Kitchen

Even though it is mid-July, it is technically only the second week of camp. It is the second week of camp and my cook is already driving me crazy! I was fully prepared for this when I hired her. She was honest about not being ready to be a head cook but I was desperate.

I've had a great cook for two years who knew everything about menus, ordering and food prep. I didn't need to know anything and so I don't know anything. The cook 3 years ago knew very little when he started, but he managed and the cook before him had been here for 15 years and knew everything.

Because I've been so hands off, the kitchen is the place at camp that causes me the most anxiety because I can't just step in and take over if necessary.

Perhaps this year is a blessing in disguise because I am learning everything you need to know and from now on, I won't ever be anxious again.

At the beginning of the summer, I created 3 weekly menus. It wasn't that difficult once I started- I looked at some school menus online and thought about all the meals we've had at camp. I worked hard to add variety so that we didn't have something with chicken or pasta or on a bun for both lunch and dinner. My best friend X proofread the menus and helped move meals around so that each day and each week had variety.

It turns out that the food company that we order everything from is VERY helpful in quantities, so Cook Z has been working closely with the food rep to plan for the week.

Camp Administrator A is good with math and also with details, so she worked on breaking down our budget to calculate how much each meal costs and then worked with Cook Z and the food rep to find the most cost effective foods to order.

We should be in great shape except that despite all of this, Cook Z is not good with detail, forgets things, gets SUPER anxious about EVERYTHING, can't manage her time and doesn't seem to have the "with-it" quality that competent people have to learn something and then use it.


'A' is picking up the slack and doing a lot of work with ordering. Assistant Cook V is SUPER competent, calm, easy going and is picking up MOST of the slack by doing all of the prep work, keeping Z calm and really doing most of the work. I don't want to fire Z because it will leave just V alone, so I am hoping that Z can calm down and get into the swing of things in the next few weeks. All of the meals have been on time, kids have had enough to eat and they are enjoying the meals, so I can't complain. I'm giving her some time- it is only the second week after all.