My professional life has been spent in kitchens and in culinary classrooms; connected to cooks, chefs, bakers, restaurateurs, product development professionals, servers, bartenders, and dishwashers. I have invested 50 years in service of the product and the farmer, the fisherman and the cattle rancher, and the cheese maker, bread baker, winemaker and coffee roaster. These…
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THE IMPORTANCE OF WORK – THE VALUE OF A DOLLAR
There are a handful of lessons in life that shine true for everyone, that stand tall as ultimately important for our existence, and that set people on a course of completeness that is so essential. One of those lessons is the significance of work – regardless of what that work might be. Work is important…
IN RESTAURANTS – IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SMALL STUFF
Running and working in a restaurant is challenging, but it’s not really that hard. Let me explain: Having invested a full career in the kitchen, in restaurants, and in culinary education, I know, first hand, how challenging it is to work in that environment and how physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing it can be. But,…
A RIGHT OF PASSAGE
This article, as has been the case a few times over the past five years, is a departure from my typical focus on the people of the food business. Each of us owns a personal portfolio of those “rights of passage”, the events, people, or times that defined who we are, how we view life,…
THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN COOKING AND MUSIC ARE UNDENIABLE
The two things in life that we have an instant connection with are food and music. In both cases we learn, through our associations and connection to knowledge, that we are more inclined toward certain foods and certain styles of music, but that initial desire to enjoy eating and listening is apparent from the moment…
WHEN A RESTAURANT INSPIRES
So much of what we do is based on a cook’s acquired ability to beat the clock, to work like hell to maintain a level of excellence while jamming on a rail full of tickets designed to hit and run. Turning tables becomes a goal, ticket times are a measure of success, mise en place…
A BAKER’S DOZEN LIFE LESSONS FROM A DISHWASHER
Yes, I have talked about the importance of dishwashers before and I stand by my statement that they are the most important people in your kitchen. Just think about the state of your operation any time that the dishwasher doesn’t show up. How often do you (chef, cook, manager, owner, server, bartender) think about the…
A COOK’S KNIVES TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HIS OR HER CHARACTER AND COMMITMENT
Do you remember that first knife that you called your own? Mine was a 12-inch Sabatier carbon steel beauty that held a razor sharp edge. That knife could slice through vegetables like they were butter, and far too frequently mistook my fingers for a carrot. Still, I loved that knife, sharpened it on a wet…
A CHEF’S ROADMAP FOR SUCCESS
What does success mean to you? Is success measured in professional position, status of the operation where you work, public recognition, accolades, money, lifestyle, or family? Maybe, it’s a combination of all of these factors and some level of balance between them. However you measure success there is a way to get there if you…
COOKS – YEP – WE’RE DIFFERENT – SO WHAT?
When will this nonsense stop? How far will it go? Will we reach a point where a job posting states that eligible candidates must be of a certain political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation, or nationality? This era of polarization is incredibly dangerous and divisive. Through all of my years in the kitchen I never, ever…
