Harvest America CUES BLOG

April 2014

  • FOOD IS THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE

    Once you brush away all of the superficial things that we accumulate in life and begin to prioritize those that are important it is remarkable to see that everyone shares the same list. It all boils down to family, faith,… Continue reading

  • COOKS IN THE WEEDS – GASPING FOR AIR

    There are times in a restaurant kitchen when things go terribly wrong. Every cook, every chef faces those moments that can only be described as desperate and out of control. There is so much truth to the theory of Murphy’s… Continue reading

  • TYLER SCOTT: A YOUNG CHEF MARKS A PATH TO EXCELLENCE

    New York City has been called the center of the universe. For chefs and restaurateurs it is the mecca for the best talent to be found and a place for aspiring professionals to earn their chops, refine their talent and… Continue reading

  • Realistic Expectations for Culinary School Graduates

    Originally posted on Harvest America CUES BLOG: This is an article that I posted two years ago regarding the expectations that young graduates of culinary education oftentimes have when first entering a professional kitchen. I felt that it fit well… Continue reading

  • IN THE KITCHEN – HIRE PASSION, TEACH DISCIPLINE

    Chefs seem to always lament about the difficult task of finding the right staff to fulfill the mission of their kitchen. “Where can I find good cooks who will show up to work prepared, who have a strong foundational knowledge… Continue reading

  • AH…..BREAD AND BREAD BAKERS

    “The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight.” – M.F.K. Fischer If line cooks are the heart of a kitchen then bread bakers must certainly be… Continue reading

  • FOOD ART – LOOK TO NATURE

    There is no question that people eat with their eyes. Chefs are, for the most part, tuned into this reality and oftentimes invest countless hours developing and defining their signature presentations for various dishes. To some it may be creating… Continue reading

  • LIFE LESSONS FROM A LINE COOK

    I may be a showing a bit of bias, but I do believe that there are many lessons that anyone can learn from observing the daily activities and mindset of a typical restaurant line cook. These seasoned disciples of the… Continue reading

  • THE SOCIETAL IMPORTANCE OF COOKS AND COOKING

    I believe it was Julia Child who pointed out that every significant change in society has always been accompanied by a change in how we grow, select, distribute, prepare, serve and consume food. Whether food drove societal change or if… Continue reading

  • ENOUGH WITH INACCURATE TV FOOD SHOWS

    Nearly everyone in the restaurant business that I know cringes when anyone mentions one of the “reality food shows” on various networks. Inaccurate would not go far enough to describe the environment that is portrayed. Some may clarify and say,… Continue reading

  • WHY DEMOCRACY DOESN’T WORK VERY WELL IN A KITCHEN

    Originally posted on Harvest America CUES BLOG: The foundations of our country stem from the concept of democracy or as clearly stated by Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address: “a government of the people, by the people and for the… Continue reading

  • WHY DEMOCRACY DOESN’T WORK VERY WELL IN A KITCHEN

    The foundations of our country stem from the concept of democracy or as clearly stated by Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address: “a government of the people, by the people and for the people…” a bold, and noble statement that… Continue reading