Glossary of Terms–Important Tools

Yesterday was the glossary of spaces.  Today is the glossary of some of the important tools and pieces of equipment around here.

Meet “Big Hobart” ~ he’s almost as tall as I am, and that bowl weighs half a ton…(well, not literally!).  It is used very often for mixing bread, cakes, and cookies.

“Little Hobart” is Big Hobart’s baby sister.  I like her very much.  She mixes up amazing refrigerator cheesecake and her bowl is much more manageable for my delicate muscles.

“The Big Trays” (stacked under the ovens)~ we have many of these, and use many of them every day ~ starting with baking bacon or sausage for breakfast.

The “Rack n Rolls” (on the right of picture).  These handy dandy tools hold the large trays above.  2 are located by the bakery, 1 in the cooler, and 1 in the freezer. 

“Hotel Pans” in three depths.  We call them “shallow, medium deep, and deep”.  We use these for things like fruit and veggie platters, desserts, and casseroles.

We have a few key areas where information is kept.  On the bulletin board on the right (right inside the main door) is the weekly menu posted with the schedule of the current group underneath.  That way we can eliminate both of these questions from a multitude of people:

“What’s for dinner?” 

and

“What cutlery should we set on the tables for this meal?”

So far, it’s working wonderfully.

And, although this is a terrible picture, the big white board is where we write a detailed list of everything that needs to happen each day.  As each task is completed, the person who does it checks it off.

I write that list the night before so I know exactly what needs to be done the next day.

It’s a complete sanity saver for me, and also helps my assistants to know what needs to be done.

The Chef’s Jackets ~ Never before have I realized how useful one item of clothing can be.  Not only do they protect our clothes from spills and stains, they also help prevent burns on our arms.  And see that pocket on the arm?  It holds a sharpie marker, pen, and temperature gauge.  Let me tell you what a time saver it is to always have that sharpie marker close at hand!    And the other fun fact is that the way the jackets are designed allows you to have a “clean side” when you need to serve and your jacket has some stains on it.  Brilliant, I tell you!

These jackets are worn by the food handlers.  We have some funky and fun aprons for the dish crew…