Latest Posts
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I REMEMBER – A CHEF’S REFLECTIONS ON TIME
It was 1964 when Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones sang: “Time is on my side, yes it is.” I wonder now if there is any truth to that statement. When you are 14 years old, as I was, time… Continue reading
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I LOVE BEING A CHEF BUT I’M MAD AS HELL
From that first moment when I held a spatula in my hand at the age of 15 and was shown how to flip a pancake and how the flick of my wrist could coax an egg to gently change sides… Continue reading
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THINK ABOUT WHY YOU WANT TO BECOME A CHEF
In another week or so the hundreds of culinary schools across the country will welcome a new class of freshmen with visions of becoming a chef. It is interesting to note that many if not most of these aspiring cooks… Continue reading
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THE RECIPE IS A BOOK WORTH READING AND HOLDING CLOSE TO YOUR HEART
There has rarely been a better time for a book like this. I don’t normally use my blog to talk about books that you really should read. My focus is to pay respect to cooks and chefs, restaurateurs and servers,… Continue reading
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BUFFALO – MY KIND OF FOOD TOWN
Originally posted on Harvest America CUES BLOG: Yes, in case you have not guessed, I am originally from Buffalo. After you get all of the stinging quips out of your system let me tell you what Buffalo is really like.… Continue reading
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COOKS FINDING THEIR PURPOSE
When all is said and done, when we push aside the challenges that face us as career cooks, when you take the time to brush aside those things that can be pointed to as “negative”, there is a common bond… Continue reading
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IS THE RESTAURANT BUBBLE ABOUT TO BURST?
It could be very easy to state that the restaurant industry has never been stronger, never more robust, and never more promising. There are, according to the National Restaurant Association, more than 1 million freestanding restaurants in the U.S., generating… Continue reading
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CHEFS – 22 MORE SUREFIRE WAYS TO FAIL AT YOUR JOB
What makes a chef successful at his or her job? It certainly takes many years for an accomplished cook to rise to the position of chef, but what should they have learned along the way? Just as with restaurant owners… Continue reading
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LINE COOKS – TOUGH AS NAILS – USED AND ABUSED, DRIVEN AND CONTENTIOUS
We are who we are or – are we defined by what we do and the environment that we function in? Look into a person’s eyes and you can determine quite a bit. A cook’s eyes are focused, tired, often… Continue reading
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COOKS WITH DRAGONS IN THEIR CLOSET
Make no mistake, the most enjoyable part of working in a kitchen will always be the interesting people who man that station or cutting board next to you. Of course we have a passion for the food – this is,… Continue reading
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WHY COOKS APPRENTICESHIP MAY BE THE ANSWER
What goes around does come around. For the past forty years the restaurant industry has relinquished its responsibility for serious training to culinary schools across the country. From the days of Careme, Pointe, and Escoffier till the early 1960’s the… Continue reading
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CHEFS HAVE BEEN ALCHEMISTS FOR GENERATIONS
With all of the more recent attention paid to the science of cooking, I find it important to note that chefs and cooks have been unwitting practitioners of food science since the first stove was created. Take a look at… Continue reading
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A COOK DEEP IN THOUGHT
If you are a restaurant cook – how often have you paused to think: “Why am I doing this”? Every cook understands that there is a balance of good, bad, and ugly with most careers, but at times it does… Continue reading
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WHAT DRIVES A LINE COOK CRAZY
Recently, I pointed to the things that drive a chef crazy, but line cooks share a list of actions or lack thereof that push their buttons as well. Some of these actions are real and correctable while others are simply… Continue reading
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A LINE COOK’S MANIFESTO
What we believe is drawn from our life experiences, our history, our family and friends, our heritage, and what we do during our time on earth. That may sound a bit too philosophical, but it is based on reality. To… Continue reading
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THE WINE EXPERIENCE /THE WINE CULTURE – A CHEF’S PERSPECTIVE
Is it possible that an area like the North Fork of Long Island could become the next serious wine region of the country? What differentiates the Napa Valley, Paso Robles and Sonoma County of California from the Willamette Valley of… Continue reading
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Attention Line Cooks: Be Solid, Give it Your All
This is my first commissioned article for San Pellegrino’s blog – finedininglovers.com. I am honored to have this opportunity to share topics with their international base of followers and bring to light some of the challenges and opportunities that face… Continue reading
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CHEFS – TWELVE SUREFIRE WAYS TO LOSE GOOD EMPLOYEES
A common complaint from chefs and restaurateurs is that they can’t hang on to employees. The blame game always includes pointing a finger at those who leave claiming that they are ungrateful, lazy, uncommitted to their field, or just incompetent… Continue reading
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ROCK SOLID – A COOK’S PROFILE
A chef posts job openings for a restaurant kitchen “Looking for line cooks – dependable, experienced, strong work ethic”. These three descriptors summarize what most chefs are looking for. The resume is simply an elaboration on the critical traits of… Continue reading
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ON THE THRESHOLD OF A DREAM – A CHEF’S LAMENT
(So You Want to Own a Restaurant – PART II) Deep in every chef’s heart is/was a desire to open and own a restaurant. I think that I can say this unequivocally even though many chefs may choose to deny… Continue reading
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WHAT LINE COOKS BELIEVE – FACTS AND ALTERNATIVE FACTS
At the core of every person is a foundation of beliefs. Some of those beliefs are based on facts and experience while others are somewhat hollow beliefs that are loosely based on perceptions rather than a deeper understanding. Perceptions left… Continue reading
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THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL IN A PROFESSIONAL KITCHEN – A COOK’S HANDS
Cut, stitched, bruised, burnt, swollen and callused – a cook’s hands are a testament to the torturous work that they endure and the symbol of an incredible work ethic that they represent. It is not uncommon for people to take… Continue reading
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HAVE YOUNGER COOKS LOST THAT HUNGER TO LEARN?
It is a question that is far more complex than it seems on the surface, yet it is a question that has been posed to me many times. Each generation seems to question the next generations’ commitment and in doing… Continue reading
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IMAGINE IF CHEFS WERE IN CHARGE
Now that we know that experience in government is not a pre-requisite for high level positions in the U.S., I started to wonder what it might be like if chefs were in charge of Congress and the White House. Hey… Continue reading
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IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT RESTAURANTS
How many people have ever stopped to contemplate the importance of restaurants to society, to a community, the local and national economy, and to their own personal lives? Beyond the obvious provision of meals for a hungry public, restaurants are… Continue reading
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A COOK IN THE WEEDS
Originally posted on Harvest America CUES BLOG: What does it feel like to be part of that downward spiral situation on the line referred to as being in the weeds? This is different, a far cry, from just being buried… Continue reading
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A COOK IN THE WEEDS
What does it feel like to be part of that downward spiral situation on the line referred to as being in the weeds? This is different, a far cry, from just being buried in orders on a busy night. This… Continue reading
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THE WELL-SEASONED COOK
What is it about food that stops people in their tracks? What single characteristic about the food that we consume is literally addictive? What is the most important part of the formula for a successful restaurant that attracts return customers… Continue reading
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SO – YOU WANT TO OWN A RESTAURANT
The life of a restaurateur: “Work all day in preparation to work all night.” -Gabrielle Hamilton – Prune Restaurant Every chefs dream is to own a restaurant – this is, after all, everything that a chef works for. Being in… Continue reading
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HEY CHEF – IT’S ALL ABOUT VALUE
I spend the majority of time with this blog talking about the kitchen environment, the great people who work in restaurants, the unique characteristics of serious cooks, and the challenges that these individuals face, but quite possibly not enough time… Continue reading
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