Marcel Riemer's Blog, page 3

Hundreds of years ago in the city of Kaifeng lived Longwei, a man who wanted to buy himself a pair of new shoes. His old ones were worn out and so he went to the town fair. But before he left his house he first measured his feet and marked the size.

When Longwei arrived at the market he found many shoes he liked. Suddenly he noticed that he had forgotten the size. Turning to the shopkeeper he blurted out:

“Hold these shoes for me, I’ll be right back.”

Then he turned on his heel and ran back home. By the time he had returned back at the market after collecting his measurements, he found all the shoes had been sold out. Longwei was upset because he did not manage to buy his favorite pair of shoes.

A young lady standing next to Longwei witnessing all this curiously asked him:

“Why didn’t you use your feet and try the shoes on right on the spot here in the shop?”

Longwei gave the lady a puzzled look and replied:

“I’d rather trust the measurement than my own feet!”

What can we learn from this little story? In most cases there are many ways to figure something out. We need to be flexible and keep an open mind. If you are too stubborn and inflexible then it can lead to failure or even harm you.

As a Chef you need to be very flexible and open minded. It is not always either your way or the highway.

 

I give you an example: It happened on occasion that I tried out new recipes in my kitchen. I took these recipes either from books or even YouTube videos. But still, after many times of trying the recipe did not work out. I was furious! Damn, what the heck was wrong with it? Was it my mistake? Did I use all ingredients correctly? After reevaluating and tweaking a bit here and there I managed to find a way to make the recipe work. Cooking sometimes feels more like experimenting in a laboratory than preparing food in the kitchen.

I have a ritual while travelling. As soon I approach the next country/city I pick a 5 star hotel of my choice and join their breakfast buffet.

I am Chef and therefore interested what the so called completion is doing. But I am not visiting the competition, I am visiting colleagues, that’s how I see it. It is always interesting to see what other hotels are offering. I go inside with an open mind and see what I can adopt or even implement on my own buffet selection. There is always big room for inspiration.

Now, after many years of travelling the world and indulging in various American, Asian and Middle Eastern breakfast spreads it was time to visit a good old German hotel right in my home town Berlin.

In order to get the biggest bang for my buck I chose the Adlon Berlin. Let’s go whole hog!

It was a cold January morning without any snow. I arrived early at 6am as usual. I am an early bird anyway and like to be the first in line. This gives me the advantage that the breakfast buffet is still untouched and in order since not many people have arrived at this time in the morning yet. The right time to take plenty of pictures.

So I arrived at the lobby and went upstairs to the first floor. I was very warmly welcomed and brought to my table. I emphasize the word “warmly” here because we Germans and especially Berlin people are known for their early day grumpiness.

“Chef, how to apply abroad? How do you deal with a difficult boss? How can I get promoted?”

Ask me and I will do my best to help you find a solution. Once a month I am going to answer your questions here in my blog. If your question gets selected and published then you will receive a FREE copy of my eBook “Slamming It Out!”.

Drop me your question here now: [email protected]

Tina P. 25, Junior Sous Chef from Melbourne asked:

“My contract is about to finish next month and I have not secured a new job opportunity yet. Now I am nervous and a bit scared. I have bills to pay. How to deal with that fear?”

Great question Tina. Congratulations to your free book copy!

A few times I was in a similar situation when I finished off an assignment and had no follow up job. This can feel awkward, especially when you have financial obligations. The best way for me to fight this feeling of uncertainty was to keep myself busy with writing and sending applications like crazy. The feeling of being active helped me because I did something useful, namely applying for a new job. This was all I could do anyway.

I had to learn to be more patient and persistent as well. It is not easy but you can train yourself. What choice you have anyway? You cannot bake yourself a job, right?!

I kept applying and applying and applying. Sometimes it took me months to secure a new employment. Yes, that can be nerve-wracking.

Important is that you don’t beat yourself up for something which is not in your control.

 

Nobody controls the outcome of a job interview. The only thing you can control is yourself, meaning that you have to do what is in your power.

And what is in your power for example? The way your resume looks is in your power, the way you prepare yourself for the next job interview, the way you dress up for this next appointment. You control how many application you send out, if there are openings available to apply for. You control your ability to be patient and persistent. There a few things you have control over. Focus on that. This is all what you can do anyway and it is a lot actually. Believe me, sooner or later you will find something suitable for you.

As for me, I learned my lessons and started to put enough money on the side for so called “rainy days.” This helped me to keep my peace of mind.

And if you feel that you did a good job in controlling yourself and your actions than you automatically will feel better anyway. It will boost your self-esteem. Worry and anxiety are going to disappear gradually.

I just was hanging in there…till the day I received the email, saying: “Congratulations Marcel, you got the job, we hire you!”

Never give up Tina! Not as a Chef

I am now on Y ouTube! Check out my new channel here!

In this sixth edition we are going to meet David Campbell from Canada. I met David many years ago in San Diego when we both cooked at the tallest waterfront hotel on the west coast of the United States.

Since then, David has been travelling the world and fell in love with Asia where he currently resides.

Let’s dig right into it and see what David has to say:

David, how did you start?

“After completing High School in Toronto and without a confirmed direction towards higher education I landed in a Casual Service American Chain restaurant because a couple of my friends were working there. My first position was as a line cook mostly working the grill and rotisserie. I fell in love with cooking almost immediately. And quickly moved on to fine-dining restaurant kitchens and culinary school.”

What made you decide to become an Expat?

“In my first trip to Asia I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Erawan and was amazed by the buffets, the food quality, the amenities and the sheer number of staff and what could be done with them. The food and beverage programs were on a level that domestic (U.S.) Hyatt’s could not compete with — except for maybe a few select Park Hyatts! I decided that my goal would be to go anywhere in Asia. I was fortunate enough to land a job opening at the Grand Hyatt Steakhouse in Hong Kong as Chef de Cuisine in June 2010 and the rest is history.”

Being an Expat, what is it like?

“I love being abroad. You learn about new things, new people and experience things that cannot be experienced from home or through travel. There are certainly nuisances in some countries that can be become bothersome, and some cultural differences that can be hard to comprehend. In China communication was difficult as English is rare in the hospitality business, so I learned Chinese! In my experience in Asia, the people in general are fantastic and mean well but sometimes are not direct in their communication or feelings and prefer to either go quiet or speak behind your back. Of course, this can be avoided if you are always fair and open with your team.”

“For me, as long as the life and the money are better in Asia, I’ll stay. My wife can have a full-time maid, my children both go to a great international school and can speak three languages well and are learning another.”

“The hardest part is being away from family. There’s no free-babysitter, and there are no big holiday dinners as we work holidays — and we’re busy!!”

“My only dark spot in Asia would be Singapore. A beautiful, sterile city but in terms of work I found it to be almost toxic. Entitled associates, strange labor laws that lead to under-staffing and racism. I would truly avoid working there ever again. The pollution in Beijing was challenging, but I understand they have this mostly under control now. China is amazing, if they — the government — want something done, it gets done!”

What amazes you?

“The people and the talent I have been blessed to work with are amazing.”

“I’ve worked in hotels with ten expat chefs and you learn something from all of them. Different techniques, ingredients, management styles and creative processes. You can’t read this in a cookbook, watch it on TV or learn about it in school, you have to experience it first-hand.”

What is your advice for young cooks who just start off?

“Work harder. Try harder. Be smarter. Be open. Care about your peers. Understand that you need to put in the work first and then get the praise, whether this is a promotion or a raise.”

Share a short story with us:

“Love on the road! I met my wife in Hong Kong. My daughter was born in Beijing. My son in Shanghai. We have all learned a great deal from each location and our love has grown through all the ups and downs and cultural experiences. My love of food and beverage has grown especially from living in countries where food is the most important thing on everyone’s mind!”

How can your story inspire others?

“Coming from a chef background without a fancy education I have managed to move up the ranks and am currently in my third hotel as Director of Food and Beverage. I continue to feel that coming from a chef background gives you the drive and work ethic you require to be successful, as well as the competitive nature to beat out your competition for jobs and career advancement.”

Thanks for reading this post!

What amazes you? How do you inspire others? Let me know in the comments section below!

Need help, need tips? Just drop me a message at [email protected]. I am glad to support you!

If you are hungry for more tips and info on the world of cooking then please visit my website  www.marcelriemer.co. There you can find lots of interesting videos, my blog and NEW BOOK!

Best wishes,

Marcel

I am now on YouTube! Click here to watch my channel!

Hundreds of years ago in Southern Vietnam, there was a small water well, and in that well lived a frog. This little guy lived his life with joy and he felt truly blessed.

One day a turtle came to his well and the little frog happily welcomed and invited her to stay. As they chit-chatted about anything under the sun, the frog proudly said,

“I can play in my well or when I’m tired I rest in a hole in the wall of the well. Look at the small shrimp and insects to eat, don’t you want to come and see my well? It’s my heaven on earth, it’s my little paradise!”

Hearing this, the turtle wanted to go and see the well. But she was too fat, and couldn’t slip into the hole of the well. A bit bugged the turtle told the frog a story about the sea.

She asked the frog,

“Have you ever seen the sea? The sea is massive and it is blue. You can swim endlessly as long as you like, you can snorkel and dive down but never reach the bottom. The sea has always been this deep and big. Only when you are in the sea can you really feel truly free and happy.”

Hearing this the little frog was dumbfounded. He was so shocked that he could only stare into the distance…

We can only guess what the little frog was thinking. But probably he was shocked to learn that there is much more outside of his little world. His well is his universe but in reality there are many more things to see and to experience.

This story is about having an open mind, even having a vision for ourselves.

This little tale is about broadening our horizon. It should teach us to be open and ready to explore things beyond our current knowledge. It should show us to go beyond our current understanding and our skills.

There is nothing wrong to love your little well and live in it. But you risk missing to meet the whole wide world, you risk missing to grow and develop further.

Same in the kitchen: You can stick to your little section for 40 years, or you can start asking questions, start learning and start practicing.

Jump a bit around different places in order to see new, interesting and exciting things. Choice is YOURS!

I am now on YouTube! Click here to watch my channel!

Everyone who comes home after some time of travelling around in foreign countries knows this feeling: Finally I can eat my food again! Yay!

“Chef, how to apply abroad? How do you deal with a difficult boss? How can I get promoted?”

Ask me and I will do my best to help you find a solution. Once a month I am going to answer your questions here in my blog. If your question gets selected and published then you will receive a FREE copy of my eBook “Slamming It Out!”.

Drop me your question here now:

[email protected]

Richie, 23 from New York asked:

“Chef, what is the most important ingredient in the kitchen? Is there any item you cannot cook without?”

What a fantastic question and congratulations to your free book copy Richie!

Indonesia in December 2016. The Christmas season was in full swing. We were busy like crazy. Full house every day and hundreds of people for breakfast. One day, during breakfast service, one of my young cooks, his name was Asri, cut himself into his forefinger. It was bad. We had to send him directly to the emergency room.

Shit, what a mess I thought! Now Asri will be gone for the next three weeks or so. But I needed him in the kitchen, he was one of my strongest guys.

A few days later, I just finished a meeting with the General Manager, it happened that I passed through the restaurant. Since we had an open kitchen I could see the kitchen line and my staff working there. Suddenly I could not believe my eyes. There was Asri, my young cook, who cut his finger a few days ago. What the hell was he doing here? I immediately went to the line, pulled him out of the kitchen and asked him to come to my office.

“What are you doing here man, are you crazy?” I asked Asri. “You know that you are on sick leave my friend, don’t you?” I continued.

“Yes Chef, I know that but I also know that you guys are so busy. I felt bored at home and thought it is better to come here and help you and the team.”,  Asri replied.

I did not know what to say! What a great attitude this guy displayed right in front of me. What a great team spirit Asri showed. I was happy to have such a person in my team. From that day on I knew I could count on him 110%!

No worries guys, I sent Asri straight away back home, of course. I appreciated his initiative and attitude and told him that we will be fine (actually we weren’t, ha-ha)

I advised him to take rest and come back again when his finger is ok.

But let’s come back to Richie’s question now.

Yes there is one item I can definitely not cook without, not even survive a single day in any kitchen. Do you have any idea what this item could be?

Think hard!

The item I cannot cook without, the single most important ingredient no chef on earth can work without is called
TEAM-WORK!

Surprise? Good! We all love surprises.

The kitchen is indeed an interesting work place, almost a paradoxical one. There are so many egos gathered in one place, yet on the other side these egos need to cooperate somehow. The head chef usually has the biggest ego. That’s supposed to be that way, right? That’s what we have seen on TV, correct? That’s what most of us have experienced over the course of many years, isn’t it? Perhaps yes.

But everyone one of these ego chefs, including me

Welcome to wiki This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

The post Hello world appeared first on MARCEL RIEMER.

Chef, how to apply abroad? How do
you deal with a difficult boss? How can I get promoted?

Ask me and I will do my best to
help you find a solution.

Once a month I am going to answer your questions here in my blog.

If your question gets selected and
published then you will receive a FREE copy of my eBook “Slamming It Out”.

Drop me your question here now: [email protected]

“Chef, what is the most important ingredient in the kitchen? Is there any item you cannot cook without?”

What a fantastic question and congratulations to your free
book copy Richie!

Indonesia
in December 2016. The Christmas season was in full swing. We were busy like
crazy. Full house every day and hundreds of people for breakfast. One day, during
breakfast service, one of my young cooks, his name was Asri, cut himself into
his forefinger. It was bad. We had to send him directly to the emergency room.

Shit,
what a mess I thought! Now Asri will be gone for the next three weeks or so.
But I needed him in the kitchen, he was one of my strongest guys.

A
few days later, I just finished a meeting with the General Manager, when I passed
through the restaurant. Since we had an open kitchen I could see the kitchen
line and my staff working there. Suddenly I could not believe my eyes. There
was Asri, my young cook, who cut his finger a few days ago. What the hell was
he doing here? I immediately went to the line, pulled him out of the kitchen
and asked him to come to my office.

“What are you doing here man, are you crazy?” I asked Asri. “You know that you are on sick leave my friend, don’t you?”, I continued.

“Yes Chef, I know that but I also know that you guys are so busy. I felt bored at home and thought it is better to come here and help you and the team.”, Asri replied.

I
did not know what to say! What a great attitude this guy displayed right in
front of me. What a great team spirit Asri showed. I was happy to have such a
person in my team. From that day on I knew I could count on Asri 110%!

No worries guys, I sent Asri back home, of course. I appreciated his initiative and attitude and told him that we will be fine (actually we weren’t, ha-ha)

I
advised him to take rest and come back again when his finger is ok.

But
let’s come back to Richie’s question now.

Yes
there is one item I can definitely not cook without, not even survive a single
day in any kitchen. Do you have any idea what this item could be?

Think
hard!

The item I cannot cook without, the single most important ingredient no chef on earth can work without is called TEAM-WORK!

Surprise?

Good!

We all love surprises.

The
kitchen is indeed an interesting work place, almost a paradoxical one. There
are so many egos gathered in one place, yet on the other side these egos need
to cooperate somehow. The head chef usually has the biggest ego. That’s
supposed to be that way, right? That’s what we have seen on TV, correct? That’s
what most of us have experienced over the course of many years, isn’t it?
Perhaps yes.

But
everyone one of these ego chefs, including me

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