Latest Posts
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GENEROSITY IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COOKS AND CHEFS
This month I had the pleasure of working in the kitchen with three of my most treasured friends. These consummate professionals represent, to me, the most vivid reason why I have truly loved working in the food business for five… Continue reading
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A COOK’S EVOLUTION OF SKILLS AND VALUE
Physically, mentally, and emotionally – professional cook’s and chef’s offer different levels of value as time goes by. To some, there is that uncomfortable feeling that accompanies an aging body – you know – that point in a career when… Continue reading
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SERIOUS COOKING / COOKING SERIOUSLY
There are cooks and there are cooks – such a profound statement. My experience has shown me that there is a place for numerous levels of skill and commitment in our profession. People do need to eat, and in this… Continue reading
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KITCHENS – WHEN THINGS START TO UNRAVEL
I imagine that every night that the cast of a Broadway play watches the curtains open, there is a feeling that the performance will either be great or terrible. When the most organized and well-seasoned band hits the stage for… Continue reading
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NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PREP COOK
Chefs are acutely aware of the importance of their line crew and care is typically taken to hire those who have a complementary chemistry and skill set – team is critical to success. But, how much similar effort is placed… Continue reading
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AND WE CONTINUED TO COOK
I just watched Bruce Springsteen on Broadway and was deeply moved by one of my generation’s great storytellers. Unless you were fortunate enough to be able to afford a ticket when he was live on Broadway, watching it on Netflix… Continue reading
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CHEFS – NO ONE SHOULD GO HUNGRY UNDER OUR WATCH
Do we take for granted the most basic advantage that we share? As chefs and cooks, we spend our days planning, ordering, storing and preparing dishes of delicious, beautiful food for our paying customers. We are good at this –… Continue reading
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THE SENSUAL EXPERIENCE OF BEING A COOK
I miss the full experience of working daily in a busy restaurant kitchen. When that kitchen is the hub of activity in a hotel or resort then the experience is even more pronounced. From the moment that a chef walks… Continue reading
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THE SPORT OF COOKING
Is it too far fetched to consider professional cooking – a sport? Are there enough similarities to view how a restaurant line operates and interject many of the facets of a winning sporting teams development and performance? I think that… Continue reading
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ANYTHING WORTH DOING IS WORTH DOING WELL
What does it take to get ahead? Maybe the more appropriate question is what does it take to feel good about what you do? Self-Esteem is important, maybe one of the most important motivational tools available – tools that are… Continue reading
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HOLIDAYS are TOUGH for RESTAURANT WORKERS and PUBLIC SERVANTS
It seems as though more and more businesses are letting the temptation of the holidays drive operating hours. If there is a buck to be made, then concerns for the impact on employees can be ignored. I get this –… Continue reading
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THE FORGOTTEN RESTAURATEUR
There was a time when the restaurant owner/operator was the center of the hospitality universe. When a guest thought about a particular restaurant – the connection was with the person who shook their hand upon arrival, made sure that their… Continue reading
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WHEN LINE COOKS ARE IN THE ZONE
On November 16, 1962 Wilt Chamberlain – center for the Warriors, scored 73 points against the New York Knicks and 78 points in 1961 against the Lakers. But, it was the Warriors game against the Knicks earlier in 1962 that… Continue reading
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RESTAURANTS ARE A MICROCOSM OF ISSUES FACING THE COUNTRY TODAY
This article is inspired by a story related to the youngest freshman U.S. representative Alexandria Ocasio – Cortez. Putting aside your individual political bent – she comes to the House of Representatives from a history of positions working in the… Continue reading
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THE COOK NEXT TO ME
I thought I would chime in with all of the recent talk about immigrant workers in the U.S. One of the most significant reasons why I have always loved working in the restaurant business is the diversity of people with… Continue reading
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THE LINE COOK COUNTERCULTURE
From that first job as a dishwasher in 1966 when I was 16 years old – I knew I was part of something interesting. Who knows what struck a chord – it might have been the pace, the banter between… Continue reading
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A LETTER TO CULINARY STUDENTS
My professional life has been spent in kitchens and in culinary classrooms; connected to cooks, chefs, bakers, restaurateurs, product development professionals, servers, bartenders, and dishwashers. I have invested 50 years in service of the product and the farmer, the fisherman… Continue reading
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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… Continue reading
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IN RESTAURANTS – IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SMALL STUFF
Running and working in a restaurant is challenging, but it’s not really that hard. Let me explain: Having invested a full career in the kitchen, in restaurants, and in culinary education, I know, first hand, how challenging it is to… Continue reading
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A RIGHT OF PASSAGE
This article, as has been the case a few times over the past five years, is a departure from my typical focus on the people of the food business. Each of us owns a personal portfolio of those “rights of… Continue reading
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THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN COOKING AND MUSIC ARE UNDENIABLE
The two things in life that we have an instant connection with are food and music. In both cases we learn, through our associations and connection to knowledge, that we are more inclined toward certain foods and certain styles of… Continue reading
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WHEN A RESTAURANT INSPIRES
So much of what we do is based on a cook’s acquired ability to beat the clock, to work like hell to maintain a level of excellence while jamming on a rail full of tickets designed to hit and run.… Continue reading
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A BAKER’S DOZEN LIFE LESSONS FROM A DISHWASHER
Yes, I have talked about the importance of dishwashers before and I stand by my statement that they are the most important people in your kitchen. Just think about the state of your operation any time that the dishwasher doesn’t… Continue reading
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A COOK’S KNIVES TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HIS OR HER CHARACTER AND COMMITMENT
Do you remember that first knife that you called your own? Mine was a 12-inch Sabatier carbon steel beauty that held a razor sharp edge. That knife could slice through vegetables like they were butter, and far too frequently mistook… Continue reading
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A CHEF’S ROADMAP FOR SUCCESS
What does success mean to you? Is success measured in professional position, status of the operation where you work, public recognition, accolades, money, lifestyle, or family? Maybe, it’s a combination of all of these factors and some level of balance… Continue reading
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COOKS – YEP – WE’RE DIFFERENT – SO WHAT?
When will this nonsense stop? How far will it go? Will we reach a point where a job posting states that eligible candidates must be of a certain political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation, or nationality? This era of polarization is… Continue reading
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CHEFS AND RESTAURANT OWNERS – LOYALTY GOES BOTH WAYS
For some reason loyalty has been given a bad rap in recent years. Loyalty need not refer to blind support of an individual, company, product, party, or even country – loyalty is something that is earned and constantly reinforced, but… Continue reading
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CHEFS – THINGS JUST AREN’T WHAT THEY USE TO BE
Looking back over the past 18-months it is hard to grasp just how much things have changed in the restaurant world. It made me wonder if all of this change (some planned, some unexpected) is good for the culinary world… Continue reading
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LIFE IN THE KITCHEN – WHAT A LONG STRANGE TRIP IT’S BEEN
Quite often I have read posts from individual cooks who express a high level of dissatisfaction with their choice to work in kitchens. In some cases this dissatisfaction leans towards contempt – loads of anger pointed at the job and… Continue reading
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THE FALLACY OF RECIPES
Let me begin by setting the stage for this articles title: I do believe in the importance of recipes, but…. they are not the answer to consistently great cooking. Recipes fail in the following ways: Recipes do not factor in… Continue reading
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