Harvest America CUES BLOG

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  • LINE COOKS – START YOUR ENGINES

    It’s Easter Sunday – yet another “holiday” that isn’t a holiday for restaurant workers. That’s OK – we’re use to it. Working when others celebrate goes with the turf, this is what we do. Don’t feel sorry for us, this… Continue reading

  • THE EVOLUTION OF A COOK

    “It has taken nearly 15 years, but here I am – Executive Chef of a busy, quality restaurant in the middle of downtown Manhattan. Not too shabby, but maybe I could take a few moments to reflect back on what… Continue reading

  • A COOK’S LIFE IS A LONELY LIFE

    They are crusty, full of energy when it is needed, sometimes antagonistic, committed, good at what they do, big-hearted, and oftentimes lonely as hell. This is a side of far too many line cooks and chefs that never really makes… Continue reading

  • CONNECTING WITH THE SPIRIT OF ESCOFFIER

    Long before David Chang, Grant Achatz, Ferran Adria, Alice Waters, and Nancy Silverton; ages before molecular gastronomy, convenience foods, tapas menus, and contemporary tasting menus; and ages before restaurants became entertainment and chefs were viewed as celebrities – there was… Continue reading

  • A GREAT RESTAURANT BEGINS WITH GREAT BREAD

      Central to a great meal, I mean a really great meal, and a memorable restaurant experience, is the quality of the bread served. From my own perspective, I assess the quality of a restaurant by this simple fact –… Continue reading

  • IN THE WEEDS

    We have all been there – that moment when it all falls apart. The cold sweats while standing over an intensely hot range or char grill with flames lapping six inches above the grates. An uncharacteristic grab for a red-hot… Continue reading

  • EARN MY VOTE

    To those running for the 435 House of Representative seats and 34 Senate seats in 2016, I would like you to earn my vote and those of reasonable Americans who reside in your districts.  Once the dust settles and it… Continue reading

  • LINE WARRIORS NEED TO PUT SOUL INTO THEIR COOKING

    Beyond the presentation, far removed from the quality of the china, distanced from the appointments on the tabletop, a great restaurant presents food that has soul. It is very easy to separate restaurants that have it from those who clearly… Continue reading

  • LINE COOKS – THE KITCHEN WARRIORS

      Every day, every night in the kitchen is the culmination of hours of preparation for battle. Similar to any pre-determined military skirmish or battle on the athletic field – preparing for service requires a definitive strategy, detailed organization, respect… Continue reading

  • CAN THE FAMILY TABLE SOLVE MANY OF THE WORLD’S PROBLEMS?

    Progress is important and as we all know, sometimes progress cannot be stopped – it has an energy and mind of its own. In my lifetime the amount of change described as “progress” has been and continues to be staggering.… Continue reading

  • A LINE COOK’S MAGIC

    A line cook “in the zone” is truly magical to watch. This falls again under the heading of “unless you have been there” you don’t really understand how true this statement is. I can remember my first time – I… Continue reading

  • THE SELF-MOTIVATED COOK – A TIMELESS MODEL

    In 1943 – Abraham Maslow published his theory of self-motivation in the form of a hierarchy of needs. Self-motivation is always the goal since no one else can do the job for you. Maslow’s theory focused on five sequential steps… Continue reading

  • DOES THE CHEF HAVE RESTAURANT EYES?

    At some point we tend to stop seeing those things right in front of us, those things that can lead to success or failure. More often than not, those things may seem insignificant, but they add up. “Sweat the details”… Continue reading

  • A COOK’S CHOICE – EXCELLENCE OR MEDIOCRITY

        Every cook and chef has been there – it’s a Saturday night from hell. The reservations book is full with 75% of guests arriving between 7 and 8:30 p.m. – crunch time. Yes, you knew it was coming… Continue reading

  • THE IMPORTANCE OF MUSIC – How Paul Kantner Changed my Life

    This article is a departure for me and for Harvest America Cues. The topic seems distant from the typical content that focuses on life in the kitchen and the profile of professional cooks, but at least from my personal experience… Continue reading

  • THE COOK’S OBSESSION

    Walking through the back door of the kitchen the cook transitions from a street civilian to a professional cook the moment he or she changes into those crisp, clean chef whites and hounds tooth pants. The smell of maple bacon… Continue reading

  • RESTAURATEURS LINING UP TO FAIL

    There may be conflicting figures about the success/failure rate of restaurants, but the fact remains that it is a fragile business and more operations fail than succeed. So, why is it that there is never a shortage of people lining… Continue reading

  • COOKS SIGN THEIR WORK EVERY DAY

      It was quite a few years ago that I walked down the hall of an office building in Buffalo, New York and stopped to read a faded poster with dog eared corners that seemed out of place on a… Continue reading

  • IS THE KITCHEN A LIFELINE FOR SOME COOKS?

    If you work or have worked in a restaurant kitchen you have seen it before, probably many times before. The line cook who is troubled for one of many reasons – it might be serious debt, a failed relationship, no… Continue reading

  • A COOK’S REFLECTIONS – 2016

    This is my 295th article (story) for Harvest America Cues. When I hit 100 I was certain that I would run out of topics and things to say, but so far that has not been the case. Some articles strike… Continue reading

  • FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE CHEF & COOK SHORTAGE

    The articles continue to flow pointing to a real dilemma that is facing the restaurant world. Everyone has an opinion on why this is so and many are free to point fingers at this potential cause or another. So, to… Continue reading

  • KITCHENS SHOULD NOT OVERLOOK THE IMPORTANCE OF TRADITIONS & FOUNDATIONS

    Some believe that traditions hold people back and discourage creativity. Some feel that respecting tradition is simply another phrase for refusing to change. I, on the other hand, feel quite differently, especially when it comes to the kitchen. One would… Continue reading

  • GIVING THANKS FOR A LIFE IN THE KITCHEN

    Like many in our industry, my first job was washing dishes at a diner. I was fifteen years old and eager to earn a paycheck, regardless of the job. Fifty years later, I am still actively involved in the food… Continue reading

  • COOKING FOR THE SAKE OF COOKING

    Many years ago, at an ACF Conference in Phoenix, Andre Soltner (in my mind one of the greatest chefs in recent history) spoke to an audience of enthusiastic members. He began by trying to downplay the hype that was building… Continue reading

  • A COOK’S BATTLE SCARS

    WARNING: The mental images portrayed in this article may be offensive to those who have not yet worked in a commercial kitchen and could tend to scare away would-be future cooks. The intent is not to make light of the… Continue reading

  • HOW TO RECOGNIZE A LINE COOK OUT OF UNIFORM

    I know that I seem to consistently promote that cooks are different from most everyone else, but most people would agree that identifying these line pirates from just about any other person is just as easy out of uniform as… Continue reading

  • THE CHEF’S SURVIVAL LIST

    There are many things in life that can only be prepared for if you have experienced them first. In other words, experience is truly the best educator. So..in an effort to help all those newly anointed chefs with a first… Continue reading

  • A LINE COOK’S SKILLS ARE TRANSFERABLE

    Over the years I have noticed how cooks and chefs can easily be grouped into one of three categories: 1. Excited and on the rise, 2. Content but realistic, or 3. Stuck. In all cases, once a person finds him… Continue reading

  • A CHEF LAMENTS FOR FRANCE

      We are all well aware of what is taking place in Paris and have deep concern for the people of France and for all free people who are directly or indirectly impacted by terrorist activity worldwide. Some have brought… Continue reading

  • WHEN COOKING TRANSFORMS FROM A JOB TO A CALLING

    Originally posted on Harvest America CUES BLOG: The average worker spends 40 hours per week on the job, that’s 90,000 hours over a 45-year career.   A professional cook who becomes a chef may spend 50-75% more time than that. In… Continue reading