Harvest America CUES BLOG

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  • ANYTHING WORTH DOING IS WORTH DOING WELL

    What does it take to get ahead? Maybe the more appropriate question is what does it take to feel good about what you do? Self-Esteem is important, maybe one of the most important motivational tools available – tools that are… Continue reading

  • HOLIDAYS are TOUGH for RESTAURANT WORKERS and PUBLIC SERVANTS

    It seems as though more and more businesses are letting the temptation of the holidays drive operating hours. If there is a buck to be made, then concerns for the impact on employees can be ignored. I get this –… Continue reading

  • THE FORGOTTEN RESTAURATEUR

    There was a time when the restaurant owner/operator was the center of the hospitality universe. When a guest thought about a particular restaurant – the connection was with the person who shook their hand upon arrival, made sure that their… Continue reading

  • WHEN LINE COOKS ARE IN THE ZONE

    On November 16, 1962 Wilt Chamberlain – center for the Warriors, scored 73 points against the New York Knicks and 78 points in 1961 against the Lakers. But, it was the Warriors game against the Knicks earlier in 1962 that… Continue reading

  • RESTAURANTS ARE A MICROCOSM OF ISSUES FACING THE COUNTRY TODAY

    This article is inspired by a story related to the youngest freshman U.S. representative Alexandria Ocasio – Cortez. Putting aside your individual political bent – she comes to the House of Representatives from a history of positions working in the… Continue reading

  • THE COOK NEXT TO ME

    I thought I would chime in with all of the recent talk about immigrant workers in the U.S. One of the most significant reasons why I have always loved working in the restaurant business is the diversity of people with… Continue reading

  • THE LINE COOK COUNTERCULTURE

    From that first job as a dishwasher in 1966 when I was 16 years old – I knew I was part of something interesting. Who knows what struck a chord – it might have been the pace, the banter between… Continue reading

  • A LETTER TO CULINARY STUDENTS

    My professional life has been spent in kitchens and in culinary classrooms; connected to cooks, chefs, bakers, restaurateurs, product development professionals, servers, bartenders, and dishwashers. I have invested 50 years in service of the product and the farmer, the fisherman… Continue reading

  • THE IMPORTANCE OF WORK – THE VALUE OF A DOLLAR

    There are a handful of lessons in life that shine true for everyone, that stand tall as ultimately important for our existence, and that set people on a course of completeness that is so essential. One of those lessons is… Continue reading

  • IN RESTAURANTS – IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SMALL STUFF

    Running and working in a restaurant is challenging, but it’s not really that hard. Let me explain: Having invested a full career in the kitchen, in restaurants, and in culinary education, I know, first hand, how challenging it is to… Continue reading

  • A RIGHT OF PASSAGE

    This article, as has been the case a few times over the past five years, is a departure from my typical focus on the people of the food business. Each of us owns a personal portfolio of those “rights of… Continue reading

  • THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN COOKING AND MUSIC ARE UNDENIABLE

    The two things in life that we have an instant connection with are food and music. In both cases we learn, through our associations and connection to knowledge, that we are more inclined toward certain foods and certain styles of… Continue reading

  • WHEN A RESTAURANT INSPIRES

    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.… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • 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