CHEF’S NOTE: A coffee grinder works well for grinding spices.
Gabi removed the hot cross buns she’d made for the staff meeting from the oven and placed them on a plate. Dan was the first to arrive.
He lifted his nose in the air and inhaled deeply. “Oh my God, what are you baking?”
Gabi laughed. “I made hot cross buns for the gang.”
“You’re too nice!”
“Uh, don’t paint me into sainthood just yet. I’m not always nice. But because I’ve had some real nightmarish jobs, I try to be appreciative and respectful of those I work with. I know how it feels to be on the other side. As a matter of fact, one five-star restaurant where I worked served its hard-working staff hot dogs for lunch. Not that that is so bad, but what we didn’t eat the first day was reheated the second.” She made a face. “I don’t want to treat my employees like they’re getting food no one else wants.”
Dan nodded gratefully. “So what can I do to help?”
“Want to make the coffee?”
“I can do that.” He headed toward the coffeepots and turned on the faucet to fill the pot with water.
Gabi heard the door close and stuck her head around the corner to see who had arrived. Corey walked in, and she did a double take. His face was clean-shaven, his hair pulled back in a low ponytail, and he was dressed in his chef’s attire. When her heart raced, she couldn’t believe he was the same guy. And more importantly, she couldn’t believe the speed with which her heart was pumping blood through her veins. Corey looked pretty damn hot. She shook her head to wrestle the thoughts from her mind and gave a nonchalant nod in his direction. Grabbing a handful of plates, she walked out to the dining room and placed them down on the table.
One more glance at Corey and she noticed his black pinstriped trousers, and he was wearing clogs that looked as though they’d been spit-shined. She smiled at him. “You look nice, Corey.”
“Thank you.”
One by one the staff entered the kitchen, and she pointed them toward the dining room. When everyone had assembled in the dining room, Dan placed the coffeepots on the table with cream and sugar, and delivered the hot cross buns on a tray.
Leslie was the first to say something. “Wow, if this is how you’re going to treat us when we have staff meetings, I promise never to miss one.”
“You’d better not,” Gabi teased. She looked around the table. Everyone was present. “Thank you for com—” Her sentence was cut short by the ringing of Corey’s cell phone. He clicked on to answer it. She stood and glared at him long enough until he got the message and disconnected the call.
“Sorry.”
“Me too,” she said, her mouth quirking to the side. “Okay, now I want everyone who’s carrying their cell phones to take them out and drop them on the table. The first one who grabs their phone for whatever reason has to buy everyone here the most expensive item on our menu for lunch.” She stopped and listened as Corey grumbled while he shut down his phone and placed it in view. No one else had a phone.
“Thank you. Now, as I was saying, I know how tired you are, but these meetings, which I’m planning to hold once a month, are instrumental to the operation of the restaurant.” She sipped her coffee. “After meeting with all of you, here are the changes I’m implementing. Steven has expressed an interest in working in pastry with Leslie. I really like that idea, and Joey is going to work on the grill. Corey and I will be working side by side.”
She was waiting for his reaction, but he remained solemn. “I think it’s important for everyone to know what it’s like to work at each station. This way, when someone is out, we can cover those stations without much delay in the food output, but more importantly, it widens your career choices for the future. I hate those situations where no one knows how to do anyone else’s job. It’s almost as if time stands still until the person returns.”
“Does anyone have questions so far?”
Brian raised his hand. “What do you want me to wear?”
“White shirt, black pants and shoes, clean shaven, and your hair neat. Once you get here, you’ll be wearing an apron from your waist.” Brian was nodding. “I’m also going to address training issues I’ve noticed, and we’ll work on them together. Now Brian, you mentioned we don’t have enough waiters to accommodate the restaurant. Want to tell me about that?”
“We’re always busy here and, to be honest, I know Dan has been doing this for a long time, but I haven’t, so I’m not as fast as he is. Ever since Rosemary left, as hard as I try to pick up the slack, I just can’t handle the amount of customers Dan can. As a result, I don’t make good tips. The only training I’ve had is what I’ve picked up from watching Dan. But having someone teach us would be very helpful.” He turned to Dan. “Don’t you think so?”
“He’s right, Gabi. At one time, we had four waiters in the dining room, but when they heard Nell was selling, they left and went elsewhere. She never replaced James, and you’ve never replaced Rosemary.”
Gabi’s “Stayin’ Alive” Hot Cross Buns
1 package active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water (105–110 degrees)
1 cup milk, heated to lukewarm
⅓ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves, ground
¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
3–4 cups bread flour
½ cup raisins
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Just when you think the guy is hot, remember he’s doubly cross. Dissolve the beast—I mean the yeast—in warm water in large mixer bowl. Add the warm milk (test it with a thermometer to make sure it is no more than the 110 degrees!), then add the sugar, shortening, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, egg and egg yolk, and 2 cups of flour until incorporated. Cover the motor of the mixer with a dishtowel and drape it down the sides so when you increase the speed, the flour doesn’t shoot out like a dust storm. Add remaining flour and raisins. Lower the speed to slow and incorporate the remaining flour. When it’s incorporated, you can increase the speed until dough sticks together.
Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, approximately 5 minutes. Hey, just like Rome wasn’t built in a day—neither is this man! But you’re gaining on him.
Use cooking spray to coat the bowl before adding the dough. Flip it over to coat the other side. Now, cover it with plastic wrap and keep it in a draft-free dry place. That would be out of Corey’s reach, because he’s always blowing off hot air. Let the dough rise approximately 90 minutes while you’re showing him who’s boss. After the timer rings, give a slight push of your finger into the dough to make an indentation. If the indentation remains, punch down the dough, a skill you might need for a certain doughboy. If not, allow another 20 minutes.
Now, separate the dough into 4 equal parts. Take each piece and break apart into 6 pieces and shape into a bun. Coat the sheet pan with cooking spray, then place buns 2 inches apart. Using a scissor, snip a cross on top of each bun. Snip, snip. Another skill that could come in handy if your staff needs trimming (if you know what I mean). Cover again until doubled, approximately 40 minutes.
Mix the egg whites and tablespoon of water until frothy. Brush the egg white mixture over the top of each bun and try not to focus on his cute buns. And seriously, isn’t that why you chose to make these? Place in 375-degree oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 24 buns. It may seem like a lot of buns, but let me tell you, you’ll be glad you made them. You can also freeze unfrosted buns, but double wrap in plastic wrap and seal in a freezer bag.
Allow to cool before frosting.
Frosting
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon milk
½ teaspoon vanilla
Whisk together until smooth. Frost the tops of the buns
before serving him—uh, them—on a silver platter.
Gabi entered the kitchen before anyone had arrived and turned on the ovens. She felt frazzled knowing today she’d be working side by side with Corey. It was hard to believe she’d already been at Carters’ going on two months. She was pleased she and the staff were getting along so well. Although Corey was standoffish at times, the crew seemed to understand his moods, so she was letting his moodiness go too.
With the onset of spring, the reservations for guest rooms had increased, and Carters’ was booked throughout the summer. Thankful for Nell’s training on the guest-room rentals, Gabi felt confident she was going to make it after all. Estelle, the woman she’d hired to maintain the rooms, was working out well, freeing her to do other things.
But her elation didn’t last long when Corey came through the back door. Her pulse spiked as she rehearsed how she was going to handle him today.
“Good morning,” she said cheerfully.
Corey grunted and gave an offhand wave, pulled out his sharpening steel, and began to sharpen his knives. “Are you always this pleasant in the morning?”
“Since the day I was born. You should try it sometime. You might like it.”
“Did you fire up the grill, too?” he asked, changing the subject.
“No. But I’d appreciate you doing it,” she said, just as the rest of the staff barreled into the kitchen. Gabi greeted them with a huge smile. “How about we make the job switches today,” she said. “It looks like a slow day, so it’s as good a time as any to begin.”
Steven was the first to comment. “I’m chomping at the bit to get started. I even baked all day at home yesterday. My pregnant wife wanted to kill me for making so many goodies. She said my station switch was going to make her fat.” He laughed. “But I told her it’s about self-control.”
“Yeah,” Gabi giggled, “I’ll bet that went over well.”
“Big time. She said self-control was highly overrated.” Everyone laughed.
“Okay,” Gabi said, “so why don’t you two get set up at the new locations, then Steven, I’d like you to give Joey a quick overview of how you operated the grill so he can get started with the lunch crowd.”
Gabi set up next to Corey and braced herself for his comments. But he totally ignored her until she slipped her knives under the cutting board.
“You’ve never owned a restaurant before, have you?”
“No. Why do you ask?”
“Because you’d know to let the staff take care of all the prepping stuff instead of pitching in.”
“Ah, in a perfect world that would be wonderful, but since this isn’t, I’m doing what I have to do. This isn’t a big New York restaurant where I have a huge staff working in the kitchen.”
“If you’d let me run the kitchen again instead of being so hands-on, I could show you. I know you’ve worked at some really big-deal restaurants, but I’ve run businesses before.”
“Thanks,” she said, as her lips tightened in a thin line. “Duly noted.”
“Wait. Hear me out. Let’s just try it. If it doesn’t work for you, then I stop. But if you learn something from me, then it’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Corey began to remove peas from their pods, dropping them into the blender jar to prepare a puree for one of the dishes.
“Let me think about it. Okay?”
“Absolutely. And if there’s anything I can do to help you make up your mind, I’ll do it. Please let me show you.”
Gabi cut him off and turned toward Leslie. “I picked up a ton of blueberries at the farmer’s market this morning. We have guests who want to purchase blueberry muffins for a function, so pull the recipe and make an extra five dozen for tomorrow morning.”
“Gotcha.”
Dan entered the kitchen sporting a plaid flannel shirt and jeans. His head was covered with a Sixers team cap, his curly red hair sticking out through the hole in the back. “Hi, Chef,” he stopped in front of her. “You wanted to see me?”
Gabi smiled when Dan showed his sign of respect by referring to her as ‘chef,’ now that she was in fact the executive chef.
“Yes, and thanks for coming in on your day off.” Gabi walked toward him. “We never did discuss hiring more waitstaff, so I thought this would be a good time. So, let’s grab coffee first and head out to the dining room.” A glance around the dining room with the tables set for the lunch and dinner crowd gave her a warm feeling. Seeing the way the tables were set, she eyed the room with satisfaction. White tablecloths and pink napkins with pink flowers in small clear vases on the tables looked pretty with the varying colors of rose petals at the bottom of the vase—almost like a wedding reception was about to take place. Setting her cup down on the table, she released a deep sigh.
“Are you okay?” Dan asked.
“Yes,” she grinned. “I’m just making sure I’m not forgetting anything. I keep marking things on my list and crossing them off as soon as I do them, but there always seems to be more.” She sipped her coffee. “With that being said, I was wondering if you’d like to help me hire another waiter.”
“Wow, I’m flattered you asked.”
“Well, I think your service skills are top drawer, and I know you’ll probably be better at finding the right person than I would.” He had a huge grin on his face. “Hopefully, we’ll get a few candidates. Here’s what I want. I would like you to screen them first, then we can talk about the prospects you think are right for the job. Once you do that, we’ll sit down and go over their attributes and select one.”
“Thanks for your trust in me.” He started to get up.
“Wait, there’s more.”
He grinned. “Sorry,” he said, and sat back down. “I promised my wife that after I ran the errands and had this meeting with you, I’d take her to lunch.”
“Oh, okay. Well then, I’ll make this fast. I’d also like you to be the one who trains the waiters, and of course, you’ll be compensated. What do you think?”
“I think it’s great!” He nodded.
“Okay, so I’ll call the paper today and run a help-wanted ad to get the ball rolling. As for training, you’ll probably have to schedule it for during the day, but I’ll let you come up with your own time frame. For starters, I’d like Brian to be your first student. I had a complaint from a customer on Saturday, and it’s not something I want to hear again. It’s hard enough trying to convince the locals that things will mostly stay the same… with a few changes. I don’t need to be worrying about the basics when I have someone who is perfectly capable of handling the job for me. I’ll tell the others about your new duties so they don’t think you’re overstepping your boundaries.”
“Thank you. I will definitely get a schedule set up.” He placed his mug back down on the table. “Have you given any thought to a runner? Having someone deliver the food to the tables and inquiring to see if the guests need anything else? That would free us up to keep the flow going. I’m only suggesting we do that during the weekends when it’s busy.”
“I have, but I just don’t have the funds to do that right now. But I will give it careful consideration. Hopefully, business will pick up dramatically, and I’ll be able to afford all the things I want to do. But for now, I’m on a tight budget. Hopefully, an extra server on the floor should help. Go do your errands and have lunch with your wife, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Gabi, I can’t tell you how much this means to me. Thank you.” He shook her hand and left.
Feeling satisfied, she cleared the table and entered the kitchen when she heard Corey reprimanding Joey in a stern voice. “If you don’t get your act together, you’re outta here.” Joey’s face flushed when he saw Gabi.
While not completely concealing her displeasure, Gabi gestured to Corey to follow her out to the front of the restaurant. “Would you care to tell me what that was about?”
“I didn’t like the way he filleted the white fish, and I’ve had it.”
“Corey, first of all, please do n
ot speak to the staff like that. You don’t have the authority to fire people. If you have something you want to say to them, speak in private, offer to help, or come to me.”
“You’ve got this business thing all wrong. What happens if he does something like that when we’re busy?”
Gabi stared him down. “I’m headed to my office. Please join me in there.”
“I’m busy.”
She glared at him, “I’m not asking, Corey. I’m telling you.”
Corey clamped his mouth shut and looked away. Gabi headed toward her office and waited for him. She was extremely disappointed Corey had treated Joey so shabbily, and even more surprised when he showed up promptly.
“Okay, I’ve been pretty silent about your smart remarks until now. After seeing you chastise Joey in front of everyone, I’m not about to let you get away with this. You just asked me to trust you, to let you show me how to run a business. If this is how you go about doing it, you can forget it. I don’t care how you did things in your restaurant, you won’t do them like that in mine. Whether it’s before, during, or after the rush hour makes no difference. These are real people with feelings, and if you need to browbeat someone just to stroke your own ego, you talk to yourself in the mirror. I’ve seen what harsh words can do to employees and I won’t tolerate it in my place of employment. If you want to maintain sous-chef status in this restaurant, you’ll do things my way. So leave your ego at home.”
Catering to Love Page 9