Heard a line cook say they never taste the food before it goes out

I was at a friend's place in Portland last week, and their new hire said, 'If the recipe says it's right, it's right.' That stuck with me. It made me realize how easy it is to get stuck just following steps without checking the final product. How do you make sure your team is actually tasting and adjusting, not just going through the motions?

4 comments

4 Comments

wells.evan1mo ago

My old roommate was a line cook who said the same thing. Honestly, it's a huge red flag for any kitchen. You gotta taste everything because ingredients change daily.

skyler_johnson321mo ago

Totally agree with @wells.evan, tasted a bad batch once (never again).

carr.luna6d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, did you used to NOT taste things as you cooked? Because I was totally that person until about a year ago. My mom never did it so I thought it was just an unnecessary extra step. Then I made a pot of chili that ended up being basically inedible because I used way too much cumin, and I had to dump the whole thing. That was the moment I finally got it - now I taste everything, even plain rice before I serve it.

kimr911mo ago

Trust nothing blindly. @wells.evan is right about ingredients changing. A tomato in July is not the same as one in December. That recipe is a guide, not a law. You can't just trust the paper. What if the stock is saltier today? What if the lemons are weak? The cook who doesn't taste is just guessing, and they're always going to be wrong sometimes.