Latest Posts
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BREAKTHROUGH MOMENTS FOR THE AMERICAN RESTAURANT
How did we (the restaurant industry) get to where we are today? With over 1 million freestanding restaurants in the U.S. and comfortable as the number two employer in the country (only surpassed by the government) the restaurant industry has… Continue reading
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WHAT CHEFS & COOKS CAN LEARN FROM the OLYMPICS & OLYMPIC ATHLETES?
I am very fortunate to live in a small village of around 5,000 residents in the Adirondack Park of New York. This is one of the most pristine areas in the world situated in a 6,000 acre protected area of… Continue reading
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WHAT CHEFS CAN LEARN FROM BUSINESS DISRUPTORS
Some of us look back with fondness at those individuals who inspired us and became our role models. Often, those same people were held at that level of esteem because their beliefs and work were somehow parallel to our own.… Continue reading
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MORE LAWS OF THE KITCHEN
A while back I posted an article that pointed to the Unwritten Rules of the kitchen. It seemed to strike a chord with almost 100,000 views. Any list that tries to address how a complex environment like a kitchen works… Continue reading
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REAL KITCHEN HEROS
There is never any shortage of rhetoric regarding the chefs who are destined to be admired and emulated. They are oftentimes the chefs who are pushing the envelope with technique, amassing an empire of restaurant concepts, winning awards, or pioneering… Continue reading
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BANTER, INNUENDO, BULLYING, AND A CULTURE OF KITCHEN HARASSMENT
Quite a title isn’t it? Maybe what is coming to the surface today in every facet of our society makes it easier to talk about this or maybe it is a topic that is one that we may want to… Continue reading
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MARVELING AT KITCHEN CRAFTSPERSONS
Even after nearly five decades of work in and around kitchens and kitchen staff – I continue to be impressed by the skills and the passion of the craftspeople who come to work each day and execute a set of… Continue reading
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THE IMPORTANCE OF PAUL BOCUSE
Since the passing of Paul Bocuse this past week there have been many tributes and acknowledgements of his contributions over a lengthy career. I thought deeply about this remarkable chef and how to pay homage to not just his contributions,… Continue reading
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A LINE COOK’S LEGAL VICES
The dictionary may define a “vice” as a bad habit or fault, but sometimes those habits cause less harm than the definition may imply and far more joy than one might assume. We all have a vice or two, some… Continue reading
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IS THE KITCHEN A COOK’S “SAFE PLACE”?
Look around the kitchen and pause to really assess what you see. The lifeblood of the kitchen is not found in stainless steel, contemporary equipment, or even the ingredients that fill cooler and storeroom shelves. The lifeblood of the kitchen… Continue reading
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RESTAURANTS – PAY ATTENTION TO FIRST AND LAST IMPRESSIONS
We all tend to focus on the main characters in a movie, a book, or play – the central plot and those individuals who seem to be the lead in a story. This is, I suppose, how we have all… Continue reading
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WHAT WORKING IN RESTAURANTS TAUGHT ME
I have often reflected on the lessons learned and the lessons taught in kitchens. When I look back at almost five decades of involvement in the food business I do so with great respect for the environment and the people… Continue reading
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COOKING THROUGH THE SENSES – THE CHEF’S UNIQUE SKILL
We are familiar with the human senses and likely understand that they are all connected as individuals try to distinguish flavor and the experience of eating. As cooks we know that there are many more opportunities for people to distinguish… Continue reading
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THE CHEF’S INTELLECT
It is certainly true that professional cooks and chefs live in a tactile world. The kitchen is attractive to many as a vehicle for working with your hands – building and creating dishes and presenting them with flair that inspires… Continue reading
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THE HOLIDAYS ARE ANOTHER LESSON FOR RESTAURANT COOKS
What we do is different than the norm. There are other jobs and career choices that live with this same reality, but this difference is simply accepted until we arrive at those holidays that involve family and family memories. This… Continue reading
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SOVANA BISTRO – CREATING AN ICONIC NEIGHBORHOOD RESTAURANT
The American Dream remains the opportunity to own a business, be your own boss, and bring an idea to fruition. For generations, this is what has made our country a destination for young people with a passion, a concept, and… Continue reading
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QUOTES TO LIVE BY FOR LINE COOKS
Well-crafted thoughts and words are, at least to me, fuel for the soul, energy for the body, and thought provoking for the mind. I often find that certain quotes from people who have attained a level of success in life… Continue reading
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A NEW RESTAURANT – OPENING NIGHT
The chef is having a hard time getting to sleep. There are hundreds of details swirling through Tom’s head, far too many to push aside and try to catch a few zzzzz’s. Tomorrow is opening night, the christening of a… Continue reading
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THE SLOW, PAINFUL DEATH OF A RESTAURANT
The other day I witnessed, once again, one of the most gut wrenching events that may go un-noticed to others. I watched as a restaurant closed its doors for the last time, the “for lease” sign take the place of… Continue reading
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MacGyver SURVIVAL SKILLS FOR LINE COOKS
Many of us remember the original MacGyver series in the 80’s where Angus MacGyver, a rogue scientist who worked for a fictitious government agency, used his uncanny problem solving skills to get him out of some pretty hairy situations. Sometimes… Continue reading
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COOKS AND CHEFS – WHO WE ARE – WHO WE COULD BE
There are many questions today when individuals involved in a work culture try to define and justify who they are. Times have changed, expectations have evolved, and what was once assumed acceptable has come into question. Not to make excuses,… Continue reading
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A CHEF’S WISH LIST FOR CHRISTMAS
Well, it’s Black Friday – some unfortunately believe that this is a national holiday in America. For those in the restaurant business this is a day to recover from Thanksgiving service when we serve hundreds of guests who chose not… Continue reading
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THE OFTEN FORGOTTEN WORKHORSE OF THE KITCHEN
Put aside all of the excitement and glamor of working in a fine dining restaurant, the “art on the plate” image, the unusual ingredients and groundbreaking new techniques, and of course the image of sophisticated food and simply ask yourself… Continue reading
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THE LINE COOK’S ADRENALINE RUSH
What is it about working the line in a busy restaurant that is so attractive to cooks? Why, with all of the challenges that a career in the kitchen brings are people, especially those who are younger, willing to set… Continue reading
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A CHEF’S ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS – #4 THIS IS AN EGG
One of my favorite movies is the 1954 original version of Sabrina staring Audrey Hepburn. In the context of the story she winds up in Paris at the renowned Cordon Bleu cooking school. Trying to learn to become a more… Continue reading
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A CHEF’S ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS – #3 – SALT AND PEPPER
As cook’s we may not give much thought to how important salt and pepper are to our craft. Walking from one end of the kitchen to another it is likely that there will be a few containers of kosher or… Continue reading
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A CHEF’S ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS – ONIONS, SHALLOTS, GARLIC
One of my real wake-up moments as a chef was the night when a message was sent to the kitchen from a guest who stated he was allergic to onions and wanted to know what items on the menu were… Continue reading
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A CHEF’S EIGHT ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS – #ONE – BUTTER
Every cuisine has it’s own list of critical ingredients – ingredients that give a unique character to the dishes that define that genre. However, every kitchen that I know, every chef with whom I have worked, every person who has… Continue reading
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WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO COOK IN THE 60’S AND 70’S – THE THINGS I LEARNED
Looking back is not always the best rule of thumb – it is much more realistic to be in the moment and look toward the future. There are always lessons to be learned from the way it was, but we… Continue reading
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