A Favor for Facebook

Pictured here: one of the new kids on the block up at Harley Farms Goat Dairy, where I spent two happy afternoons selling calendars at the holiday fair. Which has nothing to do with this post, which I'm doing as a service to an e-mail I got yesterday from a young woman who works for Facebook. (All you elders, it's like MySpace for the tasteful and intelligent. I removed my repetition about "don't get me started," but PLEASE do not ask me how hideous MySpace is. Unless you want the full-on Rosanne Barr description of just what is wrong with the media right now.)

The e-mail said:

Hi Tana,

I'm a patron of Severino’s (don't get me started on how devastated I am that they are no longer near). I have been hoarding my last spicy italian sausages trying to find just the perfect accompanying dish to do it justice.

I have also been a huge fan of your iheartfarms blog. So that's why I'm writing.

My company is looking for an executive chef and given our similar values (food sourced close to home, excellent quality, passionate farmers and chefs), I thought you might know someone looking for a challenge. The position description is below if you'd like to refer anyone, you may send them my contact information.

Thank you so much for your time and thank you for your beautiful coverage of our local farms, farmers, and food. I love iheartfarms and only wish there were more posts.

BTW: I loved your goodbye to Justin and Hilary on iheartfarms.

All my best and hoping our paths cross some day soon,
Kasey

So I told her I'd post it here, in case some chef, buried in winter snow back east, who isn't really looking for a new job and poring over Craig's List, sees it and thinks, "That's it! I want to go to California, where the men are men and sometimes women!"

Here's the job description:

The Executive Chef is responsible for the leadership of the kitchen by managing and overseeing the activities of the entire kitchen as well as menu development and food quality through purchasing organic products, multi-cultural cuisine, kosher foods, etc.

This position is also responsible for recipes including menu item presentation, lunch, corporate, and catering events. He/She is expected to maintain high standards by establishing food specifications and adhering to those specifications via recipes, portion control, presentation, safety and sanitation. This position is full-time and located in Downtown Palo Alto.

Responsibilities

* Develop, cook, and manage breakfast, lunch and dinner for employees
* Directly supervise all kitchen personnel with responsibility for hiring, training, employee development, performance evaluations, and salary recommendations
* Have knowledge of food and catering trends with a focus on quality, production, sanitation, food cost controls, and presentation
* Develop and test recipes, techniques for food preparation, and presentation
* Must have skills in cooking and preparation of a variety of foods
* Possess ability to supervise and/or assign training for kitchen staff
* Possess ability to plan a variety of menus on a daily basis
* Possess knowledge of food supplies, equipment and services, ordering and inventory control
* Ensure cost effective production of the highest quality food
* Establish, manage, and maintain all vender relationships
* Consult with Facebook’s Catering/Event Coordinator on a weekly basis as well as with other departments if necessary
* Be accountable for the financial aspects of the F&B department ensuring a profitable operation
* Other duties may be assigned

Requirements

* 4-5 years experience as an Executive Chef preferred
* Independent, dedicated, and a self-starter
* Culinary school graduate
* Bachelor's degree preferred
* Previous management experience is preferred
* A high level of commitment, passion, and creativity for food
* Professional demeanor
* Ability to work as part of a team
* Ability to read, understand, follow and enforce safety/health procedures
* Ability to work in a fast-paced office environment
* High sense of urgency

Kasey, I hope you find the right person. Applicants can contact Kasey at kasey (at) facebook (dot) com.

Coming up soon, I have a series of posts from guest writers, all of whom are students of my good friend Robin Somers at UCSC, who teaches a writing class called "The Meaning of Food." Robin is the mother of farmer Joe Schirmer, who's been on these pages many times—and Joe was an apprentice up at the UCSC Farm back in the Nineties. Robin's students wrote memoirs about the foods of their childhood, and I'm going to be offering some up here in a series called "Delicious Treats." What a treat, too, to have offerings that have nothing to do with overconsumption, spending money, or participating in the frenzy of compulsory holiday mania.

Speaking of antidotes to compulsory holiday mania, my friend, Suvir Saran, wrote a post on his weblog called "Redefining Christmas, Stretching Thanksgiving!" that addresses just that, and puts the whole idea of holiday gift-giving into the perspective of thinking about giving to people not in terms of luxuries, much less selfish luxuries, but of necessities. He has several charitable (and possibly tax-deductible) offerings listed, and if you'd like to get off the merry-go-round, I encourage it.

Here at our house, Christmas is for children. Specifically, for a three-year-old little boy with eyes as big as saucers, who knows "it's Christmas time, but it's not Christmas yet."

Logan will be the recipient of our gifts: the last time we gave gifts to grown-ups, we gave flocks of chickens to families in Cambodia via Heifer International. And it felt really really good to be free of the whole idea of "Here's your thing, do you like it? Oh, and you got me a thing, too!"

That is just so not what Christmas is about. Things. More things. Comparing the value of things.

Nope, let me off the crazy ride, thanks very much. And no, this doesn't make me a Scrooge: it just means I am not buying into the whole buying-into thing. To me, gift-giving should be a spontaneous act from the heart, not a response to external stimuli or pressure. Unless that's just your thing, that is, which clearly is the case with some people.

Don't get me wrong: we have an eight-foot Christmas tree—a Noble Fir. And I'm all about the ornaments. Our Christmas tree brings weeks of joy to our home, and everyone who walks in gets that gift. We also do stockings for our girls, but they're heavy on edibles and not on expense.

I'll start with the guest authors tomorrow. You'll enjoy them, I know.

And that's all for today.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "Service...
Giving what you don't have to give.
Giving when you don't need to give.
Giving because you want to give." —Damien Hess

That's all for today. Thanks for visiting!

Comments

[Anita]

That photo of your guys is such a pleasure.

[Evan]

I would love a gadget developer job at facebook!!

[Clare]

I do feel hopeful that more people are getting on board the "it's not things that matter" train...and trying to give more thoughtful gifts, handmade items, food, etc...not plastic crap from china. It's a good thing.

[Love Apple Farm]

Tana, I'm raffling off your fab farmer's market calendar to people on my newsletter list. I want to tell you that it's been a hot ticket. A lot of entries so far....of course, it's free to enter, but just wanted you to know that people are very interested in winning it!

[Renee]

What a great photo of your boys!