Harvest America CUES BLOG

harvestamericacues.com

  • 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… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • GETTING INSIDE THE CHEF’S HEAD

    Worldwide there are hundreds of thousands of individuals who hold the title of chef. It is a title that seems well defined, yet each individual portrays it differently and fits the position with a unique set of qualifications. It would… Continue reading

  • MAKE NO APOLOGIES FOR BEING A CULINARY TRADITIONALIST

    It seems that too often, in conversations with those younger cooks who have some level of serious interest in a kitchen career, that food talk is all about experimentation. I have lost track of the number of culinary students who… Continue reading

  • HANGING ON TO QUALITY

    When did the desire for quality fade away; when did it become an option instead of the standard? We are all born with a desire to please those around us from the time we are able to crawl, walk, talk,… Continue reading

  • HEY CHEF – WHO ARE YOU?

    What does it really mean to be a chef? Is it strictly a position of authority – a position well-earned through time, trial and error, loads of cooking skills, business savvy, and a brand that helps the operation and the… Continue reading

  • THE PERSONAL CHEMISTRY OF THE KITCHEN

    I can only speak to my own experiences and as a result formulate and support my own beliefs about immigration and the value of diversity. As I have said many times before – I feel that the greatest advantage of… Continue reading

  • DAY ONE IN THE KITCHEN – WHAT TO EXPECT

    Starting a new job is always un-nerving – even more so in a kitchen where production is expected, even on day one. Whether you are totally green and walking into a kitchen environment for the first time, transitioning from culinary… Continue reading

  • ANTHONY BOURDAIN – OUR STORYTELLER

    I was beginning to write my weekly blog article when the news came regarding the apparent suicide of Anthony Bourdain. Shock would be an under-statement. I am still trying to digest the news and felt that it was maybe important… Continue reading

  • START WASHING DISHES – YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOU MIGHT END UP

    I have always professed that everyone should have a long-term plan regarding his or her career – a plan that would allow an individual to balance every decision with its impact on that career goal. I still am convinced that… Continue reading

  • SERVING YOUR COUNTRY IN THE KITCHEN

    On this Memorial Day we show our respect and offer thanks to those who serve and have served our country wearing the uniform of the U.S. military. We all know of the sacrifices that these individuals make or have made… Continue reading

  • AN ACCIDENTAL CULINARY GIANT

    Unless you are from Vermont or part of the decades old culinary education world then you may not know whom this person is. Fran Voigt was the founder and past president of New England Culinary Institute (NECI) that in its… Continue reading

  • AVOID PAINTING ALL KITCHENS WITH THE SAME BRUSH

    There is no shortage of news regarding inappropriate, and in some cases – illegal behavior in restaurants and kitchens. Where it exists it must be stopped and dealt with in no uncertain terms. Treating people with disrespect, gender bias, unprofessional… Continue reading

  • IF YOU CAN’T CHANGE A TIRE – CAN YOU COOK MY MEAL? MAKING EDUCATION “REAL”

    The thought process behind this article began while watching a commercial for an insurance company. This was, to me, a startling revelation about our society and the lack of commitment by everyone towards life education. In the commercial a mother… Continue reading

  • WORDS OF ADVICE FOR EVERY CULINARY COLLEGE GRADUATE

    It is May and all across the country students from the more than 1,000 culinary schools will be graduating and starting their careers in the business of food. You have accomplished a great deal, assimilated more information than you thought… Continue reading

  • CHEFS PLANTING SEEDS – THE RETURN OF TRAINING ON THE JOB

    Here we are – seven or eight years into a steady economic recovery in the U.S. leading to the admirable statistic of a 3.9% unemployment rate (granted this is not qualified with regard to those who have stopped looking or… Continue reading

  • THAT’S HOW COOKS ROLL IN THE KITCHEN

    Many have written about the make-up of line cooks– what makes them tick? What is evident is that the best cooks are complicated characters, yet fairly easy to generalize. Having worked with a wide array of individuals filling the ranks… Continue reading

  • LINE COOKS GOING THE DISTANCE

    Jake woke up with a pounding headache. It was only 7 a.m. and he was already sweating from the July humidity or maybe it was from those last two shots of tequila just a few hours ago. As was the… Continue reading

  • The AMERICAN FARMER and YOU

    THE FARMER’S DILEMMA I have never done this – I have never used my blog to post an article from someone else, but this one was too compelling.  I could write pages on my feelings about this, but the author… Continue reading

  • IN THE KITCHEN: EVERYONE’S DIFFERENT – EVERYONE’S THE SAME

    This story may not be true – but it could be. “We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.” -Jimmy Carter Chef Michel looked around his kitchen and… Continue reading

  • OWNERS/OPERATORS – VALUING COOKS AND CHEFS

    It is certainly true that those who work in the kitchen are not the only reason why a restaurant may be successful, but it is certain that if the back-of-the-house team is not competent, is unable to function as a… Continue reading

  • THE PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF COOKING FOR A LIVING

    There are a few common denominators when it comes to viewing the job of a professional cook. One, of course, is the need to appreciate, understand, and practice the established foundational processes of preparing food – this is essential regardless… Continue reading

  • BEING A CHEF – THE PASSION AND THE COST

    Let’s first separate those three types of cooks who stand tall behind a range: Those who consider cooking to be their purpose in life, the career choice that inspires them, and the choice that let’s them jump out of bed… Continue reading

  • KEYS TO BUILDING A GREAT RESTAURANT MENU

    The heart of every great restaurant is the menu. The building of a menu impacts every other aspect of the business, in fact – every other aspect of the restaurant should be designed to support the style of cooking and… Continue reading

  • WE ARE COOKS

    I was thinking back to a fantastic lecture that I attended maybe in 1982 or 1983 that was presented by Andre Soltner – one of the true great chefs of my generation. Soltner was, at the time, the chef/owner of… Continue reading

  • TO THOSE WHO COOK FOR A LIVING – WHEN IS IT EVER OK TO BE MEDIOCRE?

    I just don’t get it. Those with whom I have worked and enjoyed countless kitchen adventures have lived by the mantra: “Anything worth doing is worth doing well”. This is a philosophy that has lived at the core of success… Continue reading

  • COOKS AND THE BEAST OF SUMMER

    Americans have always seemed to live for summer. This is the season of fun, engaging with the great outdoors, tanned skin, beaches and water, convertibles and rock and roll. Everyone seems to agree with this except one segment of the… Continue reading

  • EVERYBODY WANTS TO ALIGN WITH A WINNER

    Pride can be a wonderful motivator. Chefs and cooks are, by nature, very proud individuals – they choose to enter a demanding field of relentless work because there can be immense amount of pride in creating beautiful, delicious food for… Continue reading

  • BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS FOR THE AMERICAN RESTAURANT

    How did we (the restaurant industry) get to where we are today? With over 1 million freestanding restaurants in the U.S. and comfortable as the number two employer in the country (only surpassed by the government) the restaurant industry has… Continue reading

  • WHAT CHEFS & COOKS CAN LEARN FROM the OLYMPICS & OLYMPIC ATHLETES?

    I am very fortunate to live in a small village of around 5,000 residents in the Adirondack Park of New York. This is one of the most pristine areas in the world situated in a 6,000 acre protected area of… Continue reading