What Would JD (or JY) Do?

What Would JD (or JY) Do?

When you’re knee-deep in chaos, the sauce is breaking, and the guests are starting to riot, stop and ask yourself:

What would JD (or JY) do?

Here’s the answer:

  • Keep your cool.
  • Think before you react.
  • Simplify the process.
  • Execute with excellence.
  • Leave no stone unturned. Double-check everything.
  • Involve your team.

These aren’t just empty platitudes. These are the lessons I learned from two legends of the kitchen: JD, the master of calm command, and JY, the swearing sage of precision. Their combined wisdom shaped not only how I cook but how I approach life.

Let me tell you how I learned these lessons—one chaotic brunch and one meticulous mentor at a time.


The 800 PAX Eggs Benedict Fiasco

Let Papa paint you a picture: it was a breakfast function for 800 guests (we call that 800 PAX in kitchen speak), and on the buffet was the bane of brunch cooks everywhere: Eggs Benedict. A toasted English muffin, Canadian bacon, a poached egg, and Hollandaise sauce—a recipe for disaster when scaled up for a high-end banquet.

For reasons Papa still can’t explain, the Chef de Parties, in their infinite wisdom, decided we’d make these to order. To order. For 800 people. (Yeah, in a tilt skillet. I laughed too. Then I cried.)

We ran out of Eggs Benedict a quarter of the way into service. Eight buffet stations sat empty. Guests were fuming, the kitchen was in chaos, and the Chef de Parties were yelling at each other instead of fixing the problem.

That’s when JD walked in. Calm, cool, collected—like he wasn’t walking into a culinary war zone. He took one look at the disaster and said, in a voice so calm it was terrifying:

“We have 800 guests out there, 8 stations completely empty of Eggs Benedict, our package they paid a premium for, and none to be found anywhere. I don’t care how you do it, but I want to see those stations filled right now.”

Then he looked at the Chef de Parties, me, and another first cook, and said:

“See you in the office after service is done.”

Let me tell you, nothing makes you move faster than JD’s version of calm disappointment. We got those stations up and running. I invented a Bain Marie system on the fly using deep inserts with poaching water and perforated inserts to bulk-poach eggs to order. It wasn’t elegant, but it worked.

The lesson? Keep your cool, simplify the bullshit, and get the job done.


JY: The Sage of Slowly, But Surely

Fast-forward a few years, and I’m working under a master of Quebecois Chaos-JY. If JD was the calm eye of the storm, JY is the meticulous master of “slowly, but surely.”

He’s the kind of guy who’ll let you know when you’ve screwed up, but never loses his cool. Instead, he’ll look you in the eye and say, “I’m not impressed.” (Which, frankly, is worse than being yelled at. That one line cuts deep.)

But JY doesn’t just critique—he teaches. He’s a firm believer in:

  • Check. Double-check. Have it checked. Then verify.
  • Simplify your process.
  • Always involve your team.

He’s also not afraid to swear like a Quebecois sailor while doing it, which somehow makes it all the more endearing.


The Gospel of JD and JY

So what would JD or JY do when the kitchen is falling apart? They’d:

  • Stay calm. No yelling, no panicking—just clear, calm direction.
  • Simplify the task. Whether it’s rigging a Bain Marie for Eggs Benedict or ditching perfectionist veal reductions for BBQ sauce, focus on what works.
  • Set a high standard. Simplifying doesn’t mean sacrificing quality.
  • Double-check everything. Never assume something’s fine—verify it. Leave no stone unturned.
  • Involve the team. Trust your people, listen to their ideas, and collaborate.

These lessons didn’t just save me in the kitchen—they’ve shaped how I approach every challenge in life. And now they’re yours.

The next time you’re in the weeds, ask yourself: What would JD or JY do? Then follow their lead, and watch the chaos turn to calm.


Papa’s Call to Action:

Here’s the deal: kitchens are chaos. Life is chaos. And when the shit hits the fan, you need a mantra to keep you grounded. For me, it’s this—WWJD or JY? Because JD and JY drilled the gospel of kitchen calm into my head: keep cool, simplify the bullshit, and get the job done before someone throws a pan.

Now, it’s your turn, kid. Think of someone who’s earned your respect in the kitchen—or wherever you work. Maybe it’s your boss, your mom, or even yourself on the rare day you don’t burn the toast. What would their initials be? What would they do when the ticket machine won’t stop printing, the emails won’t stop dinging, and the coffee machine breaks right before a meeting?

Write it down. Stick it on your fridge, your locker, or your forehead if you have to. Because when the chaos comes, that reminder might just save your ass.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *