Katherine Raffele
Schenectady,NY
Summary
Adept Banquet Chef with a proven track record at Seasons Catering, excelling in kitchen management and sanitation procedures. Mastered crafting innovative menus, reducing food waste by efficient portion control, and enhancing guest satisfaction through quality and presentation. Skillfully balanced high-volume meal production with maintaining stringent food safety standards, showcasing exceptional organizational and culinary skills.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
Work History
Banquet Chef
Seasons Catering
07.2022 - Current
- Grilled, roasted, baked and performed other cooking techniques to produce high volume meals.
- Practiced safe work habits to avoid possible injury to self or other employees.
- Learned menu items produced by assigned station to achieve proper quantities.
- Chopped vegetables, butchered meat and prepared sauces in advance to serve guests promptly and efficiently
- Recognized quality standards in vegetables, fish, dairy and meat products and selected and used freshest ingredients to prepare menu items
Head Chef
Van Dyke Restaurant
04.2021 - 03.2022
- Placed orders to restock items before supplies ran out.
- Managed food costs effectively with careful menu planning, accurate portion control, and utilization of seasonal ingredients.
- Inventoried food, ingredient, and supply stock to prepare and plan vendor orders.
- Developed strong vendor relationships to secure fresh, quality ingredients at competitive prices while supporting local businesses whenever possible.
- Handled and stored food to eliminate illness and prevent cross-contamination.
- Maintained high food quality standards by checking delivery contents to verify product quality and quantity.
- Oversaw scheduling, inventory management, and supply ordering to maintain fully stocked kitchen.
- Trained kitchen staff to perform various preparation tasks under pressure.
- Monitored line processes to maintain consistency in quality, quantity, and presentation.
- Hired, managed, and trained kitchen staff.
- Created recipes and prepared advanced dishes
- Cooked memorable dishes that brought new customers into establishment.
- Arranged for kitchen equipment maintenance and repair when needed.
- Implemented new recipes and modern cooking techniques to continuously improve the menu offerings and overall dining experience for guests.
Banquet Chef
Century House
01.2020 - 12.2021
- Grilled, roasted, baked and performed other cooking techniques to produce high volume meals.
- Practiced safe work habits to avoid possible injury to self or other employees.
- Learned menu items produced by assigned station
Head Chef
Stockade Inn
05.2005 - 01.2020
- Placed orders to restock items before supplies ran out.
- Managed food costs effectively with careful menu planning, accurate portion control, and utilization of seasonal ingredients.
- Developed strong vendor relationships to secure fresh, quality ingredients at competitive prices while supporting local businesses whenever possible.
- Handled and stored food to eliminate illness and prevent cross-contamination.
- Maintained high food quality standards by checking delivery contents to verify product quality
- Monitored line processes to maintain consistency in quality, quantity, and presentation.
- Hired, managed, and trained kitchen staff.
- Created recipes and prepared advanced dishes
- Implemented new recipes and modern cooking techniques to continuously improve the menu offerings and overall dining experience for guests.
- Prevented cross-contamination from utensils, surfaces, and pans when cooking and plating meals for food allergy sufferers.
Chef
Kingways Community
06.2010 - 06.2013
- Oversaw grill, stove, and oven, and cleaned equipment after every shift
- Placed orders to restock items before supplies ran out.
- Handled and stored food to eliminate illness and prevent cross-contamination.
- Prevented cross-contamination from utensils, surfaces, and pans when cooking and plating meals for food allergy sufferers.
- Prepared meals from scratch using authentic, popular recipes to generate repeat business.
- Successfully met dietary requirements for diverse clientele by providing customized meal options upon request.
- Responded to dietary concerns and food allergies, creating dishes to meet customer needs and palates.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction by consistently delivering high-quality culinary creations.
- Monitored food production to verify quality and consistency.
- Modified recipes to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies.
Education
Associate - Fashion Design And Interior Design
Bauder Fashion College
Miami Florida 06.1977
Skills
- Food presentation
- Kitchen Management
- Quality Control
- Fine Dining
- Sushi rolling
- Baking / Decorating
Accomplishments
I was top female chef in Miami in 1992.
I was on CNN in 1994 for 2 days because I had a restaurant for people with Compromise immune system or HIV. I had nutritionalist and doctors that backed me up because I believe if they eat properly they could help cure the HIV instead of taking all the drugs.
Timeline
Banquet Chef
Seasons Catering
07.2022 - Current
Head Chef
Van Dyke Restaurant
04.2021 - 03.2022
Banquet Chef
Century House
01.2020 - 12.2021
Chef
Kingways Community
06.2010 - 06.2013
Head Chef
Stockade Inn
05.2005 - 01.2020
Associate - Fashion Design And Interior Design
Bauder Fashion College
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