval plate, covers with two ladles of thick Alfredo, and set the dinner in the east window, where Vinny Pallidinio is stationed.

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Setting up a commercial kitchen: Pages Taking Position Behind the Burners Checking Drawers Stock The Assember's Station Sells a Ticket Appetizers End of the Line