Math

So it's been a couple days, because, you know, living on eggplant lasagna and crappy chicken salad mostly.  AND I did get the opportunity to do some staging for possible job prospects so I've been out of the house.  But today we have a cassoulet in the oven working and I thought that I'd take the time while I let it cook in the oven to talk about the math.  Where do I get my cost numbers.  It's pretty simple really, it just takes a little time and effort.  And excel spreadsheets!

Left side is the grocery list, right side is the recipe breakdowns.  I'm enjoying doing it.  I'm using the skills I have that no one's ever let me use in the kitchen because for god knows what reason, even though I tell them I know how to do it, they would never trust me to break down a recipe cost.  It's another one of those "you're just a line cook" things.  And for some reason, there's this thought that line cooks don't know or want to do math or paperwork.  Well, bah. WTH?  Did you not understand my background and experience when you read my resume?  I'm a college educated, degree holding, experienced designer with an architectural background.  That's not just being an artist, that's math up the wazoo!  I can add and subtract, do fractions, percentages and measurements like whoa.  I know how to break a pound into ounces.  And I know how to use a spreadsheet and I know how to read an invoice.  And if I want to get really particular, I taught myself algebra in 8th grade, I had advanced honors courses in Trig and Calculus in high school and college.  So I think I can divide the cost of a pound of celery by 16 just fine.  Easy math.  Thanks.

Okay, that was perhaps a touch of venting today. Hehe.