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35-2014.00 · Task explorer

Cooks, Restaurant: reported tasks and exploration worksheet

Prepare, season, and cook dishes such as soups, meats, vegetables, or desserts in restaurants. May order supplies, keep records and accounts, price items on menu, or plan menu.

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This source lists 20 tasks, including 14 marked Core and 6 marked Supplemental. Labels and dates are retained below. Employers can combine or divide these responsibilities differently; explore the task itself before assuming it belongs in every version of the role.

Task source dates: 08/2025.

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20 tasks shown

Core · Task 18723 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Ensure food is stored and cooked at correct temperature by regulating temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, and roasters.

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Core · Task 18722 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Inspect and clean food preparation areas, such as equipment, work surfaces, and serving areas, to ensure safe and sanitary food-handling practices.

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Core · Task 2173 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Portion, arrange, and garnish food, and serve food to waiters or patrons.

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Core · Task 18724 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Ensure freshness of food and ingredients by checking for quality, keeping track of old and new items, and rotating stock.

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Core · Task 2170 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Season and cook food according to recipes or personal judgment and experience.

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Core · Task 2180 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Coordinate and supervise work of kitchen staff.

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Core · Task 2176 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Bake, roast, broil, and steam meats, fish, vegetables, and other foods.

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Core · Task 2172 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Weigh, measure, and mix ingredients according to recipes or personal judgment, using various kitchen utensils and equipment.

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Core · Task 2169 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Turn or stir foods to ensure even cooking.

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Core · Task 2171 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Observe and test foods to determine if they have been cooked sufficiently, using methods such as tasting, smelling, or piercing them with utensils.

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Core · Task 2175 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Substitute for or assist other cooks during emergencies or rush periods.

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Core · Task 2177 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Wash, peel, cut, and seed fruits and vegetables to prepare them for consumption.

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Core · Task 2183 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Bake breads, rolls, cakes, and pastries.

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Core · Task 2179 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Carve and trim meats such as beef, veal, ham, pork, and lamb for hot or cold service, or for sandwiches.

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Supplemental · Task 2185 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Keep records and accounts.

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Supplemental · Task 2184 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Prepare relishes and hors d'oeuvres.

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Supplemental · Task 2178 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Estimate expected food consumption, requisition or purchase supplies, or procure food from storage.

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Supplemental · Task 2181 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Consult with supervisory staff to plan menus, taking into consideration factors such as costs and special event needs.

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Supplemental · Task 2182 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Butcher and dress animals, fowl, or shellfish, or cut and bone meat prior to cooking.

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Supplemental · Task 2186 · 08/2025 · Incumbent

Plan and price menu items.

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Make the shortlist useful

Choose one to three activities that tell you something different about the work. Avoid selecting several ways of describing the same interest.
For each, write an example you can discuss or a question that would change your understanding of the role.
Keep source task IDs with your notes so you can return to the same description. Do not include private employer or customer information.

The exported worksheet distinguishes the reported task from your own notes. It supports exploration, not a hiring decision or a validated assessment.

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Download before leaving this page. Unsaved writing remains only in the page and is cleared on refresh. Notes and learning actions are not sent to a server. This guide describes an occupation and supports study planning; it does not provide clinical, legal or equipment-operating procedures.

Source and practice material

Occupational context uses the O*NET® 31.0 Database from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, under CC BY 4.0. View the occupation.

Skill Workbench selected and adapted the occupational information and added its own fictional cases, calculations, guidance and worksheets. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.