Oakland Feather River Camp needs cooks and dishwashers

Oakland Feather River Camp began its annual recruitment campaign for summer food service staff this week. To apply,  follow the link to the Sacramento Craigslist post (and here) and click the 'reply' button in the upper left corner of the page. An application can be found on the camp website. A companion ad has been posted to Indeed.com.

I am returning to the camp in May as the chef and food service manager for my sixth year.


Oakland Feather River Camp is looking for skilled, flexible, friendly, accountable and mature summer staff for our Family Camp. The staff of Oakland Feather River Camp creates the atmosphere in which campers develop memories that will be treasured for a lifetime.

We will be hiring the following positions:Assistant Food Service Manager/Sous Chef , Camp Cooks and Dishwasher/Kitchen Helpers. Ideal candidates are energetic and enthusiastic people who like to connect with others in an authentic way have experience camping or living out of doors, are friendly, helpful, organized and safety focused. All camp staff must have a desire to serve people while living in a rustic, natural environment.

Under the direction of the Chef & Food Service Manager these staff prepare food for to ensure the timely service of quality meals with ample selection and nutrition for 150 - 300 campers daily. All cooks must be safety oriented, friendly, helpful, organized, knowledgeable about food and cooking and have experience working in a commercial kitchen.

Kitchen staff must be considerate of individuals with special diets and/or food allergies and will participate cooperatively as part of a supportive and cohesive team. Knowledge of a commercial kitchen and the health and safety procedures and regulations associated with food preparation is a priority.

Oakland Feather River Camp is located in Quincy, California, approximately 250 miles from the San Francisco Bay Area. The camp is located at 3,500 feet in elevation on 65 acres in the beautiful Plumas National Forest. In this pristine environment we provide family and youth campers with exciting and fun activities as well as opportunities for laid back relaxation. We offer rustic cabins and tent-cabins on platforms with nearby restrooms and hot showers, and three healthy meals a day. Campers come for as short or long as they like.

All camp positions require a combination of education and relevant experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills, certifications and abilities to successfully perform the duties required. Applicants shall be at least 18 years of age, have a valid drivers license and submit to required background checks.

All staff work six days per week. Salary is DOE. Room and board are provided for duration of the summer season.

Cooking in a hunting camp

Dining tent and kitchen trailer

Now that I'm in my retirement years, I work when I want to and relax with the grand kids the rest of the time. This year, I took a seasonal job as the cook for an outfitter in Bridger-Teton National Forest, near Alpine, Wyo. The job ran for six weeks last September and October. It was a great gig; in fact, it was more than a job! It was a rewarding venture that I hope to repeat in the coming years.

I enjoyed interacting with the guides and hunters. And after cooking for thousands, preparing meals for 20 to 25 was a refreshing change from my full-time career (US Navy, hospitals and state prisons). I've adapted many old Navy standards, like Yankee pot roast and baking powder and yeast biscuits for the camp menu. These dishes, a long with many others, were well accepted and loved by the hunters.

Sliced challah bread for French Toast

My day began at 3 a.m., when I walked into the kitchen, a converted 40-foot trailer. My first task was to light two lanterns, fire the coffee, light the griddle and oven, stoke the fire in the dining tent and set out lunch fixin's. Breakfast was on the stove and griddle by ten minutes after the hour. I turned the generator on at 3:30 to wake up the guides and hunters. Breakfast began at four o'clock (or earlier when I was ready).

To make breakfast easier, I prepared everything the afternoon prior. That included baking (biscuits, cinnamon rolls and challah bread for French toast), panning breakfast meats (mainly ham, bacon or sausage), filling the coffee pot and setting eggs out.

Biscuits and gravy

I also par cooked red potatoes for hash browns three to four days each week. I found, with the nearly seven-thousand-food elevation of the camp, that I had to carefully to cook the potatoes all the way through without overcooking them. Nearly everything required extra cooking time at that elevation.

While some wait until morning to prepare breakfast, I've found over my career that the meal flows smoothly when I prepare components of the meals the afternoon before. As mentioned, the potatoes are pre-cooked and cooled in the refrigerator in the afternoon. For omelets, I crack and whisk the eggs and cut the filling ingredients. Hot cake wet and dry ingredients are prepared, as well as French toast batter.

My home in camp

After dishes and cleanup, it was off to bed for a two-hour nap. (I had to discipline myself to get up by 9 or 10 a.m.; otherwise, I'd sleep all morning!) Since there are only three or four in camp (myself, my wife, the outfitter's wife and the camp jack/wrangler) at that time, I usually had free access to the shower when I arose. Leftovers or a sandwich normally made up my lunch around noon.

Baking, breakfast prep and dinner prep began in early afternoon. I made a prep list for both meals and any lunch prep so I didn't forget anything. This time was also used to prepare syrup, salsa and a variety of other sauces.

I usually lumped baking together. That way I saved steps by weighing out the ingredients for the two or three products at the same time. I did have to time proofing and oven time carefully so the bread didn't over-proof. I baked all the bread except sandwich breads.

Brothers enjoying pork chops

The rest of the afternoon was spent preparing dinner, which was served at 8 p.m. Sometimes dinner was served as early as 7 o'clock, but the hunters often had to change out of their wet clothing and enjoy a beer around the campfire before filing into the dining tent. I fell into bed around 9:30. for five hours of sleep before it all starting over again.

The owners gave me a wide berth on the menu. The only complaints that I received were related to a very spicy breakfast. (It seems the guides and hunters don't enjoy relieving themselves on the trail in the dark!) Since this a big meat and potatoes crowd, most of my meals are based on comfort food. The photos show the setting and meals I've cooked.

2015 Christmas dinner menu

Nearly 25 residents, staff and guests enjoyed a festive dinner at work on Christmas Day. Holidays are important to the residents. With half the residents restricted to the house for various reasons, the meal gave them a chance to celebrate.

Staff do their best to make the recovery house a home during the 90-day program. Christmas tree, presents and frequent visits from family help the residents through the holiday season. One could argue that the holiday meal is the most important aspect of the festivities.

Christmas dinner gave me the opportunity to present a meal that's a cut above the normal fare. With a modest daily food allowance, the high cost of beef roast keeps it off of the menu. And it let the residents enjoy a special meal.

Two chuck shoulder clod roasts, averaging six and one-half pounds each, gave a generous portion. Into a hot oven just before noon, the intense heat developed a richly-colored crust. From that point, a 100-degree reduction in oven temperature (from 425 to 250 degrees F.) let the roasts coast to a perfect medium.

Accompanying the roast were scalloped red potatoes with a rosemary cream cheese sauce, roasted broccoli florets and Dutch apple pie. One of the residents, a former professional cook, assisted me on Thursday. He enjoyed the day as much as I did.

The festive Christmas dinner gave the men the opportunity to enjoy a family tradition, one which gave them a brief respite from their struggles with addiction.

2015 CHRISTMAS DINNER

SALADS

Garden Salad with Ranch & Italian Dressings

Seasoned Croutons

Fresh Vegetables Marinated in Balsamic Vinaigrette

MAIN COURSE

Roast Beef

Beef Gravy from Natural Juices

Scalloped Red Potatoes in a Rosemary Cream Cheese Sauce

Broccoli Florets Roasted in Garlic Olive Oil

Freshly Baked Dinner Roll

DESSERT

Dutch Apple Pie

BEVERAGES

French Roast Coffee

Sweet Iced Tea

Thanksgiving spread at work

For the last month and one-half I've been working at a men's residential recovery program in Sacramento, California. My former boss called me in early October looking for a cook. I agreed to work lunch and dinner until I leave town for my summer job.

Readers who've been around for several years will remember that I previously worked in a woman's recovery home. I am once again working in the same location in mid-town Sacramento. The woman's facility was closed some 20 months ago. Most staff were laid off and the house was converted into a sober living home.

Little has changed in the house other than the fact that male parolees have replaced the women. While the men eat more than the women, they have the same heartfelt appreciation for the meals that I cook during the week. Six weeks ago I move into the job as if I had never left.

This isn't the first time I've talked about Thanksgiving at work. I last featured my menu and prep list in 2011 on 'Round the Chuckbox. Here's the menu for 2014 Thanksgiving dinner:

Roast turkey breast
Sour cream mashed red potatoes
Candied sweet potatoes
Cornbread dressing
Traditional turkey gravy
Orange cranberry sauce
Seasoned green beans
Tossed green salad with homemade ranch dressing
Hot dinner roll
Pumpkin pie 

I miss working in a commercial kitchen with a steam line. Cold food isn't an issue since 25 residents can be served in 15 minutes. I lay the pans out on the counter and on the range and serve each resident as he passes through the kitchen. 

Serving the residents gives me the opportunity to set a nice looking plate. It also ensures even portion control. I want the last resident to receive the same portion as the first. Note that I forgot to place the cranberry sauce on my sample plate.

Taking a day off

The downside of working six twelve-hour days each week is you get little time to yourself. We try to get away for dinner one or two evenings each week. Since our Sunday is day off, we assemble with the local saints for worship, then drive off to the former logging town of Greyeagle for lunch and time on the Internet.

Yesterday's drive was unique. We work along the former Western Pacific Railroad Feather River Route. The line's current owner, the massive Union Pacific Railroad, has been running a lot of freight traffic over the rail line. The railroaders among the staff at Oakland Camp (the housekeeping supervisor and myself) have enjoyed watching (and listening when we're busy) to trains each hour.

Catching three trains on our day off was an exciting opportunity. I'll let the photographs tell the story.

As we drove east toward Blairsden and Greyeagle, an eastbound UP high-railer caught my attention at the Spring Garden siding. Thinking I could snap a photo as it crossed the bridge at Blairsden, we sped east on Highway 70. Instead of the track inspection vehicle, this local freight train appeared. My guess is that the high-railer took the siding.

The local took the hole (or siding) once he crossed the bridge. The waiting westbound intermodal freight was the superior train. As soon as the local cleared the main, the westbound gave two long blasts on the horn and proceeded west toward Keddie and the Feather River.

 

I took this photo as the westbound freight passed over the bridge at Blairsden.

 

Later in the day, Debbie and I saw this westbound coal drag as we returned to Quincy and the camp. With sufficient time to drive to the Williams Loop, we drove west. At the Loop, I photographed the train as it wound around under itself. Here the lead locomotive is ready to exit the loop and continue its westbound journey toward the canyon.

It's time to retire this chef coat

After three years and three months, I've been laid off from my job as the house chef for a drug and alcohol recovery home. The facility, located in a 113 year-old boarding house in Mid-town Sacramento, is closing its doors at the end of the month. The facility was used to rehabilitate female parolees after release from California prisons.

During my tenure, I planned the menu and cooked for up to 26 residents during the week. Teaching was an important component to my position at Bridges. Since I enjoyed the weekend off duty, I trained the women to cook lunch and dinner on Saturday and Sunday. It was a good job, one that I will sorely miss. It's now time to move on.

A warm welcome 'home'

Each time I return to work after and extended breather (usually vacation), I relearn how much the residents appreciate my work at Bridges. As the chef for a drug and alcohol recovery house, I've grown into one of the most popular staff members. This is, naturally, because I'm the guy who prepares the meals and keeps the cupboards stocked.

Each resident greeted me in turn as I walked in the back door last Monday. After a week in Oregon, I returned refreshed. The conference gave the opportunity to recharge by culinary batteries. I came home with ideas on how to incorporate fresh bread into the diet.

They were happy to see that Debbie and I had arrived home safely. With rare exceptions, the residents who cook in my absence don't share my ability to cook flavorful meals. They knew that their "meal ticket" had returned to work.

I've learned that I can make a difference in the lives of women who struggle with addiction. Gentle advise often flows from my lips. I leave the serious counseling to our therapist and AOD (alcohol and other drugs) counselors. I teach by example, showing the women how to work.

My warm welcome "home" helped me overlook a few misplaced pots and plans. Nor did I dwell too long on the menu changes in my absence. In the end, the resident cooks did a good job feeding the house, a daunting task for those unaccustomed to feeding 25 each day.

Now that I'm back to work, I'll work on expanding the baking program. I should be able to replace purchased rolls and buns with fresh baked bread. It'll take one or two weeks to work several yeast doughs into my weekly routine.

Then in October, Debbie and I fly away to Texas for Kent Rollin's Chuck Wagon Cooking School, where we'll wrestle Dutch ovens and Bertha (Kent's woodstove) from oh-dark-thirty until the stars appear. After a week in a teepee on the Red River in fall, I'll be the one who's ready to return to work!

In the first photograph, chefs gather 'round the dining table at Canby Grove Camp in Canby, Ore., for a cup of coffee and fellowship on the final day of the Christian Chefs International conference. The next photo shows me demonstrating the versatility of the Mair lid lifter. I gave a presentation on Dutch oven cooking to the chefs at the conference.

A year in perspective

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that" (James 4:13-15)

At this time last year, my post-retirement career was coming together. I had just finished completed a food safety manager course. And my first summer job since high school was in the bag.

From the perspective of a new retiree with a lucrative 24-hour per week job in Sacramento, life couldn't have been better.

I was about to fulfil my life-long dream of working at a summer camp. Working part-time for my old employer would sustain me during the year. Then in early June I'd head for the high country and run the camp kitchen for the summer.

But as often happens in life, factors outside your personal control shape your life and career. In my case, it was the state's budget crisis that blew my plans apart -- ironic for a former budget analyst.

In the end, God blessed me with a comfortable job, one where I practice my craft of cooking each day without the worries of management - as I did for over 11 years -- or the eye poppin' experience of gazing at Excel spreadsheets all day.

While I had to give up my 24-hour workweek, I am doing something that I love -- cooking. I'll delay my return to the camp kitchen by two or three years. The time will go quickly because I'm doing something that I love.

New job

Postings on 'Round the Chuckbox have been a bit dry over the past few months. After being unemployed for two months, I landed a cook's position in one of the local casinos in early October.

From the beginning, I knew that the casino was the wrong place to jumpstart a post-retirement career. With the physical demands of the job, low pay and work hours (swing shift with Wednesdays and Thursdays off), my search for the ideal retirement job didn't end there.

A particularly crazy weekend in the buffet last month sent me back to Craigslist.

Just when I was considering returning to budget work, I answered an ad for a chef's position in a Sacramento residential facility. I gave notice two weeks ago and worked my last shift last night at the casino.

After working in the buffet for 10 weeks, I started my new job this morning. Saturday night each of the casino's chefs -- from the executive chef to the three sous chefs on duty -- asked what day would be last. One-by-one, I said Sunday.

After the last chef asked the question late into the shift, I realized that I could've closed out my employment with the casino Saturday night. The tactic would've given me a day to rest before joining the Sacramento commute.

Of course, it would've been dishonest on my part. I made a commitment to the casino to work through Sunday in my resignation letter -- one which I honored.

My last shift in the casino went well. We were slammed all night, which is typical for a Sunday night. The crowds didn't break until around 8:15 p.m.

With normal hours (8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.), I should have more to say on 'Round the Chuckbox. Expect more culinary commentary and recipes soon.

Off to my summer camp job

I leave this morning for my summer camp job at Deer Crossing Summer Camp. The camp is a hour and one-half drive from my home. I meet the boat at Loon Lake in Eldorado National Forest at 1 p.m.

I'll try to keep blogging at my normal pace, about 15 posts per month. The camp has Internet access via satellite, so I'll have to gauge how often I can get on-line each week.

The camp website says that staff average about one and one-half hours per week on the Internet. I plan to write blogs out longhand in my notebook before posting them to 'Round the Chuckbox. This will save precious time.

My contract carries me through August 15. Hopefully, one or two photographs of me will appear on the camp's photo page as the summer progresses.

The first campers arrive on Sunday, June 21, after a 10-day staff training session. The camp features four (two-week) sessions. My assistant cook and I will feed between 50 and 60 staff and campers each day.

Camp cook job search on the Summer Camp Jobs website

The Summer Camp Jobs website gave me many of my initial leads for summer work. I found the website last summer while searching for websites that specialize in summer camp jobs.

As a basic website, Summer Camp Jobs doesn't feature any of the extended capabilities that other sites have. All you can do is to browse the listings. You can't post your resume, for instance, or expect a camp director to contact you through the website.

The nice thing about Summer Camp Jobs is that you the listings are segregated by the 50 U.S. states and 12 Canadian provinces. I checked the pages for California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington often.

After an initial burst of job listings in early winter, new postings to the California page dried up. I was still able to identify about one dozen Northern California camps that were looking for food service staff through the website.

I found the best strategy was to click over to the camp website once I located a potential employer. Camp websites often list their specific job openings, along with the camp philosophy and mission.

This is important because it's important to make sure that you and the camp are a good fit. Many camps look for employees who do more than punch the time clock. They want enthusiastic workers -- even in the kitchen -- who're excited about working at a summer camp.

Camp cook job search on the ACA website

I used four websites in my search for a summer camp job. These sites helped me locate camps, especially camps within my target area of Northern California. I also learned what camps were looking for a chef or head cook.

Although I didn't limit my job search to the four websites, I relied on these four sites:

1. American Camp Association
2. Christian Camp and Conference Association
3. SummerCampJobs.com
4. CampStaff.com

While three of the sites generated job leads, I included the first on the list because it provided much information over the past two years. Email job alerts from the American Camp Association Employment Center proved valuable in the 2007 and 2008. Although I wasn't looking for summer work at the time, the alerts gave me an idea the type of camps out there.

I initially posted my resume to the Employment Center during the week that I retired. After posting my employment objective and work experience in August, I went back over the next two or three weeks and refined my information and added additional information.

Unfortunately, the ACA Employment Center didn't generate and contacts for the 2009 summer camp season. The economy could be to blame as I saw several interesting job openings in 2007 and 2008. The first (and only to date) job alert didn't arrive in my inbox until the end of March.

I went to the site every week between December and March to search for food service jobs. Until mid-March, all advertised job were located east of the Mississippi River. As of today, a search for food service jobs only brought up 23 openings, with over two-thirds located in the East and Midwest.

I plan to use the search service next year when I start my search for the 2010 camp season. I may've selected an off year to use the ACA website.

However, if all goes well this summer, I won't need to search for a job next year. One of my goals this year was to locate a camp with which I could establish a long-term relationship.

Using summer camp websites

My new summer office at Loon Lake
Originally uploaded by SeabeeCook

This information might help anyone who's searching for a summer camp job. Camps are now making hiring decisions from the applications that they received earlier this year.

While it's too late to apply for many camp jobs, there are always camps that are still looking to fill positions. In past years, I've seen late-spring pleas from camp directors who desperately need to locate a camp chef. (Bookmark and follow the ACA Message Board for such late-breaking requests.)

It never hurts to contact camp directors and ask about openings. Even though the job market dries up as the calendar advances toward June, candidates do turn down job offers. Jobs remain open for a variety of reasons.

I used four websites that connect job hunters to prospective summer camp jobs. Although I found a number of similar websites, I found these four were the easiest to use.

These sites don't focus on any one job speciality or skill, like food services. Any potential staff member can use these sites. This includes camp director and leadership positions, counselors and unit staff, program specialsts, food service, maintenance and front office staff.

The websites are:

1. American Camp Association
2. Christian Camp and Conference Association
3. SummerCampJobs.com
4. CampStaff.com

In the coming week, I'll critique the four websites. Just note that my critique won't be all-inclusive since my job-search focused on one career path and only involved a limited number of camps.

Instead, it'll give you my thought on how to use these sites. I'm sure someone will be able to learn from my experience.

My summer job search continued

As I briefly announced on 'Round the Chuckbox Monday, I have secured a summer job at a camp in Eldorado National Forest. I couldn't have been more blessed in my job search, one that took much of my time this winter.

Although it's too early to reveal the camp's identity, it's among the handful of camps located within a two-hour driving distance from my Diamond Springs home. Of those nine or ten camps, I'm only aware of two that were looking for a chef for the 2009 season.

My search for a summer job stretches back to late 2006, when I signed up for summer and year-round job alerts from the American Camp Association. Looking ahead to my eventual retirement, I initially wanted to gauge the availability of summer jobs in the Western U.S. I learned the location of every camp near by home in the process.

My initial focus was toward summer jobs. I intend to continue my current off-season employment for the next two or three years. Ultimately, I'd like to secure a job as the chef for a year-round camp and conference facility.

I was prepared for an extended job search. Since this was my first experience in a segment of the food service industry that's much different from the experience listed on my resume, I didn't know what to expect.

I was prepared to convince potential employers how this chef would translate 30-plus years military and corrections experience into the camp setting. (We can talk more about this process if there's interest.)

The first thing I did after retiring in August was to post my resume on two camp staff websites. I used the ACA job search service and CampStaff.com. While I used other sites in my search, these two suited my needs because they offered periodic email job alerts. I was able to tailor my search to the six-state region where I was willing to work (California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington).

I learned long ago that you can't depend on the job finding you. You have to go to the job. In the seven months since my retirement, I only had two contacts from camp directors. The first came unsolicited from a camp direct in Wisconsin. He found my name on the ACA forums.

The other contact came from CampStaff.com. I have good reason to believe that the contact would've led to a summer job had I completed the application process. I didn't complete the process after my interview because I was offered the local job.

Although I don't have anything to compare my job-search experience to, I can say that you can't depend on resume boards. While a contact may lead to one or more interviews and a job, my experience shows that you have to be proactive in your job search. That means doing your own searches, emailing camp directors and submitting a well-prepared cover letter and resume, and filling out the application.

I continued my job search until I signed my contract early last week. In all, I submitted seven applications to five camps in Northern California and two out-of-state camps. It's interesting to note that it was the last three applications that resulted in interviews. Of those, I participated in two telephone interviews. I canceled the third because I had accepted the job.

Next time we meet, I'd like to talk about the four summer camp websites that I used to locate job leads. I can also address how I prepared myself for a change from large-volume feeding to the camp setting.

More to come ...

Top six culinary tools

I posed this question on the Christian Chefs Forum last Friday:

If you can only carry six culinary tools, what would they be? I'm looking for hand-held tools, not pots, pans, skillets, etc.

My thought was to canvas chefs who customarily carry the tools that they can't work without. These are chefs who have a lot of experience walking into poorly-equipped kitchens.

Like a carpenter who brings his own tools to the jobsite, these chefs compensate by carrying carefully selected tools that make the job easier. It's frustrating to walk in a kitchen -- especially one that you'll only use for one or two meals -- and find out that there are no tongs anywhere.

I have a personal motive for asking the question. Last week, I accepted a job at a summer camp. Since camp will be covered in snow until April or May, I can't run up and check out the kitchen. Even though the camp is located close to my home, I may not be able to do so until the day I report.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that the camp is located two miles from road's end. I have to be ready to carry the tools that I can't be without on my back.

Anything that I take must fit into a small boat (along with personal baggage, Bible and books, camera, etc.). I have to be ready to shuttle my gear into the camp over a two-mile long trail.

Here's my list:

1. Knives--I never leave home without my knife roll; it includes French, slicer, bread and boning knives plus a steel
2. Tongs--I use tongs for everything: pick up food, stir a saute or sweat or baste chicken breasts in a skillet
3. Dough cutter--Outside of tongs, this is the best all-around tool; I use it for scraping, cutting dough, picking up chopped vegetables, etc.; it can use as a spat in a pinch
4. Digital thermometer--A necessity; every chef should own one or more quality thermometers
5. Scoops or dishers--I love dishers and keep a bunch in my utensil drawer at home; essential sizes include #8, 12, 16, 24 and 30; they're good for portioning out meatballs or cookies and can be used to measure ingredients in a pinch
6. Whisk--I rarely find a decent whisks in kitchens

Three chefs responded to my inquiry. Ira and Tyrone both said he'd carry a chefs knife, steel, tongs, wooden spoon, thermometer and immersion blender. These are common items, many are on my list as well.

Bryguy's list was tailored to his cooking style. He included a French knife, vegetable peeler, pastry bag with star tip, spoon, whisk and food processor.

The immersion blender is a necessity if you make a lot of sauces and dishes with pureed ingredients. Even though I could consider it a nice-to-have tool, I probably won't need on this summer.

Tyrone suggested he'd carry a cutting board. That made sense because you want to protect your knives. What better way to do so than with a cutting board that fits your needs. For seven years I carried my heavy Boos block to FC Camp.

Since I drove and could back my truck to the kitchen weight wasn't an issue. I may not be able to take it this year. I suspect that the camp kitchen will have more than one cutting board.

What are your top six culinary tools? Please consider your list and report back by leaving a comment. I'd like to hear what others have to say.

A working job interview

By Tyrone

The ultimate job interview is one where the potential clients sample your work. In the case of Tyronne, the residents of the Xanadu Co-Op at Stanford University ate the product of his labor. It's a situation where the manager and clients can pass judgement on your work.

You see, Tyronne "interviewed" for the job of lunch and dinner chef last Wednesday. His account, re-printed below, describes his process and menu for the day.

Unfortunately, he was told today that the job was given to another chef. The good news is that he may have a second opportunity in September when the chef plans to leave the job.

My job interview/try-out went well today! I went in and just started working in the kitchen like I had always been there, checked in vendors and the laundry man, started prepping and cooking after getting oriented with the kitchen. Later in the day there were a few casual introductions then they left me to work.

Miguel the hasher was none committal about how I was doing, but by the afternoon he was hoping I would come back. I am not sure what the process exactly is, and who (or how many) have to decide and approve. But they told me I would know by the end of the week, then the guy said, "And hopefully it's good news too!"

He really had some questions for me later, and during lunch time I went out and talked to a few of the students in the house. I got compliments from the main guys I was in contact with and a few of the students who ventured their way past or through the kitchen. It was a good day.

I had a few problems that cost me some time, it had to do with the food order. So I just re-adjusted and put out good food anyway.

Lunch: Lemon-caper chicken, roasted artichokes with lemon-caper sauce (vegetarian option), grilled mixed veg (broccoli, red-yellow-orange peppers, red onion), Jasmine rice, and a fresh fruit mix (apples, kiwis, strawberries) with a yogurt-honey sauce and granola topping -- salad bar everyday too.

Dinner: Was going to do petite beef tender medallions (terse major), BUT the beef was chuck bottom round. so, I made a rub, seared it off, finished in the oven and sliced it thin like roast beef. To me that was the only guarantee I know the meat was going to taste great and not be tough to chew.

I then grilled portobella tops (ginger-balsamic) for vegetarian option, herb coated and baked small reds (potatoes), roasted beet salad (red and yellow) with roasted garlic vinaigrette topped with feta, and I made honey wheat rolls, and also jalapeno cheddar bread.

I got my meals out on time, 12 pm and 6 pm with a break between 12-2 pm, so you work 8 hours -- but I actually worked a little more during the lunch and dinner time after getting the meal out -- to finish some things up, but that's to be expected in a foreign kitchen first day.

Working small to medium camps

I'm most attracted to small to medium camps, those serving up to 200 campers and staff per meal. This gives me the opportunity to work with an intimate group of campers. You know everyone, and they quickly learn who you are.

I found after seven years as the chef for the Northern California FC Camp that you get to know many of the campers and counselors. It's encouraging to watch young campers enter the program as young fourth graders and leave eight years later mature Christian adults ready to face the challenges of living in the world.

Of course, the food is my reason for working at a camp. Small to medium camps give me an environment where I can easily tailor the menu to the likes and dislikes of the campers. It's always much easier to react to special dietary needs and special requests when you know the kids.

The aspect of a small camp that attracts me most is that I get a chance to keep my hand in all segments of the kitchen. Unlike large institutions, where you typically supervise one department or work through a team of chefs to produce the meal, you're the main cook (and chief bottle washer!).

A camp chef is much closer to the action. When you write the menu, you know what will work and what won't because you're the cook who'll cook all those dishes. Feedback is immediate.

A small dedicated staff of cooks and assistants gives me a chance to personally develop each person's talent and to mentor as he prepares for the next step in the kitchen. I can follow the daily progress of each person, partially because you're working in a moderately-size kitchen.

Since I love to teach, I can tailor a program for each cook and assistant, both based on their career needs and the needs of the camp. And my love for teaching also applies to the campers, especially when the topic is outdoor cooking.

I could go on, but will close for now. I have a lot more to say about my passion for camp cooking. I'll cover the outdoors, salary, living with reduced income and the need to be flexible in your job search in coming posts.

More to come ...

Summer job seach

I started a new phase in my career this week. After working for a large government agency for over 20 years, I retired at the end of August. I spent most of those years running large institutional kitchens for the State of California.

Since September, I've continued to work part-time for the agency that I've worked for the past three years. I have appreciated the opportunity to continue laboring away at my old desk and working with a talented crew of fiscal analysts in Sacramento. The job has kept the bill collectors away and kept me busy.

But my heart is in food service, not the tedious process of analyzing government spending plans. As I have said in my profile since 2005, it's been my goal to chef for a children's summer camp for many years.

I sent two applications to perspective employers this week. Although I won't reveal the identity of the camps, they're located in the Western U.S.

My initial though was to restrict my search to camps in Northern California. I was concerned about the distance from my Gold Country home to a site over a thousand miles away. I figured that there were enough camps close to home to make the process competitive for me.

I changed my perspective after I received an inquiry from an out-of-state camp administrator. He encouraged me to broaden my search. This camp, a Wisconsin camp that's been around for over six decades, has hired staff "from all over the U.S."

Here's his response to my email:

This past summer our kitchen manager was from (the Southwest). I understand the distance from California is considerable, but in addition to our competitive summer compensation, we do provide transportation. If this is something that you might be interested in exploring, I could set up a conversation with our camp director.

Ultimately, the camp re-hired last year's kitchen manager. But his correspondence encouraged me to expand my search to the west. One of the two applications went to a Rocky Mountain state.

I'll offer my thoughts on the process as it moves forward. As I said above, I'm not going to reveal the camps submit applications to, nor those that I secure interviews. I will discuss the process when it's appropriate, as long as I can conceal the camp's identity.

More to come ...

First day ...

For the record, today was my first full day of retirement. The weekend and holiday don't count.

There's not much to report: I woke up at 5 a.m., went back to sleep and got up at 6:45 (a.m., not p.m.).

And I didn't leave the house until afternoon.

Don't worry. I'm not going to report on my daily retirement activities! I don't have that much energy and don't want to run any readers off.

This retirement -- my second -- is not a stay-at-home-do-nothing affair where I never set foot inside a place of employment again.

Even if I could afford it, I wouldn't do so. I have too many projects to quit now. I'm sure church, the railroad and blogging will keep me busy for some time to come.

But I never see myself not working to some degree.

Retirement number two (the first was my Navy retirement in 1999) is more of a career change. After living in Excel spreadsheets for the past two and one-half years, I'm looking forward to a chance to return to my first career love.

For 35 years -- until early 2006 -- I labored in residential food service. My best memories come from 20 years feeding the U.S. Navy Seabees in Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 17 and the 3rd Naval Construction Brigade (hence, the Seabee Cook moniker).

My immediate goal is to return to my present job (you know, the spreadsheet job) on a part-time basis. That'll give me a few days and evenings each week to work at a local food service.

By next summer, I expect to be immersed in the world of menus, recipes and food production. Smiling faces, the shuffle of pots and pans and the smell of fresh bread is the world I was born into. It's time to return.

More to come ...

A time for cake ...

When I started my blog in 2005, I posted this profile:

For 37 years I've had two culinary careers -- one that paid the bills and the other imagined. Growing up in Fresno in the 1960s, I attended Camp San Joaquin in Sequoia National Forest. To me the cook and his assistant had the best job. Where else could I pursuit my passion for cooking and my love of the mountains at the same time, I reasoned? With retirement nearing, ambition may soon turn to gold, Lord willing.

Well, retirement from my day job arrives this Friday. I'm in line for a camp chef job for the 2009 summer camp season.

I'll keep you posted as I search for work the coming camp season. While I may be decades older than most who work these camps, I trust my 4 a.m. cinnamon rolls will put a smile on faces somewhere in Northern California.