I. Job Summary

Under the direction of the F&N Supervisor, the Cook prepares and cooks food for patient tray line, cafeteria service, and special functions using safe, sanitary methods and procedures.

Latitude

The cook organizes and prioritizes the workload of the position and instructs anyone assisting in safe food handling procedures.

II. Duties And Responsibilities

1. Assembles and prepares all foods in sufficient quantities utilizing standardized recipes and portion control while meeting serving schedule. Uses patient meal census report, master menu, and selective menu tally to compile for patient tray line, cafeteria, and special functions. Returns all remaining items and equipment to designated area.
2. Performs regular and special cleaning duties, organizes work area, and keeps work area free of clutter and unnecessary items. Directs cook helpers and trains them to cook.
3. Arranges hot food on steamtable, serves patient food following established portion control and temperature guides. Serves patient trays according to diet order. Replenishes food for cafeteria.
4. Operates all foodservice equipment used in food preparation according to safety and sanitation guidelines.
5. Removes food from steamtable and returned cafeteria food, labels, dates, and utilizes these foods within correct time constraints for additional meals. Effectively communicates to other cooks what to use left over items for and what specific meal.
6. Checks and documents food temperature. Checks appearance, texture, and quality before serving meals. Prepares additional foods, offers suggestions, utilizes recipes, creates new food ideas, and promotes plan changes to improve operations.
7. Also recommend menu changes based on an over abundance of product or age or products. Utilities FIFO method.

Other Responsibilities:

1. Utilizes assistance to place heavy food in oven. Same for removal.
2. Trains new employees in the position when necessary.

Cross Training:

May be cross trained in some functions of:

• F &N Supervisor
• Baker/Salad Maker
• F& N Aide
• Server
• Cashier
• Cook Helper

III. Education

Minimum of grammar school education. High school preferred. Ability to read, write, speak, follow written and oral instructions. Must be able to understand hazardous chemical labels.

IV. Qualifications And Experience

Preferably one (1) year of experience in institutional and volume cooking using standardized recipes. Has knowledge of safe food handling procedures. Experience should be indicative of high level of organization and communication skills to interact with adults. Servsafe certified.

V. Physical Demands

Must be able to do the following on a constant, ongoing basis:

• See sufficiently to read and understand written language by recognizing numbers, letters, words, and symbols.
• Prioritize work of position, use both hands, and solve problems ranging from simple to complex.
• Speak intelligibly at conversational level.
• Converse appropriately with individuals, hear and understand with knowledge of diets.
• Give and receive simple and complex instructions.
• Grasp pen or pencil for documenting temperatures.
• Concentrate on, remember various job duties, and follow multi-step instructions.
• Train new employees.
• Train current employees on new tasks.
• Carry less than 10 pounds on a regular basis and up to 25 pounds occasionally.
• Work requires employee to bend, stoop, kneel, reach, walk, stand, push, and pull for short periods of time to complete work duties.

VI. Responsibility For Supervision

Supervises 1 to 4 people

VII. Effect Of Error

Errors could cause dissatisfied patients, family members, physicians, and employees. Results could be injury, illness, or monetary loss causing poor internal and external public image.

VIII. Working Conditions

Works in clean, well lighted, well ventilated area, cafeteria and service area. Possible hazards include cuts from utensils, burns from hot equipment, falls due to wet floors, and sudden changes in temperature when entering refrigerated rooms or working around steam-heated equipment. Loud noise due to equipment and limited working areas.

IV. Acknowledgment

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change ( e.g., emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush job, or technological developments).