Kitchens are great equalizers – it is the place where individual talent and exceptional intellect can be less important that dependability, organization, focus, and teamwork.  The kitchen is a place where those who are successful come to the realization that those later aptitudes are enhanced through experience – the more you do, the better you become.   Some talented people are not the best cooks and chefs and quite often the most intelligent (using commonly referred to scales of measurement) are lacking in common sense. 

As a teacher, chef, cook, and initially – dishwasher, I have been witness to those with incredible natural talent, many extraordinarily intelligent individuals, and far more “Rudi” type individuals who compensated with plain old hard work and dedication.  Some from each group have been (are) quite successful while others stumble along not quite sure what steps to take next.  In the end, from my perspective, the ones who exceed their own and other’s expectations are the ones that find strength in the school of hard knocks.  These are the people who worked their way up, failed countless times along the way, stumbled and picked themselves back up, were humble and grateful, and realized that contrary to the organization of the dictionary – work does come before success.

I was thinking the other day how we may be taking away from the opportunities that the school of hard knocks provides.  Is it possible that we have become a society determined to make everything easier – assuming that easier is better?  Have we dedicated ourselves to minimizing disappointment, push aside fear, eliminate steps that in the past helped us to grow, take away pain, and shorten the distance between a beginning and our end goals?  I may be wallowing in my own opinions and readily admit that there is no real science behind my thought process – but here it goes:

[]       IT MUST BEGIN WITH WASHING DISHES:

Every, yes, EVERY cook with a desire to become a chef someday must begin by washing dishes.  This is a must!  You will learn how important this job is, how a chef must ensure that the dishwasher is treated with respect, and how much you can learn about the kitchen through the eyes of this position.

[]       DIVE FOR PEARLS:

If it is a separate task from dishwashing – every cook, yes, EVERY cook who wants to be a chef someday must wash pots.  This will teach him or her the importance of organization, how to become a more efficient cook someday, how important clean equipment is to the chef, and the pot washer’s role in mise en place.

[]       LET ME SHOW YOU HOW TO MOP A FLOOR:

This is a skill to be learned.  Don’t think for a minute that how to mop is an innate process – you must be taught.  Sweep well, hot water with the right amount of the correct soap, change water frequently, rinse mop and in some cases dry mop afterward to avoid falls.  Make sure the mop head is clean and changed frequently.  Clean floors are happy floors.  Happy floors help to build happy cooks.

[]       THAT FIRST KNIFE MUST BE EARNED:

Something important is lost when the parents or relatives of an 18-year-old purchase a $600 set of Henkel knives for this inexperienced apprentice before he or she has earned the right to hold a high-quality knife in hand.  Ideally, that first knife is something that the young cook saves money for, learns to cherish and respect, and care for like a musician cares for a musical instrument.  This is important!

[]       PEEL 500 POUNDS OF ONIONS FIRST:

So, you want to cook?  Begin with an appreciation for the basics – practice until you are very good at the basics.  Learn to respect the foundational ingredients and the importance of repetition.  Start with onions, learn accuracy, speed, and routine.  Cry a lot – this is how the onion wants to be remembered.

[]       DICE A BAG OF CARROTS – PERFECTLY:

Practice large, medium, small, and brunoise dice.  Measure your cuts, look at your waste – improve every day until you are fast and ALWAYS accurate.

[]       TURN 300 POTATOES PERFECTLY, THEN ASK AGAIN IF YOU CAN WORK THE LINE:

Why is it important for a potato to have seven equal sides?  The potato is a

 beautiful part of the meal – present it as a prized gem that cooks evenly,

 browns on the edges, and graces the plate as a competitor of the entrée for the

 diner’s attention.

[]       WHAT – YOU NEVER HAD A PAPER ROUTE?

There is something about that first job at the age of 15 – working papers in hand, bike all tuned up, rain or shine, moving from house to house making sure that morning paper hits the front door before breakfast, and taking home that weekly paycheck that sets the tone for a 50-year career ahead.  Learning to be responsible and earning what is in your pocket – the school of hard knocks.  You know how it feels to not want to get out of bed in the morning but realize that you have a responsibility to others – learn dependability and trust early on and you never forget.

[]       WASH AND IRON YOUR OWN UNIFORM:

Wash and iron, make sure that it is spotless and pressed, sharp and proud – now the uniform means something and you know that your appearance is a reflection of a profession that dates back many centuries.  When you are responsible for it then it means so much more.

[]       OF COURSE, THOSE SHOES MUST BE POLISHED:

A friend of mine used to say clean shoes, happy shoes, happy cook.  Just like in the military – polish them until you can see your reflection.  Those clean shoes mean something, and you will take extra care to make sure the floors are clean so that those shoes stay sharp.  It’s an entire ecosystem of caring.

[]       SHOWER AND SHAVE:

Simple – look the part of a professional.

[]       NO ONE IS ABOVE CLEANING:

One of the great aspects of working in a kitchen is that typically job silos don’t exist.  Everything is everyone’s job.  At the top of the list is cleaning!  Respect for fellow workers, for the safety of the guest, for the image of the operation, for pride in work, and for the traditions of the profession begin with cleaning.  The school of hard knocks will not allow prima donnas to find a home in the kitchen.

[]       ON TIME REALLY IS 15 MINUTES EARLY:

This is a chant of many chefs, and some have viewed it as an abuse of power – but the gist of this statement is that your start time in the kitchen should be when you are able to be productive immediately.  For this to happen you need to get a lay of the land, button up your uniform, determine the state of work, the breadth of responsibility on a shift, and grab that first cup of coffee before the “start” button is hit.  The school of hard knocks is all about discipline.

[]       THERE ISN’T ANY SHORT CUT TO STOCK:

I have preached the importance of stock before, but to summarize stock is the heart and soul of a soup or sauce, it is a vehicle for using core ingredients such as onion peels, carrot trimmings, and celery tops that might otherwise become waste, and it brings an aroma of commitment to doing things right in the kitchen.  Stock is as much symbolic as it is functional.  There is no shortcut when the school of hard knocks demands that we do things right.

[]       SPEND THREE DAYS ON A FARM:

When we walk a mile in a farmer’s shoes, we learn to pay adequate respect for their work and pay homage to the ingredients that cooks are privileged to use.  The school of hard knocks teaches us that those carrots and onions are more than a commodity that is tossed off the back of a delivery truck.

[]       OF COURSE, EVERY COOK MUST LEARN TO SERVE A GUEST:

The friction that is an ongoing story of life in restaurants typically exists because one department fails to understand what the other one does and the challenges that they face.  When a cook is scheduled to spend some time, in any capacity, in the front of the house where teamwork is just as important as in the kitchen and where the individual must learn to interface professionally with a guest, then understanding takes place and that friction is less likely to find a home.  The school of hard knocks requires understanding and appreciation.

[]       MASTER THAT KNIFE – EARN THE RIGHT TO A PROCESSOR:

Shortcuts are oftentimes viewed as a path to efficiency, less stress, and profitability.  This may be true, but appreciation of tools that allow this to occur is more pronounced once the individual understands how the task is done without it.  We appreciate a bike after we are relegated to walking everywhere and relish owning a car even more when our previous mode of transportation was that bike.  The school of hard knocks teaches us to crawl before we run.

[]       YOUR NAME ON A CHEF COAT MEANS SOMETHING:

Finally, let’s talk about symbols of accomplishment.  A criticism of younger generations has been that everyone expects a trophy no matter how they perform.  I’m not sure how true this is but do know that the symbol of a cook’s name on his or her chef coat has always meant that he or she has demonstrated the skill and knowledge to warrant their name embroidered on the jacket.  It may seem trivial, but it is important – a real sense of pride that should not be diminished by automatically providing that without associated accomplishment.  Give them a name tag but reserve the embroidery for a right of passage.  To a cook enrolled in the school of hard knocks, this is a certificate of accomplishment.

Whether a chef who began as a dishwasher and never pursued a formal culinary education or a college graduate with a culinary degree – that indoctrination through the school of hard knocks is the most effective manner of building skills, knowledge, pride, and trust that the individual is capable, competent, and confident.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Learn by doing

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericacues.com – BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

To make a difference – this is something that many of us seek and so few of us think that we accomplish.  At some level we all make a difference, even if only in one person’s life, one situation, one community, or even one business.  We should all take some level of comfort in this – there is a reason why we are here.  A few seek to only make a difference in their own lives while others are far more concerned with the impact they have on others but in both cases, there is a cause and effect.  We make a difference through the effort that we are willing and able to give.

I often quote Steve Jobs of Apple Computer who proclaimed that certain people are determined to “make a dent in the universe”, no matter how large or small that dent might be.  Starting out in a kitchen as a dishwasher may not feel like a path to making a difference, but it is a door that can open to incredible opportunity, a lifetime of learning, and immense satisfaction through creativity and making someone else’s day.  If we look at those little steps as the start of something extraordinary then the effort that we invest and the patience that we exhibit can, and likely will pay off.

It is so true no matter what you choose to do with your life – that first open door will show you the way.  When a young Eric Clapton received his first guitar, Michael Jordan embraced his first basketball, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak built that first computer in their garage, Michael Phelps dove into a pool for the first time, Tiger Woods swung a club and connected with a golf ball for the first time, or Claude Monet touched a canvas with his first brush stroke they were starting a path to greatness – setting the stage to make a dent in the universe.

Who would have guessed that Chef Jose Andres would wind up one of the world’s great humanitarians with the skills of an accomplished chef and the heart of a saint?  Who would have guessed that the primitive computer built in Steve Jobs garage would wind up creating the worldwide market for personal computers?  Who would have imagined that the first song co-written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon would light the spark that continues to resonate throughout the world?  And who would have ever thought that the idea for a book written on a paper napkin could have created a global interest in J.K. Rawling’s series around Harry Potter and his wizardry adventures?  These individuals made significant dents in the universe, but what about you and me?

Stacking and scraping dishes, pushing rack after rack through the conveyor machine, and restacking hot, clean dishes at the other end may seem like a mindless, boring task, but it is a start – an important start.  Who would ever consider that a 19-year-old working the fry station on a kitchen line could ever aspire to run a kitchen or own a restaurant someday, but thousands, upon thousands have done so?  Talk with those who command busy kitchens, talk with Jose Andres, Stephanie Izard, Daniel Boulud, Sean Brock, Danny Meyer, and Dan Barber about their start and their vision for making a dent in the universe and they will likely reflect on their time in the dish pit – that first open door.

Gavin Kaysen – chef/owner of Spoon and Stable Restaurant and past competitor in the Bocuse d’Or – one of the world’s most challenging culinary competitions, started out as a sandwich maker at Subway.  He knew that if he approached that job as if it were the most important thing that he could do; if he treated his steady customers as if they were special; and if he made every sandwich with the same care as a chef would approach an award-winning entrée in his or her restaurant – that he could step out and go as far as he wanted with a career in food.  He knew he could make a dent in the universe.

Every time that we (cooks or chefs in any type of restaurant) approach our position with the same vigor and commitment that Chef Kaysen shows, then we will always make a difference.  We will make a difference in the comfort and stress level of the chef, put our teammates at ease knowing that they can depend on us, help the restaurant reach its goals, and help the guest enjoy the experience of food and forget about their problems for that one moment when they take a bite of the food that we prepared. 

I have enjoyed opportunities beyond my wildest dreams.  It was that first job washing dishes and then on to helping a breakfast cook work through the daily rush that solidified my interest in the kitchen.  It was that desire to keep opening doors and stepping through that energized me and demonstrated that I might make a difference.  You can do this as well.  There is nothing to stop you except any self-imposed roadblocks that you let get in your way.  Here are some ways to set the stage for making a dent in the universe:

• If you don’t know how to do something in the kitchen – ask
• If you are serious about learning – volunteer
• If you see something that needs to be done – do it
• If you see a fellow cook in the weeds – jump in and help
• If your eyes are set on becoming a chef – find a mentor
• If you are not given adequate opportunities to learn at your current job – find another property with a chef who will teach and train – give adequate notice where you are and open another door
• If you don’t make enough money right now – be patient and show every day that you are worth more – do so by constantly improving
• If you are too slow – practice
• If the chef at your property looks stressed out – ask him or her what you can do to help

There are doors everywhere and you never know which one will lead to an opportunity to make a difference.  Don’t shy away from them – take a step forward and view your next footfall as the most important in your career.  Your dent is based on your effort.  Your confidence is based on your competence.  Your competence is based on your willingness to open the next door and commit.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Make a dent in the universe – start today

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

**Check out my CAFÉ Talks podcast interview with Chef Gavin Kaysen launching on Wednesday, October 20.

Most of us tend to gravitate to what we can control.  We have an innate desire to do what we’re good at and avoid what we are not.  It is the fact of control that differentiates comfort from a lack thereof.  We invest the time and the energy in a process of skill development, and of knowledge building for some very specific reasons:  we want to be good at what we do, we want to be respected, we need others to depend on us, and we have a real desire to be comfortable in our own shoes.  Being uncomfortable is un-nerving; it makes our palms sweat, our stomachs churn, our mind wander, and others around us lack the necessary trust in our outcomes. 

So, as cooks we focus on the processes, the systems, the equipment, and the recipes that allow us to be in control.  Sauté cooks know that a burner can be controlled by the right mix of oxygen and gas, or the thermostat on an electric range.  The fry cook can rely, to a large degree, on the thermostat that controls the temp on a deep pan of high temperature oil, and as long as the oil is cleaned and skimmed and changed every few days, they can depend on the results.  The banquet cook can set temperature, time, and moisture in a slow cook oven to ensure that a roast is cooked to the proper degree of doneness every time.  But then there is the grill station – the place where fire controls everything and the cook is subservient to its inconsistencies.

Fire feeds on oxygen and the dripping of collagen fat melting through the marbling of steaks and chops.  Fire, even in the most sophisticated equipment has the upper hand and for a cook to manage it he or she must respect the power that exists in the blue, orange, red and white variances in the character of the flame.  The heat varies, the sizzle from contact with fire varies, and the ability to coax the fire into doing what you want is as challenging as hitting a golf ball into 30 mile per hour wind gusts and expecting it to do what you want.  A good cook must respect these facts and work every day to try and understand the complex nature of open fire preparations.

Humankinds first attempt at cooking dates back two million years ago according to anthropologist Richard Wrangham, as early cooks built open fire pits to make food more palatable.  Some believe that it was this act of cooking meat that allowed the human brain to evolve through the provision of added surplus energy.  See “Catching Fire – How Cooking Made Us Human”. https://www.amazon.com/Catching-Fire-Cooking-Made-Human/dp/0465020410/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1N7SLKW94L4NK&dchild=1&keywords=catching+fire+richard+wrangham&qid=1633958900&s=books&sprefix=Catching+Fire+%2Caps%2C183&sr=1-1

Today, the vast majority of the nearly 8 billion people around the world still cook with open fire.  Although most may use available wood, twigs, and brush for their fires – in America we were attracted to a new method of fire starting and tending, with the invention of charcoal briquets.  It was actually Thomas Edison and Edward Kingsford who perfected the process of pressing sawdust, wood scraps, tar and cornstarch into the magical fuel that many still use today.  Kingsford perfected the chemistry and Edison designed the plant for manufacturing.  Combining this invention with the work of the Weber Brothers Metal Works in the Chicago area drove the creation of a new industry and a great American pastime. (National Geographic – A Brief History of Cooking with Fire) https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/a-brief-history-of-cooking-with-fire

Today’s chefs have reinvigorated the ancient process of cooking with open fire.  With more sophisticated wood fired grills and ovens, they are opening “Live Fire” restaurants from coast to coast.  The comfort of being in control of the process is steadily being replaced by the art of embracing the unpredictability of fire along with the flavor benefits that are a result.  Learning to cook in this manner involves a willingness to put aside what a chef thinks he or she knows and be willing to re-learn how to turn over much of the control to the flame.  The cook must be willing to tag along for the ride and learn something new every time the coals are stoked.

Starting the fire, selecting the right wood, curing an oven, building the coals, monitoring temperatures that can reach 1,000-degree Fahrenheit, and staying focused on the product that may cook in a few short minutes is far less a science and much more an art form that takes considerable time to understand and begin to master. 

The heat is intense, the sweat will pour down a cook’s back, the view of the flames is intoxicating, the sear is breathtaking, and determining degrees of doneness is completely different than working with traditional char broilers and ovens.  Neapolitan pizzas take 90 seconds on an 850-degree wood fired hearth, artisan breads bake at 500 degrees, chickens and game birds’ nest in cast iron Dutch ovens as they absorb the flavor of hardwoods like cherry or oak, and steaks and chops take their direction from the deep blue and golden yellow flames that jump from the embers that sit just a few inches from the steel grates designed to take the heat. 

If you felt that being a line cook was physically hard before – hang on to your hat when you first enter the world of open fire cooking.  This is how cooking was meant to be – a challenge, a way to pit the intelligence of the cook against the all-consuming power and unpredictable nature of fire.

“The comforts of life’s essentials – food, fire, and friendship.”

-Julia Child

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com – BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

I have been following the current Rolling Stones Tour without Charlie Watts for the first time in 59 years.  He was, like so many drummers, far more important to the band than many would have thought.  He wasn’t flamboyant, didn’t invest too much energy in building rapid fire fills in all the Stones songs, and wasn’t one to seek out the limelight, but he was the energy, the force, the stability behind the music that carried the band for an unbelievable number of years (and still going).  When you stop to reflect back on the dozens of albums and hundreds of songs that make up their catalog you start to hear the power and unique character to what he said through his instrument.  A short catchy rhythm here and there, a short staccato accent, or a strategically placed rim shot and you suddenly had a Stones song that played in your head over and over again.  He was always there, keeping the others in line, and being consistently present. Never underestimate the importance of that piece of the machine.

In the kitchen, like in a band, there are players who grab the microphone and the spotlight and some who add a flashy solo now and again to take centerstage and seem to be most important to the sound of the kitchen, but it really is one person, one station that consistently serves as the drummer keeping the engine churning and holding everything together.  In most kitchens it is the person working the chargrill.  This is the line cook who works with fire, the one cook who allows the flame to touch the product directly and as such must learn to control the uncontrollable.  The steaks and chops are a consistent centerpiece on nearly every menu.  The muscle that when properly marbled or blended with the right amount of fat, feeds the flame as it laps up its energy from the moisture that drips into the soul of fire as it wraps around a strip, filet, chop, ribeye, or beautifully blended burger. 

Yes, every cook can be trained to determine degrees of doneness and after a period of time get pretty good at it, but it is the accomplished grill person, the Charlie Watts of the kitchen, who can sense when it is time to give that steak a quarter turn to highlight those perfect grill marks, or flip the steak (only once), when he or she knows that it is time.  The grill cook always dances on the edge of knowing just when to make a move so that the protein will caramelize on the outside, building that incredible carbon crust while still ensuring that a perfect rare, or medium rare is maintained inside.  The Charlie Watts of the line knows just when to pull that steak or chop from the fire so that carry over cooking never leaves the meat overdone and to allow adequate time for the meat to rest before slicing to ensure that the juice stays in the meat and not on the plate.  A perfectly cooked steak is a work of art just like those steady beats from the drummer in a band. 

The grill keeps the rhythm of the kitchen, sets the pace and defines the tone.  All timing from other stations: sauté, fry station, and plate set up is built around the work of the grillade. Building flavors on the sauté station takes a sophisticated palate and the ability to keep multiple preparations organized as tickets come screaming into the kitchen where as the grillade typically only works with salt and pepper – leaving the flavor up to the quality of the meat and the magic of the flame.  One adds to the flavor profile, while the other protects what is present from the beginning.  It is the steady beat of the grillade that defines how successful a line of cooks will be during service. He or she is the commander of the flame – fire and man or woman – the most primal of cooking techniques, the most admired, the most intense.  Everything about the position exudes power, determination, and the ability to work in an environment of extremes.  It is physical, mental, and emotional; it is independent and collaborative, but most importantly it is the beat that other cooks depend on.  Just like Charlie Watts – the grill cook is the soul of the band of cooks.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Respect the Grillade

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

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It’s time to accept where we are, listen and understand where we might be going, put aside our frustrations and begin to establish a working strategy that is based on what is inevitable.  Yes, I’m talking about what it will be like in our restaurants from this point on and into the foreseeable future.

I know, I know – we all want things to return to normal, and we want the industry we knew to come back just as it was.  In the profound words of David Byrne: “Same as it ever was, same as it ever was.”  But the fact of the matter is: it will not likely ever be the same as it ever was.  So, take a deep breath, kick a few empty five-gallon buckets around the kitchen (make sure they are empty), release a string of expletives if it makes you feel better, and take a few ibuprofens to address that constant headache.  Sometimes, things start to feel better when you know that the decisions are much clearer now than they were a few months ago – even if the clarity is not what we hoped for.

So, here is what we know and what we must learn to work with:

[]       COVID PROTOCOLS WILL LIKELY BE WITH US FOR SOME TIME:

You’re tired of it, your employees are tired of it, and your customers are tired of, but it is the second-best tool in your toy chest (next to the vaccine) to help keep this pandemic under control and keep everyone safe. Many indicators point to Covid as a constantly mutating virus that comes back in a different form every year.  This means that booster shots, like the flu vaccine, will be an annual reality and masks and other internal protocols will probably be either recommended or required at some level for months or even years to come (sorry to burst your bubble).

[]       SOME OF YOUR BEST EMPLOYEES WON’T BE COMING BACK:

They stepped away while you were shut down, they had time to evaluate and take a hard look at the pros and cons and concluded that working in restaurants just wasn’t worth it.  The pay was not the best, the benefits not so great, the hours and uncertainty of schedules frustrating, the physical work demanding, the environment stressful, and working evenings and holidays quite anti-social.  So, they decided to look for a change of career.  We didn’t address all those issues when we should have and now the pandemic made it all too obvious that it was time for them to cut the apron strings.

[]       FINDING NEW STAFF WILL BE A CHALLENGE FOR QUITE A WHILE:

The same media that made our industry exciting and attractive (unrealistically attractive) for decades has now invested in pointing out on social media, in newspapers and magazines, in expose books, and on television that working in restaurants has a dark side.  Combine this with the cost of a culinary or hospitality education and the 30-year payback to become debt free and many young students are turning their backs on a restaurant career.

[]       LABOR WILL BE MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE

Those employees that you are able to attract, especially the good ones, will be able to demand significantly higher wages and much broader benefit packages.  Yep, we might actually have to pay people a fair wage for the work that they do.  Ouch! 

[]       WE DO NEED TO ADDRESS WORK/LIFE BALANCE FOR EVERYONE:

It is absolutely true that when you find something that you enjoy doing, time investment is far less a concern, but try telling that to a good employee who has a family that also demands his or her attention.  When the stress of the job, especially the demands for excellence, poise, teamwork, service mentality, and competence, become over-bearing then everyone loses.  We (all of us) need to see these roadblocks, listen to our employees, and find ways to create a more accommodating environment – one that treats people with respect and works to create a user-friendly space where employees can perform well and feel good about themselves.

[]       CUSTOMERS ARE ANGRY WITH THE WORLD AND THEY SEEM TO ENJOY TAKING IT OUT ON YOUR STAFF – DON’T TOLERATE IT!

Of course, we all get it.  Life has been very challenging of late, and everyone is tired, on edge, frustrated beyond belief, and just DONE.  We are all ready to own our lives again and enjoy the simple things – like going out for a meal.  When the frustrations that a person feels translates to treating our employees poorly, placing blame on their shoulders for the protocols that they are required to enforce, and ignorance of the unique staffing challenges that continues to shoot holes in our delivery systems – then chefs and restaurateurs need to step in to protect the well-being of their employees.  The customer isn’t always right when they look down on our staff and try to make their lives unbearable.  Don’t allow it – there is no space for that crap in our places of work.

[]       THE SUPPLY CHAIN IS BROKEN AND WILL BE FOR A WHILE:

This is the straw that broke the camel’s back.  Staffing is difficult, customers are sometimes miserable, everyone is tired, and many are afraid, but now we can’t even depend on receiving the supplies that we need to conduct business.  Reminds me of that telling moment in the movie Network, when people hung their heads out of their apartment windows and yelled: “I’m mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.”  Well, the supply chain is bigger than all of us, very complex, and apparently – very fragile.  We can’t find staff, but neither can farmers, processors, supply ports, trucking companies, and even air carriers who bring that beautiful fresh fish to your door or wild mushrooms from Washington State.  So, it’s time to build contingency plans with this in mind – the problem will not be fixed overnight.

[]       SMALLER MENUS ARE A MUST, AT LEAST FOR NOW:

Chefs do like to strut their stuff.  We do like to show what we can do through our menus, train our staff how each should be prepared, how they should taste, and how they must be presented on the plate.  Unfortunately, staffing and supply issues make large menus impossible to maintain.  Get accustomed with smaller menus and fluid ones that change in an instant based on what is available.

[]       RIGHT NOW, VALUE IS FOCUSED ON SAFETY, TRUST, AND EFFICIENCY – EVENTUALLY IT WILL TURN BACK TO QUALITY AND PRICE:

We need to be ready to wow our guests again with exceptional, interesting, flavor packed, beautiful food and warm, friendly, comfortable service.  This never goes out of style so don’t be coaxed into thinking that a safe and efficient restaurant can survive without the magic of the kitchen and its cooks.

[]       LESS COMPETITION DUE TO RESTAURANT CLOSURES IS NOT A GOOD THING FOR YOU: 

Less competition means less interest in those related careers.  Less competition means less incentive to always stay on the cutting edge with product and service, less competition means that fewer people in your community will view a lunch or dinner out as the “thing to do”.  We should applaud competition, welcome it, and learn from it.

[]       DON’T PUSH ASIDE FOOD TO GO, FOOD DELIVERY, GHOST KITCHENS, OR CURBSIDE PICK-UP JUST YET:

Yep, it saved many restaurants and our customers embraced it – now we can’t forget it.  We need to become incredible at food to go – figure out ways to maintain quality, package it beautifully so that it looks fantastic, and create a “to go experience” that is comparable to in-person dining.  A tall task, but necessary.  To go is here to stay.

[]       SURVIVAL IS THE FIRST THING ON A CHEF’S JOB DESCRIPTION RIGHT NOW:

All hands-on deck!  We can’t afford to close, and we can’t afford to open – UNLESS – everyone in your operations is part of the solution.  Survival means the right menu, perfectly prepared and presented food, real service that includes the cooks desire to always say YES, clean, and upbeat dining rooms, with staff who offer service with a smile, and cost control on everyone’s mind.  It means, more than ever before that every guest is important AND it means that if, in your position, you are not serving the guest directly, then you must serve someone who is.

[]       FORGET THE EXECUTIVE CHEF TITLE – WORKING CHEF IS MUCH MORE REALISTIC RIGHT NOW:

It may be some time before the chef with a clipboard is back.  If you haven’t done so for some time – be prepared to occasionally work a station, engage in prep, push a few racks through the dish machine, and yes – help to bus tables and mop an occasional floor.  This is a good thing – roll up your sleeves, the chef won’t always have the cleanest uniform in the kitchen.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Prepare for the New Reality

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

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At this time, when it seems so easy to complain, to point fingers, to question, and sometimes even to bail on a career in the kitchen – I offer these insights for a professional cook: 

I am a cook, hear me roar

*I am proud to be a cook, and to be a caretaker of beautiful ingredients from the land, the sea, and the air.

*I am proud to wear the uniform of the cook and know that it represents a proud tradition of one of the world’s oldest professions.

*I am protective and proud of the tools I use.  My knives are an extension of my hands and I respect and care for them making sure that they are sharp and clean and used for their intended purpose.

*I am fully aware that my future as a cook or chef lies in my hands.  I can be whatever I hope to be – the world is and always has been my oyster.

*I know that success results from hard work, it is never a given.  My future depends on how hard I am willing to work to get there.

*As a proud cook I know that my skills are important but will fail to result in a great product without collaboration with others.

*I know that organization is paramount to success.

*I understand that my role is to respect the ingredients I use and coax out the flavor and nutrition that is already there.

*I know that great cooking comes from an understanding of the culture, traditions, methods, trials and tribulations, and celebrations behind a cuisine or a dish.

*I know that the only way to become truly masterful at my craft is to practice, practice, practice.

*As a cook I understand the importance of respect for others, respect for the chain of command in the kitchen, and respect for the foundations of cooking.

*I know that cooking and giving people a chance to break bread is a gift that keeps on giving.

*I know that hard work and smart work must go hand-in-hand.

*As a cook I understand that my growth to the position of chef will take time, experience, wins and losses, joy and sorrow, and a willingness to listen and learn.

*I know the satisfaction that comes from a dish well prepared and presented.

*As a cook I understand the importance of a well-rounded palate and know that it will take time to develop, even if I seem to have the gift of developed taste buds.

*As a cook I respect those who have been able to benefit from a formal culinary education but realize that they too will need to experience day-to-day kitchen intensity before they can celebrate their ability.

*As a cook I understand just how important every person in the kitchen and dining room is to our collective success.

*As a cook I will never discount the importance of the dishwasher.

*I live to work clean and am proud of the fact that no one ever need remind me to clean as I go.

*I understand that mise en place is the key to success on the line.

*I understand that serving the food that I prepare is also stressful and demanding so I respect those who do so with enthusiasm and professionalism.

*As a professional cook I know that everyone is equal, some simply have different jobs.  Whether white or of color, young or old, male, or female, college educated or from the school of hard knocks, short, small, tall, thin, or heavy, American born or from any of the hundreds of countries around the globe – as long as you work hard and respect others – I will respect you.

*I am an artist who uses the plate as a canvas.

*I have burns, cuts, sore muscles and backs, and many insecurities that I try to work out daily, but so do you – so I shouldn’t invest too much energy in complaining.

*I know that with all the challenges that cooks face, all the perceived inequities, all of the scabs that cover the cuts beneath, this is a rewarding profession like no other.

*I know that a kind word goes a long way toward understanding and respect.  I also know that vicious talk and demeaning attitudes will tear a team apart and leave far too many people without the confidence to perform well.

*As a professional cook I relish the opportunity to learn something new, to try a new food, to build my palate and advance my skill proficiency – this is what makes me stronger.

*I know the difference between critique and criticism.  I embrace the prior and reject the later.

*I accept critique but feel that if others need to point out my mistakes it is because I was not paying attention.  I know when I haven’t lived up to my own standards and when I fall short of the necessary skills required.  Tell me what I need to do but show me how to do it and I will listen and learn.

All of this I know with certainty.  This is the same as it always was and how it will always be for those who view working in a kitchen as a chance to grab the bull by the horns, determine where they want to be in the future, create a roadmap to get there, and stay the course.  I ask myself every day: “Is what I am doing right now bringing me any closer to reaching my goals?”  If the answer is “no” then it is time to self-correct.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Why do I cook – because it’s who I am

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

Twenty years ago, yes twenty years, our lives changed forever.  When those terrorists without a soul, with evil and hate in their hearts chose to attack innocent people who were just going about their lives and sent a message to America and the world that life is not precious and never guaranteed.  We all remember, at least those who were born before 1995, where we were, when we heard, and how much fear was infused into the air that we breathe.  It remains one of the most tragic, heart wrenching, stomach churning, and depressing, events of our lives.  Something that we never will and never should forget. 

It is likely that each of knows someone who died on that day, whether on a plane, in an attacked building, or doing their job trying to save others.  Those memories are branded into our subconscious.  One of my former students, Chris Carstanjen, was on the second plane that was flown directly into the twin towers.  I still think of him and what must have been going through his mind at that moment.  He was simply in route to the west coast for a well-deserved vacation. 

The emotions that we collectively felt became a unifying introduction to twenty years of a changing America.  At first, we came together to share in our grief and to help everyone make sense of the act and find a way to breathe again.  Then that unity opened the door to anger, a need for revenge, political divide, a lack of trust, a tendency among some to find blame in conspiracy theories, loads of hate and calls for isolation.  To a large degree, the challenges that we face today had many of their roots in this one day in history.  Is our great divide whether political, spiritual, ethnic, or social somehow connected to the fear, anger, and uncertainty that was sparked on a day of national trauma?  

We are a country so divided that America is somewhat hard to recognize.  This is not the country that I remember as a youngster, this is not the country that my parents would have recognized and certainly not the country that my father, grandfather, uncle, and father-in-law fought to protect and defend in the first two world wars.  This is certainly not the country that those who built our democracy would remember. 

After twenty years of continued fighting, disruption of countries, trillions of dollars spent, and countless lives lost – we finally recognized that ending the fighting was the only logical outcome.  All the fighting, all the tragedy of 20 years did not really change anything.  So, on this anniversary of 9/11 we must all wonder what are we doing?  If America continues to entrench in individual beliefs whether based on fact or contrived fiction, where will we end up?  Is it possible that our collective mistrust of everything, our collective belief that there is something sinister going on behind everything, our collective willingness to push aside the conclusions and work of highly competent, world-class scientists in favor of idiots spewing conspiracy theories on social media, our total distrust of our democratic system by many average Americans and even those who represent us, can be connected to that date in 2001?

Did 9/11 uncover the worst of us or the best of us?  It remains one of the most tragic days in our history – a day when our guard was down and evil triumphed, at least for a moment in time.  The question is – are we going to allow that evil to change what America is(was) all about?  This great country was always a beacon of light for others, a place where the magic of the people and where sound majority beliefs determined how we would act.  A place where we all had an opportunity to express our beliefs knowing that the scrutiny of the truth would prevail, but also relishing the opportunity to have an opinion.  America has always been a place of civilized discourse but also where facts were accepted, where educators were respected, where experts in a field of study were admired, where the news was the news and not filled with a table full of talking heads, where what was in print could be trusted because we had controls in place and ethics aligned to make sure that before it was said, it was verified.  I remember that country – do you?

This week I will shed another tear for those people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 – especially Chris Carstanjen.  I will remember, with respect, all the firemen, police officers, and volunteers who risked their lives to search for others and who continue to die today because of the toxins they were exposed to.  This week I will remember all the young men and women, military and civilian who lost their lives as a direct or indirect consequence of 9/11 and the wars that followed.  This is a week to remember and respect, but it should also be a week where we self-assess and ask the question: “Are we going to let evil win?”

This week chefs and cooks can pay respect to all those who have suffered and perished directly or indirectly from the trauma of 9/11 and help to bring people together in the spirit of the America that the world held so high, for so long. We can do this by preparing food from the heart and the soul and breaking bread with others.  Do so with respect for all people and in direct defiance of evil.  We hold in our hands, the means to bring people together of all walks of life, all nationalities and beliefs, and all traditions and perspectives.  I can think of no better way to honor all whom we have lost.  I will cook for the memory of Chris Carstanjen this weekend.  What will you do?

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Never forget

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

It has been around for centuries, oftentimes held high as a somewhat mystical crop, a tuber that fed the poor, protected against the scourge of scurvy, became a type of currency, and amazed everyone for its variety.  The potato is an incredible marvel of Mother Nature that remains the centerpiece of many cuisines, a centerpiece that gives the chef plenty of poetic license for nurturing its qualities and celebrating its ability to morph into so many unique dishes that are influenced by tradition and context.

To the cook and the chef, the potato is a clean slate.  A product so essential, so versatile, packed with nutrition, and cost effective that sometimes it is taken for granted.  The potato has become a commodity, an ingredient that is too often purchased with more concern over size and shape than by the uniqueness of its countless varieties and flavor profiles.

“Not everyone can be a truffle. Most of us are potatoes. And a potato is a very

good thing to be.”
– Chef Massimo Bottura

Chef Bottura makes an important comparison but falls into the habit of inferring that the potato is common and simple.  It is prevalent and sometimes dismissed in comparison to other ingredients just as far too many excellent and talented people are pushed aside if they fail to stand out as unique.  The potato is so much more robust as an ingredient and so much more significant in the kitchen than those ingredients that have a limited appeal or function even though they may be revered.  Think about the possibilities:

THE FRENCH FRY: Potatoes are the number one vegetable consumed in the United States and French fries are top of the list when it comes to potato choices.  When done well they are crisp and golden on the outside and creamy and satisfying on the inside.  Served piping hot with just the right amount of salt – they are hard to beat and not only a classic, but an essential item on nearly every restaurant menu regardless of the pricing structure.  Sometimes served with cheese curd and pan gravy as poutine or enhanced with truffle oil and Himalayan salt; or rosemary, lemon and cracked pepper; thin and crunchy as pommes frites, or thick planks with prime steak – there are limitless choices for any palate.

THE MIGHTY BAKED POTATO: Few menu items are easier to prepare, yet more rewarding than a properly baked potato.  Russets are best for the perfect baker since their coarser skin can withstand the 400-degree heat necessary to build a crust and protect the soft texture of the interior.  Slice through the crunchy skin at service, pinch both ends to reveal the steamy hot interior and insert ample amounts of butter and/or sour cream, a pinch of salt and pepper and you will find a centerpiece for the plate that is impossible to resist.  Watch guest approach their plate and note that in most cases it is the baked potato that welcomes the first bite and not the steak. My favorite is the crunchy skin lathered with butter and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

WHIPPED OR MASHED WITH LOADS OF BUTTER: So, inviting are mashed potatoes (pommes puree) that Chef Joel Robuchon, at one point the most revered chef in the world, created his signature version that was so sinful that it became the most important dish on his menu.  A time-tested method of preparation and equal parts of potato and butter led to an item that drew customers from across the globe.

https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/california/article/features/joel-robuchon-pommes-puree

HASH BROWNS TO START THE DAY: If you are a restaurant chef, chances are one of your first jobs in the kitchen was working breakfast.  Waking up at 4 a.m. to be fresh enough to walk through those kitchen doors at 5:00 took quite an effort.  But quickly your energy level would rise as you smelled fresh brewed coffee, bacon being pulled from the oven, finished pastries from the bakeshop filling the air with their sweetness, and the caramelization of potatoes on the griddle.  Hash browns and home fries with their sweet crunchiness as the butter and potato starchiness combined to form that delicious crust would always make you salivate.  What better way to start the day than a plate of hash browns, bacon and two eggs over easy?

DON’T FORGET THE CHEESE AND CREAM: A somewhat lost menu item in restaurants that deserves to reemerge is the scalloped or au gratin potato.  Potatoes are cooked till they nearly fall apart and then tossed with salted cream, maybe a few egg yolks, and if au gratin ample amounts of cheddar, baked till a crust forms as a package to protect what is inside – what a treat. 

POTATOES ANNA – A STEP ABOVE:  When simplicity meets elegance – magic occurs.  Thinly sliced potatoes, overlapping and assembled in a cast iron pan with copious amounts of butter and salt, baked until they are golden brown and crunchy on the outside while still creamy once the seal is broken.  The lowly potato can be elevated to the most revered fine dining establishment with this potato pie.

“Pommes Anna is a famous French preparation of white potatoes, borne in the mid 19^th century.  The story goes that the dish was named for Anna Deslions, a well-known Parisian courtesan who frequented Café Anglais where Chef Adolophe Duglere invented the dish to honor her and the wealthy clientele that she brought into the popular restaurant.”

-The Domestic Man

https://thedomesticman.com/2015/09/08/pommes-anna-potatoes-anna/

VICHYSOISSE – REFINED AND ELEGANT:  The soup of kings that intrigues and dismays.  Chilled puree potato and leeks with cream, and salt and chives mystify many by its simplicity and elegance.  There seems to be no end to the stories of its creation, the most common is that Louis the XV was so paranoid about being poisoned that a series of tasters were employed to test everything that he would eat.  This potato soup had to be tasted so many times that by the time it got to the king it was cold.  He enjoyed it that way, so it became a staple in his diet.  The more likely origin is through the hands of Chef Louis Diat who, as chef at the Ritz Carlton New York, invented the soup in 1917 for the hotel’s roof top garden restaurant.  The chef built the dish to help cool diners during the hot summer months.  In any case – it is a classic.

OVEN ROASTED – A HOME FOR ROSEMARY: All chefs know that there are foods that seem to naturally pair well.  We know that Stilton Cheese is easily married to a good port, foie gras to sauternes, mint with lamb, and rosemary with roasted potatoes.  The aroma of rosemary and butter as they caramelize on the surface of potatoes is intoxicating.

YAMS AND SWEETS: Oftentimes associated with holidays, sweet potatoes can be a differentiated item on any menu.  Sweet and soft in texture, the sweet potato can find its way into a blend with traditional mashed, a uniquely different pommes frites, or pan caramelized in butter as a complement to chicken or pork dishes.  Yams are a completely different root vegetable that are somewhat tasteless on their own.  They have a dark brown outer skin and are NOT what most of us buy in the store.  Louisiana sweet potatoes have long been marketed as yams to differentiate them from the other choices on the market- but they are not real yams.

ANGLAISE – SIMPLY BOILED: Sometimes the simplest version is still the best.  Peeled and boiled white skin potatoes tossed in butter, salt, and parsley is hard to top.

POTATO SALAD – THE SUMMER TREAT:  When we think of summer foods it is impossible to talk about barbeque without mentioning the importance of potatoes (with or without skins) boiled, diced, and chilled, tossed in mayonnaise and sour cream, salt and pepper, fresh chives, maybe a few slices of robust radishes, scallions and celery, a touch of paprika and a cold beer or iced tea on the side.  This is a dish of July and August, one that is universally American.

FINGERLINGS WITH SOUR CREAM AND CAVIAR:  Chefs looking for that interesting finger food passed at hors d’oeuvre receptions – a food that will excite the palate and demonstrate the chef’s ability to create flavor explosions that can become a point of conversation among guests, will find this simple dish a perfect fit.  Boiled, chilled and split fingerling potatoes topped with a dollop of sour cream and a generous amount of quality caviar are such a surprise that guest will spend the evening in search of just one more.

THE MIGHTY POTATO CHIP:  Invented in Saratoga, New York as the Saratoga Chip by a cook: George Crum, who out of frustration over a customer who kept sending back his fried potatoes as too soggy.  As a reaction, Crum finally sliced the potatoes very thin and cooked them until they were hard, salted them generously and sent them out to the guest as a reaction to his complaints.  As it turned out – the guest loved them – the rest is history.  Today, nearly 1.5 billion pounds of potato chips (originally Saratoga Chips) are consumed in the US each year.

Potatoes are an integral part of world culture.  They appear, in many forms, in nearly every cuisine and serve as a source of nutrition and enjoyment.  To some like the Irish, they were salvation during famine, and others like the Incas and Aztecs – a tuber that had mystical properties.  For chefs – they are an all-year essential ingredient, but one to celebrate even more during harvest when they are tilled from the soil, washed, sorted, and prepared for chefs to work their magic.  Like any other ingredient from nature that has its season – this is the best time to hail this root vegetable and put yourself in SERVICE OF THE POTATO.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Enjoy the potato harvest

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericaventures.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

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Late summer and early fall are very exciting times for chefs.  Summer heat is winding down, the colors of autumn are beginning to highlight trees and plants, and gardens are presenting kitchens with some of the most dynamic fruits and vegetables to grace restaurant menus.  Over the next few weeks – Harvest America Cues will highlight five of those ingredients that offer robust flavor, loads of versatility, and a seasonal presence that can change the focus of a chef’s menu. 

We will take a deep dive into the world of tomatoes, potatoes, corn, apples, and root vegetables like parsnips, carrots, and beets.  Although best when harvested and used immediately, many of these fall gifts are able to store well either under refrigeration or canned for later use.  First up – the mighty tomato.

Growing up in the 50’s and 60’s the tomato was a fruit (yes, a fruit) that was easy to identify.  A tomato was round and somewhat red, off the vine, uniform, often mealy and typically tasteless.  I still loved tomatoes and found them to be a welcome addition to salads, burgers, and even part of those grilled cheese sandwiches with American slices (cheese food), layered between two slices of Wonder bread.  Those were the days before we “discovered “(re-discovered) great tomatoes, real cheese, and whole grain rustic breads.  Oh, how things have changed and how wonderful that transition has been.

It wasn’t until much later in life, still before I entertained a career in the kitchen, that I was exposed to the real thing.  I still remember that first fresh, ripe tomato picked from the farmer’s vine in the middle of July.  The sun had warmed the fruit that was nearly bursting with luscious seeds and drenched with moisture and flavor – flavor that I had not experienced before.  I took a bite of that warm tomato, just as I would from a fall apple and was amazed at the powerful flavor as the seeds dripped down my chin and the full intensity of Mother Nature’s gift was firmly entrenched in my sub-conscious.  Whoa, that was incredible!  From that point on, my absolute favorite summer sandwich was (and still is) a fresh, sun warmed tomato, sliced thick and sandwiched between two slices of wheat toast with ample amounts of mayonnaise, sprinkled with pepper and salt.  Just writing about it now makes me hungry.  Later, of course, I changed the bread to a rustic, crusty sourdough, that beefsteak tomato to an heirloom varietal like a dark Cherokee, sea salt, and fresh cracked pepper – and sometimes a handful of fresh basil leaves as well. 

The mighty tomato is an absolute thing of beauty and a gift from late summer harvest.  We now understand that there are hundreds, maybe thousands of heirloom varieties from the tiny grape and pear tomatoes to San Marzano (great for canning and sauce), to Brandywines, Ribbed varieties, and those incredible Cherokee’s.  From simple seeds nurtured in rich potting soil during the early spring, to robust plants with fruit that is too heavy to be held up to the sun without some support, the tomato comes to life from seed to bud, to green pearl, and with the right amount of care, water, and sunlight – grows to a fruit beyond compare.

As a chef, the tomato, if truly appreciated, can serve as a supporting character or a centerpiece on late summer menus.  For that window of time, a chef can push aside those somewhat tasteless, uniform tomatoes that have become a boring commodity, and feature the breadth of heirloom varieties that come from local farmers.  Wonderful tomato tarts with fresh ricotta and pignoli crust as an appetizer, the classic Caprese salad with tomato, fresh mozzarella or burrata, basil, virgin olive oil and aged balsamic; a truly fresh marinara made with fruit that was picked a day or two before; baked tomatoes as an entrée side, a Salsa Fresca to flavor those simple tortilla chips and guacamole, or sauteed grape tomatoes to add sharpness to ratatouille.  The options are only limited by the chef’s creativity.

Yes, it takes more effort, certainly the process of bringing these ingredients to your kitchen requires far more communication with farmers than it does to place an order with a large box vendor, but the benefits for the guest are worth the extra work.  When we work with Mother Nature and do our best to celebrate the seasonality of the ingredients that we work with, our menus sing, our cooks learn to take on the role of caretaker, and the guest is thrilled with the results. 

Hold a tomato in your hand and know the care and passion of the farmer, relish the work of the summer sun, enjoy the hard work of the soil that fed the plant, and know that our job as chefs and cooks is less about manipulation and far more about celebrating the flavors that we are given to work with.  Tomatoes deserve to be warmed by the sun, not chilled into submission.  Tomatoes have earned our respect and as such must be handled with care as a sign of respect for the farmer’s work.  Give tomatoes a chance to stand up as the leading character on your menu – give them their day in the spotlight; it will be 11 more months before you will have another opportunity.

For these few short weeks, we have a unique chance to participate in a seasonal ritual – a ritual of celebration just as important as that of the grape ready for harvest, the apple ready to drop from the tree, or corn at the peak of its sweetness.  This is the time to celebrate the tomato.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Celebrate the Tomato

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

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The goal of every restaurant and every chef is to create memorable experiences for the guest.  Somewhere in our internal job description is a desire, and even a need to build an environment of WOW!  Wow visuals on the plate and in the dining room, wow views from every seat, wow service, and of course – wow flavors on the plate.  We may complain about the guest who is taking loads of pictures of their food and posting them on Instagram, but deep inside we get a bit of a rush when it happens.  Guests will return when the effort expended to create memorable complete dining experiences is front and center. 

What we seem to forget sometimes is that those memorable experiences are due to a collective effort of every person involved in creating a dining event.  That Instagram picture was possible because of the farmers, ranchers, fishermen, and vendors who brought the ingredients to your receiving dock.  Internally, the guest experience owes a great deal to the housekeeping staff, the dining room servers and managers, bartenders and sommelier, dishwashers, prep cooks, bakers and pastry chefs, line cooks, expeditor, sous chef, and chef who holds the lead position in the kitchen.  It is, and must be, a team effort.  So, what are we doing to create a memorable experience for this team?  Does this seem farfetched?  After all, these folks get paid to do their part in creating guest experiences – why in the world would we put any effort into creating the same for them?

The answer is obvious – if those involved directly or indirectly with your team feel the magic of your operation, feel it in the same way that the guest does, then they will perform better, look forward to their work, engage better with others on the team, and feel part of something special.  These team members will go out of their way for the guest because you do so for them.  Chefs, managers, and owners should live by a simple rule – “If you are not serving the guest directly then it is your job to serve those who are.”  Take care of your employees and vendors and they will take care of your paying customers.

Think about it for a moment:  If you create a positive experience with your vendors then they might just go the extra mile for you.  If you recognize the farmer, the rancher, and the fisherman, then they might be so inclined to set aside those extra special ingredients for your kitchen.  If you create an educational, supportive, uplifting, and inclusive environment for your staff from dishwasher to line cook, and server to sommelier then they will feel great about their job and in turn build those experiences for a guest – every guest.  So, here are a few thoughts on creating those behind-the-scenes experiences:

[]       FOR THE VENDOR: Give them a tour of your operation, introduce them to the staff and the ownership, put their name on your menu (if they do an excellent job), give them an opportunity to talk with your cooks about their ingredients, take your cooks to tour the vendor’s facilities, drop them a note on occasion thanking them for the quality products they deliver to your door, invite them to dinner once a year to see their ingredients on the finished plate.  Make them feel as if they are part of your mission – they are!

[]       FOR THE SERVICE STAFF: Training, teaching, and tasting are all part of the program.  They can’t sell a product that they don’t know.  Let them kick the tires and take the menu for a spin.  Put an apron on every server and let them shadow and help your cooks for a good part of a shift – you will be amazed how far this will go towards building understanding and appreciation on both sides of the kitchen doors.  Let them taste wines on your list and help to build an understanding of the process and the product.  Make it fun!

[]       FOR THE SOMMELIER AND BARTENDER: Food and beverage pairing is a fast road to customer satisfaction and a great way to maximize profit potential for the restaurant.  Part of the experience for the sommelier and bartender is to taste those pairings – yes, everything on the menu so they know how to do their job and at the same time build a deep appreciation for the talent of your cooks.

[]       FOR THE DINING ROOM MANAGER: Every dining room manager must work a few shifts in the kitchen.  This is essential as a team building process.  The manager is the conduit between the kitchen and the front of the house – help them to become better informed as an advocate for unity.    When the chef visits a vendor farm, tours a processing plant, takes a trip to a dockside fish monger – take the manager along.  The more they know about the extended team the more meaningful their job experience.

[]       FOR THE DISHWASHER: Now, we all know how important a conscientious dishwasher is to the operation of a restaurant.  If you are not sure, try going through a service without one.  Look at every dishwasher as your next cook in training.  Yep, even if they don’t seem to have any interest in it.  At the very least – you will help to build respect between cooks and dishwasher.  Let’s face it, dishwashing is rarely a career choice – show yours that there are opportunities to grow, to learn, to become something special.  Feed them well, treat them with respect, help them out when they are busy, make sure they get a break, and teach them about the cook’s skill set.  They will surprise you.

[]       FOR YOUR COOKS:  Every chef is only as good as his or her weakest cook.  It is your job to teach and train, to show some empathy, but be tough and have very high expectations of your cooks.  Teach them to be professional, to look sharp, to respect others, to be competent at their craft, to understand the history behind processes and specific dishes, to learn how to care for tools, to appreciate what things cost, to know the source of ingredients and how hard the farmer, rancher, and fisherman work to bring ingredients to their prep table.  Make sure they build a solid palate and appreciation for how food looks on the plate – help to MAKE THEM PROUD!  This is the experience that you owe them.

[]       FOR YOUR SOUS CHEF AND EXPEDITOR:  You would be lost without them, they are you just a few years ago so think back to that time.  What did you need, what was lacking in your training, how did you feel, what type of support or push did you need?  Be that resource for them.  Teach them to take your job!  Show them about budgets, and marketing, human resource management and inventory control, menu planning and recipe costing, and how to build their personal brand.  Be their experience.

[]       FOR YOURSELF:  Don’t neglect your own experience as a chef.  You worked hard to get here, now it is important to enjoy it.  Continue to push the owner to help you further develop skills and aptitudes that are important to the position.  Join organizations, compete, attend workshops and conferences, publish your recipes, travel, build your library, and seek every opportunity to build your brand and reputation among peers and guests.  This is your time – your personal experience too.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

Identifying problems has never been a challenge in the restaurant industry – there are many.  Making the effort to solve those problems is another story.  We have a problem right now that seems to be universal and there is no shortage of complaints and posts on social media that proclaim the effects, but little is done to point to active solutions.  A good start would be to refrain from using the word “problem” since it seems to imply that solutions are mysterious and impossible and instead rely on “challenges” as the descriptor.  A small step, but one that signifies that if we put our heads together there is a way, or many ways, to move beyond, over, or around those challenges.

The other important point is to understand that state of mind is always a deterrent to solutions or a support mechanism for the same.  In other words if we see the challenge as insurmountable then it will be.  If we see the challenge as something that has an answer if we take the time to really push our problem-solving skills, then a solution will eventually present itself. 

Third, and maybe most important – it is essential to find the cause of a challenge before it can really be solved.  Far too often we invest our time in addressing the effects of a challenge rather than the source of the roadblocks that appear.   So, cause and effect differentiation are the most important tools in your problem-solver’s bag of tricks.

Let’s look for a moment at one of those problems (challenges) and apply these three steps:

1. PROBLEM:  The restaurant industry, universally, is having an impossible time trying to find competent, committed individuals to work in all positions.  This is defined in articles from local newspapers to the New York Times, from industry magazines and websites to social media, and from industry blogs to podcasts by the dozens – everyone states the problem, points a finger, and portrays the issue as someone else’s doing.  So, first step – let’s refer to it as a challenge.  “There are fewer, and fewer individuals interested in a kitchen career and when we find employees to fill positions, they never seem to stay very long.  The CHALLENGE is how to turn this around?”  OK, so the charge is to recognize the issue and find a way to address it.
2. STATE OF MIND:  Many are approaching this challenge as a roadblock to success, something that is preventing restaurants from finally getting their groove back and watching cash flow exceed the cost of doing business.  What is quite interesting is that we use the state of mind method in other situations to great success, yet when something seems either out of our wheelhouse of skills, or something that might require real change, then our mind puts it in the silo called: “Unsolvable”.  When a menu item fails to perform well, we simply change it out or modify its flavor profile; when our equipment is a hinderance to production we find a different tool to change the outcome; when a purveyor fails to provide the quality of ingredients that we require – we simply find another source.  Challenges solved. 

A different state of mind: “Our current methods of finding and retaining good employees doesn’t work, let’s find a solution to this challenge even if it means throwing out our normal approach and adopting something new.”  We can do this.

• CAUSE and EFFECT:  The effects of a challenge are what keeps us up at night.  The effect changes our outcomes, puts stress of the system, forces us to adapt by using a band aid approach, or give up and succumb to the pain that the effect inflicts.  So, restaurants close a few days a week, accept the provision of mediocre service, change their menus without ample thought, and try to get by with reduced cash flow and fewer opportunities for profit. 

So, what might the cause be?  Ask “why” several times until you get to the root of the issue and then develop a way to attack that cause.

Fewer people are expressing an interest in restaurant work, and in fact many previous employees (pre-pandemic) are choosing not to return now that restaurants are re-opening.  Possible causes:

– People have heard how demanding and unforgiving the business can be

– Pay scales are significantly lower than other industries

– Quality of life for career restaurant employees is not that desirable

Why is this the case?  Menu item profit margins are typically low, making it difficult for restaurants to find the reserves to pay better wages – why?  Restaurant waste nips away at profitability – why?  The unpredictable nature of customer buying habits pushes restaurants to maintain inventories that exceed what is reasonable – why?  The work in restaurants requires many hands so, unlike other industries that have much better productivity rates, the restaurant industry is crippled by high labor costs – why?  It is impossible to find and retain employees who are capable and willing to dedicate themselves to the operation – why?  These issues are real and need to be addressed, but are they the primary cause of the stated labor challenge?  There are loads of opportunities to make corrections – where do we start?  Let’s take one possible cause that is not on everyone’s radar: nurturing real interest in a restaurant career early on.

For a few decades we (the restaurant industry) relied on the media to push the hype about the glory of working in restaurants.  This was evident in news articles, books, television, movies, and blog posts, and a 24/7 food network.  College admissions departments had an easy time of it – make sure a program has plenty of shiny new equipment, beautiful pictures of show quality food, campus restaurants staffed with more student workers than customers, and medals hanging around the necks of chef instructors.  Lots of sizzle, plenty of wow factor.   Thousands of students who loved the idea of creating Instagram quality photos and little if any experience working in a restaurant before the “big decision” clamored to programs across the country.  It was an easy sell.  Enter reality – it’s really hard work that requires more commitment than many other businesses, and early in a graduate’s career will not provide the type of compensation that equates to payback value.

It’s time to be real with young people and start talking about the business (there are way more positives than negatives) well before they are faced with a college decision.  The future of the restaurant industry lies with those 16 and 17-year old’s looking for a part-time job or summer employment.  This is when they can get a feel for the industry – the way it is and the way it can be.  This is a role for restaurants and a way to draw people in a way to promote the skill, team environment, organization, creativity, and business acumen that is needed to be successful and have a rewarding career.  True – this will not help restaurants today, but we need to get beyond crisis management and start to think long term.  Today we are faced with putting fires out, let’s plan to prevent them in the future.  It’s time to be proactive with building a career mindset and changing the negative perceptions and the misinformation that has been propagated about an important industry that is integral to the American way of life.

We can’t fix everything at once, but we can take one step at a time and begin with truthfulness.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

I just finished listening to the latest album from David Crosby – I loved it from the first verse.  Crosby, even at his ripe old age, is a master of lyrical compositions and tonal interpretations of feelings that accompany such prose.  He hasn’t lost a beat in this regard – soulful, melodic, and entrancing.  The title track is a composition written by one of his older love interests and an inspirational writer and songstress in her own right – Joni Mitchel.  He Plays Real Good for Free offers not so subtle advice to her contemporaries in the music business – think about why you became a musician.

Food for thought – the same can be true for all of us who spend a good portion of our lives in professional kitchens.  Mitchell’s verse is not meant (from my perspective) to chastise musicians for accepting pay and accolades for their work – they earn it and are entitled to what comes their way.  But it does point to those who get so wrapped up in what is owed to them for the art that they offer that they lose sight of the joy and privilege that comes from mastering their craft and enjoying what really counts.  In the case of a musician, it might be a listener who becomes nostalgic about a song, melancholy because the music makes them “feel”, responds to the beat and drives them to move or dance, or brings a smile when those listeners chime in and sing along.  Cooks and chefs know that the greatest satisfaction comes from cooking for family, friends, neighbors, or grateful strangers.  To watch that level of enjoyment that comes from food that is beautiful to look at, smells heavenly, stimulates the sense of taste, and brings people together through a common bond and appreciation of good cooking is so gratifying.  This is where we all began, and time and again this is what we relish – the chance to make people happy through the craft of cooking.  Salary, notoriety, personal brand building and profit can never compare to the satisfaction that comes from making people happy, giving them a reason to pause and savor a plate of food.  Music and food should bring joy to those who make it and those who consume it. 

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow

A knife, a cutting board, a pan

I slice, chop and dice

Cook for you is my true vice

Mother Nature provides so many tools

Our role is to treat them with respect

To give thanks for the farmer, the rancher, the fisherman too

Working with these tools is what we do

To hold a carrot, a potato, a tomato in our hands

To scale a fish, truss a chicken, or French a rack of lamb

Saying grace in the presence of such gifts

Lifts our spirits and gives us purpose

To trim, slice, mince, and dice

To tourne, to caramelize, to sear and roast

This is the craft that others toast

I cook for you, it’s what I do

My hands, my heart, and my soul

Giving joy is always my goal

Breaking bread, listening to what is said

We raise a glass to celebrate

Life’s gift of food and all that it means

The smells, textures, tastes and sound

Of cooking for you is so profound

It gives us meaning, a purpose in life

It gives us joy, it sets aside our strife

The flavors marry in the hands of one

Who knows the craft, who does it for fun

To some it’s a job, a means to an end

A way to get by, to this I send

A message of angst, of a need for more

A way to get by, this is the lore

My hands are rough, my back is sore

It’s a job, a means to an end – no more

I cook for you, it’s what I do

My hands, my heart, and my soul

Giving joy is always my goal

Breaking bread, listening to what is said

We raise a glass to celebrate

Life’s gift of food and all that it means

We started out giving joy to some

A way to communicate

A skill that allowed

You and me to control the way

That people express some joy today

The smells, the textures, the flavors were fine

This was unique, this skill of mine

We need to survive, to pay the bills

Recognition is important of what we do

Fair pay, a pat on the back, a good review

Boosts us up and gives us pride

But in the end let’s push that aside

Remember why we started

Remember the feeling of being complete

When others said thanks with their eyes

For the food on their plate

It may not pay the bills, but it is so true

This feeling of giving is what we do

I cook for you, it’s what I do

My hands, my heart, and my soul

Giving joy is always my goal

Breaking bread, listening to what is said

We raise a glass to celebrate

Life’s gift of food and all that it means

DAVID CROSBY:  For Free

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

Yes, I get it.  It has all been about survival for restaurants over the past 16 months and survival has not been easy.  Now, providing we don’t ignore the still looming dangers of Covid and the challenges of convincing 40% of the population to accept the vaccine, we might stand a chance of long-term recovery.  Hope springs eternal. 

Staffing is a bear – I know it.  I hear it from every single restaurant operator I know and even many more that I don’t – there is an acute shortage of staff. There isn’t a simple answer to this challenge, but we know that it will require a shift in how restaurants operate.  In the meantime – here we are.  Restaurants are open, and customers who have been prisoners of the pandemic are anxiously coming out of their shells and flooding to restaurants that are ill equipped to deal with the surge.  Back to survival mode – let’s just get through it.  Is this the answer?

What we can’t afford to do is allow missteps simply because we don’t have an answer to the staffing challenge.  There have been numerous articles from restaurateurs asking customers to “give us a break, be patient, we’re trying our best, it’s not our fault that the food isn’t quite right, that the service is painfully slow, that servers are not well trained, or we just seem to be disorganized.”  There is an underlying problem with this approach that tries to proclaim innocence – we cannot afford to disappoint.

One interesting thing occurred during the pandemic shutdown – people found ways to adjust.  They were forced to slow down and stay away from the typical hustle and bustle of American life.  They were at home, and they re-learned how to cook.  They opened those cookbooks on the shelf, dusted them off, and started to try new recipes, to be more creative with food, to bake and break bread around a dinner table again.  Companies like King Arthur Flour couldn’t keep up with the demand for flour and even their baking equipment.  Cookbook sales on Amazon spiked and grocery stores were challenged to keep food on their shelves.  Wholesale distributors began to ship or deliver directly to homes to compensate for minimal restaurant sales and liquor stores were deemed “essential” as people began to make their own cocktails to help forget about their isolation.  The average person may have missed going out to restaurants, but they began to realize that they didn’t really need to spend their money in cafés and bistros when they could cook well at home.

So, we are open, and customers are flocking to the restaurants that they missed only to find, in some cases, that the experience wasn’t what they anticipated.  The food didn’t seem as exciting or well-prepared, the server was less familiar with the menu than they had expected, their orders took forever, the ambience of the dining room seemed a bit off, staff seemed stressed and disconnected, prices were way too high, and many people were still nervous about being in a public place without a mask.  Suddenly, there are comparisons to eating at home.  “We can cook better than this, we are happy to be in each other’s company, we feel safe at home, that second glass of wine didn’t cost $12 (the price of a bottle in the store), and we are not looking at a bill for $100 plus tip that could have been enough for a few days groceries at home.  Hmmm..we have a problem Houston.

As challenged as restaurants are right now, there must be an all-out effort to demonstrate value and to provide a positive experience.  This is a potential breaking point for the restaurant industry.  The effort that is made right now to right the ship will define how this very important industry moves forward and how it steps back into its status as “essential” to the American experience.

This is not the time to push aside the importance of training because you are too busy.  This is not the time to turn away from quality standards from your kitchen and ignore inconsistencies in food.  This is not the time cut corners on cleaning and polishing, on uniforms and professional appearances and concentrating on the details. 

This is the time to take that deep breath and figure things out.  Start with the desired experience and value statement and work backward.  Given the current staffing environment – how do we meet those expectations?  In a previous article I talked about the importance of solid menu management right now – this is one possible solution, but it is not the only means to an end. https://harvestamericacues.com/2021/07/04/chefs-menus-for-2021-and-beyond/

 Restaurants must invest the time in training.  Training will demonstrate to employees that they are important and that you are willing to invest in them.  Training will help to build their competence and confidence.  Training will help to make them able to problem solve and make the right decisions pertaining to the customer experience. 

Don’t forget the small stuff – the small stuff is what separates the dining out experience from a meal at home.  The small stuff is what adds value to the guest experience.  The small stuff includes everything from polishing tables and making sure they are level to fresh cut flowers on the table, sparkling clean glassware and silverware, pressed uniforms and professional signage, the right background music, consistent plate presentations that are vibrant and appetizing, swept parking lots and friendly greetings when the guest arrives, It’s menus that are clean and sharp and it’s knowledgeable recommendations from a service staff who are well trained and versed on what the cooks are doing in the kitchen.  It’s the small stuff, the details that make the experience worth the money spent.  This is what will bring guests enthusiastically back to your dining room.

You may need to limit the days that you are open, the hours of service, or even remove some of the tables in your dining room to help alleviate the stress of limited staff.  You may need to cut down on the size of the menu for now until everything levels off (and hopefully It will at some point), and you will need to find a way to work with fewer employees who are paid much better than they were before.  It will be a buffet of answers that will allow restaurants to re-establish their importance and regain a level of profitability.  But failure to move forward without the experience and value formula in mind will only drive people away and reinforce an understanding that dining out is no longer necessary.  We don’t want to go down that road.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Help to keep the experience of dining – alive and well.

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

Let’s face it – we are prisoners of our own emotional package.  Some of these emotions are visible and some are not; some are more pronounced in certain individuals, and some are barely noticeable in others, but the fact remains that our emotional package can be, and in many cases is: in control.

Chefs, for some reason have a history of wearing their emotions on their sleeves, but I would dare to say that even in the case of the most visible emotional chef there is much that is hidden under the surface.  Sometimes, maybe most times, chefs try to keep certain emotions under wraps, hide them so that others will not perceive the chef as weak or vulnerable.  At the same time, chefs tend to put more energy into the emotions that they believe will demonstrate strength or power over others.  To this end, emotions that we try to control are dangerous and misleading.

It seems that there are just as many theories about what emotions may be part of our physical and mental make-up as there are days in the month, but most who are knowledgeable would agree on six primary emotions:  Sadness, Happiness, Fear, Anger, Surprise, and Disgust.  What seems a little grey is the emotional triggers behind each of these.   Sadness and Happiness as an example are effects of a deeper set of causes.  What is clear is that each of these six can be observed in ourselves and others.  We can see when a person is sad, happy, angry, afraid, surprised, or disgusted.

Those underlying emotions that lead to the six are the ones that many people, chefs, try to hide. 

So, why is it important to look at and talk about these underlying emotions?  Simply put – if we can understand what is driving the six, then we might be able to understand, work with, and even help chefs deal with the complexity of their job and thus nurture a more productive and “user-friendly” work environment.

As an example, A chef’s ANGER or SADNESS may be a result of anxiety, confusion, or awkwardness that are ever-present in a chef’s life.  Anxiety over the complexity of required job outcomes that include product quality, timing and efficiency, financial performance, personal brand control, dependance on others, etc.  Anger over a realization that a kitchen did not meet expectations can often be associated with a realization that the chef failed to properly train or communicate.  Lashing out can be a result of not knowing how to admit his or her own shortcomings – anger with oneself turns into pointing the finger at others.  So that roller coaster emotional ride that is associated with many chefs is not necessarily who they are, but rather the challenges of the tasks that are before them.  Any way that an operator, or co-workers might help to relieve some of these pressures could result in a much better emotional outcome.  So, if cooks were fully cognizant of how they impact the cost of operation through minimal waste, portion control, and other efficiencies will help to change the dynamic of anger or sadness that is observed in the chef. 

Now, of course, it is part of the chef’s job to train cooks to be conscientious about costs, but you get the general idea.  It’s never as simple as saying: the chef is a jerk who can’t control his or her temper: cause and effect.

If you can assume for one moment that most individuals want to be happy, want to be free of fear, and abhor losing their tempers then it could be time to look into a chef’s eyes and seek out the connections to emotions that are kept below the surface.  When a person is allowed to bring these emotions to the surface then the results can be very positive.  When a chef is shown that expression of these emotions is not a sign of weakness, but rather a sign of strength and a connection to others, then a dramatic change in personality might be the result.

EXCITEMENT in the chef’s success or others who work in the kitchen is natural – celebrate it.  ADMIRATION of others who have demonstrated a high level of proficiency or who are stellar examples of humanity is an emotion to be fed.  Admiration of others does not signal that the chef is inferior to them, it shows that they recognize what “is” and feed their own soul with the promise of using this as a benchmark for their own performance.

EMPATHIC PAIN and SYMPATHY – feeling another person’s failures or loss, challenges and physical pain is an essential strength of a true leader.  EMPATHY and SYMPATHY lead to followership – a necessary component of leadership.  It’s OK to feel another’s pain. 

NOSTALGIA is an underlying emotion that points to lessons learned, those who helped us along our way, reflections on past pain and how we recovered, and memories that helped to build us into the person we are today.  Warm thoughts about our past are a sign that we care and that we learn – nostalgia is an essential part of being human – feed it.

The human mind and spirit are an emotional powder keg – a formula for success or failure.  Leaders, if they are to be effective, must try to understand the emotional cocktail that each employee and co-worker drinks, daily, and every follower has a role to play in trying to understand what the chef carries on his or her shoulders.  The functioning of a successful team can only be realized when these emotions are understood and embraced.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

Look around – they’re slowly, but surely coming back.  You know – the individuals who found their mission as a cook – they have been tucked away since March of 2020 waiting for an opportunity to open that knife roll bag, draw their essential tools across that water stone and hone the edges on a steel and counting the days when they could once again find the rhythm of the line.  They may have insinuated that they wouldn’t return, but let’s face it – working in kitchens, with all its rough edges, is invigorating and fulfilling.  These warriors of the kitchen remember the heat, the aching muscles from standing on their feet for a 12-hour shift, the pressure of timing, the polished hands from grabbing too many scorching hot pans, and the staccato sounds of the POS printer ticking off countless orders.

Yep, I get the reflection time that was the hallmark of the pandemic shutdown, those moments when every cook and chef took inventory and wondered why it is that they work under adverse conditions, invest way too many hours, and do so for wages that never compete with other professional careers.  I know that there are plenty of reasons why it would make sense to walk away and find something, anything different to do for a career, but a day or two back on the line, back to creating beautiful, delicious food, back to working with a team in total sync, and back to the adrenaline rush of a full board of dupes and plates sliding in the pass – and you are hooked again.

Of course, you will feel the pain once again, the aching back and throbbing feet, the sweat running down your back, and the sting from an occasional burn or finger nick from that extra sharp knife – but then again, there is that feeling of accomplishment, the ability to push yourself to get better, faster, more proficient, and totally tight as a team member that brings you back day after day.  Do you really want to give this up?

If any line cook really wants to become a property chef – they can, in time, with dedication, with a commitment to learn, and with the patience and resilience that is necessary to build a skill set and the aptitude that must accompany a future chef.  You can do it, and deep inside you know it.  Find people to learn from, attached yourself to a culinary mentor, study, and practice, learn from your mistakes, go the extra mile, and build a methodical plan to move from line cook to sous chef, to working chef, and on to the executive position in a volume, high quality operation.  It can be done.  This is a career that affords anyone the opportunity to define their destiny, to work at it and move forward.

Look around – there are plenty of chefs in the making – they are the cooks who after wrestling with those questions” “should I return to the kitchen or not”, said: “of course – I must”.  Are you one of these cooks, or did you hang up your apron for the last time?   Is that knife roll collecting dust and the experiences that you had only exaggerated stories now?  How long before you miss those stories, miss the energy, or miss the creativity?

If you decided to hang it up and you are fine with moving on – more power to you.  Find your passion, look for your destiny, be happy and fulfilled – this is what life is all about.  If you were pulled back in by the magnetic field of the kitchen – then make a commitment to move forward.  Don’t delay – say “I will” today! 

The smells of the kitchen are intoxicating.  Bacon lardons rendering in a pan, fresh bread cooling on a rack, that thin crust pizza with fresh mozzarella and basil being peeled from a woodfired oven, shellfish sauteed in lemon butter, fresh rosemary lending its perfume to a roast, garlic and onions simmering till they are golden brown and sweet from reduction and caramelization, or a Black Angus steak dripping through the grates of a chargrill – adding fuel to the fire and sealing in the goodness of that incredible cut of meat.  This is what welcomes a cook every day throughout his or her shift.  The feel of a perfectly balanced chef knife in your hand – the blade that is honed to the sharpness of a razor blade is a tool that feels like an extension of your hand.  The rapid-fire sound of cooks who are in complete control of this knife cutting piles of perfect dice, brunoise, julienne, and chiffonade.  How do you feel when that plate is assembled as it should – perfect balance of color, texture, height, and marriage?  When the sauce is the final touch just before a cluster of appropriate herbs that tie the plate together – you know that you have just painted another masterpiece – one that a guest will take a picture of and share with the world – one that they will remember and tell their friends about.  HOW COOL IS THAT????

As you step back into that kitchen you remember what it was like to look to your left and look to your right and know that you can trust those individuals at their stations to work just as hard, care just as much, and dedicate themselves to playing their role in making sure that the collective work of the team is memorable.  If you could have someone video tape the work of this team and put it to music, it would be a symphony, an intriguing interplay of artists working individually and collectively at the same time – a work of art.  You remember this now – don’t you?

The orders start to arrive as the team acknowledges they are ready.  Mise is tight, everyone knows what needs to be done, pans are lined up, plates are stacked, side towels are folded and the expeditor calls everyone out – “are we ready?”  Ordering, order fire, pick up, refire, give me an all day, yes chef!  This is the language of the line and for the next four hours the commands and responses will come in relentlessly.  The energy will peak around 7 pm when the board is full, and everyone is in the zone – it is a point of time when things can go either way – towards excellence or over the cliff.  This is where you thrive, this is what you live for, this is where great cooks are made.  You make it through, the adrenaline stays full bore, the orders start to dwindle, a smile comes to your face, and you nod to your teammates, give a few high fives, and start to plan for tomorrow.  You have missed this, you know you are good at what you do, and you are able to look in a mirror and say – “this is what I was meant to do.”

So, for those who return to the kitchen – start today to solidify your future where the responsibility and authority coalesce, where the pay begins to match the skill, where you are more in control of what you invest in time and effort, where your talent is recognized, and where every day you will have a chance to help mold the future of another young cook – a place where you began.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

Well, I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures.  If there is stability in the restaurant business – I’m not quite sure where it is.  With a real need to try and make-up for a lost year and an overnight demand for dining out – restaurants are faced with a new pressing issue: where do we find the staff and how do we keep them?   When demand exceeds supply in any situation – businesses know that prices inevitably go up.  The strong survive and the weak shall perish.

So, the reaction now is to pay whatever is needed for staff positions in your local restaurant.  This knee-jerk reaction is true with positions from dishwasher to chef, and server to manager.  Restaurants are panicked with a need to operate at a high level with bare bones staffing – oftentimes with underqualified individuals.  “We need to fill schedules or reduce hours of operation and cut back on services.”  Those empty tables in restaurants are now a result of inadequate staffing rather than fewer than needed customers.  How many of your local restaurants are down to five-day weeks out of necessity?

So, here we are – the battle lines are drawn and as challenging as competition has been in the past – it is now becoming brutal.  Forget about local restaurants working together to try and find solutions – it is becoming every man for himself.  The unwritten agreement for many had been to never actively pirate good employees from a neighbor, but it seems as if that is out the window.  Survival instinct is a funny thing – it over-rides everything else.  It is human nature to pull out all the stops when it comes to taking your next breath – the same applies to business.

Necessity has driven a stake in the heart of “we’re all in this together” and replaced it with do or die.  It can be seen in every community, every town and city, and every state from New York to California – restaurants are throwing money at decent staff members to lure them over to their team.  A local business (with a high-profile clientele) is offering upwards of $60,000 a year for line positions that previously paid less than half of that.  No one can blame a line employee for jumping at the offer and waving goodbye to their current employer – it would be foolish to turn that down.  This is the exact same scenario that led professional sports to adopt free-agency and allow players to jump from team to team and the highest bidder.  It is suddenly a seller’s market for restaurant employees and as such restaurants find themselves in a bidding war.

Now, these same restaurants realize that their most important asset (great employees) is always in the market for something better.  Once this reality hits home then restaurants will be less likely to try something new and invest in an employee’s creativity and ideas.  If there is always fear that they may be here today and gone tomorrow, then the restaurant cannot afford to give the employee this kind of latitude.  Investing in training will also fall by the wayside as it is viewed as a wasted investment of time and money.

I remember throughout my career the line that local businesses tried not to cross: “thou shall not pirate a competitor’s employees.”  Now this might seem unfair to the average employee who has a need to look out for his or her own interests and find an employer who values what they bring to the table but hear me out when I say – this is a slippery slope.

First, and maybe most important from a business perspective:  THIS IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE.  Certainly, we all know that many restaurant employees are under-valued and poorly paid.  This is a challenge that must be faced and corrected, but it does not mean that “whatever is needed is right”, will work.  Right now, restaurants are trying desperately to survive and get through the day.  Hopefully, they can meet the demand and find their way to profitability, but right now it’s all about survival.  Being pushed into survival tactics rarely yields the best long-term solutions.  When businesses REACT rather than think things through and ACT from a point of understanding and planning then they will ultimately find a need to correct what they did.  When things settle down, when restaurant owners take a deep breath, when accountants look at the financial statement for the month, and when customers have had their fill of making up for lost time – then what?  How long before that $18 per hour dishwasher or $30 per hour line cook no longer makes sense?

When that time comes, I am not happy to tell you that those higher paid positions will be rejected by ownership, when staffing positions will be cut to help stop the financial bleeding, and suddenly those golden horse positions that seemed too good to be true will be just that.  Maybe even more important – the relationship between competing restaurants, between managers of those operations, and between chefs from property to property will be doused in anger, disrespect, lack of trust, and an eye for an eye mantra.

So, for the restaurateur here are my thoughts to consider:

[]          Think this through.  Do you really want to alienate your competitors?

[]          Know that once you start a bidding war for employees – someone will always be willing to outbid you.

[]          Do you really want employees to work for you just because you offered them more money than another restaurant?  Wouldn’t you rather have them choose you because your operation is one that they can align with and respect?

[]          How long can you afford to pay wages that are not in line with what your business requires?

[]          Those who currently have great employees – make sure you give them a forum to offer their ideas and express their concerns.  Determine what you can afford to pay them and discuss that with each employee.  Make sure that you celebrate the culture and the teams that you have created – people want to work where they feel part of something bigger than themselves and where it is apparent that they make a difference.

[]          Don’t become angry when a great employee leaves for a better offer.  Tell them how you feel and how they will be missed, make as good a counteroffer as you can, and then stay in touch with them after they leave.  Who knows – they might be back once they see what they have left and what they are faced with.

For the employee seeking the best opportunity and the most lucrative offer:

[]          Money is important, and you should always seek to find an employer who recognizes your worth but know that “too good to be true” has a short lifespan and you may find that the opportunity disappears sooner than you expect.

[]          Just because an employer pays higher than expected wages does not mean that they will be great to work for.  Check out the work culture before you are swept up in the excitement of the offer.

[]          Don’t burn any bridges.  Give plenty of notice, keep an open mind to any counteroffer, and don’t leave a good employer hanging in the middle of peak business or without any prospect for a replacement.   They invested in you, and you should always recognize this.

I hope that we see our way through this time and remember that we are part of a business that shares common challenges.  Free-agency continues to break up the most promising organizations from professional sports to colleges, tech companies, and not-for-profits.  Let’s try to avoid going down that path.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

By now, everyone is aware that there are enormous challenges with the supply chain – brought on by the pandemic and post pandemic rush to return to normal.  It is another perfect storm of realities that seem to have brought this about:  scaling down of production from the farmer, rancher and fisherman during the time when American restaurants were shut down, interrupting the cycle of growth and production as a result, a dramatic re-opening of said restaurants without time to gradually scale up to meet demand, a significant short fall in staff for a plethora of reasons that warrant a separate study (this includes farm workers, meat cutters, warehouse employees, commercial fishermen, and truck drivers), and a scary change in the attitude of hospitality workers who are not inclined to return to the industry that failed to listen to many of their concerns.  So, here we are facing overnight demand (it’s like everyone turned on the open switch at the same time) that exceeds supply and our ability to deliver.

Prices of raw materials and labor, of course, have gone through the roof and there is no end in sight.  Beef, poultry, pork, seafood of all types, fresh produce, dairy products, and paper supplies are, in some cases, double what they were a year ago!  On top of this – restaurants are offering wages that were unheard of pre-pandemic and still employees are not inclined to return to kitchens and dining rooms.  There is obviously a need for some type of systemic change, but no one seems to know exactly what that might be at this time. 

How does a chef or restaurateur approach the challenges of a public that wants to return to restaurants that are unable to meet the rapid growth in demand and a supply chain that is making it nearly impossible to get the ingredients they need and afford the ones that are available?   The quick fix may just be a dramatic change in how we plan and present our menus.  This may be something that will self-correct in a few months, or it could very well be the way that we operate from this point on.  The important reality is that we MUST MAKE CHANGES NOW!

CHANGE #1:

The days of the fixed menu for restaurants should come to a halt.  Without a clear understanding of where ingredient costs are going tomorrow and next month restaurants cannot afford to be shackled to a menu that is out of control.

It may make sense for restaurants to switch directions and move towards a fluid menu that relies on a style of cooking rather than fixed, specific menu items.  Chefs may very well need to plan menus that change every week or two, or in some cases even daily based on availability and price.  This will, of course, make it far more challenging to control quality and consistency, but with a movement towards on-going training and quality assurance – it can be done.

Forget the beautiful menus printed by a local craftsperson or laminated to build in easy re-use; if you are not already printing menus in-house then it is time to invest in some software and a quality printer for your office.

CHANGE #2:

Prices will also be fluid because they MUST reflect a restaurants ability to maintain its margins.  So weekly menus and appropriate changes to pricing will need to tie in with solid menu planning and purchasing that allows a pricing structure to stay within a range that your guests are accustomed to.

CHANGE #3:

It may also mean that certain menu staples that everyone accepts as “always present” need to be pushed aside for the time being.  A menu that depends on limited supply, higher end ingredients may need to look to a different model.  Less beef and more chicken, fewer shellfish items and standards like cod, haddock, sole, or halibut may need to lean more towards farmed fish or less popular species.  There are also even more reasons to work with local farmers, at least in-season, to find the produce you need to execute a fluid menu. 

CHANGE #4:

Big menus are far too difficult to manage at a time when the supply chain is challenged, prices are not stable, and the labor market is stretched.  Smaller menus with changing content are the way to go.  Instead of eight appetizers – look to three or four.  Rather than a dozen or so entrée choices – rely on six or even less.  Make sure that everything is focused on hitting your essential categories so that most guests can find something they like.

CHANGE #5:

Changing a restaurants dependance on large kitchen teams or a full cadre of servers is something that will be very challenging, but necessary.  Since these employees are simply not available, restaurants will need to find ways to do more with fewer hands and not rely as much on a high level of talent to do so.  This means that the menu will become the key to success.  Setting up systems for the pre-production, preparation, finishing and plating of beautiful and delicious food that can be executed consistently and quickly will be the way to go. 

CHANGE #6:

Create excitement over “what’s next”.  People are certainly creatures of habit and ambassadors for the familiar.  This is one of the reasons why so many menus remain the same for years or even decades.  Knowing that an item that you like will always be there is comforting and let’s face it – people don’t really like change.  Unfortunately, it is change that will allow the restaurant of today and tomorrow to thrive.  For this to be effective it is necessary for chefs and restaurants to build excitement for what makes the average guest uncomfortable.  Trust becomes the most essential ingredient in the chef’s repertoire.  “Don’t disappoint” is the key objective in building a fluid menu.  The minute that a guest finds disappointment in a menu selection is the moment you lose their trust and likely their return business. 

Chefs need to understand their customers even better than before.  Menu items need to reflect protection of this trust even more than the desires of the chef to create something that suits his or her need to be expressive.  One thought might be to take a lesson from some creative wine lists that I have seen where the chef states: “If you liked (a popular item from the past on a restaurant menu) then you will love (a new item being offered).  Now keep in mind that this means that the chef is offering a quiet guarantee – but one that feeds off that “trust” that is so important.

CHANGE #7:

Finally, this is the perfect time for the chef or the restaurateur to be even more visible to the guest than ever before.  Stand up for your menu, put yourself front and center, talk with the guests, read their reactions, pay attention, answer questions, encourage stepping out of comfort zones, and making adjustments where needed – in the moment.  Impatience, confusion, indecision, and uncomfortableness can be addressed directly avoiding disappointment and late-night angry comments on Trip Advisor.

Remember – desperate times call for desperate action (not reaction).

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

Maybe this is simply way out there and not of interest to anyone but me, but here it goes.  Where do we fit in the big scheme of things?  Seriously – have you ever given thought to this question?  Look around you at the incredible intelligence, innovation, talent, and skill of engineers, mathematicians, scientists, physicians, musicians, artists, economists, product designers, mechanics, theorists, and physicists and their discoveries and inventions.  How can we compare in the big scheme of things?  These individuals started out the same way they we did – just a fairly blank slate with a hunger for life and a thirst to learn.  How did they wind up moving in the direction they did, and we stepped into the realm of the kitchen?

Is it the lifelong pursuit of answers that drives so many to jump into one discipline vs. another or are we destined to windup where we are anyway?  What determines the path that we will take and what fuel feeds the desire to be a world changing scientist who discovers the way to build a vaccine for Covid or learns how to properly braise a lamb shank? Ah – that preverbal fork in the road, that early decision to turn left or right, that fateful event that either inspired us or forced us to choose – interesting.

There are many things that boggle the mind, that are so hard to grasp that we simply put them aside and either ignore them or accept them.  How can someone be so intelligent that they are able to comprehend, let alone work with the Higgs Boson “God particle “(the basis for structure of all matter) that is so small, yet so powerful that mankind had to develop the CERN Hadron Collider particle accelerator in France and Switzerland with miles of round perimeter tunnels that accelerate atomic particles to the speed of light and then crash them together to study the concept and to even think about recognizing that it even exists?

The CERN Hadron Collider:

 How can a person be so knowledgeable and so skillful as to repair the value in a human heart or so talented as to compose a musical piece for a symphonic orchestra of nearly 100 different musicians in their mind before it is put to paper?  Yet many, just like you and me are most concerned with the proper plating technique of a classic dish first developed by Escoffier.  How can we all start out basically the same and move in such different directions and is there any equality in importance?

Plating Technique:

Yes, I think about this stuff and sometimes I am able to put the thoughts aside when it turns from question to headache – but other times it keeps me up at night.  The underlying question seems to always be: “Did I choose the right path and was it my choice anyway?”   Compare and contrast is human nature – we do this from our earliest days of existence.  So and so has something that I don’t have, or he or she receives recognition, and I did not – it is the basis for many disagreements, misunderstandings, anxieties, fights, class structures, and wars.  Does it all begin with that fork in the road?

Obviously, the environment that we are born into has a bearing on our decisions.  Without a doubt there are socio-economic factors that determine whether you turn left or right, and the influence of family and friends cannot be denied.  There is no question that some people are born with a more complex gray matter network sitting on their shoulders, and I guess we can argue that there is such a thing as born talent.  Yet, we come into this world with free will and if you consider how, we start out as a blank slate with a desire to learn and reach a level of independence – we do still have a choice.  Those born with all the trappings of wealth, those who come from caring families, and those who have parents with a commitment to education will have a certain amount of advantage, but there are ample examples of babies born without any of this who choose to take a road that leads to exceptionalism and contribution.  But, why cooking and once that decision is made – how does one reconcile the importance of that decision?

A few realities seem to hold up:

• MANY HUMANS ARE TACTILE LEARNERS:  Cooking is very much a tactile skill with an end product that can be admired and consumed.
• MANY PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE A DENT IN THE UNIVERSE: Ours might not change the world, but we can change the life of a person who needed to feel special, even for just a brief moment – changing everything – one person at a time.
• WE RISE TO THE EXPECTATIONS OTHERS HAVE OF US: We want to make people happy – from that first finger painting that we brought home to our parents, to completion of that project for a teacher, or placing a perfect plate of food in the pass for the expeditor to admire.  That nod or smile says: “You exceeded my expectations”.
• BRINGING SOMETHING TO FRUITION IS TREMENDOUSLY GRATIFYING:  Every moment of every day in the kitchen yields an accomplishment from an individual plate to a banquet for 500 – a cook’s days are filled with accomplishment.
• GENERALLY, PEOPLE HAVE A NEED TO BE GOOD AT SOMETHING:  Yes, there are those with gifted palates or an eye for presentation that seems unique, but with lots of practice every cook can become good at what they do – even great.
• FOR THE MOST PART – PEOPLE WANT TO BE HAPPY:  Working in a kitchen environment as a member of a team, pushing to get better, working through the heat and the sore muscles, putting together a plate of food that satisfies all the human senses, and doing all this every day is something that makes every tired cook happy.
• IT IS HUMAN NATURE TO KNOW THAT YOU HELPED TO MAKE SOMEONE ELSE HAPPY:  A clean plate returning from the dining room, a guest’s pause to look at the plate from every angle, a few photos to add to their Instagram account, and a thumbs up from the server.  The potential is always there for cooks to make others happy in each moment.

So, how does one reconcile that they chose to learn how to master that braised lamb shank and did not go down the path to become a mathematician who plotted out the trajectory of a rocket destined to dock with a complex space station miles outside of the earth’s atmosphere?  Hmmm.  Well, obviously the path I chose did not set the stage for finding the real answer to this, but I do know that I chose the path, as did many of you, that made the most sense for me or you.  I also know, as should you, that what we all do is important in the big scheme of things because it fulfills our personal need to create, to feed our tactile learning tendencies, it makes people happy, helps them deal with their life challenges, and serves as an important reward for what they do.

Every mathematician, scientist, doctor, teacher, artist, musician, and physicist inherently need great cooks and respects the cook’s ability to feed the body, mind, and soul.  What we do is important and the fork in the road that we faced, and the direction that we chose was the right one for us.  This is a calling in life that is purposeful and meaningful and one that others depend on.  We pay respect to Mother Nature, celebrate the farmer and the fisherman; we develop skills that can take a lifetime to truly master, we paint our greatest works of art on a plate, we feed the body and give hard working people a moment to pause and be thankful and laugh over a delicious plate of food, and we bring people together even when they seem to have irreconcilable differences – we make a dent in the universe.  We may not make the cover of Scientific America, but we make people smile and that means a lot. 

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Choose your path wisely and know that it is the right decision

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com – BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

Over the past few decades, I have been asked to design a number of kitchens for restaurants and banquet spaces – a task that I thoroughly enjoy.  Owners and operators will typically shake their heads at initial designs holding their ground that “chefs” like to create elaborate kitchen palaces that they really don’t need and that they (the owners) can’t afford to build.  I understand this reaction but know that this is not really the case.  “Chefs” want to create kitchens that work, spaces that are designed to correct the numerous problems that were previously faced in poorly designed kitchens.  When a designer is asked to compromise on space, flow, or equipment I know that this simply means that the operator wants to build in problems in production or service in the future.  They are either willing to accept this (believing that the chef will simply need to figure it out), or they simply do not believe the designers conclusions.

In what other industry are developers inclined to accept built in problems with design?  Are auto manufacturers fine with poorly designed assembly lines?  Are hospital administrators fine with operating rooms that are not quite right?  Are operators of meat packing plants fine with inefficient cutting lines?  Inefficiencies cost money, frustrate employees, and oftentimes set the stage for poor quality results.  Is this the objective that operators and owners are after?

Creating restaurants is an expensive endeavor.  When owners are faced with a design that will cost many hundreds of thousands of dollars their first reaction is: “Kitchens don’t generate revenue – dining rooms do.  Kitchens are cost centers and a drain on potential profit.”  This, of course, is far from the truth – kitchens are the driver of sales and potential profit, but only when they are designed to accomplish both.  When it comes to setting the stage for restaurant success – “good enough” is never good enough.

Every additional step costs the restaurant money in labor, every poorly designed storage area costs the operation money in lost opportunities for purchasing volume and in product waste, every poorly designed prep area costs money in production efficiency, and every kitchen that is poorly designed from a flow perspective costs money in timing and service efficiency.  Chefs and cooks are at their best when they have the right environment and the right tools to accomplish the work they do.  Isn’t this true in every profession?  Yet, why would you hamper an employee’s ability to complete his or her work in the time that makes sense and at the quality that any successful business demands?  Penny wise and dollar foolish is certainly applicable here.

There are established standards for space, distance, and reach in kitchens that have been time tested.  Every effective kitchen designer knows them.  When we ignore these standards, we are building inefficiencies into the system and setting the stage for poor performance.  We know that a kitchen employee requires a certain amount of space to be effective in his or her work, we know that certain floor surfaces help to reduce back and leg strain, and we know that a designated amount of lighting will reduce eye strain and headaches and reduce unwanted accidents in the kitchen.  We understand where the dish machine should be located to reduce cross-trafficking in the kitchen and cut down on accidents and broken china, we understand that an expensive combi-oven can replace the need for multiple other ovens to complete the required work.  It is apparent that banquets are far more efficient, with less waste, and a much higher consistent quality level when there is sufficient cooler space for rolling racks and pre-plating and a cook-chill system is built into production.  We know that a slow cook oven will reduce cook shrink on roasts by 15-20% and produce a much more uniform product.  Yet, operators seem content to use their erasers on kitchen design and disregard what we know and simply move to save some money up front. 

One fact is absolute, one reality is the reason why too many kitchens are poorly designed, and there is one cause of the frustration that ensues from an ill-conceived kitchen space:  people just don’t know any better.  Unless you have worked in many kitchens, worked through hundreds of busy nights on the line, serviced banquets from 50 – 1,000 guests, taken inventory in kitchens without concern for proper storage, or tried to work with equipment that is constantly in dis-repair – you just don’t know.

When an owner or operator relies on an architect who has never worked in a kitchen (the rationale that they have designed dozens of kitchens before doesn’t cut it) and decisions are based solely on cutting expenses or adding a few more tables to the dining room – then problems are sure to arise.  When that architect is told to cut 25% off the cost of a kitchen – they will do just that; little thought is given to the impact of those decisions.  If I seem frustrated – I am, but not for any personal reasons – I am frustrated because I know the chef and cooks who walk into a kitchen designed in this manner will be challenged from day one.  I know that they will be forced to sacrifice something: quality, health, efficient use of labor, or be faced with a swinging door of cooks coming in with loads of enthusiasm and quitting with a ton of angst.

Is there any room for compromise?  Of course, there is, and chefs who design kitchens can get carried away, but at least listen to them, talk the issues through and push the chef to look at alternatives that might work just as well.  Don’t simply view the space as a “chef’s palace” that is only created to be a showcase.  This is a manufacturing space as well as an environment for artistic people to perfect their craft.  The space should be designed to feed both objectives if you want your restaurant to be all that it can be.

If you don’t have the money to do it right now, when will you find the funds to fix the problems later?  I know it seems arrogant to say – “If you don’t have the money to do it right then find the money”, but that is really the answer.  If you can’t find the money, then change your concept to accommodate a budget that works for your finances and still service the important aspects of design or stay away from the restaurant business.  Please – don’t build problems into the system and then wonder why it isn’t working.  Don’t allow an architect to design your kitchen in a vacuum.  Involve a chef or a chef designer in the process, create an open dialogue, run through scenarios in the kitchen to see if your design is adequately prepared for things that can go wrong.  Invest your money in efficiency and everyone will be much more productive, the operation will be staged to reach its financial goals, and your employees will thank you.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

I spend a considerable amount of time writing about how important it is to be a cook and a chef and my observations of those who fit those titles.  It is important to me and to millions of others around the world.  This is what so many were meant to do with their careers – it is built into their (our) DNA.  However, noting can compare to the honor, privilege, joy, occasional pain, and humbling experience of being a father. 

Nothing can prepare you for the experience of holding a newborn, your child, in your arms for the first time.  Those moments when she or he opens those eyes for the first time, smiles and blinks with recognition of the connection, the bond of blood, history, tradition, and family.  As father’s we swallow hard, smile from ear to ear, take a deep breath and shed a tear of utter joy along with a bit of nervousness.  We are struck with awe at the living person in our arms and speechlessness at the process and the strength of the woman who bore this being for the past nine months.  “How is this possible?”

We are at a loss when it comes to what to do next.  We frantically ask: “Where is the job description?”   We try to do our best over the next handful of years – trying to be there for those special days: first day of school, birthdays, helping them to ride a bike, catch and hit a baseball, track meets, soccer games, recitals, spelling bees, and first everything’s, but as a chef we all know that some will be missed – never to be regained.  It is tough to look back at those missed opportunities and justify why we weren’t there.  Our children will probably forgive us, but we will never forgive ourselves.  This, after all is our most important job.

As father’s we can look back and remember those first steps, first words, daily hugs, and tears shed over nothing and sometimes something. We can choke up as we remember the smiles over accomplishments: graduation from kindergarten, from grammar school, high school and beyond.  There are those moments when we lost our temper but never our love and caring for those young persons who continue to amaze as they grow and experience life.  We know, in our hearts that what we are angry about is probably our own shortcomings as fathers. 

There are those times when they are sick and our hearts ache for them as we hold them in a shower to cool down a fever, wash their cuts and scrapes and press on a band aid while mom gives them a kiss to make it better.  We remember the panic that first time that we had to rush them to a doctor’s office or the hospital for something that was beyond our ability to fix.  We remember that feeling of complete relief when the doctor says they are OK. 

Monumental occasions continue throughout life as we meet their first girlfriend or boyfriend, give them a serious stare to show them that this is very precious cargo and beware of the potential wrath of dad, but in our hearts feel pure joy in our child’s happiness – that first crush.  We experience mixed emotions when they learn to drive and that first time when they do so solo with license in hand.  We watch the news daily and stress about the condition of the world, not so much for ourselves but what it means for them and their futures.  There is a point in time when we realize that their lives and happiness are far more important than our own.  It is one of those moments when we truly realize what it means to be a father. 

There is a point in time when everything seems to move too fast.  They apply for college or a trade school and are accepted and we know that they will be going off on their own for the first time.  It is this point in time when we really self-assess.  Have we prepared them for life, are they good people who are honest and caring?  Will they treat others with respect, and will others view them as we do?  Do they have the work ethic that will lead to success?  Will they make good choices of friends and experiences?  Did I do my job as a father?

When they finally leave for that independent experience we swallow deeply again, just like we did when holding a newborn.  This time the fear and pride are very real, they are based on 18 years of experience and knowing everything that could go wrong and every opportunity that could end up right.  We jump every time that phone rings late in the evening wondering what went wrong, is my son or daughter alright?  We comfort them on the phone when they had a bad day and learn quickly that they don’t really want advice, they just want us to listen.  This is one of the hardest things for a father to learn.  We resist the desire to jump in the car and drive all night just to “take care” of things for them – this is not what they want or need in most cases.

There are those moments when we must ease their soul crushing sadness over a broken relationship, or one that fails to materialize.  We tell them that this is life and there are lots of fish in the sea, but we know ourselves how shallow that response is and how painful their sense of loss is.  But then they rebound.  Their friends help them along, they find their step again, discover new people and jump back in the relationship search.  This is, as we all know, the search for happiness and sense of creating a family of their own – just like mom and dad.

As father’s we beam with pride, standing next to our partner as a son or daughter graduates once again and moves on to begin their real independent life.  That first job in a field of their choice, first apartment, first network of lifetime friends, first opportunity to be financially responsible.  Ah, we did it!  But then, we are always on the lookout – making sure that their stress is minimized, that they have enough money, that their jobs are satisfying, that they can reach their dreams, that they find a partner and oh, yes – that the stage is set for them to follow in our footsteps.

Then it happens – they find their soulmate and we pray that this is the right one.  We meet that special person and once again look them up and down and peer into their eyes to see if they are worthy.  We are cautiously optimistic and then relieved to discover that our son or daughter chose wisely.  Preparations for a wedding will ensue and it is our job to make sure that the day is right.  Mom will live her experience again through her child and everyone is focused on making the special day all that it can be.  There is a load of pride and fathers feel a real bonding with a son – “congratulations my boy you did well”.   Somehow, with a daughter it is different.  You know she is strong, smart, and balanced, but underneath it all you want to make sure she is in good hands.  That walk down the aisle is special, memorable, joyful, and soul crushing at the same time.  You are passing the hand of your little girl to another person to cherish and hold – and those memories of holding a newborn, of having total responsibility for her welfare are flashing through your head at lightening speed.  “Please let her be safe and happy”.

What an honor, a pleasure, a responsibility, and an experience it is to be a father.  It is our real purpose in life – a job without a job description.  We learn as we go – on the job training.  And then, one day you receive that phone call when your son or daughter says through broken words – “dad, you and mom are going to be grandparents!”  Ah, such a feeling – and now it starts all over again.

On this day, I wish a happy Father’s Day to all the dads and granddads out there.  To all the chefs who are struggling to figure out that balance in life, I offer this advice: “Don’t find yourself regretting too much.  Life is short and your real job is far more important than those beautiful plates of food in the pass.  Figure out a way to train others to cover for you when you need to hold a hand, applaud an accomplishment, hug in support, or simply smile and shed a tear for that little person that you once held in your arms in pure wonder.

To my children and grandkids – thanks for giving me a chance to be there:  Erika, Jessica, Leif, Alex, Addie, Johan, Espen, Oliver, and Jack.

Happy Father’s Day.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER
Being a father is the ultimate opportunity in life

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Anthony Bourdain once inferred that cooking is one of the most personal things you can do for another human being.  This statement allowed me to think deeply about the significance of this process that we do day in and day out.  What a wonderful skill that can, through certain people, go way beyond the process or technique used.  Cooking need not be perfect to be expressive and caring, but when it is – oh what a gift.  To cook for another person is to express love, respect, personal history, generations of caring, and the willingness to risk it all – to put it out there and say: “This is what I can do for you in this moment”. 

We can readily think back to that special dish that a grandmother prepared for her family.  Maybe it was an Italian grandmother who spent every Saturday preparing that Bolognese sauce for the family Sunday dinner that would last for hours.  In the time that those tomatoes were blanched, peeled, crushed, combined with onions and garlic, beef and pork, and fresh herbs from the garden and then carefully simmered and stirred for hours on end – that wonderful woman was pouring her heart and soul into an expression of love for the family that would sit around the table.  Maybe not a sauce, but quite possibly it was that perfect apple pie cooling on the windowsill – tempting everyone with its deep aroma of apple and spice and flaky butter pastry; or a pot roast that was seared and braised with carrots, onions, and celery until it fell off the bone.  Cooking was not a chore to these individuals – it was a gift that was offered to people, a gift that considered family history and generations of passing down a special recipe or technique – it was as uniquely personal as anything could be.

Maybe we can reflect on that “early in life” Mother’s Day or Father’s Day when as a five or six- year-old child we prepared toast and jam with a glass of orange juice and carried it haphazardly into a parent’s bedroom for breakfast, a breakfast that you had prepared as a true act of love and gratitude – a very personal gift that came from your heart.  It may not have been technically perfect, yet to that parent it was the most incredible meal they had ever been served – it was as personal as anything could ever be and maybe it even brought a tear to their eyes.  “This is what I have to offer and all that it means is present on the plate.”

It could have very well been the neighbor who during a tough time in your life, took the time to prepare a meal and deliver it to your home.  That knock on the door and presentation of a dish that he or she knew would be tasty was a way of saying – I am so sorry that you are having a tough time and I truly hope that this will let you know that I care, and I am here to help.  When you look into that neighbors’ eyes you can feel the personal nature of the gift and know the healing power that it brings.

When friends, throughout your life gather to celebrate, to connect, to cheer each other on, or to simply recognize the importance of friendship – they do so with food that is prepared in a manner that attempts to express just how important those things are.  It could be a simple burger on a backyard grill, or a complex multi-course dinner with that special bottle of wine that had been saved for just this event.  In all cases it was a deep expression of caring, of dedication, of connection, and of love.  When those glasses were raised and clinked with each other, when that first bite was enjoyed and when stories and laughter ensued long into the night – each person knew just how personal and special the moment was.

A relationship with another person may begin with a physical attraction, but it is solidified that first time that one cooks for another.  Of course, there are other moments that lead to building a relationship including numerous meals at restaurants, but that first time that a person makes an omelet, prepares a plate of pasta, roasts a chicken, or removes the cork from a bottle of wine during a meal prepared just for that other individual is the time when a relationship moves to another level.  It is so personal, so fulfilling, so expressive of how the other feels that it can literally take your breath away.

We decided at some point in our lives to become cooks and maybe chefs.  To some it may be a job, while for others it was a calling.  To those who view it as a job it may be rote and somewhat impersonal, a process with steps to memorize and plates to assemble as the picture dictates.  To those who see it as a calling it is an opportunity to recall our past experiences where food was a unifying force, a means of expressing what is sometimes difficult to put into words.  To those cooks who see the potential, this craft is a way to perpetuate the history of their family, to pay homage to a parent who passed down a recipe from two generations before, to remember just how everyone felt when that Mother’s Day or Father’s Day breakfast was presented by a six-year-old, and to give back to all who choose to accept a plate of food. 

The cook or chef who understands how personal cooking is, who feels the power of expression through food and who knows that every plate carries with it a tradition of caring is a person who has found one of the most personal ways of communicating with others.  The way that a cook handles ingredients, pays respect to time tested processes, maintains his or her tools, buttons up a starched white chef coat with pride, maintains a clean and organized station, caramelizes a cut of meat before braising, trusses a chicken, gingerly opens an oyster, or simmers a stock that will be used for soups and sauces is a way to build the gift that will be offered on the plate to every special guest.  Throughout the process – a serious cook is engaged in an incredibly personal process of giving back, of thanking a guest for choosing his or her restaurant, of maintaining the trust that a guest invests in the cook, and of saying thank you for being a part of my life.  It is that personal.

We should never take for granted how important food is and how significant the process of cooking can be.  We may not have the gift of words, of music, or art, but we have a lifetime of history, of caring, of tenderness and tradition that through our hands, heart, and soul is prepared for the plate.  This is what we do.

“Cook for me” is such a wonderful request, such an incredible opportunity, such a tremendous gift.  Think of this every day that you draw a French knife across a wet stone to build an edge, set-up a cutting board in preparation for your shift, fold your side towels, build your mise en place, check the edges of plates, stoke the fire of your grill and line up those sauté pans for another service – this is the moment when you offer yourself to others.  Cook for me, cook for you.

*Picture is from 1970 – apprentice with the Statler Hilton Hotel in Buffalo

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Keep it personal

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

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Words are powerful, stories even more so.  They can make us aware, lift us up, change our minds, give us hope, shock us into a new way of thinking, give us pause, inspire us, right the ship, record our memories, and set the stage for change.  Words can differentiate the free from the oppressed, the informed from the naive, the warm from the cold, and the inspired from those who feel hopeless.  Words are a gift and can be a curse – it is all up to the application of truth and the confidence of the writer.  Musicians, poets, chefs, authors, speech writers, and journalists are the historians of a time and gatekeepers to awareness.  When we read those words, we are free to think and grow – the words are a gift and writing a platform for happiness and knowledge.

Words that are well thought out, from our memory and filtered through the heart can bridge any gap that might exist between people.  Strategic words can right a wrong, mend old wounds, and help people to start fresh.  Words that fail to pass through that filter can separate those who seek to come closer, hurt and stoke the flames of fear and the bruises that result from animosity.  Words can build friendships or end them just as easily.

When words reflect on past experiences and stimulate positive memories, they can form stories that build interest, paint pictures, engage others in your shared experiences, and align those who listen with your intent and objectives.  Words are that powerful.

As chefs it is important to understand the power that words provide.  It is critical that we understand what we say and how we say it can make all the difference in how those around us feel, respond, and grow.  The right word, at the right moment can earn you respect and followership, while the wrong word can destroy trust, bruise egos, alienate workers, push aside friends, and infuriate those whose support and friendship are needed most.

When we allow the stress and frustration of the moment to erode the filter of the heart and release a word, a phrase, or a story before it has been through the process of impact analysis – then we relinquish our leadership to the sting of negative emotion.  We have all been there – that moment when words are used to attack and sting while at the same time our mind and heart is thinking: “this is wrong”.  Too late – the damage is done, and recovery is ever so difficult.  These are the times when it seems that words flow directly from emotion and are able to defy what we know to be right or wrong.  Been there – done that.

To be a leader is to learn how to control those words and those stories – to work at keeping those filters in place and give emotions a chance to settle down before we speak.  Too many times that word, the one that avoids filtering, is so destructive that the results are beyond repair.  We all need to accept the power of what we say and stay in control.

At the same time, a strategic word or story that is cognizant of the power it wields, can be used to build trust, define followership, move people to a different, positive place and unite those around us on a common mission.  When we are in control, when those filters are working as they should, then we can emerge as true leaders worthy of followership.

A simple: “great job, thank you, spot on, terrific effort, delicious, beautiful plate, outstanding work, etc.”, can raise an individual’s or team’s spirits, help to push them to new levels of excellence, elevate them through a difficult service period, and bridge the gap between impossible and possible.  The right use of words can be more powerful than any other attempt at motivation – including compensation.  You see- everyone craves acknowledgement and encouragement – it is the fuel that stokes the human motor and drives people to perform well. 

Even critique can become a positive motivator when words are used effectively.  “You know you do really exceptional work, your food is flavorful and on point with my expectations and plate presentations are beautiful, however, this particular dish misses the mark.  Let’s work together to figure out how to make it better.”  A statement such as this demonstrates to a co-worker that the chef thinks highly of a cook’s work, talent, and desire to perform at a very high level, but points to a unique situation when something just doesn’t live up to that standard.  The statement is free of emotion but focused on correcting a misstep.  The approach with the right words demonstrates that the problem is not personal but rather a collaborative one that the chef shares responsibility for and intends to collaborate to fix.  A chef without control of the filter might simply say: “This dish is crap – fix it!”  In both cases the problem is identified, but one is based on positive action and the other will embarrass and alienate the employee.   When the filter is in place and the right words are strategically put together as a story – the challenge will most likely be resolved.  Attacking people with biting words may relieve the immediate frustration that you feel, but at what price?  Sometimes the lesson learned from this type of release cannot be repaired.

“Lessons learned are like
Bridges burned
You only need to cross them but once
Is the knowledge gained
Worth the price of the pain?
Are the spoils worth the cost of the hunt?”

-Dan Fogelberg

Chefs can be great teachers when they understand the importance of communication, filtered words, and great storytelling.  People are unlikely to appreciate, learn from, or even remember words that are meant to sting, but will readily learn from effective stories that show the nature of a problem, an action or solution, and the results – good or bad.  Learn to become a storyteller, build your positive vocabulary, discover how to use those filters, take a deep breath and coach your response to others – even when it is difficult to do so.  Teach through those stories that depict examples of past situations, previous actions, and what you personally learned from it.

A chef might pull together his or her team at the end of service and relay a story that can become a reflective lesson for cooks – something that points to what took place and how the experience might be used to simply get better:

“Well, we made it through service tonight – and it wasn’t all that pretty.  This is a great team and I know that your standards are very high, so tonight was not typical and not what you normally expect of yourselves.  This happens to the best of teams, it is not uncommon, but at the same time it is not how we operate.  I remember many examples in my own past as a cook where things just seemed to get out of hand.  I have had my share of nights when it just didn’t seem to click when my timing was off, things got backed up, my mise en place wasn’t tight, and far too many dishes came back for a re-fire.  It is easy to get down on yourself, to think that somehow it is all your fault, but keep in mind that you are each part of a team and team means that you collectively own the not so perfect night and together we hold the opportunity to be better tomorrow.  Yes, I am part of the team and share in the responsibility for tonight – it is just as much on my shoulders as yours. This is not a time to beat ourselves up, it is a time to analyze the cause and work as a team to help each other fix things for tomorrow.  We are not perfect, but we are pretty damn good.  Tomorrow will be great – let’s all learn from tonight.  Thanks for being great at what you do.”

Guaranteed, each cook will remember that story, will reflect on what went wrong and how they can improve, and they will all respect the chef for talking about his or her own past mistakes and owning up to what just happened.  Years from this date they will still remember the chef’s words and the story told.  Lesson learned. This is what can happen when a chef understands the power of words and keeps that filter working as it should.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Remember the power of words

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.havestamericacues.com   BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

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Success doesn’t happen on its own – you make it happen.  Yes, as a cook you may wonder when great things will come your way and the answer is – probably never.  You need to seek out the opportunities and prepare to thrive when one is in your sights – success doesn’t simply appear.  Every cook, or should I say every serious cook, has the ability to reach for that elusive chef’s job, discover how to make a difference, create a culinary signature that others will notice, and earn a comfortable living in the process.  The difference between those who reach those goals and those who do not is almost always a willingness to do the right work to get there.

Cooks should be paid a living wage and they should be able to feel secure in their job as long as they do what is required, but beyond that each step towards the position of chef is in the individual’s hands.  So, if you are ready to take the leap – here you go:

[]          PATIENCE:  Everyone wants to reach their goals quickly – to become what he or she aspires to become without the effort and time that comes with the turf, but it just doesn’t work that way.  To truly become a chef requires that you have a wealth of knowledge and experience that never comes easy, always requires extra effort, and involves a sometimes-bumpy road along the way.  Be patient – it will take time.

[]          COMMITMENT: “I am going to do whatever it takes to prepare for the position – I am in it to win it”.  Make the commitment, put it in writing, live it every day, and when you look in a mirror, do so knowing that you never waiver from what is required.

[]          HAVE A PLAN:  Plan, plan, plan.  Establish where you want to be and build a detailed road map that takes you from point A to point B.  If you want to be an executive chef at a private club know that the skill set will include: a deep understanding of a full array of ethnic styles of cooking, the ability to organize complex events, human resource management skills, team building prowess, great communication skills, purchasing and negotiating skills, knowledge of wines, service techniques, cost controls, and how to build a public relations image.  How will you acquire those skills?  Where should you work and whom should you work with to fine tune what is needed to build your brand?

[]          LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY:  Approach every day with a structured plan to learn something new.  It need not be monumental, but any day that goes by that you have not gained a new skill, or a bit of important knowledge is a day that fails to bring you closer to your goals.

[]          PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT:  Proficiency comes from repetition.  Seek out that new skill or bit of knowledge and build it into your routine just like an exercise regimen.

[]          VOLUNTEER:  There is no shortage of opportunity to learn something new from someone else.  You will not always receive pay for what you learn.  What you gain is far more important than a few extra dollars in your paycheck.

[]          KNOW YOUR WEAKNESSES:  Be humble and know that you are human and there are many tasks that you are not very good at.  Sometimes people just avoid engaging in processes that show their weaknesses where successful cooks and chefs approach them head on and work until a weakness becomes a strength.  This is how competent chefs are made.

[]          NOT SO SOCIAL MEDIA:  Your brand can be easily destroyed through social media.  Be very careful about what you say, what opinions you express, how you look, the language that you use, and the individuals and groups that you associate with on Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, and Twitter.  One of the first steps used by employers in researching candidates for a position of responsibility is to check their social media profile.

[]          EXCELLENCE ALWAYS:  Be the person who always approaches every task, no matter how small or large, with a commitment to excellence.  Washing and stacking dishes – be a star, dicing vegetables – make them “show quality”; organizing a cooler – do so like a librarian approaches stacks of books; caramelizing a mirepoix for a stock – make sure that every vegetable is properly browned and ready to release its flavor.  Every single task is a reflection of the cook you are and the chef you hope to become.

[]          EXECUTE AND BUILD TRUST:  If you have your eyes on the chef position then start by becoming the cook that everyone else can depend on.  Once you are given a task, make sure that you follow thru and complete the work as it was intended – always. 

[]          PROBLEM SOLVE:  Watch and learn.  Every day in the kitchen presents challenges that someone needs to approach and deal with problems that require solutions.  Watch how others solve those problems and record the process in your mental data bank.  Sometimes the real hero in any situation is not the person who does everything right, but the one who can correct a misstep if and when it occurs.  As a chef you will become the person whom others expect to rely on as the consummate problem-solver.

[]          NETWORK:  Start making a list of people who you would enjoy having on your resource list.  Make the effort, make the contact, show respect, communicate frequently, and build a relationship with those who can become your “go to people” when support is what you need.  The best chefs don’t have all the answers, but they know who to contact when that solution is not readily at hand.

[]          PRACTICE SAYING YES:  Along the way, one of the best ways to build steadily on your brand is to be the person who says: “bring it on”.  “I need someone to work an extra shift this week” – count me in chef.  “Someone from the line needs to give the dishwasher a hand for 20 minutes to push through that backlog of dishes” – I’m your person chef.  Again, be the person that others can depend on.  Yes, it gets in the way of life and ego sometimes, but it is part of building that brand – a brand that will lead to the chef’s position at some point in time.

[]          BE A PROFESSIONAL:  Above all else – hold yourself to higher standards.  Look the part, act the part, treat others with respect, remain dependable, stay humble, approach every task with an eye on excellence, and know that your brand is made through professional effort.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Your success is within your grasp

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

Café Talks PODCAST

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

Nowadays a question I am often asked is: “Why is it so difficult to understand cooks and chefs?”  The answer, quite simply, is – you can’t understand a cook unless you are or have been one.  That may seem like a copout, but it is true.  Take a look into a cook’s eyes, really look beyond the surface and you will see a complex assortment of challenges, pride, experiences, insecurities, and troubled waters which are held together by the thin strings of the apron around their waist.  This may not be the case for all, but it surely is true of most.

Look past the façade – that sometimes crusty, occasionally moody, swashbuckling and seemingly pretentious person wielding sharp knives and hot pans – you know – the person who can smile one minute and then curse you out the next and try to see a bit below the surface.  There is no reason for this split personality – right?  People should leave their baggage at home when they walk through the threshold of a job – push aside those things that haunt them and be sharp and bright, focused and passionate, and committed and intent.  This is what we would like to expect, but is it possible?  Look beyond the surface and connect with the cook’s eyes – try to see what’s inside before we judge and discount.

Get over it, be in the moment, concentrate, push aside that dark cloud and be positive!  Managers and owners throw these words around freely without digging past the effects and looking at the cause.  Am I being too protective and not cognizant of the demands of the job and the environment of the workplace?  Maybe, but I am trying to be real.  In some cases, there is no excuse; some people are just miserable by nature and they use the limited power of their position to make everyone around them miserable – I get that.  Some people are full of themselves and couldn’t care less about how their mood and actions impact others – I know this is unfortunately true; but there are far more people than you imagine who are simply carrying a heavy load of emotional baggage that is hard to shake off.  Look into their eyes to try and see who is behind that tied apron.

This is not a scientific study, but rather a review of the fifty years I have spent around cooks and chefs, kitchen crews and service staff, food operations of all types and people from all types of backgrounds who tie on that apron or deliver a guest’s plate of food.  What I have personally found among those people whom I respect and enjoy being around is an interesting case study.

[]          Think about the type of person who seeks the job of cook or the career of chef.  He or she is typically drawn to the kitchen for some very specific reasons:  It is a safe place where judgement is not the norm – if you can do the job, you belong.  He or she is the type of person who either is or truly wants to be – creative.  The kitchen provides an environment for creative people and a petri dish for those who want to learn to be so.  The kitchen is a place where organization prevails and as such it attracts those who either are or very much need to become organized – some semblance of structure.  The kitchen is a place where team becomes a reality even for those who have rarely found a way to become part of something larger than themselves.  And this is a place where hard physical work allows you to feel good about what took place over a 10–12-hour shift.

[]          Many cooks inadvertently seek a little pain and self-abuse as a way to feel alive.  They crave the physical muscle pain after standing for a full shift, working in conditions of excessive heat, constant noise, and the pressure of timing so that they can actually feel as if they paid their dues.   As strange as this may seem – it is real.

[]          Many cooks are lonely people – sometimes by choice, while oftentimes for other reasons of fear and angst, poor self-esteem, or a history of not fitting in.  While in the kitchen they find solace in the camaraderie and purpose that for a 10-hour period makes up for the loneliness that remains once they punch out.  Afterall, the schedules and work hours required are socially isolating.

[]          A good portion of the cooks and chefs I know and worked with are terribly insecure in their abilities.  They compensate by putting on airs of over-confidence, egotistical swagger, and “I can do and say what I want” musings.  Underneath they know that it would be hard to back up those surface appearances. 

[]          The job itself is difficult at best.  The conditions are not conducive to bright and shining attitudes – this is not an excuse – it is reality.  Heat, physical work, danger, time pressure, being judged by every plate that ends up in the pass and knowing that the success of your peers is based on how well you execute your work – all of this combined make for a pretty abrasive stew.

[]          Sometimes a cook or chef is there because they chose the path long ago.  It was what they were meant to do and provided the incentives that creativity and purpose offer.  Many others, probably the majority, found themselves in the kitchen out of necessity.  The kitchen pirates and vagabonds who are good at the craft, confident in their abilities, and less than enthusiastic about their position in life do abound in the kitchens of America.  Yes, we have our share of crusty misfits, the ones that could only wind up in kitchens and would be a square peg in a round hole anywhere else.  These are the people that become the backbone of the operation because they are competent but may find it easy to walk of the job without notice, be insubordinate, give the rest of the restaurant the sting of their anger, and might even occasionally fail to show up to work for no particular reason.  Yes, they are there, and they are part of the kitchen stew because the kitchen will always welcome them.

Look into their eyes, get past the façade and start to separate effect from cause.  Try as we may to change the formula, it always comes back to those unique individuals who are willing and able to tie on the apron.  It is the chef’s primary job to build a balanced team, understand the mix of people who make up a kitchen crew, look deep into their eyes and provide the empathy and structure needed to keep the band together.    When we fail to understand this and lead in a manner that is people-centric, then the results will always be rocky at best.  When this works, the band will play beautiful music together.

The Moody Blues once wrote:

“And the sounds we make together
Is the music to the story in your eyes
It’s been shining down upon me now, I realize”

When we realize what we are working with and take the time to look to the story in a cook’s eyes, we might just find a way to build something special. 

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

Being a chef is a tough job, no matter where a person hangs his or her apron.  The physical, mental, and emotional challenges are significant, and the dedication and passion required are as pronounced as one might find in any field.  More often than not, chefs are able to perform their duties with the expectation that they will have the resources, the facilities, and the predictability to function with their concentration placed squarely on the process; yet in some cases this is not always the reality that is before them.

To be quick on your feet, able to adjust, focused on quality while being thrust into dangerous situations, working in temporary/not quite ideal, kitchen spaces, and knowing full well just how important your work is physically, emotionally, and psychologically to a unique group of customers is something that many chefs are able to avoid in their busy lives.  This is the life of the military cook.

Today is a day of recognition for those who have put their lives on the line, many who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country; a day when we pay special homage to those who gave their lives in combat; but also, those who served under the constant threat of the same.  It is also a day for us to consider the many individuals who worked diligently to protect and serve those who chose the military path.

It is very likely that each of us has a family history that includes individuals who served in the military and unfortunately, some who never returned home.  Today specifically, but every day realistically, we should show our respect and give thanks for all who made the commitment of service.  It may have been a father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, sister or brother, uncle, cousin or spouse; a child or neighbor, a classmate or friend, or simply a person in our community who left his or her mark – but it would be difficult to find a person who has not been touched by the tragedy associated with military service.  We bow our heads today and honor each and every person who served out of choice as well as those who were thrust into combat through the draft.

I thought, given the nature of my blog, that I would also pay respect today to those cooks and chefs behind the scenes who gave their talent, passion, heart and soul to keeping soldiers nourished and offer them a few brief moments of enjoyment and reflection through food.

The military cook or chef is a special person who possesses the same skill set as the restaurant or resort chef, the same dedication to the profession, the same passion for ingredients and the same desire to present beautiful, delicious food to their audience, just as any other culinarian.  This cook or chef may be responsible for nourishing troops in training at one of the bases across the country or overseas, or possibly work out of a field kitchen in the middle of a combat zone with the constant fear of attack to accompany the demands of the job.  He or she may be focused on preparing thousands of meals every day or working on special events or officer dining that provide an opportunity to elevate their cuisine further.  In all cases the food, just like in a restaurant, must be nutritious, hot or cold, fresh, flavorful and attractive.

Contrary to what some may perceive – military dining can run the full spectrum from field cooking under battle conditions, to quick service, banquets and catering, and even fine dining.  There are formal training environments for all branches of the military – each with a focus on standards of excellence, competency, and building opportunities for long careers in foodservice.  As an example – the Joint Culinary Center of Excellence for the Army and Marine Corps graduates more than 6,000 cooks each year to support their efforts domestically and abroad.  Many of these cooks, after completing their terms of service, go on to become very successful and prominent chefs in the restaurant and food related industries. 

On the representative side – the U.S. Military Culinary Team has consistently earned gold medals and the highest praise from their culinary peers in international competitions such as the Culinary Olympics.

Here are a few examples of chefs who had their start as a military cook in various branches of service in the U.S. and overseas:

Chef Andre Rush, a member of the U.S. Army served as a White House Chef through four administrations: Clinton, Bush, Obama and Trump.

Chef Eric Ripert of the 3-star Michelin Le Bernadin Restaurant served in the French Military before working as poissonier for Joel Robuchon leading to his position as chef of one of the few 3-star restaurants in America.

Julia Child was too tall for the military but instead worked for the Office of Strategic Service (predecessor to the CIA) as an intelligence officer.

Chef Bert Cutino – owner/chef of the famous Sardine Factory in Monterey, CA served his country in the naval reserves.

Chef John Besh of Besh Restaurants fame and a name synonymous with Cajun cooking, was a marine who served in the Gulf War.

Even Auguste Escoffier was a member of the French Military serving as a chef during the French/Prussian War.  It was in the military where he devised the structure of the Kitchen Brigade that changed the way that kitchens operated.

In my own experience there have been many friends and associates who have dedicated the early portion of their careers to serving as military cooks and bakers.  Among them, and there are undoubtedly many more, are:

Certified Master Chef Bill Franklin served in Vietnam as a member of the U.S. Navy. 

Chef John McBride – a former student of mine, culinary instructor at Paul Smith’s College and New England Culinary Institute, and outstanding bread baker was a member of the U.S. Navy.

Chef Robert Brown, CMB who facilitated the Baking Program at Paul Smith’s College and served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War.

Chef David Gotzmer, a former executive chef and culinary instructor at Paul Smith’s College was a member of the U.S. Marines during Vietnam.

Chef Michael Garnish, executive chef and former instructor at Paul Smith’s College and served in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Chef David Russ, former military culinary team member and captain, and military chef of the year served his country as a member of the U.S. Army during the Gulf War.

Chef Travis Smith served in culinary leadership roles for the U.S. Army, participated as a member of the military culinary team, and held various positions as executive chef and chef/entrepreneur since retiring from the Army.

Francis Peroni, my first foods instructor from Paul Smith’s College served in the military during World War II.

Chef Phil Learned, former executive chef of The Balsams Grand Resort and founder of their apprenticeship program was a U.S. Marine Corps during World War II and Korea.

Chef Keith Taylor of Zachary’s Bar-b-Que served in the U.S. Army before working as chef for Walt Disney and building a very successful cadre of restaurants in Philadelphia.

Chef Jeremiah Shields, a former student from New England Culinary Institute –   served in the U.S. Army.

And the list goes on and on.  I often reflect on my own time as a cook in the Army National Guard and the discipline I gained in the process.  I treasured the opportunity to cook for those fellow soldiers who chose or were chosen to serve.  On this day and every other I give thanks to those men and women who gave of themselves, those whose lives were changed as a result, and those who gave their lives for the freedoms, democratic process, and equities and advantages that we share and must protect.

*Pictures:                    My dad – WWII (not a cook)

                                     Members of the Coast Guard Culinary Team in training

                                    Military cooks in action

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Give thanks to those who served or serve currently.

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

http://www.harvestamericacues.com. BLOG

CAFE Talks Podcast

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I find it so interesting that the concept of “line cook” is an immersion in contradiction.  When I look a bit deeper into the persona of individuals who choose this career path, I am a bit confused.  The typical person who fills these shoes is a true dichotomy poster child:

di·chot·o·my

/dīˈkädəmē/

noun

“A division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.”

This creature called “line cook” is a clear representative of opposing thoughts and actions – evident through his or her work.  The line cook is tough as nails, yet gentle as an artist.  He or she is committed to structure but desiring of every opportunity to color outside the lines.  This unique person is able to follow precise directions while at the same time always thinking about how he or she might break the rules.  The line cook is an enigma, a person who is difficult to categorize – yet easy to shape and mold.

e·nig·ma

/iˈniɡmə/

noun

“A person or thing that is mysterious, puzzling, or difficult to understand.”

When I watch a line cook in action and try to analyze what makes he or she tick, I am always amazed at how different the person can be in any given moment.  I watch as a cook work to ignore the hellish conditions under which the work is done: the incredible heat, scorching flames, sweat rolling down every cook’s back,12-hour shifts, constant movement, lifting and reaching, sharp knives waiting to cut a finger; the constant whir of exhaust fans, clanging of pots and pans, ticking of the POS printer, and the piercing bark of orders from the expeditor – the work is hard.  While all of this is going on alongside the pressure of timing and exactness of process – this same hard-nosed, crusted, and sometimes wounded individual is able to take a few extra seconds to gingerly place a delicate cluster of herbs atop a plate to sign his or her effort.

As those flames threaten to sear eyebrows and scorching hot pan handles beckon the cook to grab them with bare hands, while knees ache and feet throb from disregard, and all the while that every pain is pushed aside in exchange for executing the process of cooking under pressure – the cook takes that extra moment to polish the edge of a plate and make sure that every dish is just right.  This is a different kind of person – one who is on a mission and the mission always comes first.

When I look into the eyes of a line cook, I see a person who is oftentimes troubled with what is happening outside of work, but fully focused on this job, a job that provides a sense of purpose, pride in accomplishment, and a release from everything that is happening outside of a shift.  I see a person who is at home in the structure of the kitchen – a place where there is an environment of dichotomy – needed structure with lots of room to improvise.  It is very much like being a member of a jazz or jam band where everything begins with structure, but improvisation is always possible when the individual is comfortable and competent enough to do so.

When I talk with line cooks, I am always impressed to find someone who comes across as rough and tumble, aloof and independent, hard core and sometimes angry at the world, yet able to talk fluently about a beautiful fish flown in from Florida; the impact of recognized chefs, past and present, who he or she admires; or how to develop a nuance of flavor in a dish whose ingredients are out of season. 

I know line cooks who work together as a solid unit yet are so different in background.  They may be from different countries, of different races or polar opposites when it comes to belief structures, unique in their educational backgrounds and political views – yet once that dining room is open and the orders start to flow – they are one.  They may disagree whole-heartedly on music, sports, art, and literature; they may be avid readers or someone who never picks up a book; and they may care or care less about what is happening in the world outside the kitchen – yet they can relish the opportunity to talk with great admiration about a plate of food that they share.  These line cooks – they are unique individuals.

At the end of a 12-hour shift, after sharing a post service drink at the local watering hole, each one of these line cooks may go his or her separate way – back to a different life, different socio-economic conditions, a life with family or a life alone, and be that other person…until tomorrow when a new kitchen shift begins.  It is in the kitchen where cooks are whole, where they can open their minds and souls to something important and reveal the person they want to be.   This is where opportunities exist, where each cook has a chance to strive for something a little bit lofty, a place where they can build their skills and show them off, feel the joy of competence and spread their wings, sign their plates, and know that they are good at the craft of cooking.  This is where that dichotomy is ever-present.

These line cooks inspire me, confuse me, strengthen my passion, and give me hope.  These are the people of the kitchen who are complex and easy at the same time – they are the heart and soul of a restaurant, filled with intrigue and bursting with promise.  These are the people that I have had the pleasure to work with and study and never fully understand.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

Most of us will remember those opening lines to Charles Dickens: Tale of Two Cities:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”  They are, at least in part – etched into our brains from those early days in English Composition class – lines that stand out as an umbrella statement that encompasses a point in time from yesterday or today.  These words can relate to our personal, political, economic, career centric, or spiritual lives – thus the reason they are so compelling and poignant.

We can easily apply Dickens profound human summary to the state of the restaurant industry today.  Without a doubt, many would paint a bleak picture of troubled times for the restaurant segment.  Coming off fourteen months of partial or full shut down, limited numbers of guests allowed, mask mandates, and loads of fear associated with the virus – staff in restaurants dwindled down to a fraction of what was the norm in 2019, business that had crested the wave of participation and excitement suddenly drew down to a trickle, and even the most noteworthy operations were faced with financial crisis.  Now that the pandemic was beginning to come under control and state governments were loosening the grip of protocol on restaurants – customers were beginning to re-emerge, albeit with some trepidation.  At the same time, many of those restaurant employees – front and back of the house, were taking their time trying to decide if it made sense to return to an industry that was unpredictable, low paying, void of reasonable benefit plans, and now a target for customer anger and angst as servers suddenly became covid policemen.  Yep, it certainly seems like the worst of times even in the face of business optimism.

While the media was filled with stories of despondent employees, angry restaurateurs, and, in particular – cooks who were riding the tide of victimization – there exists a tremendous light of encouraging news.  I am going to make a bold statement and profess that there has never been a better time to be an open-minded chef, cook, server, or restaurateur.  That’s right, you heard me correctly – this may be one of the best times to take the leap into restaurant work and stake your claim to a career.  Why would I say such a thing when so many restaurateurs and chefs are beside themselves with trying to staff their operations, culinary schools are trimming their operations or closing their doors, and restaurants are unable to find the product they need through a distribution network crippled from pandemic uncertainty?  OK, so here it is:

1. A CHANCE FOR REBIRTH

“It was the age of wisdom” – oh, yes, it is.  Wisdom is often only evident after a time of suffering, of losing what you had gained, of making mistakes time and again, but then to learn from those so that one can be reborn with new insight, knowledge, and confidence.  The restaurant industry has been keeping its wounds under wraps for decades, but the pandemic brought everything to an abrupt stop.  We could no longer hide what we knew needed to change – we had time to reflect and analyze and gain the wisdom from experience that has been avoided for too long.  Now we have an opportunity to be reborn – to change what is wrong with how we operate and come out bigger and better in the end.  The opportunity to be part of this has never been greater.

• A NEED FOR CREATIVITY

To take full advantage of this opportunity – chefs, restaurateurs, cooks, servers, and managers must put on their creative hats and devise new solutions, to build ideas into actions, to bring to fruition the new and exciting ways that the restaurant industry can regain all that it has lost.  The door is wide open for creative problem solvers.

• AN INEVITABLE RECOVERY

“It was the epoch of belief”.  Believe it – history has shown this to be true – the restaurant industry has always been one of the first industries to recover after disaster and hard times.  This has occurred time and again, not just in America, but all over the world.  We can depend on this opportunity as long as we are ready to adjust our methods of operation.  What an exciting time to jump on board and become partner to what may very well be one of the greatest world-wide recoveries – ever!

• A POPULATION READY TO CELEBRATE

The reason that restaurants recover first is because people relish the opportunity to celebrate with others.  We all have an innate need to connect, to share, to enjoy, and to put aside the bad and welcome the good.  Restaurants provide the vehicle for this to happen.  A place where family and friends, business partners, and even adversaries can gather, enjoy a great meal, break bread, raise a glass and laugh away life’s challenges while celebrating the hope of tomorrow.  Don’t you want to be a part of this?

• A LEVELING OFF OF COMPETITION

“It was the age of foolishness”.  I grieve for those operators who lost their life dream.  When I see a restaurant closed for good – I know that behind that sign is a lifetime of saving, dreaming, working countless hours, sweating details, and struggling with paying their bills.  It is heart wrenching to see dreams dashed especially when it is, to some degree, beyond their control.  Yet, we should all understand that even in a system of free enterprise when anyone has the opportunity to give it a shot – you can oversaturate a market.  Such has been the case with the restaurant industry.  I have no doubt that eventually that oversaturation will return, but for right now we may see the right number of restaurants to service an area and a much greater chance for financial success.  This is a much better environment to be in as a chef, restauranteur, cook, or server.

• AN INDUSTRY READY TO LISTEN

“It was the epoch of incredulity”. Necessity is the mother of invention (so goes the English proverb that had its origin in the teachings of Plato).  Those changes that needed to happen – you know, the ones that restaurant employees have been talking about for decades, may have never caught the attention of owners and operators until those same operators were unable to staff their restaurants.  Those who do the work are now in the driver’s seat and many of those harped about changes may actually come to fruition as a result.  Step into the new restaurant industry where efficiency, profitability, better pay and benefits, and a willingness to respect life outside of the operation is front and center.

• AN INDUSTRY THAT HAS NO CHOICE BUT TO CHANGE

“It was the season of light; it was the season of darkness”. So, it is time to reassess, to change the model, to find ways to become more efficient and adaptable, to be positioned to face the next big challenge (and it will come at some point), to take care of staff, develop menus and systems that allow the restaurant to reach its financial goals, to do more with less and as a result take better care of the people who make every restaurant work.

• NEW MARKETS HAVE EMERGED

“It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of darkness”.  Finally, it is such a great time to engage or re-engage in an industry that has seen new ways of creating product, marketing it, producing it, selling and serving it and building a brand as a result.  Ghost kitchens, food trucks, curbside, home delivery, and on-line engagement will only get better.  Don’t you want to be part of an industry as it finds ways to create experiences around these new business opportunities?  Now is the time – “It is the best of times”.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

            Harvest America Ventures, LLC

            www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

            CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

If you are a seasoned food service manager, a chef, or serious cook looking for that next step in your career – I have great opportunities for you.  Whether you are in those early stages of your career or well-established as a professional – I have found that two factors come into play when making a career decision:  First, is the opportunity to learn and make a dent in the universe and second is to find a place that offers exceptional quality of life. There have been many lessons learned over the past 14-months, but in talking with friends and culinary peers nothing stands out more than these two factors.

Financial considerations are certainly important, but without the opportunity to make a difference and without a safe, secure, and balanced way of life – money becomes pretty shallow as the only decisionmaker.   Keep this in mind – this is very important: people need to find something they love, something that allows them a chance to contribute and create, and something that connects with their personal stakes in the ground.  At the same time – living in a place that is safe and secure, a place where you can take a deep breath and know that it is nurturing and healthy – this is ultimately what inspires and makes us whole.

I live in the Adirondacks of New York and have done so for the past forty-odd years.  There is no other place where I have spent time that fits this bill better than living within this six-million-acre park in northern New York State.  I have enjoyed a rewarding and robust career in the food business, while maintaining a quality of life that inspires and protects.  So, listen up!

I have a number of terrific opportunities for the right people, people who want to find that career fit that helps them to grow, allows them to make a difference, embraces their creativity, and supports the quality of life that they are looking for.  There are positions as Food and Beverage Manager for an expansive historic property that is on the cusp of growing into a real event destination while offering authentic foods that reflect the time and theme of the property.  Additionally, I am pleased to work with a number of restaurants in the Adirondack Olympic Region looking for chefs and cooks, professional servers, managers, and even hopeful entrepreneurs.  These career opportunities are perfect for the serious professionals who want it all.

I am truly excited to offer these openings to individuals who believe that a move is right for them, and that they fit the profile of the positions.  IF YOU ARE ONE OF THESE PEOPLE then send me a note and let’s start a conversation.  I am anxious to connect the right people with these exciting properties in the middle of one of the most pristine locations on the face of the earth.  Send me a note today!

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Paul Sorgule

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

psorgule@hotmail.com

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

It’s interesting how people look forward to retiring from their careers – something that they spent maybe 50 or more years of their life doing.  It is also confusing to see how many can do so without a thought or regret.  Maybe, if that time was spent doing something that was not really that enjoyable – this reaction makes sense.  For me – not so much.  Don’t get me wrong, I am plenty busy in my semi-retirement and keep my foot in the water with a consulting business that is still reasonably vibrant, a fair amount of writing, and an interesting podcast – but I do miss the kitchen.  I started, after all, when I was 16 years old, so for all intents and purposes it is a part of who I am.  So, I thought I would take a little trip down nostalgia lane and address the things that I remember and miss.

“Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things.”

-Cicero

THE SMELL:

Well, working in a kitchen is a full sensory experience that is easy to embrace and hard to forget.  I remember the morning smell of bacon, breads still fragrant from the night baker’s shift, fresh danish and croissant being pulled from the oven, and of course – the smell of coffee that permeates the air.  I remember the aroma from a simmering veal or chicken stock – that lingering, tempting smell of roasted bones and caramelized mirepoix, the sweet aroma of candied garlic and onions browning as a coloring for the broth that would become soup, and sauce for various applications on the menu.  I remember the rich aroma of a roast in the oven, the drippings from a 109 rib that would create the fond for the vibrant au jus that accents this incredible cut of meat and the smell of steaks on an open flame -searing the exterior of the muscle while the marbling of fat drips through the grate and laps up in return as golden flames.  I can remember the intoxicating aroma of pommes frites frying a golden brown in a deep fryer and rosemary catching fire and releasing that intense smoke that draws you in. I miss that.

THE SOUND:

The sounds of the kitchen are ever apparent and all consuming, unless, of course, you are immune through constant exposure.  The funny thing is your life never seems complete when those sounds are absent.  The whir of the hood fans is hard to ignore and although many would claim that this din is annoying and hard to talk around, to those who work in kitchens it is just soothing background noise.  The clanging of pots and pans as they hit metal to metal, the clink of dishes being stacked in the dishpit, and the ping of glassware – just enough to know that they are there, but not so much as to cause a break – these are sounds that are somehow comforting to a cook.  That hiss when a fish fillet hits a cherry red hot sauté pan or scallops anxious for that perfect caramelization that squeak because the pan is so hot – hot enough to always release the protein as if it were a non-stick pan – these are audible signs that the right technique is at play. 

The banter in the kitchen, at least until it gets out of hand, you know that competitive chatter that pushes everyone to step up their game, is somehow refreshing.  The relentless clicking of the POS printer provides a rhythm that sets a tone on the line, and the orchestrated cadence established by the expeditor as he or she chants “order, fire, pick-up, or re-fire” is only superseded by the line cooks response of “Yes Chef”.  The sounds of the kitchen build up to a crescendo as orders pile up and the kitchen reaches peak performance at the seven o’clock push. I miss that.

THE SIGHT:

The kitchen is a visual banquet of incredible ingredients, passionate cooks, colors and exactness that culminate on the plate.  I remember fondly, the beauty of fish orders flown in from Florida, opening the styro boxes that held perfectly fresh, whole Queen Snapper, Black Cod, Mahi Mahi, or Bronzini.  The feel and smell of freshness was so present, waiting for the razor-sharp fillet knife to remove the flesh from bones.  The brilliant red of local strawberries and their deep aroma is always something to pause and take in.  Crisp greens for salad from a local farmer, perfectly marbled strip loins to be cut into beautiful steaks, sticky pink dry sea scallops or deep red tuna for sashimi is something to dream about. 

A cook’s dedication to perfectly cut vegetables – batonnet, julienne, various size dice, and chiffonade attest to a passion to do things right; and that special plate that awaits magnificent turned potatoes and carrots with seven equal sides demonstrates that the cook will never sacrifice quality for quantity.  When the garde manger takes the time to blanch, shock and peel tomatoes for a salad he or she is saying that every detail is important, and a demi-glace that is silky and sticky through hours of reduction and straining and finishing with raw butter points to excellence in every aspect of the word.

Finally, it all comes down to the plate.  When each line cook takes that extra second or two to make sure that the plate is a reflection of the reputation of the kitchen, when each component is strategically placed on the plate to maximize the art in cuisine and this is done regardless of how busy the restaurant might be, you know that the crew is on their game.  I miss that.

THE TOUCH:

Mouthfeel is so important in cooking.  The process of chewing, or in some cases allowing an item to melt in your mouth is so essential in building flavor experiences.  A perfect braise leads to an item that melts off the bone, while still maintaining its chew and the silkiness that comes from doing it just right without drying out the dish.  That perfectly cooked medium rare steak that defines chew and hangs on to the muscles full flavor, moisture and integrity is by far one of the most enjoyable dining experiences.  A sauce that sticks to the inside of your palate and reminds you of its richness, moments after the item is consumed is a thing to behold and an art form in itself.  And an incredibly fresh shucked oyster that promotes the brininess of the sea, the luscious nature of the muscle, and the exhilaration of enjoying seafood that has barely had time to adjust to being out of the water – is one of the most incredible sensations for a diner.

I remember the feel of a French or bird’s beak knife in my hand – the control that comes from this tool serving as an extension of your hand.  I remember the feel of bread dough being kneaded on a floured board – taking shape and allowed to proof until your touch signals when it is ready for the oven.  I remember the feel of cracking dozens of eggs with one hand – pulling the two shell halves apart between your thumb and index finger and allowing the yolk and white to fall gently into a bowl or separating the two parts – allowing the white to lift from its connection to the yolk when preparing to make a hollandaise or a meringue.  I also think back to the sensitive touch of a steak when your fingers are able to judge degrees of doneness with the accuracy of a thermometer.  I miss that.

THE TASTE:

Most of all, I remember the tastes that over decades of work built a flavor memory that allowed me, in many cases, to create a menu and various dishes knowing how items would taste even before they were built.  The memory of vegetables in season, perfectly ripe fruits, fresh fish, different cuts of meat and poultry depending on what method of cooking was used, and how in combination certain foods would marry to create something totally different.  I knew, not as well as some with perfect palates, but I still knew reasonably well what was lacking in a dish when it was tasted or, in some cases, how to compensate for an ingredient that was not mature or full flavored.  I grew to know that those out-of-season tomatoes could take on the character of a fresh picked Roma in July if I sliced it in half, brushed it with olive oil and dusted it with sea salt as it was slid into a 200-degree oven for 90 – 120 minutes.  I knew that time and low temperatures could do wonders with tougher cuts of meat – giving seasoning enough time to penetrate and transform a dish.  I miss this as well.

I guess, conveniently, I choose to forget those difficult times when I was understaffed or overwhelmed.  Those times when vendors were disappointing, when costs were out of line and financial performance was in question – they are not worthy of remembering.  There were times when my own skills did not rise up to the occasion or the way that I handled a situation that required leadership was not what it should have been, but I learned from those situations and try to put them towards the back of the shelf.  I’m good with that.

“Memories are like salt: the right amount brings out the flavor in food, too much, ruins it.”

– Paulo Coelho

The difference between cooking and some other professions is that your memories will never allow you to totally walk away.  The impact on your senses will stay with you forever and for this I will always be grateful.  I remain happy to remember what I miss.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com – BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

Let’s put aside, at least for a short time, the antagonistic, woe is me, hard-nosed dialogue about the problems with staffing, the generation that doesn’t want to work anymore, the cheap employers that don’t want to pay a fair wage, and customers who refuse to respect us and let’s focus on what we do. Let’s focus on the passion associated with creating and what the results can be when we tap into that passion.  Many of us entered the kitchen as an inexperienced person with a lack of direction in life, and as a result of the work, the people, maybe a solid mentor, and the rush of adrenaline when things went well – came out the other end as an enthusiastic cook.  So, what was it about the kitchen that built pride and energy, that allowed us to find purpose, that helped us to jump out of bed in the morning and look forward to another day (yes, too many hours; yes, too little pay) even though there were aspects of the job that we would like to change?

To me, it always came down to two things:  creativity with food, and the people we had (have) the pleasure to work with.  The ability to build a portfolio of skills, to transfer a vision to a plate, to discover and then control flavor profiles, to experience the joy of replicating your art on a plate even on a very busy night, and the connections made with like-minded cooks was (is) invigorating and incredibly rewarding.  It is all about the WOW associated with those experiences. So, let’s take a break from complaining and focus on the WOW again.  The challenges of working in restaurants are there and will, eventually, change – but during the process of change, let’s not forget what brought us to tie on an apron and sweat the details.

Walt Disney – the consummate showman, dedicated perfectionist, and super talented storyteller once said:

“Whatever you do, do it well. Do it so well that when people see you do it, they will want to come back and see you do it again, and they will want to bring others and show them how well you do what you do.”

This is what turns work into something altogether different.  This is what allows work to evolve into a passion and a calling.  This is why those young, inexperienced, first-job dishwashers stick it out and learn the trade from the ground up.  The satisfaction of doing anything really well, of having the skills that allow that to occur, and work in an operation where “painting on the plate” is the mantra that everyone follows – is hard to beat.

Don’t you remember those days in the kitchen when it all started to make sense?  It wasn’t creativity first – it was foundations and understanding first.  Don’t you remember that initial frustration when you couldn’t take that idea and make it work, but then that moment when your understanding of cooking and development of your palate brought everything in focus?  Wasn’t that an incredible feeling of satisfaction and a light bulb moment when you realized: “I can do this”?  This was a WOW moment for you – wasn’t it?   We need to remember those moments, relish what they mean to each cook who reaches for those moments and eventually grabs hold and runs with them.  This is why we cook, and this is what life in the kitchen is all about.  We want to earn a good living, we need those benefits, and we desire a reasonable amount of work/life balance, but we also need those WOW moments and a sense of accomplishment that great work brings.

Do you remember when the chef that you admired turned to you for the first time and said: “Come up with a feature for tonight’s menu”?  What he or she was really saying was: “I trust in your skills, I know you have the creative touch, and I have seen how dedicated you are to doing everything with excellence in mind – now, go ahead and show the guests in our dining room what you can do.”  What an incredible WOW moment – the chef is allowing me to represent his or her reputation and that of the restaurant and put my work out there.  Remember how you felt?

From that first painting that you did in kindergarten – you remember, the one that mom or dad proudly displayed on the refrigerator door, or when your teacher mounted it on a hallway bulletin board – this is what you craved: a chance to show everyone what you could do, what you were good at – a real, honest to goodness -WOW moment.

When that feature item that you created was introduced at the dining room table to restaurant guests by a server who had the job of creating positive experiences, stated: “And our chef’s feature tonight is a local poached asparagus salad with citrus supremes, caramelized cippolini onions, bacon dust, and a Valencia orange vinaigrette”, you secretly beamed with pride.  When you peeked out the window to see that first order arrive at a guest’s table and the person who ordered YOUR DISH took out a camera and snapped a picture of your creation – a smile from ear-to-ear graced your face.  And when that plate came back after the course was cleared and there was not a crumb left – you knew, without any doubt, that you had what it takes to create WOW experiences for the guest.  Remember that?

It wasn’t easy, it took time.  That simple salad required that you knew how to select, peel, and properly poach those asparagus spears, how to wield a sharp knife to remove those citrus supremes from their membrane, how to peel and caramelize those cippolini onions, and how to work all the ingredients to make a perfectly balanced vinaigrette.  Moreover, you had to understand how all of those flavors and textures worked together.  You knew, before ever putting the dish together that it would work – you had it all figured out in your head and you had little doubt that it would work.  This took time and experience, it required a sophisticated palate, and it required a bunch of acquired skills.  This was a real WOW moment for you as a cook.  Does this bring back memories?

Maybe, just maybe, a few more times like this led to that same chef pulling you aside and saying: “You have built some really great features over the past few months.  I am working on our next menu change and think that it’s time for you to develop a couple dishes that we can put in print.  I want you to take a week and develop two items that you think would complement our menu concept and stand out as another reason for guests to choose us for their dinner.”  Ok, hold on a minute – did the chef just ask me to be part of the bigger picture?  Did I just take a big leap from sticking my toe in the water to jumping in for a swim?  Remember that moment?  What a rush, what a WOW!  How much time did you take to dive into cookbooks, test different flavor combinations, and push your skill level up a few notches?  Remember that feeling, the positive stress that made you sweat and smile at the same time?  Remember the results of a defined dish that was ready to join the menu?

Or, how about that time when one of those dishes, you know the really creative one that was a real killer.  Incredible, unique flavors and textures, and game changing presentation came together strong enough that the chef added it to one of those exclusive seven-course dinners for VIP’s.  Now that was a moment of pride – wasn’t it?  Do you remember standing back and directing your fellow cooks on how to assemble that dish for the greatest positive impact?  Do you remember how others in the kitchen patted you on the back and took pictures of the dish for their own archives?  WOW!

So, now here you are.  The pandemic is showing signs of loosening its grip on everything that we do.  Sure, there are issues that the industry must face, changes that must be made, but…..this is what you were meant to do and above all else you want to embrace the ability to get back to what you are destined to be a part of.  This is the time to remember all of those WOW moments and get back to constantly enhancing your skills and doing what you love to do.  Don’t forget just how important the WOW experience is for the guest, you, and your team of passionate cooks.  This is your calling.  Bring back the WOW!

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Bring back the WOW

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast (don’t miss an episode)

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts