Harvest America CUES BLOG

Keep it simple – do it well The word “simple” is so misunderstood. We understand “easy” to mean without much physical, mental, or emotional effort, but “simple” is hard to define because simple in a kitchen can be quite challenging… Continue reading

I find it interesting that in every profession some people are all in and others are barely connected, but room is there for both to co-exist. Recently, a friend and colleague spoke to an audience stating that no one ever… Continue reading

Think about this typical story.  Shawn was 17 years old, an average student in school, no real direction, wanted to have fun, make a difference, do something important, and college was far from his thinking. Last summer he had a… Continue reading

I would hazard a guess that the word “work” is one of the most used in conversation. Like other four-letter words, it can be used as a noun, a verb, adjective, and adverb and just as easily in a negative… Continue reading

If you’re reading this article, it’s because you have suffered from the ill effects of stress on the job. You know what I’m talking about – the knot in your stomach, dry throat, beads of forehead sweat even without the… Continue reading

I’ve been reading an interesting book of advice from dozens of prominent chefs: “Chef Wise” from Phaidon Books. This is a compendium of quips that are based on experience; snippets of advice that we can all benefit from. It really… Continue reading

TECHNOLOGY AND RESTAURANT CULTURE Learning to live with technology and stay in control is essential. We need to embrace the good and understand the bad and the ugly. This is not easy since the access to and use of technology… Continue reading

Part One: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY It is an underlying question for the ages: “Is technology good or bad?” The answer is a resounding “yes” to both. So, the question we should be asking is: “Are we… Continue reading

It doesn’t make any difference what you choose to do or whom you choose to do it for – “good” is only a tease. Good is a “C” grade in life, an acknowledgement that you tried, but not hard enough.… Continue reading

Those who are serious about holding the chef title some day; the ones who are “in it, to win it”, are always wondering what’s the best path to take. Is it culinary school, working in well-known restaurants, finding an established… Continue reading

I was just listening to some old Beatles tunes and A Hard Day’s Night came up. It sounded like an appropriate title for an article about life in the kitchen. As much as I loved my time in front of… Continue reading

It amazes me every time I visit a restaurant – the important things that we miss. With menus the focus is, and always has been, on the protein, the center of the plate. The biggest, the best quality, cooked to… Continue reading

There are many reasons why I am so grateful for the decades I spent in front of a range. I could not think of a career more rewarding than being a cook and a chef. Those who are despondent or… Continue reading

Like many of you, I sat and watched, with great anticipation, the days of the NFL Draft. Who will my team be able to lasso and pull into the organization? What will they contribute? Will they help us drive all… Continue reading

‘The times they are a changin’, proclaimed Bob Dylan in 1964. His words seem quite relevant today. The restaurant business is sometimes like the canary in the coal mine and at other times like the father of teenage children –… Continue reading

My town leaders, bless their hearts, try to figure out ways to strum up cash flow for small businesses. A tip of the chef’s toque for the good old college try. It’s early spring, mud season as it is commonly… Continue reading

There are so many restaurants, chefs, sommeliers, and service professionals who take enormous pride in their work, are accomplished artisans, and proficient ambassadors of their craft. They work tirelessly because they love what they do and are dedicated to creating… Continue reading

The past year has been quite disconcerting for those of us who have dedicated our careers to the kitchen. To some it may simply seem like the squeaky wheel syndrome (a handful of people with loud voices) as dialogue about… Continue reading

I’m not sure where I heard it first – maybe it was a seminar, a TED Talk, or an excerpt from one of Malcolm Gladwell’s thought-provoking books like the “Outliers”, but the premise stuck with me.  The rule is simple:… Continue reading

More than friends, beyond being co-workers, and far more complex than just people who share a set of skills – cooks and chefs who work together become brothers and sisters.  I don’t know if it’s totally unique to the kitchen… Continue reading

Nancy Silverton is likely best known for introducing the country to La Brea breads.  From meager beginnings as a small artisan bread bakery, La Brea grew to become a national representative of the craft bread movement in America.  No longer… Continue reading

An honest day’s work for an honest day’s wages is an American colloquialism that has been a call to arms for generations. What does it imply, what does it really mean, and how does it apply to today? On the… Continue reading

There is another side to the challenges of labor in the restaurant business.  From a cook’s perspective there has never been a better time to work in a kitchen than right now.  This may seem contrary to all the clamor… Continue reading

When was the last time you bought a product, listened to a band, read a book, took in a view, or enjoyed a meal that gave you pause?  When was the last time you stopped and said: “WOW?” How many… Continue reading

Your name is, in many respects, a reflection of the person you are, your personal history, and a proclamation of respect for those who came before you.  That word represents your life and all that has been invested in bringing… Continue reading

Everyone loves to cheer on a champion.  I live in a community that has been host to two Winter Olympic Games (and more homegrown U.S. Olympians than most any other part of the country), University and Empire State Games, Can… Continue reading

Here’s is a wakeup call, a piece of information everyone should pay attention to.  It’s simple and poignant – cooks are essential.  Let’s look at the hard data first: In the U.S. there are 1.3 million active-duty members of the… Continue reading

I am happy to share a commonality with many of the professional cooks and chefs with whom I have worked over decades in the kitchen.  It is this commonality that drives us to do what we do, and it is… Continue reading

Let’s face it – everyone likes to win, and nobody likes to lose.  I’m not sure if it is genetic or environmental, but our mental, physical, and emotional state is connected to the result of winning.  Some of us know… Continue reading