Three meals. Two cooks. A team effort.

I was the sous chef when the other cooks and two servers called out. The head chef and I started around 5 a.m. and worked until about 7 p.m. There were still three meals to get out.

We adjusted recipes, shared the cooking and plating, and traded quick breaks. Between meals, we cleaned and reset. The remaining servers and our dishwasher were part of making it work. We were very glad to have that dishwasher.

A delivery problem calls for a different kind of adjustment. When chicken didn't arrive for a planned teriyaki meal, available pork became the new plan. Ingredients, seasoning and portions all had to make sense together.

That is familiar kitchen work to me: notice what's changed, make a workable plan with the people there, and get on with it.