Insights of a Cook

I haven't been working as a cook for long, about 4 weeks, but I have learned somethings...

You're the last person in the restaurant to realize you screwed up.
I screwed up a pizza, accidentally forgot a topping on a ridiculously difficult order. I sent it through the oven and wasn't informed of my mistake until the customer mentioned it. Had the person at the cut table noticed this missing topping I could have easily fixed it and no complaint would have been made. All in all its my responsibility to make sure orders are right Before the pizza goes into the oven, but when I do screw up- everyone is going to know before it ever gets back to me.

People as a whole are good... but every once in a while you get a prick.
I hold a general belief that people are good and aren't out to get me. A guy last night made me think otherwise for about an hour. He called because something was wrong with the pizza (which there wasn't, he was just looking for a free pizza) but the customer is always right. If he had been reasonable and not threatened my job I would have happily and quickly gotten a pizza in the oven and off to him no questions asked. He was such a jerk, and so unbelievably rude. Isn't the rule "don't be mean to the people who make your food"? I would never tamper with food, my job is worth more to me than that, but who is to say that the next time he is rude and horrible to someone that they don't mess with it?

Sometimes your coworkers will drive you crazy, but you have to take a deep breath because they depend on you to get the ball rolling.
As the cook, you are generally the first link in the chain of getting orders going (after actually taking the order, but so many come through via internet now). Our times are dependent on my ability to get an order made and in the oven. Sometimes non-cooks have the gall to be irritated with me and make me feel bad about getting behind on orders, but you know what? Its understandable because their ability to do their job, depends on my ability to do mine.  So I have to take a deep breath and do the best job I can, because people depend on me.

Cleaning the fryers isn't as bad as you would think.
Sure, you feel like you're never going to be clean again... and it takes what feels like forever, but honestly its not that bad. Its a pretty good work out too! Cleaning the hot fryer has pretty much gotten me over my fear of hot things and getting burned, which is good.  

Being a cook isn't as easy as one would think, but its not outlandishly hard either.
Its a skill set like any other job. If I were to move up to a nice restaurant then it would become exponentially harder, but from here its not bad. I don't have to worry about making sure things are thoroughly cooked because the oven is timed and calibrated to cook pizzas. Cooking in the PH kitchen takes practice, but once it is mastered you're pretty much good to go.