It seems as if our society is on the threshold of decay.  That is an awful opening sentence, but there are numerous indications that it is true.  Differences of opinion are to be cherished, but this expression never crept into our psyche and functioning as a society to the extent it has right now.  Expression and even bold argument had always been part of our culture – debate was a way of presenting what we knew and/or believed in an effort to gain support or stimulate thought, but it had never spiraled into hate and negative action as it is today.  The extent to which it is occurring and growing is a new phenomenon for all of us; and it is frightening to say the least.

This unrest and lack of reason has crept into every corner of our existence – separating family members, neighbors, organization members, schools, and the American workforce.  When consideration of whom we might interact with is determined by beliefs that are based on fiction or fact, then we have a disease that will grow with reckless abandon. 

Civility, or politeness as our parents and grandparents would have proclaimed, is an essential ingredient in life.  Respectfulness is something that was engrained into our being from an early age and was a cardinal rule.  We can have our opinions, but they should never interfere with treating others the way that you would like to be treated.  Where has civility gone?  The positions, people, and systems that were always respected by our ancestors are now constantly attacked or demeaned.  Pick an example – there are many: doctors, business leaders, teachers, police, fire fighters, entrepreneurs – they are no longer held up as role models, they are blamed for the woes of a community.  Of course, there are examples where this mistrust and ire are well-founded, but why are the majority painted with the same brush?  In restaurants, the chef who was quite recently held up with admiration and respect is now often dismissed and criticized for his or her passion and work ethic.

There were always cooks who would call out sick on occasion, but the thought of simply not showing up – that was just not something that we did.  Sure, work scheduling needs to change, and life-balance must be addressed – but to show your dislike for a schedule by not showing up and putting extra stress on your teammates was just not done.  This is disrespectful and not worthy of the uniform that you wear.  If change does not come and you are unhappy, then give your notice and look elsewhere.  There are plenty of restaurants looking for talented cooks – maybe your ideal job is somewhere else.

Kindness, being considerate and empathetic were traits that always stood out, and to a large degree were the common traits of Americans in the eyes of the world.  I grew up in kitchens where equality was always evident, where we might have critiqued and poked fun, but never with malice or ill-intent.  We may have raised our voices on occasion but would always “have the back” of the person next to us.  Where has this environment gone?  Bullying is not something that we want to encourage whether it be in schools or on-the-job.  The lack of kindness that occurs in our society has grown exponentially with the availability of social media.  It is hurtful and destructive, un-called for and cancerous in an organization.  Yet, it occurs at an alarming rate and is far too often ignored in so many environments.  How hard is it to be kind?  Where is the thrill in making someone else feel insignificant?

I remember how important it was to my family to be law abiding.  Order is something that helps a civilization function.  We have laws to protect members of a society and if the laws are deemed unfair, then we have the right to choose different representatives and work to change them.  In the meantime, we follow the laws or suffer the consequences.  I have watched in horror as mobs break into stores and steal merchandise, terrorize employees and customers, and do so without any consideration of the harm being done, or the laws that are designed to protect.  I shake my head when I watch citizens and some law enforcement officials ignore or manipulate the law to justify their hate or misunderstanding.  I cringe when those in the retail business refer to theft in their stores as “shrink” (an anticipated and accepted about of theft) that they are unable to control, but instead pass on the cost to law abiding citizens.  And I shake my head when items disappear from coolers and storerooms in restaurants where I have worked – knowing that it may have been the person that I worked next to who was responsible.

What type of society do we have if even those elected to represent us ignore the law and/or manipulate it for personal gain?  Why is it less important to be law abiding today?

There is a problem in our country that is growing by the day, it is a problem that must be addressed, cannot be ignored, must not be accepted, and will only continue to eat away at everything that our communities were built on.  The problem must be addressed by everyone and cannot simply be relegated to law enforcement and legal battles over “hostile work environments”, or discrimination lawsuits.  It is OUR problem to solve.  It must be addressed in the home by parents who take the time to reflect on past generations attitudes.  It must be addressed by business owners and managers – not just by writing an employee manual, but more importantly through their actions as leaders.  It must be addressed by local, regional, and national governments who need to focus on the root issues of building a society that is knowledgeable, civil, kind, law abiding, and professional.  It must be addressed by educators, the media, police, firefighters, chefs, clergy, and neighbors.  If left to fester and grow – this will destroy our country from within, destroy our restaurants and other businesses, eat away at the integrity of our educational system, and change the way the rest of the world views the American democratic experiment. 

We can fix this, but we cannot simply expect someone else to fix it for us.  We need to start today – where we are.  It is our challenge and our problem to solve.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericacues.com

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

Alex Honnold may very well be the greatest climber of all time.  Although he has climbed many of the most serious mountains in the world, he is best known for his free solo climb of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.  This 3,000-foot granite icon stretches strain up and is considered the most radical climb to be found anywhere in the world.  The Captain is on the bucket list of any serious climber, but few have ever attempted it without ropes or assist (free solo).  In most cases, the climb (even with ropes and assist) is something that can take 2-3 days, but Alex not only succeeded in climbing this monster “free solo”, but he accomplished it in three hours and fifty-six minutes!  The confidence and competence that he displayed is unparalleled.  The adrenaline rush must have been through the roof.

Now, it will seem a stretch to compare what he did with the work of a professional cook, but that un-nerving, sometimes euphoric rush of adrenaline is still there.  The first few times that a line cook works “free solo”, that experience of being fully responsible for a busy station without a guide is just as intense in the moment (without the fear of sudden death).

Working free of support, in any profession, requires dedication, practice, understanding, a healthy dose of fear, confidence through trial and error, and a willingness to go for it.  Through the fear there is always a sense that you can do it.  Jumping in without a reasonable amount of fear mixed with the confidence that comes from competence would be the equivalent of attacking a mountain with an uncontrolled fear of heights.

If you are a professional cook or a chef, you remember that first free solo flight on the line.  It had been some time in the making – maybe starting off as a young dishwasher, that first job.  You started by helping the breakfast cook work pans of bacon in the oven, setting up plates with garnishes, and flipping a few orders of pancakes.  Then you learned how to hold a knife, build an edge on a wet stone, and cut perfect dice, julienne, and oblique vegetables.  Team members drilled in the importance of sanitation and properly setting your workstation – working clean and staying organized.  Then one day you had your chance to work the fry station – guided by the cook next to you – learning timing, the flow, listening to orders, and getting that proper doneness on items that hit that 375-degree oil.  After a few weeks you were good at it and needed little guidance, but you always knew it was there – right next to you.

All along the way you were paying attention, learning the terminology, watching the steps that each cook had mastered, tasting everything, and building your palate, studying methods of cooking, and watching how plates were assembled for proper eye appeal.  Every now and then, the sauté cook would let you jump in and prepare a dish start to finish – nothing too crazy, just a single dish when it wasn’t too busy.  When sauté mise en place was running short – you jumped in to cut, mince, clarify, or portion – things were beginning to come together. 

Then, one day, it happened without warning.  The sauté cook called out sick.  There was no time to bring in a replacement – the chef turned to you:

 “Time to see what you are made of.  You have been watching and learning for quite some time.  Tonight, the station is yours.  We are here to jump in if you need help, but it’s time for you to swing for the fences.”

Gulp – you felt that knot in your stomach, the tingling in your fingertips, the dryness in your throat, and deep, down FEAR.  You knew the station set-up, you had practiced the methods, your palate was still young, but you had a decent understanding of the flavors of each dish, and you had plated every item from that station enough times.  Beads of sweat formed on your forehead, and there was a slight tremor in your hands.  The chef looked at you and said:

“Are you ready?”

You returned his stare, straightened your back, took control and responded:

“Yes chef”!

Tonight, you were flying free solo on that sauté station.

It has been that way throughout your career: from sauté to broiler, roundsman to sous chef, sous chef to working chef, and on to executive chef if your career has advanced that far.  Each time there was or will be a “free solo” moment.  A time when your metal is tested, a moment when competence transitions into confidence.  If you prepare yourself properly, and if the next step is always in your sights, then when the time comes you will be ready.  That knot in the stomach never ceases to arrive, the dry throat, sweaty palms, tingling fingers and light tremors that accompany an adrenaline rush, but in a short moment all of that turns into a smile and a determination to conquer another peak, to jump through another hoop, and move past the fear.

You know what I am talking about – you have been there and will be again.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Conquer those peaks and learn to fly free solo

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

Nearly every professional cook or chef will agree that discipline in the kitchen and adherence to certain rules and methods is critical to success.  Kitchen careerists live by these rules, imbed them in their subconscious, and rely on them every day.  There are certainly more to adopt, but this is a start.  Follow a serious cook or chef around for a day and watch how they instinctively fall back on these “rules of the professional kitchen” and fully understand why they are important.

[]       LONG SLEEVES ON A CHEF COAT

In an era when tradition seems to fall by the wayside and relying on the way things have been done for decades is oftentimes frowned upon, this is one that is designed to protect a cook’s wellbeing.  Long sleeves on a chef coat may seem to get in the way of comfort, but they are there to protect arms and wrists from splattering grease, the immediate burn from boiling liquids, and the heat of the oven and grill.  You may want to show off those cook’s tattoos, but this will help from showing off those burns and welts.

[]       HOT PAN FIRST

A seasoned chef can tell if a cook is preparing a dish correctly simply by the sound of the pan.  Hot pans before a sear, sauté, or pan fry will set the stage for the Maillard Reaction that reduces protein and natural sugars into that beautiful golden color and the umami flavor of savory that is so important to the integrity of a dish.  An added bonus is that a properly heated (seasoned) pan is far less likely to stick during cooking – this is the natural way to create non-stick surfaces.

[]       SEARING FIRST

Preparing a perfectly grilled steak, grilling an exceptional burger, setting up that lamb shank for braising, building a beautiful sea scallop, or preparing a 109-rib roast for tonight’s prime rib feature all begin with a proper sear.  It is this cooking step that unlocks the texture, color and flavor that is so satisfying.   Some may argue that it is not necessary or that it does not lock in the moisture within during the balance of cooking, but my experience points to the opposite. 

[]       TEMPER BEFORE ROASTING/REST AFTER

Allowing meat to set out at room temperature for 30-60 minutes prior to roasting or braising will cut down on the time of cooking and the shock of a cold product in a very hot environment.  Failure to temper is one of the reasons why meats will oftentimes fail to reveal that beautiful, even pink color from just below the exterior to the center.  After cooking it is critical to rest the meat (whether a steak or chop or a full roast) at room temperature allowing the pool of internal moisture to be reabsorbed throughout the product.  Meat that rests for a few minutes will retain more of its juice and flavor once sliced.

[]       WHEN TO SALT

There is considerable debate over when to salt foods, especially meats.  Salting before cooking (anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight) will allow the magic of salt to permeate the entire product.  At the same time, salt will draw moisture from the product which may in turn make it drier (the way that curing does).  Salting after cooking provides that immediate salt blast to your senses – one of the more impactful tastes in your mouth.  Too much salt will alter the natural flavor of the dish while the right amount can enhance those natural flavors.  We can become salt immune if our first reaction in cooking is to always “add salt”.  The more you use it, the more you need to retain the same flavor reaction.  Always keep in mind that the guest may not have the same salt immunity as you and you can always add more, but you can’t take it away.  Learning this balance is part of the art of cooking.

[]       RAPID CHILLING and REHEATING

Aside from the importance of chilling and re-heating rapidly for food safety issues, rapid chilling can slow down or stop the cooking process (as is the case with blanching and shocking fruits and vegetables for later finishing) that will retain the texture, flavor, and nutritional value of foods – and rapid re-heating will refresh a product to its intended texture and flavor without further cooking that might change the character of a dish.

[]       FOLDING YOUR TOWELS

This may seem like a silly habit, but it is consistent with a cook’s need for organization (mise en place).  Every part of a cook’s station needs to flow from a map of consistent perfection just like a pilot makes sure that the cockpit is precisely organized, or a musician ensures that his or her instruments are placed just so before a performance.  The cook needs to know, without looking or thinking, exactly where everything is placed so that a rhythm can result.  When mise en place, including towel folding and placement, is tight then the flow of cooking can be maintained.

[]       SHARP KNIVES

You have probably heard that a dull knife is far more dangerous that a sharp one.  In both cases a knife is only as dangerous as the person holding it.  A dull knife takes more effort to do its job, more pressure to slice or dice, and as such more opportunity to find a finger or hand.  Additionally, your knives are meant, in most cases to cleanly slice through a vegetable, meat, or fish.  If a knife is dull, it can bruise those ingredients and impact their appearance, cooking, and flavor.

[]       CLEAN AS YOU GO

Cleanliness sets the tone for everything else that a cook does.  Cleanliness is a responsibility and an action that must become habit.  No matter how busy a cook gets, constantly washing and sanitizing work surfaces and tools will ensure food safety and build a sense of pride in his or her methods of cooking.

[]       HYDRATE

The ambient temperature in front of a stove can be well over 120 degrees, the ovens on a line are probably cranked up to 500 degrees or more during service, the blue flames from a char grill can reach close to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and the humidity driven by liquids in the process of cooking and the ambient air moisture from the dishwasher can make the environment of the kitchen almost unbearable.  Cooks must constantly replenish their internal moisture levels so drinking WATER (not espresso, energy drinks, or soda) during work is critical to health.  Your body will not tell you when it is dehydrated until it is too late – you must prevent that from happening.

[]       PRESSED, CLEAN UNIFORM

The uniform is a symbol of the importance of cleanliness and the respect that you have for your chosen profession.  Represent this and you will find that your personal brand will be enhanced. 

[]       POLISHED SHOES

Attention to detail – clean shoes demonstrate your desire to maintain clean floors.  Polished shoes tell the world that you are a proud representative of your work.  Clean shoes symbolize that you intend to work clean – it all goes together.

[]       LABEL AND DATE

The chef probably harps on this every day so cooks can choose to do this because they are told to, or label and date because they know that this simple step is a key to food safety and freshness, communication in the kitchen, and a standard that every health department demands.  Make it a habit – not a directive.

[]       PUT IT BACK

Whatever it may be, food product, tool, dish or pan, piece of equipment, clipboard, or ice scoop – when you take it – return it (clean) to where it belongs so that any other person in the kitchen can easily find it.  Avoid the frustration of: “Has anyone seen the blade to the Robot Coupe?”

[]       DRY TOWELS/WET TOWELS

Finally, back to towels.  Every cook must have both dry and wet towels.  Dry towels (only) are for handling hot pans and pans and removing items from the oven.  Wet towels (in a sanitizer solution) are used to wipe down surfaces.  Keep them separate and train your conscious mind to always distinguish between the two.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

I have mentioned many times before how my love for the kitchen stems from the appreciation I have for the diverse types of people who work there.  Every day in a kitchen is a learning experience – not just in terms of skill development, but even more importantly the opportunity to learn about the people who find a home in this environment.

Far too often we take this opportunity for granted.  Look around you and take it all in – these kitchen/restaurant people are unique and complex.  Their backgrounds vary, but their purpose is the same.  The parallels to an effective sporting team are never lost on me, it is, for all intents and purposes, identical in nature.  A common goal, a purpose, and mission that every person can align with knowing that each one has an important role to play.  In the case of the kitchen or restaurant it is the plate of food and a satisfied (hopefully wowed) guest.  Every member of the staff is focused on these two goals. 

If we take the time to dig below the surface, each member of the team carries a unique set of characteristics, interesting and sometimes even troubled backgrounds, and unique talents that if realized can build team cohesiveness and add to the experience of the guest.  Some have started their career in the kitchen as a dishwasher – looking for a paycheck, lacking in any substantial kitchen skills, but hoping for an opportunity to grow.  Others, like professional athletes have experience with a variety of teams – they are “free agents” who bounce from restaurant to restaurant in search of something that remains elusive.  A few may have college degrees and are not sure of any long-term direction in their lives, or maybe they hold a culinary degree and are dipping their toes in the water of opportunity that your operation provides.  There are some with troubled pasts, a few wrong turns, mistakes that have limited them in the eyes of many, but not in the kitchen.  A few are angry while others are sheepish and content to stay in the shadows.  A few are very talented but for various reasons have been ignored when it came to advancement. 

Biologically and environmentally, it is also interesting to study the ethnic heritage and geographic background of each player and what that might mean to how your team grows, learns, and expresses themselves.  Where did they come from?  How were they raised?  What foods were part of their culture and how did those foods influence their presence in your kitchen today?  Think about what you are missing if these questions are never asked? 

It is this melting pot that makes your restaurant tick and builds its unique character.  As a chef, these individuals do help to define the type of cook and leader you are or will become.  The greater your exposure and understanding of the “people of the kitchen”, the more balanced you will become as a chef.  It makes sense – doesn’t it?

I have always relished knowing more about the people with whom I work.  Who are they, why are they here, what brought them to the kitchen in the first place, and what unique attributes do they bring to the table?  There are so many examples of chefs who have taken the time to learn from their staff, to ask the questions and to learn just how important everyone is to the operation.  In some cases, these unique players have become integral to a concept, even though this is beyond what they were hired for.  A breakfast cook from a strong Italian family who has a knack for making exceptional fresh pasta, the Mexican dishwasher who learned how to make extraordinary tortilla from the age of ten, or the prep cook with a passion for fishing and boning skills that would embarrass most chefs.  Ask the questions, open your mind to learn, relish the connections, and watch how engaging and passionate these employees become when asked to play a unique role and share their history.

Take advantage of the opportunity that staff meal provides to learn about each other.  I remember one property that I took a lead role in and the first thing that I did was take the chefs and sous chefs out for dinner.  I asked each to take a few moments to explain their background and influences, primarily for my benefit.  What was most extraordinary is that the group knew very little about each other – it was an enlightening moment.  Ask the questions, listen, and learn, and engage their stories in your operation – it will be incredibly gratifying.  Ask those Hispanic or Ecuadorian dishwashers to prepare staff meal using the techniques that are unique to their culture and watch them beam with pride as every person on your team learns something new.  Celebrate this, embrace it, and learn from it.

Like many others, I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with such a diverse group of people.  Different ethnicities, cultural differences, a wide array of socio-economic differences, young, old, experienced and novice, college educated or no degree at all, tall or short, male, or female, different political beliefs, Grateful Dead followers, country music lovers, or rap enthusiasts, and career cooks as well as those who are simply looking for a paycheck – each person is a book ready to be opened and enjoyed.  Take the time to read each person’s book – it will be worth your while.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

Desperation leads to ineffective decision making.  This is always, always, always the case.  Decisions based on panic are like the amateur carpenter who keeps making the wrong cut on a length of board until there is nothing left.  It seems to me that this is where we are with our decisions about restaurant operation.  Every restaurateur and chef that I know is focused on one big challenge – finding people to work.  We have debated this issue for the past two years and the only solutions that most restaurant operators have come up with are to cut services and keep raising wages.  Both decisions seem to make sense, but are they the right decisions by themselves? 

I will always remember my early years growing up in Buffalo, New York when nearby Lackawanna was one of the steel capitols of the world.  Bethlehem and Republic Steel were major employers in the area that were supported by a very strong union.  I can’t even count the number of times that the union, representing thousands of steel workers, threatened slowdowns, walk outs or strikes on behalf of their membership.  Inevitably the challenge resulted in a compromised raise in wages or benefits to the cheers of every employee.  It wouldn’t take very long (measured in months) before there was more dissent among the rank and file and the union was back to the table with managers and operators.  The fact of the matter was that the job was horrible.  The heat, noise, sweat, repetition, and danger associated with work in a steel mill did not change – only the compensation.  It wouldn’t take long for employees to realize this and then turn to the union for another band aid.  It was a vicious cycle that never got to the root of the problem – the work environment was horrible and needed to change.  The American steel industry didn’t change but their foreign competitors did.  Robotics took the place of much of the repetition, danger, heat, etc.  and employee jobs moved from production to quality control.  Sure, jobs were lost, but those that remained were both well paid and dramatically improved.  Bethlehem and Republic Steel are now shuttered wastelands in Lackawanna and Buffalo.

The point is that although better pay and benefits are part of the answer for the restaurant industry it is the larger picture that we must eventually come to terms with.  A recent picture posted of line cooks sitting on the floor of a beautiful kitchen catching a five-minute meal before the POS starts spitting out orders is symptomatic of the big picture.  No matter what we pay employees – if the environment where employees work and the expectations of them fails to benefit from a fresh coat of paint, then we will lose the battle.  If we think that the only reason that employees have resisted coming back to work or that the endless stream of new candidates dried up is because of money, then we are very mistaken. 

As an industry we need to step back, take the appropriate amount of time to study the situation, measure twice and cut once.  Take the time to assess and discuss, observe, and catalog, and truly view the environment and the expectations of the job.  This is the measurement phase, and it must be meticulously studied and discussed opening with those employees who had once viewed the work as noble, interesting, exciting, and worthwhile.  How can we make the work valuable, respected, manageable, interesting, and healthy for those who choose to view this as a career choice?

Just like the survivors of the steel industry who decided that long term success required wholesale change – the restaurant industry must do the same.  Here are some things to consider while restaurants continue to think that it’s all about the money:

[]       PEOPLE

Don’t sacrifice your need to find and retain GOOD people just because you are short staffed.  Putting a round peg in the square hole of your team will only compound your issues.  Determine the character of individual that will build your team and stick to those standards when hiring.  I know you will say: “But that doesn’t help me today!”  Patience – “wax on, wax off”, you are building for a long successful business cycle.

[]       TEAM

Money will be attractive, but you can safely assume that those who work for you are inspired by the people who work around them.  Team is just as important as the money.

[]       RESPECT

Create an environment where everyone is respected as a human being and their contributions are noted and applauded.  Those who you respect and don’t return that to those who work in your operation will need to move on.

[]       TEACH AND TRAIN

Assume that people want to become good at their job – even great.  You are in the driver’s seat and can help them reach their personal best through training, teaching, and mentoring.  Invest in this – your staff will relish the opportunity to improve, and that word gets around quickly.

[]       CRITIQUE NOT CRITICISM

Part of your job is to hold an employees’ performance to the standards of the operation.  This should always be front and center.  There is a way to do this and way not to – critique, unlike criticism is all about pointing out areas for improvement and then showing the person how to do so.  Start with a compliment and demonstrate how you expect them to grow in the position.

[]       WIN

Everyone enjoys being part of a winning team.  They typically relish the opportunity to work for a restaurant that has earned the recognition of others or the success of entrepreneurship.  When you run a well-oiled machine that teaches and respects employees and a restaurant that is financially viable then your staff will proudly state that they are part of that success.

[]       LIFE BALANCE

Respectful scheduling, empathy and acknowledgement, the desire to listen and support, and flexibility whenever possible will go a long way towards attracting and retaining great employees.

[]       PROFESSIONALISM

Be professional, teach professionalism, expect professionalism, and celebrate when it happens.  This involves personal appearance, dependability, respect for ingredients and equipment, respect for people, service attitudes, and a commitment to excellence with the work that everyone engages in.

[]       SAFETY

Certainly, now and for the foreseeable future – your employees will expect that their safety is at the top of your list.  Following pandemic protocol, building a work environment that puts their wellbeing first, supporting their professional interactions with guests and maintaining a zero tolerance with those guests who do not treat your staff with the same safety in mind is and will remain essential.  Do it and promote it.

[]       TOOLS

Make sure that your staff has the tools to do the job and that those tools are maintained so that performance is never hindered by poor maintenance.  It may seem like a small thing – it isn’t!

[]       ENVIRONMENT

A little bit of tension in a kitchen and dining room can be beneficial, but too much can spiral out of control.  It is your job to maintain some equilibrium so that people understand that sense of emergency but do so with the ability to calmly pursue answers to challenges.

[]       TRANSPARENCY

Don’t hide things from your staff – let them in!  The more you can share with them about decisions, business performance, and the challenges that you face as an operator, the more they will sense that they are valued.

[]       CREATIVITY INSPIRES

Yes, you are the chef or the manager and many decisions, including menu, procedure, and presentation are part of your job description, but cooks tend to be inherently creative people who need an outlet for that creativity.  When denied an opportunity to express themselves – cooks will begin to look for a different environment that supports this need.  Let them contribute.

[]       UPWARD MOBILITY

Many cooks will have a desire to someday become the chef of a property or even own an operation.  When there is a path to move up, or support to move on, there will always be a line of competent professionals who want to work for you.

[]       EFFICIENCY – TOO MANY HANDS, THE PIE IS ONLY SO BIG

Work on becoming efficient through systems and training.  If you can reach your standards with fewer people and accomplish your business financial goals with fewer, highly competent hands, then the pie of money to support employee needs will go a lot further.

[]       FAIR WAGE AND BENEFITS

And yes, this is not last because it is less important EVERY ONE OF THESE POINTS IS IMPORTANT, but let’s at least understand that money without addressing the core challenges of working in restaurants is no different than increasing the wages of steel workers without taking a hard look at the environment where they work and the nature of the job. 

Measure twice and cut once before you reveal your plan to address staffing issues.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericacues.com  BLOG

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

This is one of those reflective moments – we all have them – a time to think back rather than forward and simply wonder how the future will compare and who will hold the keys to progress.  I was reading an article from the blog: www.blog.cheapism.com titled: “33 of the oldest chefs in America”, when that flame of nostalgia kicked in.  At first, I thought isn’t it great that these incredible chefs and ambassadors for cuisine in America were still doing what they love at the age of 62-85?  Then it struck me: “What will the American Food Scene look like when these trailblazers are no longer around?”   What happens after Lidia Bastianich, Thomas Keller, Patrick O’Connell, Jacques Pepin, and Rick Bayless? Maybe, this is morbid thinking (sorry to all of the chefs on the list), but it is something that made me really wonder.

As is often the case, one series of thoughts leads to another, and I started to apply the same questioning to other professions.  I watched a video clip of the Tedeschi Trucks Band with guest guitarist Jorma Kaukonen – a terrific example of American R and B with the former guitarist from Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna (in my top five greatest bands list).  Kaukonen has mellowed over the years but has also refined and enhanced his skills as a picker using a wide range of genres – he is 80 years old.  Looking deeper I found that Carlos Santana is 74, Keith Richards 77, Eric Clapton 76, Jeff Beck 77, the grand-daddy of them all – John Mayall is 87, Grace Slick of White Rabbit fame is 82, Joni Mitchell is 78, and the grand master – Bob Dylan is 80.  I can still remember the first time I heard Blowin in the Wind and Big Yellow Taxi and knew that these musicians were changing the world.

If you are an avid reader, like me, then you have been entertained for decades by authors like James Patterson, John Grisham, or Agatha Christie all who range in age from 66-85.  Who will take their place on the best seller lists? 

The same is true for business leaders who built the standards of excellence for American products and service.  It was Steve Jobs of Apple, Bill Gates from Microsoft, and a plethora of others who built the new economy in America.  Jobs would have been 66 this year if he had not passed in 2011, Gates is 66, Larry Ellison of Oracle is 77, Richard Melman of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurant Group turned 79, Danny Meyers of Union Square Restaurants is the youngster at 63, and the investment genius Warren Buffet is 91.  Who will make up future clubs of business innovators?

Of course, the answer is: there are always plenty of new and exciting leaders to take the place of innovators in every genre, but what will they be like, where will they take their respective industries or what new industries will they create?  In so many cases it was the curiosity of the leaders listed that helped them to invent or reinvent a business formula or a product that everyone needed before they even knew that they needed them.  It was the need for perfection and innovation that nurtured the work of Charlie Trotter and Thomas Keller who gave birth to the American Tasting Menu; the desire for authenticity that allowed Rick Bayless to envision Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, an understanding of what real service means to bring Danny Meyer to NYC restaurant prominence, a vision of the impossible for Steve Jobs to reveal the first smart phone, and finding a formula for holding reader interest to allow James Patterson and his partners to write or co-write 114 books to date. 

I continue to reflect on that article of the 33 oldest chefs in America and appreciate all that they have done.  I am part of their generation and have enjoyed working under their influence but at the same time know that there will be others to follow.  They will not be the same, but they will be great.  Their methods will differ, but they won’t be wrong.  Their products will never be the same as Keller, O’Connell, Bayless, Bastianich, Waters, Tower, or Morimoto, but they will be inspiring and delicious.  One thing that history has taught us is curiosity is always present and the need to ask: “why and why not” will drive future generations to push the envelope and make that dent in the universe.

There were many that came before this aging generation of great leaders and there will be many that are ready in the wings, sitting on the bench and waiting for their chance to become part of the first string.  I will continue to reflect on the past, admire the present, but always look forward with excitement to the future.  It is time to pass the torch and welcome a new generation of cooks and influential chefs.

ARTICLE: 33 of the oldest chefs in America

https://blog.cheapism.com/oldest-chefs/?fbclid=IwAR3j7HJyKHu61OjD_YusXN2J8hR5D2GbBSwvuJInuWnXNyK0a9HKhe2EOX0

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Sitting is the chef’s office, or what some might refer to as a storage room with a desk, it is always enlightening to look out on the kitchen and watch the motions of those who have found a home in double-breasted white jackets and skull caps.  Any day can be a day of reflection for a chef – a day when life assessment is always close at hand.

 “What is my purpose, why am I here, how did I wind up sitting in this chair, and what value do I bring to the environment I am in?” 

Chefs think about the product that they are proud of, the system and organization that has been put into place, the control of those small margins of profitability, or the special menus that are occasionally developed for events and holidays. 

“This is my purpose and look at the results!”  

Well, this is certainly a major part of a chef’s job description and probably what your paycheck is based on but is this really a chef’s purpose?

Look around the kitchen again and focus on the people rather than that list of measurable objectives that you have committed to.  It’s the people who represent your real success in the position of chef – they are your purpose.  This is the altruistic side of being a chef, and this is the aspect of your character and value that will be remembered.  It is through these individuals that you will be acknowledged as a chef. 

What many chefs neglect to understand is that they are teachers, mentors, and life coaches.  These cooks may very well become the individuals who will fill your shoes or those shoes of solid chefs somewhere across the country.  How they turn out, not just as accomplished technicians, but more importantly as human beings and citizens of the world is partially based on the role that you play in their lives.  WOW, now that is a responsibility.

Look around that kitchen.  For many cooks, the kitchen is a safe haven, a place where they can breathe deep and know that they are in friendly territory.  They are in a place where their value is based on performance and commitment to the team, a place where a certain amount of discipline is necessary and welcomed.  Some may have shady backgrounds, maybe their past was riddled with bad decisions, many are loners or otherwise angry at the world.  But here, in this place, they have purpose, they are good at what they do, their skill is respected, and they are able to produce delicious, beautiful food.  This is a place where no matter how others may label them, the kitchen only sees them as dependable, focused, competent, and willing to work together for a common goal.  This is your place chef – a place that you have developed, a place where different people can come together and produce while they learn to feel good about themselves.

These cooks, through your effort, build life skills that go beyond mastery of a chef knife and the foundations of good cooking.

• They learn how important it is to be dependable, to show up, suit up, and come to work ready to play their role.
• This is a place where they learn to act professional and look the part.
• This kitchen is where they build a lifelong commitment to organization because it is essential for their job.  Once accepted, those organizational skills become a part of who they are.
• This is a place where standards of operation are at the core of everything that they do.
• This kitchen is clean – it must be so.  These cooks learn to work clean and pay attention to this in every moment.
• These cooks develop the ability to multi-task because the environment is too fast and too complex to survive in unless they can do many things at once.  Whether they know it or not, this ability to multi-task will become one of their greatest strengths.
• This is a place where even the angriest individual learns to depend on the person next to him or her and where they quickly learn to be there for others.  When a fellow cook is in the weeds – they jump in and help.
• This is a place where details are critical.  The cook learns, under your mentorship to never accept mediocrity – to always strive for excellence.
• This is a place where these young cooks build an appreciation for the ingredients they work with and the equipment they use.  They take responsibility for this every day.
• In the right kitchen, these cooks will learn to view each other as equal – whether young or older, tall or short, male or female, white or a person of color, liberal or conservative, straight or gay, college educated or a product of the school of hard knocks – they are all equal when that apron is tied on.

All of this happens because you chef – set the stage and encourage it to be so.  All of this happens because you chef – teach and train, critique, and support, and hold them to high standards and show them how to do so.  This happens when you, as the chef, understand your purpose.  Your long-term responsibility and the basis for your legacy will extend way beyond accomplishments with cuisine or the profit that you generate for a restaurant.  Your name can become viewed as that of a person who spent the time to develop others. 

Look no further than out your office window at those cooks who are serious about their craft, who show up to work on time and ready to put their signature on a plate.  Look no further than those individuals who respect the persons next to them, support those who need it, take that extra second to set up a plate just right, and who relish the opportunity to serve your food and theirs with a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Congratulations chef – mission accomplished!

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

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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

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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

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**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

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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

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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

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

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

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

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

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

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