So much of what we do is based on a cook’s acquired ability to beat the clock, to work like hell to maintain a level of excellence while jamming on a rail full of tickets designed to hit and run. Turning tables becomes a goal, ticket times are a measure of success, mise en place…
Author: culinarycuesblog
A BAKER’S DOZEN LIFE LESSONS FROM A DISHWASHER
Yes, I have talked about the importance of dishwashers before and I stand by my statement that they are the most important people in your kitchen. Just think about the state of your operation any time that the dishwasher doesn’t show up. How often do you (chef, cook, manager, owner, server, bartender) think about the…
A COOK’S KNIVES TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HIS OR HER CHARACTER AND COMMITMENT
Do you remember that first knife that you called your own? Mine was a 12-inch Sabatier carbon steel beauty that held a razor sharp edge. That knife could slice through vegetables like they were butter, and far too frequently mistook my fingers for a carrot. Still, I loved that knife, sharpened it on a wet…
A CHEF’S ROADMAP FOR SUCCESS
What does success mean to you? Is success measured in professional position, status of the operation where you work, public recognition, accolades, money, lifestyle, or family? Maybe, it’s a combination of all of these factors and some level of balance between them. However you measure success there is a way to get there if you…
COOKS – YEP – WE’RE DIFFERENT – SO WHAT?
When will this nonsense stop? How far will it go? Will we reach a point where a job posting states that eligible candidates must be of a certain political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation, or nationality? This era of polarization is incredibly dangerous and divisive. Through all of my years in the kitchen I never, ever…
CHEFS AND RESTAURANT OWNERS – LOYALTY GOES BOTH WAYS
For some reason loyalty has been given a bad rap in recent years. Loyalty need not refer to blind support of an individual, company, product, party, or even country – loyalty is something that is earned and constantly reinforced, but once present provides a level of respect and comfort that should carry a load of…
CHEFS – THINGS JUST AREN’T WHAT THEY USE TO BE
Looking back over the past 18-months it is hard to grasp just how much things have changed in the restaurant world. It made me wonder if all of this change (some planned, some unexpected) is good for the culinary world or not. Having long been an advocate for the importance of change, I find myself,…
LIFE IN THE KITCHEN – WHAT A LONG STRANGE TRIP IT’S BEEN
Quite often I have read posts from individual cooks who express a high level of dissatisfaction with their choice to work in kitchens. In some cases this dissatisfaction leans towards contempt – loads of anger pointed at the job and those who employ cooks in service of the guest. While many of the concerns expressed…
THE FALLACY OF RECIPES
Let me begin by setting the stage for this articles title: I do believe in the importance of recipes, but…. they are not the answer to consistently great cooking. Recipes fail in the following ways: Recipes do not factor in variances in the quality of raw materials based on freshness, maturity, the impact of soil…
THAT KITCHEN SENSE OF URGENCY
There are some things in life that can’t be taught. Only the experience of impending doom can push a person to dig deep and find solutions that they never thought were possible, discover skills that were never present before the challenge occurred, and either sink or swim under the pressure of creating order out of…
