Working week in the festive season*

Dear readers.

It's been the first week since I have been back and the course I have been divided into was site guide. We have been doing game drives this whole week so much that it has become our second nature!

The first couple of days were not as busy but then the rain hit and the night drives had to be rescheduled. So last night we had two night drives in one go and with people not pitching for work we were in a bit of a struggle... Luckily we managed but doing a game drive in the rain is no joke! We were all soaking wet and so we decided to stop at one of the entertainment areas in the Makhato region so the guests could hide under the lapa until the rain quiets down. It was actually a lovely experience as we used the opportunity to tell them more about the types of accommodation at Sondela, the students at the Academy and the activities going on at the moment and in future.

We cleaned the seats for the guests with a mop and toilet paper so they would not get as wet but the rain caught us again on our way to reception. Also an interesting thing happened when we rolled down the sails on the sides of the vehicle, we found a baby bat sleeping in the sail. When we stopped at reception it woke up and flew away.

We have a busy weekend waiting and a whole lot op people to welcome today, I am needed in reception again to help out as they are short on staff. Here we go!

Game capturing, harvesting of fauna

Dear readers.

This is a report on the game capturing we did earlier this year on Sondela nature reserve.

Game capturing

Game capturing is also known as harvesting of fauna (animals) and in this case we forced the animals into a small space to catch them in a truck trailer. Firstly you need to check the equipment used for culling and harvesting. Culling is known as lessening the amount of an animal due to over population. The correct equipment must be used for these activities, they must be clean and in working order, these are things like fish nets, cages, fire arms, ropes, boma plastics etc.

When checking the equipment it is important to check for wear and tear and if maintenance is needed it must be implemented as soon as it has been found. Maintenance is carried out to ensure trouble free service when it comes to using the equipment.

Once the equipment is safe and usable the correct harvesting methods must be implemented. The appropriate method must be chosen according to the type of harvest. In our case we harvested zebra, orryx gizelle, blue wilde beast, impala and blesbok. We had set up a boma shaped in a Y form to force the antilope up onto the trailer. All activities must be done according to the legal standards and quality assurance requirements.

All our actions were monitored by the manager of the wildlife centre and he has done this method of harvest a lot of times so he knew what to warn us about, what to do to better his last attempt and what to avoid because it did not work the previous time.

All specimens captured were checked for diseases, injuries and safeguarded the dangerous species so they will not hurt the others. We attached plastic pipe to the blesbok horn so they would not hurt the others when under stress. All the specimens must be kept record of so you know how many are left on the farm for capturing and how many babies you can expect for the next breeding season.

Data such as date captured, weight, size, and gender must be recorded so they are not totally culled, there are a generous amount of them to breed and keep the species intact. Also where they were captured must be recorded so when you need to find them again you can go back to the record of them and follow up.

Lastly a report of the harvest is needed by the person in charge so that they have it in writing for future reference. Things like, what went wrong, what went well, what to change in the next attempt and which requirements need to be upholded. Reference must be made to any bag limits where relevant in terms of the amount landed, weight and numbers.

After the capturing we cleaned up and packed away all the equipment for future use. The antelope were transported to the destination required.

 

The holiday season

Dear readers.

It's almost Christmas and the holiday is in full swing. I have just come back from a 3 week vacation and I loved seeing everyone again!

Upon arriving at the house I realized that us girls have become like a family! But strangely enough as I walked around I have seen so many things change. Our general dealer has become bigger and better, it is still under construction but it is almost done. The kitchen to the restaurant has been rearranged for the better and there is so much order and space for the people to work. The cocktail bar has been re-modified into a pizza den where the guests then place their order and they bake it in front of them. This takes a bit of strain off the kitchen itself. There is also a bakery implemented at the general dealer where the chefs bake fresh bread and rolls everyday for the restaurant and for the general dealer to sell to the guests.

Also for the guests convenience, the activities are not booked in reception anymore but at the entertainment hut. This is very well thought out because reception is always so busy that guests tend to cancel their idea to book due to the queue but now it is easy and efficient. We also have a new game drive vehicle, a Hilux, and it is very convenient in terms of it has a windscreen, wipers, headlights etc. For the kids there is a stand with popcorn and spook asem for them to enjoy and they also have more activities for the guests to take part in. All of these changes need some getting used to but the one most odd thing would be the fact that it is the middle of the week and it is not just elderly on the farm, the farm is very busy!

These are some of the changes that I have seen in a few minutes, there may be more but the fun part is the challenge of getting the hang of things again! Wish me luck!

The working weekend.

Dear readers.

This week we finished with our junior management course and moved on to the working weekend. I was supposed to be working at RG this weekend but Elsie asked me to help out in reception as I did well there and they needed more people to help guests.

On Friday we dd welcoming at the caravan park to welcome guests and to serve them pancakes and tell them about our activities that we offer this weekend. We worked from one o'clock until nine and packed up all our equipment to go home and rest for the next day.

On Saturday I was working in reception helping guests with the booking of activities and settling sales. The day was not as busy as I expected because the farm was full but it was still ongoing business. We did cash up at 5 o'clock and I did the evaluations of the previous weekend and week. I also did the recons of the week and weekend that had passed.

On Sunday we only worked until 3 o' clock but the day was still busy. We checked out guests, handled complaints, reported the things that had gone wrong in the chalets and the things that had been broken or missing and we did our own cash up's.

Monday I was back at RG and we received time to work on our POE's and work on our blogs. This is my last day before going on leave until the 20th of December and the time off is well appreciated because I will be using it to go on a week holiday with my family and to work on my files and  do the final touches to finish them off.

Marketing and sales

Dear readers.

We did marketing and sales on our last day with Dirk and he let us watch a video starring Bryan Jude. He explains the most important skills and communication needed when making a sale. Keep it short and to the point also keeping the clients interest.

We did a presentation on The theory of selling, Understanding the customer, Developing basic selling techniques and Effective communication in selling situations.

Our group received understanding the customer and so we broke up the theory and each team member had their own task, to explain the piece to the rest of the class and also explain why it is applicable to understanding the customer.

The points of discussion were:

1. The process a customer goes through in order to make a buying decision.
2. The difference between features and benefits when trying to sell a product.
3. The different motives when it comes to buying something.
4. The different ways of asking questions to help understand customer needs.

We were all a bit nervous because Dirk had video taped us whilst giving the presentation and a few were camera shy.

Conflict handling

Dear readers.

Today we are talking about conflict handling and how to manage it correctly. We received a test that will use your answers to determine the type of style you will use to resolve conflict.
 The options are:

1. Collaborator:  Both assertive and cooperative. Win\win ito relationship and the task at hand.
2. Controlling:  Assertive and uncooperative.Win lose ito relationship and the task at hand.
3. Accomodating:  Unassertive and cooperative.Yield lose\win ito relationship and the task at hand.
4. Avoiding:  Unassertive and uncooperative. Leave-lose\ win ito relationship and the task at hand.
5. Compromising:  Intermediate in both assertiveness and cooperativeness. Mini-win\mini-lose ito relationship and the task at hand.

In this test it was found that I am  a collaborator, I am the kind of person that values the task at hand as much as I value the relationship with the people i am working with. This is my management style.

We received a booklet on conflict management and worked through it as self study. Firstly it explains the theory of conflict, then how to prevent it, Also effective communication skills for conflict situations and lastly the resolution of conflict.

It was very interesting to see how a situation can get out of hand and then the steps you can take to ease the situation and resolve the problem. The role plays were very enlightening and we learnt a lot about ourselves and how we differ.

Workplace management and leadership skills programme

Dear readers.

Today we have started with our junior management course and our facilitator is the son of our principal at the academy, Dirk Reinekke. He is a very friendly and outgoing person and he does his job very well. He first gave us a program of the day to see where we stand with ourselves. You can't manage others around you without knowing yourself first. We reflected on what we have learnt in 2011, we developed our CV"s, we touched on the subject of conflict management, we spoke about marketing and sales management and lastly people management.

The ice-breakers were fun because we could see where we should try and improve especially in communication with others. We had to explain to group members how to draw a picture without looking at them and without them seeing the picture and our group won! Our picture was best spaced and everything looked similar to the original. We discussed our courses, People skills, Workplace skills, Problem solving skills, personal strengths and weaknesses. Through reflecting on all of these things we could set up our CV with ease.

In the workplace

Dear readers.

Now that we have finished all our courses we have been divided into groups that will rotate and work one week in certain courses again to finish up assessments that need to be done and to finish up any tests. This also ensures that there are students at every area during the holidays and that there won't be a shortage on staff.

In between these week sessions our weekends will remain one on and one off and our leave has been allocated according to how many days we have off. I'm very chuffed to say that I have off from the 30th of November to the 20th of December. After your leave you will come back and finish the program until the 13th of January and on the 20th of January we will be having our graduation function which after we will have off until the 6th of February to start our second year training.

My first allocated week was in Accommodation (ssb) and it was fun to catch up with all the ladies and help with the filing. We filed a few invoices the first day and as the week progressed we had to re-do a new makhato house because it is new in the rental pool and needs to be correct according to Sondela standards.

 The loft of the house containing two single beds.

 One of the two rooms housing a queen sized bed.

 The kitchen took a lot of time as it has a lot of little pieces that build up to make one big puzzle.

We had to load and unload everything making sure nothing breaks or damages during the trip.

Food and beverage week 3

Dear readers.

My last week of food and beverage and we are all moving on to new horizons. This last week we have been busy with routine procedures, cleaning the restaurant and waitering. My second last day I wrote a test on pre-service procedures and got 88%. We working the weekend set up for vleis vreters, bring and braai, Sunday lunch and the Monday night buffet. This is pretty much the same set up but it is a lot of work that needs to be done and the preparation also needs time to complete.

On my last day I was assessed and it went very well being declared competent and all... This department will be missed for the interaction with the guests and purely the tips. This was a very in detail, up close and personal experience with the food and beverage department and I can now with confidence prep for any conference and waiter with a smile and do a successful job as well.

Food and beverage

Dear readers.

My first weekend at F&B and it went well, although you can't have a weekend without mistakes...
Herewith follows the things that should not happen in the business.

1. When having a meeting between staff of all races and ages it is important not to stick to a language that only a certain section of the staff can understand. Speak English as it is an international language that everyone can understand and then follow the tasks given throughout the meeting.

 2.      Have a safe working environment. The storerooms must be safely secured as everyone uses it everyday for different reasons. It is difficult to carry out tables and chairs when the floor is loose and the bricks are lying around out of place. When moving around in and out of the storeroom it is also difficult to watch out for the sharp metal plating along the door frame.

3.  As we are working in a 4star reserve people ask for simple things that even we expect the reserve to have such as sharp knives and teaspoons. Enough of it to cover a conference or a function but that we soon had to realize was not true. And so it was very embarrassing to have to tell a guest that we do not have any sharp knives available at this moment.

4.   When trying out a new system in the workplace you need to consider all the possibilities of the things that could go wrong first before trying to implement the plan. People tend to take their own idea and implement it and then in the end it turns into chaos.

5.   Make your restaurant waterproof if not under a safety cover. The restaurant hes been in existence for more then 20years and it rains every year but still nothing has been done to better the situation. Every time it rains the whole floor is under water and needs to be covered in towels and mopped up as quick as possible to prevent someone from slipping. The wholes in the roof leak every time it rains and nothing has been done about it ever.

6.   Also when working you need to clean as you go no matter how busy it gets. No one can work efficiently when the floor is under milkshake and syrup. Everybody slips over it and goes on with their own tasks but no one cleans it up to prevent someone from getting hurt.

So that was my weekend and these problems need to be addressed asap. Just hope management realizes the importance of these short notes.

Food and beverage week 2

Dear readers.

So it's week two at F&B and this is the week I need to learn as much as possible before my working weekend. Every day during this week we only do routine jobs, the cleaning of the restaurant, mise-on-place and doing the dishes. Basically cleaning as you go and making sure that everything is done before the start of a busy weekend.

Friday 4\11\11
I worked late shift so I only went in at 13:00. We set up for welcoming and served pancakes, wine and juice to the arriving guests until 20:30 because of the storm. We had to pack away all the tables and chairs and get all the important equipment out of the rain. I also had to take pancakes to the caravan park because the chef ran out. And the fun part of all this? Getting sopping wet and taking back the quad bikes to the adventure centre in the rain.

Saturday 5/11/11
This morning we started early to take out drink orders and to set up for the breakfast group. We attended to their needs and took their drink orders. We also gave them a cold breakfast with coffee and tea and then we took their egg orders for the hot breakfast. We received a nice tip each and we had to clear up the table and chairs as well as pack away the table and table cloth used. We then set up for the vleis vreters event that night. We had to set up the tables and chairs, the table cloths and the mise-on-place for the function. When the guests arrived we helped them find their seats and we took their drink orders. We each had two tables and cleared the dishes when finished eating and drinking. At the end of the night we had to pack up the tables again and put away the chairs.

Sunday 6/11/11
We set up for Sunday lunch first thing this morning. I also helped in the cocktail bar and the bistro to prepare drinks for the waiters to take out to the guests. When the lunch started we helped the guests find their seats and we took their drink orders. After the lunch we had to clear up and pack away the tables and chairs in the hoender hok and in the hall. We then did the mise-on-place for the next day and went to the 15:00 meeting with the rest of the staff and MOD. At this meeting we discuss the problems that occurred during the weekend and the situations that could not be fixed or that made the job difficult.

All and all it was a very busy weekend and my body is definitely feeling the hard work but it was definitely fun and I loved the experience. I also now know how the system works on the computer and how to ring up bills. And the fun part about it all? The tips were great!

Food and beverage

Dear readers.

This week went well and I have learn't how to make a few drinks and how to serve a table of guests. At first I shadowed one of the waiters and helped her with the order to get the hang of the whole system. So now I know how to make a milkshake, cuppochino, normal coffee, cola tonic and lime and passion fruit and lemonade. There definitely is still a lot more drinks to learn but I will learn them this weekend as it is my first working weekend in food and beverage.

 The coffee station where filter coffee is made and the milk is foamed.

 The milkshake station where milkshakes are made of different flavors. The cream is also whipped with this machine on the left. On the right is the coffee brewer.

 The bar is always fully stocked to serve any drink required.

I have heard that it gets quite busy and you need to keep level headed but I am loving the experience and the fact that we learn how to work with people and how to handle difficult situations. I will definitely be reporting after this weekend and hopefully it will be good news.

See you next week!

Food and beverage

Dear readers.

So now I know how to make a few dishes without a microwave and it's time to move on to a new course. It's called Food and Beverage and it consists of the managing, cleaning and working in the restaurant called Piccinini's. This is Sondela's one and only famous restaurant where the service is great and the food extraordinary.

 Our F&B mascot!

 Piccininis restaurant.

The week started off by explanations of the different sections and how the machines work. I still have to learn how to make the different hot and cold beverages but it will come with time. An everyday routine that we do is taking out the chair cushions, cleaning the coffee station and making issues of the products that we short or running low on, sweeping and mopping the floors and doing the mise-on-place in the kitchen. That consists of rolling the cutlery in serviettes and putting out the sauces to check if they need refilling ect.

At the moment it is going slow but in this case slow is good...

Recipe

Pizza (Hawaiian)


Ingredients needed:

Pine apple
Ham
Pizza base
Mozzarella cheese

Equipment needed:

Chefs knife
Chopping board
Damp cloth
Cooking tray
Pizza oven

Method:

1. Start with the base and dock it( pierce holes spread over the base evenly)
2. Sprinkle the chopped up pine apple and ham over the surface.
3. Throw over cheese in a moderate portion and place in the oven under 150C for 10 to 15 min.

Other ingredients can be used in case of likes, dislikes and allergies.

Recipe

Curry cabbage salad


Ingredients needed:

Cabbage
Vinegar
Brown sugar
Curry powder
Garnish

Equipment needed:

Frying pan
Basting spoon
Chefs knife
Green chopping board
Damp cloth

Method:

1. Chiffonade the cabbage and place in oil in the frying pan for shallow frying.
2. Add the curry powder and stir until boil.
3. Add the brown sugar in small quantities to absorb the sweetness.
4. Add vinegar and stir until golden brown. Make sure the sweet spicy taste is in balance.

Recipe

Flat bread


Ingredients needed:

Flat bread
Mozzarella cheese
Sage spice
Beef strips
Bacon slices
Avocado

Equipment needed:

Frying pan
Egg lifter
Oven
Chefs knife
White chopping board
Damp cloth
Stove

Method:

1.   Cut two sides from the flat bread and deep fry in oil.
2. Cover the flat bread with the cheese and a sprinkle of sage and put it in the oven.
3. Place the cooked bacon and beef strips on top of the golden brown flat bread and then place the deep fried strips on top for garnish.
4. Lastly place the avocado on top and serve.

This is a typical topping but it can be changed due to likes, dislikes and allergies.

Recipe

Pancakes


Ingredients needed:

32 Eggs
4.5kg Flour
8L Water
2L Oil
4tbs Salt
2cups Vinegar
4 tots Brandy
16tbs Baking powder

Equipment needed:

Mixer
Mixing bowl x2
Cup
1L Jug
Balloon whisk
Egg lifter
Frying pan
Stove

Method:

1. Place all the dry ingredients in one mixing bowl and the wet ingredients an the other and mix them up separately.
2. Add dry to wet in small portions at a time whilst mixing in the mixer.
3. Ensure the batter is smooth and does not taste sour.
4. Use the balloon whisk to break up the dry parts.
5. Use the batter in small amounts to bake the pancakes in the pan over the stove. 

Recipe

Fried egg


Ingredients needed:

100ml Oil
1 Egg

Equipment needed:

Egg lifter
Frying pan
Stove

Method:

1. Bring oil to boil in pan.
2. Break the egg into the oil slowly and touching the oil with the shell.
3. Turn the egg when solid.
4.  Make sure it does not stick to the surface and remove when the correct stage has been accomplished.

Sunny side up: Yellow soft and white cooked.
Soft: White layer over soft yellow.
Turned over: Turn over for a few seconds when sunny side up has been reached.
Hard egg: Turn over when sunny side up has been reached and cook fully.

Recipe

Pastry shells


Ingredients needed:

200g Flour
50g Butter
50g Lard ( fats)
3tbs Water (cold)

Equipment used:

Muffin pan
Oven
Spray and cook
Mixing bowl

Method:

1. Do the measurements first and then pour the flour and the butter in small quantities crumbing it together as you go. Do not kneel it or play with it too much.
2. Work the mixture till paste.
3. Add the water and crumb until dough.
4. Roll small quantities into little balls and form cup shapes in the muffin pans.
5. Place in the oven in 150 C for 15-20 min until golden brown.
6. Take out of oven and allow to cool down before taking them out of the pan.

Don't make them too thin otherwise they will break upon touch.
Blind bake to keep the surface from rising.

Main kitchen

Dear readers. 19/10/2011

This morning i filled up the mise-on-place in the cold kitchen. Chef Lorinda and I made pastry shells for pudding which will be filled with lemon meringue and chocolate cheese cake. I made lemon curd today and it was interesting to make because it takes concentration. If it splits you must remake the whole thing and you need to make sure it does not cook and you need to keep stirring constantly. You get tired after a while but you can't stop. We also made student dinner today which consisted of kebabs with marinade, mash and veggies. The kebabs were fun to make because you can use as many colours as you want and in the marinade we used a lot of different flavors. It was delicious at the end and it looked very pretty. We cleaned up the kitchen in the end of the day and I learn't a lot by working with Lorinda.

The kebabs before covering in marinade.

Lemin curd that needs to be whisked at all times to keep from splitting.

The kebabs with the marinade over.

 Our marinade that started with only onion and water.

Boeremark

Dear readers. 15/10/2011

This morning we got everything ready for the boeremark. This is an opportunity for guests to come have a look at things like home made jam, marmalade, pickles onions and many more with the Sondela label on and then buy it as a gift for someone else or to go enjoy at home. All of them were self made by the chefs in the kitchen. We also put things there like bananas and eggs and fruits you won't get at the shop and the people actually buy it!

The money then goes to the restaurant and they also provide you with a float. The products that have not been sold will be set available in the general dealer. It was fun to interact with the guests and explain how Sondela has changed our lives. That night we worked bring and braai and we cleaned the kitchen before we left.

Training kitchen

Dear readers. 13/10/2011

Our shift today was from 11am-7pm so we worked in the training kitchen. We made 2x12 pastry shells and we helped Alon with his peppermint crisp tarts. We did blind baking and it was the first time I have ever heard or seen it, this is when you line the raw shells with plastic wrap and fill the shells up with raw rice to keep them from lifting from the surface. We cleaned the training kitchen and came back to the main kitchen to clean and do orders until 7pm. We also helped with the bring and braai taking out the salads and the mossbolletjies because guests bring their own meat. We ended off the day by cleaning the kitchen and turning off the gas and locking up.

These are called puff pastries and they are filled with cream to make part of a desert.

This is the peppermint crisp banana tart we made and decorated for the conference.

Caught red handed how we taste as we go!! That's what makes a great chef, the one that knows the food tastes great!

Training kitchen

Dear readers. 12/10/2011

Today Chef Lorinda and I made chocolate mousse for the guest house for pudding. We worked in the training kitchen and we both had our own colour. We did one brown and one white and then served them both half half in each glass. It looked very beautiful but we struggled to get it there! First we put the gelatin in too early and then the dark took over the white in the glass... But it went well in the end and it worked out exactly as planned. It was delicious too!!

It was a sticky mess in the end where we worked and so I learn't to clean as we go. We cleaned up the kitchen after we were done and retrieved to the main kitchen to finish up orders and clean before going home.

Recipe

Brunoice method


Ingredients needed:

Tomato
Onion

Equipment needed:

Chefs knife
Green cutting board
Damp cloth

Method:

1. Tomato: Cut off the front and back of the tomato.
2. Cut in thin slices and each slice into julienne. Cut up into smaller blocks.
3. Onion: Remove the skin of the onion and cut off the front of the onion.
4. Cut in half and then each half according to the lines on the onion.
5. Turn slices flat and cut julienne which will result in blocks.

You must have correct body posture when cutting and make sure the product is fresh. These cuts can be used for other vegetables as well.

Recipe

Chiffonade method


Ingredients needed:

Lettuce

Equipment needed:

Chefs knife
Green cutting board
Damp cloth

Method:

1. Clean working surface and place damp cloth underneath the chopping board.
2. Remove the root of the lettuce and cut in half.
3. Press down on the one half with your palms and roll up into a cylinder.
4. Cut in thin leafy slices back and forth and place in dish or container.

This can be done with any leafy vegetable.

Main kitchen

Dear readers.

Today we worked in the training kitchen to make pastry shells. I worked together with Chef Ruan and it was my first time doing something like this. We started off by cleaning the kitchen top to bottom and then we repacked the dry store after cleaning it. We packed everything neatly in rows and together so it can be found easily if needed. We threw away old stock in the fridge and stored in the dry store.

The pastry dough.

The dry store after we packed it out and cleaned it.

The molding of the pastry shells.

We then started with the pastry shells. It was very interesting to see how cold water was needed to make the dough work. We made the dough and molded it into the cupcake pans to form shells, it felt like I was a kid again playing with clay! It was also very rewarding to see how they rose and the golden brown colour they baked.

After finishing up in the training kitchen we went back to the main kitchen to clean up and pack away deliveries.

Recipe

Side salad

Ingredients needed:

Lettuce
Tomato
Onion
Cucumber

Equipment needed:

Chefs knife
Green chopping board
Damp cloth
Various containers

Method:

1. Place damp cloth underneath the chopping board.
2. Cut the tomato and onion in Brunoice and place each in separate containers.
3. Cut lettuce in chiffonade and place in container.
4. Cut cucumber in mire-poix and place in container.
5. On serving dish you must start with lettuce and place a small hand full as the bottom layer.
6. Top it of with a small amount of onion, tomato and cucumber.

Remember that side salads are small. Lettuce always needs to be at the bottom but the others don't have a specific order and you can add or exchange ingredients and maybe put in carrot or peppers.

Recipe

Chicken mayonnaise toasted sandwich


Ingredients needed:

Bread
Cooked chicken
Mayonnaise
butter


Equipment needed:

Bread knife
White chopping board
Damp cloth
Toaster
Butter knife

Method:

1. Place the damp cloth under the chopping board and tear the cooked chicken into strips.
2. Mix the chicken with the mayonnaise.
3. Butter the outsides of two slices of bread and place the mixture on the bread on the inside.
4. Place the sandwich in the toaster untill brown and remove.
5. Cut up into triangles and serve hot.

The filling can change and you can add ingredients like egg or cheese. The end cut does not have to be in triangles. Bread could be white or brown.

Recipe

Greek salad.


Ingredients needed:

Lettuce
Tomato
Cucumber
Onion
Fetta cheese
Black olives

Equipment needed:

Chefs knife
Green chopping board
Platter plate
Wrap
Damp cloth

Method:

1. Place damp cloth on clean working surface and the green chopping board on top of it.
2. Cut lettuce in chiffonade and spread over the platter plate.
3. Brunoice the tomato and cucumber and spread over the lettuce.
4. Cut onion into rings and spread as a top layer.
5. Take a hand full of olives and randomly place on top of the onion rings.
6. Lastly crumb some fetta cheese over as the finishing touch and wrap to keep fresh for longer.

Sizes of the cuts don't need to be exact. Fetta can be cut into small blocks instead of crumbing over and the ingredients may vary according to likes, dislikes and allergies.

Bechamelle

Recipe of Bechamelle sauce:


Ingredients needed:

100g of flour
1L of milk
100g of butter

Equipment needed:

Mixing bowl
Siev
Wooden spoon

Method:

1. Mise-on-place: Measure ingredients and clean your work station.
2. Melt the butter on the stove and add flour, mix until dough. This is called Roux, equal quantities of butter and flour. White Roux will be used immediately.
3. Add milk little by little and mix until it reaches the thickness you desire. The longer you cook it the thicker it will become.

There are a few different Bechamelle types such as classical ect. Always remember to use a one to one to ten method. Hot Roux needs cold milk, cold Roux needs hot milk.

Main kitchen

Dear readers.

It's Friday which only means one thing...PANCAKES!
We made pancakes today for welcoming whilst the others handled the orders and prepared the food for tonight's meat lovers feast. Our target was 1000 and if we did not make that target we would not be aloud to go home on our off weekend. We struggled at first because they need to be golden brown and paper thin and here is the catch, for each flop you pay R1...Luckily our debt is not that high!

We put in the time and baked as quick as we could but between the two of us we could only make 500 in 5 hours. At least we were aloud to go and I think it's safe to say that if I see another pancake within the next week I'm going to run!