I worked in several different restaurants in my younger days. I didn’t set the world on fire or anything - it was a series of part-time line cook jobs during high school and post-secondary. I never had designs on being a chef or food celebrity, but the work was high-energy and fun, and I learned a lot from it.

Some of what I learned I’ve since brought home with me and found useful, included the following:

  • Saying ‘behind’ when you go behind someone, letting them know you are there so they don’t bump into you.
  • Always wear an apron when you’re cooking - you will spill stuff, and you might as well keep your clothes clean.
  • Consider buying a chef’s coat, especially if you do a lot of deep-frying or baking, as having your arms covered is a great safety measure when working with hot oil or reaching into hot ovens.
  • If someone else is doing the dishes, call out “sharps” when you put knives (or anything sharp) into the sink to be washed.
  • Use kitchen towels. At my place we have a stack of about 10 or so old tea towels and we use them for everything from drying just-washed vegetables to clearing off cutting boards to wrapping up heads of lettuce.
  • Try ordering kitchen supplies and cooking implements from a commercial supplier, as the prices are often better and the quality is quite good.