Restaurant to Myself

Every other Monday I clean the kitchen in the restaurant where I buss tables the rest of the week. I've been told by the manager that I'm free to cook and use what I want for myself. I've been cooking more and more this past year but I'm still an amateur. I have available to me a good sized fryer, grill, and stoves. What is something I should practice making for myself? Last Monday I made chicken tenders that I cooked perfectly second time around. Also, I'm Mexican so most of the food I've taught myself to cook is tacos and other basic Mexican dishes. So what do I cook?

well the answer is "literally anything", but since you lack free thought I'll tell you to cook fish and chips

Cook things from the restaurant's menu. He's obviously trying to give you the chance to move up. Even if he's not, show fucking initiative and get good at the menu so one day when someone takes off you can say, "I can fill in on prep," or whatever. You may be able to stop bussing tables then.

Just looking for something other than Mexican food m8. I'm making the brine for my peppers as well. Should I start making steaks or some shit? Looking to find work as a prep cook here in Sedona

Whatever you make make a lot of it so you can take it home.

>So what do I cook?

I always found that question puzzling because it's so subjective. It's like asking someone else what music you should listen to or what movie you should watch.

Surely you have a favorite dish? Or something you like to get when you eat out? Why not learn to make that?

I'm not trying to be a dick here, I'm just wondering how we're supposed to suggest things when we have no idea what foods you like.

I do want to find work in a kitchen but not here. The food is all very similar, tortilla, meat, salsa, lettuce and tomato. Nothing wrong with that but I want to move onto more American dishes as that is what interests me. Also I'm really great at bussing, it's really fun for me for some reason. I work four hour shifts and go home with 40-80 on top of hourly which isn't bad.

Took like five tendies for my sister last time, saves money.
I see how that could be an obscure question. I guess I like Italian food a lot. What is something basic that I should start making to get a foot in Italian food?

Do you have access to pasta?
If so start learning how to make something like carbonara if you're into pork and eggs
Learn how to properly emulator liquids and butter on a sautee pan with noodles and just blast of from there if carbonara is not your style

Sounds good they have dough there but for sopapillas. I'll try my hand at making fresh pasta Monday.

Start working on alfredo sauces. Lightly fry brunoised shallots and minced garlic in butter until done (2 minutes) heat heavy cream until thick, turn off heat and add parmesan cheese.
Make it a million times, trying different techniques and ingredients

I meant to spell emulsify instead of emulator sorry

Thank you

Try different cuisines from around the world to get the idea of techniques and flavour combos. Here my recipe for Bigos (polish hunters stew)

Bigos

As many pork cuts as possible, as well as some chicken, beef, veal or most meat, but aim for minimum 50% pork. Go for 1kg of edible meat but it is worth using very fatty cuts as they will add flavour and fry better
1 kilo of cabbage Pickled with allspice and cumin
One kilo mushrooms, I use ceps, boletes, and shittakes
Half kilo onions
Bulb garlic
Handful of marjoram, thyme, caraway, black pepper, paprika

Dice the meat and mushrooms if fresh, slice the onion thinly.
Brown the meat in lard on a high heat, add the mushies and onions and colour them
Simmer the mushies separately if dried
Crush your herbs and spices and put on low heat in dry pan to release aroma and taste
Add all to a large pot of water sufficient to cover all on a rolling boil, reduce to simmer
Cover and simmer for as long as you can allow, min 6h but as long as 30
Serve with buckwheat, rice, or similar (and a wee zubrowka)

Pro tips
Use the fattiest cuts in the kitchen, and as many different ones as possible
Chilled or even frozen meat will sear better if you use high enough heat
If the pickled abbage is very sour, sub some with fresh
Not all the herbs and spices are necessary, sub or remove to taste. This is just my take on what I was taught
If you have the time you can marinate the meat, but is only really necessary for very tough cuts
Cook partially before chilling and finish later. Actually improves flavour massively

>sedona
How about a scorpion ft a side of rocks and a glass of nothing, desert dweller

Never heard of a manager letting the overnight cleaning guy use the equipment or food. it all gets shut off, and the food is locked in the fridge.

Manager used to work Mondays and told me I'm free to cook for myself. I've worked in three restaurants and have never seen a lock on a fridge, or shut off the gas. The owner works around the restaurant on Mondays building the bar. Sedona is gr8 m8. Lots of work thanks to tourism, winters are beautiful. Lots of white girls, I've never seen white girls this pretty when I was in Phoenix.

Italian food - so try Spaghetti Carbonara and Spaghetti Puttanesca. Those are made in minutes, but a proper sauce Bolognese needs to simmer an hour or better three.

>So what do I cook?
practice menu items and gun for a promotion.

protip: you'll never be ready for your first service no matter how well you know the individual dishes. first you burn, then you learn.

BUILD WALL
STAY AWAY FROM OUR WOMEN

other than that, if you want to learn how to cook I'd try stuff that demands a lot of different techniques - making a roux sauce, for instance, or something that needs a lot of cutting to improve your knife skills, or high heat searing/stir frying.

One of my favourite dishes from my childhood is mustard eggs in sauce.

6 eggs
1/2l milk
1/2l stock
50-55g flour
50-55g butter
mustard
vinegar
salt
white pepper

Make a roux with the flour and butter, slowly add water and milk, while stirring vogorously all the time. if you do it slowly and gradually enough there will be no lumps. Let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes to get rid of the mealy taste. Then season with mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper, to taste. Be very generous with the mustard, it tends to lose a lot of hotness in the sauce. Then crack the eggs into the sauce and let them solidify, like poaching. Serve with boiled potatoes.

I actually like Trump. He wants to do to Mexico what Mexico does to Guatemala which is fucked up. I really think everything is set up to make money somehow. It's ridiculously easy to get through the border with no papers

I was thinking of making a simple gumbo actually. I used to work at a southern food restaurant and holy shit is gumbo good

Good, you seem like a smart bean

>gumbo
It takes a really long time to do it right, though.