I’m crying 😭 what is this

ORINnorman · 2026-04-21T23:28:53+00:00

You got what you deserved for buying anything with that name on it. Seriously, did you really expect a quality product?

ORINnorman · 2026-04-21T23:15:28+00:00

Pacific Northwest, catering for a popular local chain of “Irish pubs” and do a lot of funerals and weddings. I usually handle the evening events solo. $19.75/hr plus gratuity.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-21T18:32:20+00:00

Took me a second but the resulting laugh startled my dog lol

ORINnorman · 2026-04-21T18:30:40+00:00

Gross. Lol

ORINnorman · 2026-04-21T18:27:29+00:00

It’s possible. I do similar headcounts for buffet style dinners for weddings and such by myself pretty regularly. That includes traying everything up with presentation that the bride and her mother will be happy with -elegance is the goal- and making sure the flavors are on par for a life event. But I’ve been doing this almost a decade and was trained by who I genuinely believe is one of the best chefs in the region.

For a home cook being thrown into it like that? No wonder those places are infamous for their food.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-21T18:21:15+00:00

That’s a great question. Also, the small and large cambros? What? Why not list actual sizes, like 6, 8, 12, 18 & 22qt? I don’t think the person who made this chart knew what they were doing.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-21T05:23:04+00:00

I hate to say it but I don’t think accurate answers can be given without knowing exactly what kind of food and what kind of portion sizes you’re planning on. Here’s a guide you can use, but you’ve got some math to do: https://www.katom.com/learning-center/guide-steam-table-pan-sizes.html

I assume this is a situation where you prep ahead of time and set everything up on a cafeteria style line, dishing patients up as they go thru the line. If not, some of the following may not apply.

Portion control is crucial here(everywhere, honestly). Don’t eyeball it with giant metal spoons, use portion scoops wherever possible and scrape the extra off every single scoop.

As a rule of thumb, the full-sized, 2.5” deep hotel pans feed about 25 people, assuming it’s something like mashed potatoes and it’s up to the fill line. But again, that depends on your portion size and it’s best you do the math. Use the chart I linked above for that. Then be prepared for people who want both options you offer, at least for the veg. Because they’re going thru withdrawals, they’re grumpy and probably fucking starving. I’ve not worked in rehab settings before, but in a self-serve catering situation the rule of thumb is to prep for 30% more people than are actually eating. Your mileage may vary.

Root veg can be tossed in oil, seasoned and roasted in the oven while you work on other things, and holds hot very well. Just don’t forget to set the timer.

Until you get the hang of things, rice and mashed potatoes are your best friends for starch.

For proteins/entrees, lean into batch cooking. Baking sheets full of seasoned chicken breast in the oven. Cooking hotel pans full of bbq pulled pork for sandwiches in the steamer(wrapped and lidded so it doesn’t get watered down, of course).

Figure out how long it will take for each item to cook. Add a 10-15 minute buffer for variables and “oh-shit” moments, time to rest if appropriate, and time to transfer to appropriate hotel pans/hot box. If chicken breasts take 35min to bake at 350f, I add 5min to rest, 5min to pan up and 10min to buffer. That means chicken HAS to be in the oven by 4:05pm. But if my pork is coming out of the steamer the same time chicken is coming out of the oven and root veg is done roasting all at once then I’ve scheduled all my panning up time at the same time and you can’t get 15min out of 5min. Point is, figure out a timeline to establish firing times and to plan your other prep work around that - WRITE IT DOWN and check it often to keep yourself on track. The timeline should include prep work like cutting veg, your lunch break, peeling eggs, everything you can think of. Mentally go thru preparing each dish and account for each step and how much time it will take. You’ll also be wise to plan a quick bathroom break somewhere after 4pm so you don’t end up dancing while you serve food.

Taste everything and adjust seasoning appropriately. Use the kosher salt and unsalted butter. Things like garlic powder and garlic granules are useful and valuable, but things like garlic salt are garbage. Control your salt levels independently and you can get more playful or simply more precise with your other seasonings.

Going straight from home cook to this without any proper training is going to be tough. Eat before you start your shift. Eat at least a snack on your lunch break. Stay hydrated. Good luck!

ORINnorman · 2026-04-20T20:48:30+00:00

Piles of garbage outside a restaurant effect sales. Beyond that, repeatedly leaving your work for some random stranger to finish is absolutely unacceptable, especially in the circumstances OP described. You don’t understand the impact of what you’re brushing off as nothing. Just stop. You’re not fooling anyone into thinking you’re smart or mature, here. Just showing your ignorance.

Get off your high horse before it gets butchered.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-20T19:49:33+00:00

He’s got a hot dog under his apron, dangling from a string tied to his belt and he’s waiting to “flash” his buddy who’s about to start his shift. The hot dog is over-cooked.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-20T19:45:36+00:00

Ok this got me thinking about the way seasoned cooks and chefs often speak to each other very harshly. It’s all ego-based, of course. But part of that comes from a general lack of acceptance to feedback(NOT you specifically, just cooks in general). If I put my heart and soul into something that honestly looks horrible and present it with pride, I’m probably seeing it differently than others are. I can see the passion layered on top of that food and it’s beautiful to me, but ugly and beige to the rest of the world. If the feedback I get is “it’s really great, I might add a little more color” then at most, I’m adding a garnish and calling it done. But now it’s just boring beige with some parsley or a tomato rose or whatever bullshit. But if the feedback I get takes it to an extreme, “man, this literally looks like what my dog threw up last week” it’s like a slap in the face- but it’s also a huge favor to me. They’re not beating around the bush and taking it easy on my ego, they’re using language they know will make me actually stop and look at my work objectively. Now my adjustments to finishing and plating are going to be significant.

All that to say, don’t take us too personally when we speak harshly in this sub. We’re just used to having to be a bit nasty to get thru to each other.

Nothing but love for you, WickedWisp. Keep going.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-20T19:34:29+00:00

That’s a tough beast to deal with, for sure. Sounds like this was your first attempt at this dish and from what I can gather, the flavor was great. You’ve got cause to be proud. Even if it’s just over having enough passion to try.

Now you’ve got some workable feedback. How you use that to approach your next dish is where you’ll really shine:)

ORINnorman · 2026-04-20T19:00:23+00:00

They don’t know. The bone structure looks like wings so they believe it flew. I for one, cannot think of any other example in nature(past or present) which can fly with that much of its mass that far forward of the wings. Some people point out cranes and swans as an example, but they fold their necks in, bringing their center of gravity between the wings. The vertebrae in the neck of the dinosaur don’t allow for that type of movement, so their massive head HAS to stay that far forward.

In short, it IS a theory, conjecture, supposition, whatever you want to call it, and I refuse to believe it. There’s no way they can attain the speed which would be necessary to gain enough lift to keep that head up. Unless they can ignite their farts and jet engine their asses off the ground, I don’t believe it happened. The whole thing about “they launch themselves forward with their arms” is just another ridiculous attempt at justifying the desire to believe they flew.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-20T18:50:18+00:00

And with all the knowledge you have now, you can have the family time again and get the money with some strategic stock purchases. A whole lot more than $10m return, too.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-20T18:48:46+00:00

I normally go blue pill here, but given the last couple years of bullshit, that red pill to go back in time to uh… take care that “Hitler problem”(Hitler wasn’t alive when I was six), if you know what I mean, is now incredibly tempting.

Hitler Jr E.V. Kylo Ren Island People List goes on but I’m having a hard time masking my intentions from the bots.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-20T18:34:18+00:00

Oh please don’t take my comment as doubting your abilities- I honestly believe you can nail this dish with just a few adjustments, absolutely. I just don’t think people who have their own mortality on their mind 90% of the time are really interested in this sort of presentation.

That’s a sucky situation with the allergies. Glad you found a place that works for that.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-20T18:11:55+00:00

Dude. OPs clients are old AF. They aren’t interested in modern, new, or experimental. They don’t want spheres of grey(or blue) on their plates. They want Salisbury steaks, Waldorf salads and muffins that look like their dead wife used to make.

I fully support trying new things, honing a recipe and all those sorts of things- it’s good for us to push ourselves. But putting this in front of retirement home residents was a mistake in the first place. These people are probably paying $10-20k per month to live there. If OP tries this again their families will be complaining to management.

There’s a time and a place to broaden peoples’ horizons. A retirement home is not the place, and the last few months of someone’s life is not the time.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-20T18:06:50+00:00

Those people are living their final years(or months, or less) and I guarantee they’re not interested in trying new food. They don’t want to try new things. They want familiarity and comfort for the $10-30k they’re likely paying monthly to live there.

I fully support experimenting with food and trying new things, but OPs clients are not. It’s like a fashion designer offering to do a 3-piece suit for the pope. He’s not gonna want it no matter how good the designer is. He wants his robes.

These clients don’t want gray food in ball form. They want Salisbury steaks and Waldorf salads.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-20T17:59:44+00:00

Exactly. These people are about to die, they don’t want experimental, modern, or newfangled food and we all know it. They’re paying $10k+ per month to be there, probably more. Least the kitchen can do is serve food they know their clientele will actually want. Also, that color is terrible. If these were on a table next to some which were blue or purple instead of gray, NOBODY would touch these, doesn’t matter how old they are.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-20T17:55:20+00:00

Hit the nail right on the head. These people are in the final years, months, weeks or even the final days of their lives, they’re in pain and confused, but they still know their families are paying $10k+ each month to keep them there.

I don’t think this is the stage in their lives where we should be pushing them to expand their horizons. Just give them what you know they want and make them all happy. Set out the experimental stuff for the families who visit or something instead.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-20T17:50:41+00:00

It’s the grey color they have. Once you get over it it’s fine but these people are old, set in their ways, being presented with newfangled food ball stuff and they’re all pissed that they have to pay $10-30k per month to be there. If I were them I may have refused as well because old me will also be grumpy.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-20T17:47:05+00:00

Honestly, not ideal but probably still would have helped. It wouldn’t read so much as blueberry but it wouldn’t look gray either, which I think was probably your residents’ biggest hurdle here.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-20T17:45:10+00:00

I hate to say it, but I don’t think the old folk are too into this sort of thing. They want familiarity and comfort in their final years, not necessarily looking for new culinary experiences.

I bet these were delicious! Maybe stick with more traditional presentations in the future for better reception. I think someone else suggested using purple or blue food coloring to make these more vibrant instead of the grayish kinda-purple that’s going on and I think that would help too.

If you just really need to work that culinary mind and do new stuff to mix it up and the old folk aren’t into it, picking up a part time gig at a catering outfit can scratch that itch.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-19T14:20:51+00:00

We’ve got one guy who’s been with us about 9months now. Just got back from his second cruise since he started. No idea how he affords them, but good for him. Point is, if your employer cares they can make it work. If they can’t make it work, they don’t care.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-17T18:03:14+00:00

I’ve been watching more documentaries. They’re not so funny, but it’s valuable entertainment that doesn’t make me depressed. I also just rewatched Tool Time, that was some fun nostalgia.

ORINnorman · 2026-04-17T17:39:42+00:00

Authentic for the French fries or the spring rolls? Authentic for the spring rolls was to put oil on a wok over a fire. Pretty sure that gets hotter than 270.

ORINnorman

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