A Cook , or Line Cook, is responsible for preparing ingredients at an establishment that serves food, processing customer orders, producing meals and cleaning their workspace throughout the day to follow health and safety guidelines. Cooks follow recipes consistently, make adjustments based on customer requests, communicate with wait staff and prepare garnishes to make an attractive presentation for each meal.
A Cook should be able to fulfill various duties and responsibilities. The following are some duties and responsibilities a Cook should be able to execute:
- Ensure ingredients and final products are fresh
- Follow recipes, including measuring, weighing and mixing ingredients
- Bake, grill, steam and boil meats, vegetables, fish, poultry and other foods
- Present, garnish and arrange final dishes
- Occasionally serve food
- Maintain a clean and safe work area, including handling utensils, equipment and dishes
A competitive Cook will have certain skills and qualifications, including:
- Knowledge of safety procedures, including safe temperatures at which ingredients must be kept and to which food must be prepared to avoid foodborne illness
- Ability to work as part of a team, collaborating on complex dishes
- Interpersonal skills to interact with a variety of other people, such as waitstaff, dishwashers, management and sometimes customers
- Calm demeanor to work in a high-stress, fast-paced environment
- Accountability for the dishes they prepare measuring up to the expectations of management and customers alike
- Comprehension and organization to follow direct orders and recipes and to correctly prepare dishes to the standards of the restaurant
