Jan
Do you want to become a Chef or work in a successful restaurant’s kitchen…? Learn what it takes to become a successful chef in today’s fast paced restaurant industry through picking a successful Chef’s brain. I recently had an opportunity to interview one of Toronto’s most noted Chefs, his name is Peter McKnight.
Chef McKnight began his professional cooking career 14 years ago in Toronto in an extremely high volume Italian kitchen called Joe Badali’s. From there he moved on to The Royal York Hotel, A la Carte Kitchen, and Charlie Trotter’s. At only 21 Chef McKnight took position as Executive Chef at Wish Restaurant. Peter continues his personal devoted pursuit of excellence in cuisine. He most recently had joined Toronto’s Boba Bistro.
Here is how our interview went:
Peter, thank you for being with us for this interview. Before we get into restaurant talk tell us about the different things that you like to do when you are not working? Outside of Cooking I have written, recorded and co-produced two independently funded EPs, and have just completed my first full length record. I also enjoy painting, golf and boxing.
What do you personally like to eat when you’re not cooking it?I enjoy a variety of ethnic foods be it any where from Caribbean to Asian.
What do you personally dislike when you go out and dine? I cannot stomach poor service or pretense. In all utter honesty I can’t stand paying for something I could prepare much better myself.
What made you get into cooking, was it one thing or a series of events? My mother is and has always been a lousy cook. I think I began out of sheer frustration out of eating things that were of about the caliber of what early astronauts would have been eating. I began to cook for myself at 8 years old.
How would you describe the style that you like to cook in? I describe my food as simple food prepared well. In my opinion category in food is derived from ignorant food writers’ necessity to fill page space.
What do you try to accomplish with each dish? I personally aim to excite the palate and accentuate the true character of good seasonal ingredients.
I know that you knew a lot about and admired Gordon Ramsey a long time before he was all over the media with his many television productions. Who are your favorite chefs now and why? I am reluctant to say anything against anybody in print who has a lot more money than I do. However, a lot more people have seen him yell than seen him cook, which is a shame because he does have actual hands on ability which is a lot more than you can say for most on TV. Currently I respect people like Daniel Boulud, and Jacques Pepin, because their craft is mainly much more content driven than about ego. Ferran Adria is an immense talent, but titles like World’s Greatest Chef are about as hokey as world’s biggest d–k. If you as a Chef prepare something with love and passion and you have a diner who thoroughly enjoys it, that is really all that counts.
What challenges are there when you are trying to create, but there is this nasty business of making money and trying to not alienate the majority of your potential customers? I believe there will always be room for the honest business person in any capacity. However, there is not always the most entirely food savvy clientèle or owners. It is and will always remain the most challenging of businesses and professions in the world.
Have you seen kitchens gel with management before? If so, how did they accomplish this? If not, then what are your suggestions in order to make it happen? I have on a number of occasions, and I always draw parallels to sports it requires the key position players for the roles. Just as in basketball you do not have your shortest players in the center position. You do not have unreliable and unskilled people in key restaurant roles. The restaurant industry is a special one as it requires many skills and traits that don’t apply to other fields. The paying customer does not need to understand the eighteen thousand consequential problems that may arise in any restaurant employee’s life. Restaurants always require excellent employees performing tasks at excellent levels. Leadership by example is the only way.
What should managers understand before they try to ‘handle’ kitchen people? I do not fully understand the question, but I guess one piece of advice would be compassion, as high temperature tends to make the best of us irritable.
What are the key things that you look for when you are hiring kitchen assistants? Having worked at various levels in kitchens of various sizes the two primary things I need in assistants is a) an agreeable personality and b) a work ethic. The first simply because tasks can always be corrected and instructed, and kitchens tend to be confined spaces, it can compare to being locked in the trunk of a car with a rhinoceros when you work with someone who is difficult. Secondly work ethic is imperative as cooking is one the most demanding jobs there are, it is not for the lazy or weak.
At what point do you start firing staff? Or what are some of the things you’ve fired people for? At Wish, I tended to give everyone a fair chance as they deserved but I had no tolerance for a missed shift without good reason, or a gross case of incompetence. If you would not pay for anything you prepared, then you should not expect others to either.
I have seen you pump out beautiful creations in high volumes, what are some secret tips to accomplish this as far as thinking and skill required? I never chalk things up to a secret. It is a result of rigorous training and training to maintain an uncompromisable standard. The second customer is paying the same as the third and so on… you have to maintain that type of thought process. In line cooking stamina and adrenaline are key components to success.
Have you seen any traits that stand out of successful Chefs? In all the Chefs or artists that I admire- the one constant has to be integrity. I believe I cook because I love to cook. If you hate what you do how well can you be expected to do it?
Thank you so much Chef Peter for your time and insight. I am looking forward to your next Live Symtones’ Event or Chef’s Table.