Sur La Table
Pentagon Row
CULINARY CONNECTIONS
PROGRAM
KIT
Welcome to Sur La Table!
Welcome to Sur La Table’s
Kitchen Assistants are primarily responsible for classroom set-up, preparing the mise en place for each recipe, serving and clearing plates for students, and post class clean-up (including dish washing, wiping down all appliances and counter tops, or preparing the classroom for the following class). An average work shift is approximately 5 hours, and there are usually between 2 and 4 Kitchen Assistants working each class. Kitchen Assistants work under the direction of the Culinary Program Coordinator, Assistant Coordinator, or the Sur La Table employee who is supervising the class for which they are working.
When you become a Kitchen Assistant you will receive the following benefits:
§ A copy of the class recipes
§ A one-time 10% merchandise discount coupon good for two weeks after the class
§ Free cooking classes
§ Gift certificates for Sur La Table merchandise
§ Face-to-face time with the chef before and after class
§ Learn all the tricks of the trade as you watch and work with local and traveling chefs and published cookbook authors
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to become a
Kitchen Assistant in our
How Does the
For every class you work, you earn 1 point. After you have earned 5 points, you can redeem your points for a free class, valued up to $75.00. If a class costs more than $75.00, all you do is pay the remaining balance. Points earned in any catalog must be used in the current catalog or up to two catalogs after. In other words, you cannot take free classes using points that have not been earned within the last two catalogs.
After you have earned 20 points, you will receive a $50.00 gift card from the store! Points towards the $50.00 gift card are cumulative forever. We have assistants that have worked over 80 classes and have earned up to $200.00 in gift cards!
In addition, your points can be transferred to a friend or family member. For instance, you can sign up your friend for a free class using the points you earned. However, if you leave the program, your points are not transferable.
Recently, we have added even more incentive to become a kitchen assistant. If earn 8 points within one quarter, you are eligible to receive a one-time discount coupon for 25% off your total purchase! We will notify you if you have qualified for this special discount and let you know when the designated shopping period is, which is most often over a weekend period.
We will keep track of the points you earn. Points are tallied at the end of each month
and sent out via email or posted on a spreadsheet on the kitchen assistant website,
www.oocities.org/kitchen_24. You can
take your free class at any time after you’ve earned the 5 points; however, we will review eligibility for the gift
certificates at the end of each brochure.
We also offer private events that we need assistants to work. Often times the private events have more students and may run a bit longer than regular classes, for this reason, we are offering 3 points for each private event worked.
A General
For those of you who have not attended a cooking class here at Sur La Table before, we highly recommend that you do so to know exactly what goes on during a class and what is expected of you.
Generally, classes during the week start at
An SLT employee will open the kitchen door for the students and allow them to enter the classroom about five minutes before the start time of the class. Students help themselves to refreshments and take a seat. Please be sure to keep an eye on the beverage pitchers, they need to be filled often during the class. The students are given a 10 to 15 minute break about 1 ½ hours into the class so that we can clean up the room and they can do some shopping. When students come back from break they finish up any last minute preparation of the food, they eat, they fill out evaluations, and exit the classroom. Please do not rush the students while eating, and always kindly ask them if they are finished eating before removing the plates/silverware.
Setting Up for Class
You should plan to
arrive about 1½ hours before class to begin set-up. For instance, our evening classes start at
Then, help yourself to a white apron and hand towel and get started! Always ask the chef or the Class Lead (any Sur La Table associate who is working in the kitchen that day) what you should work on when you arrive for set-up. Generally, we set up a tray for each recipe that is going to be made. This is called the mise en place. The tray includes a copy of the recipe in a protective plastic sheet and all the ingredients and kitchen equipment necessary to make the recipe. Please check over the recipe and include the appropriate measuring spoons, pyrex items needed. Kosher salt and a pepper mill should and placed in the center of each table, along with a medium sized mixing bowl for waste. Depending on the chef, you may be asked to measure or chop or further prepare the ingredients, so be sure to ask him or her exactly how the recipe should be set-up.
In addition to the mise en place, you may be asked to help set-up recipe packets, aprons, hand towels and the refreshment station. You may also be asked to roll silverware before service and setup tables and chairs. The silverware in the canisters by the plates is used for hands on classes, and the ivory handled silverware is for demonstrations.
Almost everything you need for set-up will be found in the
kitchen. However, we keep an overstock
of baking items such as all-purpose flour, cake flour and bread flour in bins
in the back room. We also keep
additional ice cream machines, blenders, food processors, portable burners,
deep fryers, and a rice cooker in the back.
All of the cleaning items can be found beneath the 3 compartment
sink. If you do not find something in
the kitchen, please ask a Sur La Table associate to go to the back room and get
it for you. Only Sur La Table employees are allowed in the back room.
Before class begins, the chef, staff and Kitchen Assistants will meet briefly to discuss the class game plan. If there is enough help for a hands-on class, one assistant will be assigned per table. If it is a demonstration class, the chef will go over the order in which the menu items will be prepared and served, and tell you what kind of plates and silverware pieces they would like to use.
What to Do During Class
Hands-On Class:
After the chef has completed his/ her brief demonstration of what is going to be prepared, the students will get up from their chairs, wash their hands and start their cooking. At this time all chairs must be stacked at the back of the room. Please encourage the students to use the 2 compartment prep sink for hand washing once the class has begun to cook; the 3 compartment sink is often cluttered with dishes.
If you have been assigned to a specific table, you are responsible for anything that table needs, such as kitchen equipment or extra ingredients. One of our most common complaints from the students is that they received too much assistance during class from the kitchen assistants. Be careful not to over assist the students or become over involved with them. Make sure that you do not do the work for the students. Make sure that you allow the students to do the tasks themselves, unless the students or the chef ask you. Remember: you are here to assist, not to teach. If a student has an in-depth question, please get the chef or the SLT staff member to answer it. Please do not argue with the student.
In addition, you can assist the students in cleaning up as they go. Please make sure to ask them if they are done with their equipment before you remove it for them.
Please ask the SLT staff member whether or not you should save left over items, especially perishable items. We may not need what is left and you can dispose of the product. Chances are that we will not need that 1/3 green pepper that is left over.
Demonstration Class:
The chef usually has a long lecture at the beginning of class. At this time, you may sit at the back of the class until it’s time to serve the students. You must wear vinyl gloves, tongs or other service ware when serving or plating food. These are located in the drawer near the serving area. Make sure you serve from the outside aisles first. If the class is full, it may be necessary for you to serve from the middle aisle. In this case, make sure to do so quickly and quietly. Make sure you avoid walking between the students and the chef and, if possible, walk around the back of the chef to reach the students on the other side of the room.
During the chef’s lecture in both types of classes, please
make sure that you stand or sit quietly at the back of the room or to the side;
do not stand behind the chef. Also, we
know that many of you have extended backgrounds in cooking. However, please do not interrupt the chef
during his or her lecture, and please limit talking when the chef is talking to
the students.
Dishes can pile up fairly quickly, dishes should be washed before
the class starts and will need to be done until the dish washer arrives. If the dishwasher is not scheduled assistants
will be asked to help wash dishes. You
can wash dishes throughout a Hands-On class (except when the chef is talking)
and only during break and at the end of a Demonstration class (because the chef
is continually talking.) Everything goes in the machine sanitizer except: pots and pans, knives, wooden
items, cutting boards (unless used when cutting raw meat or seafood) and prep
trays. All dishes must be washed by hand
to remove all food particles.
Silverware and other small items go on the bottom rack; plates, cups,
and bowls go on the top rack. Push “
Cleaning Up After Class
At the end of class, there are several things that must be done before everyone leaves for the day:
Either before or after clean-up; please grab a plate and eat dinner! We keep disposable plates in the pantry for KA meals.
If there is food left over from class, make a large plate for SLT store side staff. Check with the SLT staff member as to whether or not you may take some leftovers.
When you leave for the night, make sure you have your recipes, 10% discount coupon, leftovers, and all your personal belongings.
Get home safe and we’ll see you next time!
Miscellaneous
Important Contact Information
If you need anything at all, please do not hesitate to contact any one of us at the store:
Culinary Program Coordinator: Shoshana Wolf
Assistant Culinary Program Coordinator:
Store Manager:
Assistant Store Manager:
Sur La Table Class Leads:
All Kitchen Assistant-related information, schedules, class cancellations, tallies and announcements can be found on the Kitchen Assistant webpage, www.oocities.org/kitchen_24. Please direct all email correspondence to the Kitchen Assistant email address, kitchen_24@yahoo.com. The store’s telephone number is 703-414-3580.
Attitude
Remember: you represent Sur La Table. Please make sure to keep a positive attitude throughout your shift as a Kitchen Assistant. Please act in a professional manner and always treat the students, the chef, and other kitchen assistants with the utmost respect at all times.
Dress Code
In order to best protect yourself in the kitchen, you must wear close-toed shoes and long pants (cropped pants are acceptable). In addition, since you are a representative of Sur La Table, please make sure to dress appropriately: no tank tops, halter tops, ripped jeans, etc.
Canceling Your Shift
We schedule our Sur La Table employees based on the number of assistants that have signed up for a class, so please try hard to work your scheduled shift. If, for any reason, you cannot work your scheduled shift, please send us an email or call the store. If you are canceling the same day as your shift, please call the store and do not send an email. If you are a “no call/no show” for your shift, you will be given a negative point.
Signing Up for Classes
At the end of each brochure, we will send out an email letting you know when it is time to sign up for the next group of classes. You will have about a week to email us your requests, including both first and alternate choices. We will then gather all the requests and post the schedule on the Kitchen Assistant website.
Requesting Your Free Class
Visit the Kitchen Assistant website and download the form. Then fill out and fax to me at 703-414-3586. It is also best if you sign up for the class at http://www.cmiregistration.com/user/org/category.jxp?id=7309&org=287 and go through all the steps EXCEPT making the payment… this make my task a lot easier when I receive your fax.
The
Please read the paragraph below and sign:
I, _____________________________, have thoroughly read and
understand the
________________________________________ _____________________
Signature Date
Current Contact info:
______________________ _____________________________
Home phone Alternate phone
______________________________________
______________________________________
Street Address
______________________________________
Email address
Please make a copy of this page and send to Shoshana Wolf,
Culinary Program Coordinator, via fax at 703-414-3586, or scan and email to kitchen_24@yahoo.com, or mail to
Thank you so much and we’ll see you in the kitchen!