Chef

Cook's Duties
Restaurant cooks work long hours in an often hot and hectic environment. Cooks' duties can vary with their position in the kitchen. A line cook works the service line, cooking andplating the meals. A prep cook chops, minces, grates, dices and often makes the roasts, casseroles and soups. Plenty of overlap exists between the two positions, and in smaller restaurants and cafes, linecooks and prep cooks are often synonymous with one another.

Work
* Preparation of the food, or "prep work," is one of the primary duties in the kitchen. Prep work includes cracking eggs,peeling potatoes and carrots, chopping onions and celery, and slicing tomatoes. Cooks also process meats by slicing, marinating, seasoning or, especially with small game and fish, butchering and cleaning.Cooks also put together casseroles, make soups, roast meats, prepare sauces and assemble portions of certain foods in anticipation of the next meal.
Food Storage
* Cooks are required to put awaythe food order once it is delivered and the chef has approved the contents. Cooks must store food properly by rotating stock so ingredients aren't left on the back of shelves until they get stale,keeping raw meats away from other foods and storing foods off the floor. Cooks often take inventory for the kitchen manager or head chef and keep the walk-in refrigerator and dry storage area clean andwell-organized.
Cooking
* A proficient cook performs several cooking methods including poaching, braising, roasting, grilling, sautéing, broiling, deep-frying and baking. Cooks must keep foodwaste down and use all equipment and cookware efficiently and with minimal damage. Other duties, especially in the case of line cooks, are to stock and restock their stations as needed. Cooks alsoconstantly monitor the temperatures of the foods they are cooking in keeping with health standards and maintaining consistent portion control.
Cleaning
* All cooks clean constantly to maintain the...