Cook - Full Time

Position Summary

A cook assumes a pivotal role in enhancing the dining experience for residents, contributing to a positive atmosphere by consistently providing nutritious and expertly-prepared meals within a secure and inviting environment. Operating under the overall supervision of the Sous Chef, the cook is tasked with daily food preparation, serving, and presentation, aligning with daily requirements, catering events, and weekly menu specifications. This role adheres strictly to established procedures, guidelines, and recipes.

Essential Functions

• Monitor all food products and plates put out of the kitchens including the salad bar and catered functions to ensure food preparation, appearance, quality and presentation meets La Posada and professional standards and have an appealing appearance and is delivered on a timely basis.
• Ensures the presentation and flavors of all cooked items meets or exceeds La Posada standards.
• Reads daily menus to ensure cooking times are coordinated for timely preparation of all food products.
• Washes, cuts and prepares food for cooking.
• Cooks a large variety of foods; prepares salads and other food items.
• Records food inventory controls.
• Safeguards leftovers and ensures the kitchen is ready for the next meal.
• Verifies food is cooked satisfactorily in both quality and quantity prepared.
• Aids in establishing new items and menus.
• Makes measurements and mixes ingredients to form entrees and dishes, following recipes.
• Monitors and adjusts the cooking or baking process to ensure needed adjustments are made.
• Tests cooked or baked goods by taste, quality and smell.
• Uses a variety of kitchen tools, including ovens, stoves, grills and cutting tools.
• Operates, cleans, sanitizes, and maintains kitchen equipment used in cooking production.
• Maintains work and storage areas including but not limited to walls, ceilings, floors, and other structures.
• Maintains written records of usage and inventory and production as required.
• Maintains various log books as necessary.
• Maintains food costs.
• Aids in product transportation and distribution as directed and required.
• Maintains safety guidelines in regard to food and physical safety.
• May develop new recipes.
• Attends weekly departmental staff meetings and other related meetings and in-services as required.
• Responds to general questions from staff and residents.
• Provides stellar customer service that meets or exceeds the expectations of external and internal customers.
• Responds to emergencies providing help requested.
• Ensures compliance with all applicable policies, procedures and regulations.
• Participates in additional duties as assigned by the Supervisor, aligned with qualifications and can be reasonably expected to be completed with minimal orientation.

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Competencies

• Knowledge of food safety/sanitation standards.
• Knowledge of high quality production cooking in a high volume restaurant setting.
• Experience with the Ability to organize and prioritize own work schedule on short-term basis.
• Ability to make appropriate decisions given the situation to meet production standards.
• Ability to organize, prioritize and complete multiple tasks.
• Ability to apply attention and focus to assigned tasks.
• Experience of the proper operations of commercial kitchen equipment utilized in a cooking operation.
• Good oral and written communication skills and the ability to establish and maintain effective work and customer relationships.
• Highly organized with an attention to details, ability to multi-task.
• Speaks, reads and writes Basic English.
• A valid State Motor Vehicle Drivers License.
• Proper operation of commercial kitchen equipment utilized in a cooking operation.
• ServSafe food safety certified or ability to obtain certification.
• Ability to follow written recipes in English as well as writing reports and measuring inventory use.
• Current knowledge of safety and sanitation regulations.
• Ability to understand, remember, and apply oral and/or written instructions or other information.
• Ability to understand, remember, and communicate clearly and in a timely manner routine, factual information.

Skills And Abilities

• One-year experience in production cooking in a high-volume restaurant setting as a full-service Cook or equivalent knowledge and experience.
• Knowledge of proper operations of commercial kitchen equipment utilized in a cooking operation.