The
Kitchen
The Ravens kitchen is specially designed for preparing vegetarian
cuisine. It is also a teaching kitchen. It is our objective to
train each staff person, whether starting in a position as a
dishwasher, prep cook, wait person, to be able to fill any position.
In this way, should they leave the area, they will be able to
find employment.
For those who do not work with us, we have offered a class in
vegetarian holiday cooking and intend to expand to a continuing
series on vegetarian cooking.
Mornings are overseen by Amy Smith, most recently of the West
Brothers in Eugene, Oregon. She coordinates the morning kitchen
with the evening staff and is responsible for AM employee development.
Amy is an outstanding chef and brings her commitment to serve
outstanding food. She understands the challenge and unique opportunity
of being able to use the finest ingredients.
Porsche Combash, long time resident of Mendocino, brings to The
Ravens extensive training and experience in pastry. Her responsibilities
include the creation of healthy alternatives to standard restaurant
desserts. Porsche's scones are renown throughout the country,
the word spread by guests who have declared them as "the
best I've ever had; better than any found in England." "Can
you come to the East Coast and show us how?" Porsche is
also our historian, a vital role in that we are attempting to
take a highly intuitive approach to cooking and create a recipe
book.
The morning crew includes Vickie Ward a member of the Sea Gull
crew - a cult status. The Sea Gull was the local Mendocino hang-out
before closing in the early 1990's. Vickie instructs and has
been a fundamental force in developing alternatives to animal
based foods helping to create a lemon tahini sauce, for example,
as a vegan alternative to hollandaise sauce.
Our staff is rounded out by Roberto Gloria, locally well known
breakfast cook and musician and Vickie Valenzuela who began in
gardening and housekeeping while in high school and, following
instruction and practice in prep cooking, is assisting on the
morning
line.
Our breakfast is complimentary for inn guests and the staff who
formerly prepared the buffet breakfast which we have served since
1981 continue to assist, producing smoothies, espresso drinks,
and some of our dishes. Takako Griffin and Linda McKinney most
often are in back, while Lynn Rexrode is our morning hostess.
A word about education: We believe that each of our staff, if
willing, should have the opportunity to learn all aspects of
our kitchen. We are willing to train staff to work as prep cooks;
line cooks for both morning and afternoon; baking and pastry;
and appetizer, salad and dessert preparation.
Furthermore we participate in The Natural Gourmet Cookery School's
internship program. Students come to work with our staff for
three to four weeks as practicum as part of their school's certificate
program. This has been a happy alliance as some of our outstanding
staff have been introduced to Mendocino and The Ravens through
the school.
We are also committed to teaching our approach to healthy eating
to any wishing to attend classes. To that end we are currently
working on a cookbook and are planning a series of cooking classes
beginning in the fall of 2000. These are to be hands-on, working
classes. For more intense experience, we are planning to offer
opportunities for non-professionals to intern with us.
Restaurants have a front and back. Quite often they are very
separate often warring groups. Our "front" people are
talented and committed to serving the finest food. They work
closely with the kitchen staff to assure our guests have an outstanding
experience. Coordinating our service as well as "special
events" is Leila McPhee. Leila's enthusiasm
in infectious.
© Stanford Inn by the Sea 1994-2003
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