Cook

About the role

This position is located in the Nutrition and Food Service of a VA Medical Center. Nutrition and Food Services is responsible for providing meals and nutritional care to Veteran patients at the Medical Center. The primary purpose of the Cook, WG 6, is to prepare nutritious, high quality meals for service to the Veterans. The position has a sequence of steps that require attention to work operations, sanitation and safety; work assignments may require knowledge and judgment.

Responsibilities

• Works independently to prepare and cook a variety of items including regular and therapeutic diet (diabetic, low sodium, low protein, gluten free, etc.) entrees and dessert items.
• Follows menus, production sheets and recipes to prepare items in the quantity needed.
• Cooks hot cereals, concentrated or dehydrated soups, sauces, gravies.
• Grills eggs, hamburgers, meat patties, pancakes, French toast; makes cold sandwich fillings and assembles a variety of sandwiches.
• Uses a variety of methods to prepare meats, fish, and poultry including broiling, roasting, baking, frying, boiling, steaming, stewing, braising, and grilling.
• Slices meat items by hand confirming to specific size requirements or weight specifications.
• Prepares and heats convenience items; prepares pureed foods and adjusts consistency with thickeners.
• Washes, peels and cuts fruits and vegetables by hand or machine. Assembles and mixes salad ingredients and dessert items including gelatin molds and fruit crisps.
• Plans cooking processes to produce complete meals on time and at the proper temperature which may require coordination of cooking several items with different cooking times.
• Attractively presents and garnishes food.
• Makes a variety of desserts such as cobblers, brownies, cookies and pastries.
• Weighs, measures, assembles ingredients for regular and modified diets.
• Combines ingredients according to recipes to produce quality food items, minimizing preparation time and food waste.
• Pans foods for bulk rethermalization according to recipe guidelines and production guidelines.
• Covers, dates, and stores leftovers according to established local policies/procedures.
• Operates a variety of kitchen equipment: oven, combine oven/steamer, grill, slicer, mixer, steam kettles, blender, food processor, scale; follows safety procedures regarding the operation of equipment.

Physical Requirements

• Continuous standing, walking, frequent bending, reaching, pushing, and pulling.
• Lifts or moves objects weighing up to 40 lbs. unassisted and occasionally lifts or moves objects weighing more than 40 lbs. with assistance of a lifting device or other workers.
• Manual dexterity to operate equipment and to handle sharp knives and blades safely.
• Eye-hand coordination and the ability to concentrate and react quickly to serve food and operate equipment.

Working Conditions

• Performs work in areas of temperature extremes.
• Work is carried out in kitchen/dish room areas that are often hot, uncomfortable, and noisy.
• Environment includes exposure to extreme cold while working in walk-in refrigerators and freezers for extended periods of time to complete duties.
• Works with other cooks, food service workers, and supervisors.
• Exposed to stems, cooking odors, and noise from equipment and conversation.
• Subject to hazards of cuts, bruises, strains, burns and falls in kitchen equipment.

Qualifications

• To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• The ability to perform as a Cook without more than normal supervision.
• Experience in a quantity food service healthcare environment, independently performing the following duties:
• Independently preparing and cooking a variety of items including regular and therapeutic diet (diabetic, low sodium, low protein, gluten free, etc.) entrees and dessert items,
• Planning cooking processes to produce meals on time and at the proper temperature which may require coordination of cooking several items with different cooking times;
• Portioning and serving food into standard service sizes;
• Roasting, broiling, baking, frying, boiling, steaming, and stewing meats, fish, and poultry;
• Preparing soups, stocks, broths, gravies, sauces, and puddings without the use of packaged mixes;
• Adjusting standardized recipes for the number of servings required in large quantity cooking;
• Slicing meat items by hand conforming to a specific size requirement or weight specification;
• Maintaining proper temperature for all foods during holding, transport, reheating, and serving to assure quality control and food safety.