Cook

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary:

Prepare hot and cold foods using recipes, menu schedules, food safety and sanitation guidelines. Ensure standards for appearance, temperature and palatability of foods are met. Utilize tools for forecasting food quantities for preparation. Maintain a safe, clean and sanitary work environment.

  Key Responsibilities:

As the Cook, your main responsibility will be to oversee the preparation and delivery of meals. Your focus will be on providing nutritional balanced meals that are diabetic-friendly and incorporate farm-to-table ingredients. 

1. Menu Planning: Develop menus that offer a variety of nutritious and well-balanced meals, taking into consideration dietary restrictions and preferences.
2. Meal Preparation: Prepare meals in accordance with established recipes, ensuring that the food is cooked to the appropriate temperature and meets food safety standards. Pay special attention to creating diabetic-friendly meals, limiting added sugars and carbohydrates.
3. Farm-to-Table Approach: Incorporate fresh and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, promoting a farm-to-table approach to enhance the nutritional value and taste of the meals.
4. Dietary Accommodations: Accommodate special dietary needs, such as vegetarian, gluten-free, and lactose-free diets, ensuring that all residents receive meals that meet their specific requirements.
5. Kitchen Management: Oversee the day-to-day operations of the kitchen, including inventory management, equipment maintenance, and adherence to food safety regulations. Ensure that the kitchen is clean, organized, and operates efficiently.
6. Staff Training and Supervision: Train and supervise kitchen staff, ensuring that they follow proper cooking techniques, portion control, and food handling procedures. Foster a positive and collaborative work environment.
7. Budget Management: Manage the kitchen budget, including purchasing ingredients, controlling costs, and minimizing waste. Seek cost-effective solutions without compromising the quality and nutritional value of the meals.
8. Other duties as assigned.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Performs tasks defined by the major intent of the position.

• Produce hot and cold foods in accordance with guidelines.
• Forecast food needs for meals served on current day as well as future days.
• Completes routine and non-routine assignments in accordance with daily tasks in areas assigned.
• Accept guidance and oversight from supervisors and dietitians as applicable in respect to food preparation.
• Transport food to outside company locations.

Performs a variety of cleaning and organizing activities.

• Maintains a clean neat work environment. 
• Performs all cleaning duties in accordance with established schedule, procedure and standards for sanitation. Cleans counters, tables, chairs and other food service equipment as assigned.
• Clean ovens, ranges, warming cabinets, carts, grills, steamers, deep fat fryers, char broilers, steam tables and other equipment as assigned.
• Cleans floors, walls, ceilings, windows and ledges, wall mount fans, air return grills, shelving and other items in immediate work environment and other as assigned.
• Properly uses all chemicals according to written instructions on product label and guidelines in cleaning manual.
• Takes care in stacking and organizing items when handling, cleaning or storing to protect from breakage and other damage.
• Separates and reports items that do not meet health code standards to supervisor for disposition.
• Restock refrigerators and other items in the patient tray assembly area/cafeteria service area.

Uses safety/sanitation procedures to protect self and others.

• Incurs no harm to self or others due to failure to use proper body mechanics.
• Follows prescribed sanitation and infection control procedures when handling food, working in food preparation areas, or when cleaning.
• Removes malfunctioning equipment from use, and reports to supervisor, when found.
• Does not use equipment or attempt to clean equipment without training.

Perform miscellaneous activities

• Participates in departmental and organizational training and in-service activities by attending meetings, participating in training and/or reading materials.
• Actively participates in minimizing waste of all foods and supplies.
• Accomplishes assigned quality assurance and quality improvement activities as specified and participates in discussions and problem-solving on related issues.
• Effectively explains and demonstrates procedures and answers questions when participating in the orientation or training of other employees.
• Accomplishes routine and non-routine assignments in accordance with procedure, instructions, and time frames.
• Follows prescribed sanitation and infection control procedures when handling food, working in food preparation areas, and when cleaning.
• Maintain food safety guidelines for all foods in responsible area.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education/Experience

Minimum Required:

• Must possess at a minimum High School Diploma/GED.
• Previous experience as a cook in a similar setting, preferably in a residential facility or healthcare environment.
• Ability to follow verbal and written instructions and recipes. Ability to calculate simple math equations.
• Clear Healthcare Registry report.

Preferred:

• A culinary degree or relevant certification is preferred, demonstrating a strong foundation in cooking techniques and nutrition.
• Experience in cooking diabetic-friendly and nutritionally balanced meals is highly desirable.
• Two years food service cook experience. Preferred institutional food service experience.
• Servesafe food handler certification.

Additional Knowledge/Skills:

• In-depth knowledge of nutrition principles and dietary restrictions, particularly related to diabetic-friendly and balanced meals. Familiarity with farm-to-table concepts and sourcing local ingredients is a plus.
• Strong leadership and management skills to effectively oversee kitchen operations and lead a team of kitchen staff. Ability to train, motivate, and supervise employees.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills to plan menus, manage inventory, and ensure timely meal preparation and delivery.
• Thorough understanding of food safety regulations and practices, including proper food handling, storage, and sanitation procedures.
• Effective communication skills to interact with residents, staff, and suppliers. Ability to listen to dietary needs and preferences, and effectively communicate and implement appropriate meal options.
• Incumbent must demonstrate an ability to apply age-appropriate principles of communication during interaction with others.
• Incumbent must demonstrate competence in the use of equipment and application of procedures before being allowed to perform independently