max388•19h ago

Had a chat with a line cook at a dive bar that made me question my whole approach to prep

I was grabbing a beer after service last Thursday and this kid, maybe 22, told me he spends the first 30 minutes of his shift just tasting every ingredient he's going to use that night. He said if you don't know exactly how your shallots or your stock tastes that day, you're just guessing. It hit me different because I've been cooking 15 years and I just grab and go without thinking. Has anyone else tried doing a full taste audit before service and found it actually helped?

2 comments

2 Comments

josephf1017h ago

Tbh I always thought that kind of thing was just for people who hadn't been doing this long enough to trust their instincts. But honestly, yeah, that kid's got a point. Even after all these years I'm just grabbing shit and hoping for the best half the time.

the_jenny16h ago

Ngl, I was the same way until I read that post and realized I've been winging it too.