chef
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TURN YOUR LIFE AROUND AS A COOK
If you are a cook who is happy working just for a paycheck – more power to you, but you can probably save some time and not read this article. If, however you have the sense that cooking is more than that and you have your eyes on many years connected to the professional kitchen,… Continue reading
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WHY CULINARY PROGRAMS FAIL
There has never been a more important time for culinary schools than right now. Sure, I know how much the restaurant/foodservice industry is suffering and how many operations are shutting their doors as a result of avoiding decades of challenges brought to a head by the pandemic, but believe me when I say that this… Continue reading
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A CHEF’S MANIFESTO – 2021
An exercise that I have found to be really helpful is to occasionally state/re-state what you believe in as a chef. Every now and then this can serve as a “checks and balance” activity to keep you on the right path and assess where and why you might have strayed from those “stakes in the… Continue reading
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THE KITCHEN MAGIC OF CHEF PHIL LEARNED
Our industry recently lost a giant of the professional kitchen. Chef Phil Learned stood tall in the kitchen of The Balsams Grand Resort in Dixville Notch, NH. In its day, the Balsams was one of the finest destination resorts in the country – a place of elegant relaxation, beautiful surroundings, and most notably – exceptional… Continue reading
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THE 2021 CHEF SKILL SET
It is always safe to say: “things change”. Change is an inevitable part of life and as we all know if we fail to recognize that and adapt – we can become obsolete. Throughout history there are countless examples of those who ignore or seem paralyzed by the need to change as their industries or… Continue reading
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COOKS: A CALL TO ARMS – DON’T SETTLE!
There exists a real dichotomy of enthusiasm towards working in the restaurant business. I realize that this may have always been present at some level, but in today’s kitchens there appears to be a polarization of those who love the business and those who are angry at their state of affairs. In the middle are… Continue reading
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COOKS AND CHEFS – THINK ABOUT THE STORY BEHIND WHAT YOU SEE
Some of you may be too young to know the band – The Moody Blues, but their lyrics always inspired me, especially during challenges that life occasionally brings. One such lyric asked us to view the story in peoples eyes – the truth behind the façade, the experiences, hopes, and dreams that lie behind a… Continue reading
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COOKS – THE COMFORT OF HEAT, SWEAT, AND HARD-WORK
Staring at the POS printer, waiting for those orders to start their tap dance building to a crescendo in an hour or so, clicking a pair of tongs by your side, shifting weight from one foot to the other, and beads of sweat beginning to roll down your back and collect under that scull cap… Continue reading
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A COOK’S NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS
Yep – another year, another moment in time to reflect on where you are and where you might be going. To many people a resolution is a futile attempt at changing poor behavior, lost opportunity, broken promises, and failed attempts at positive change. Making a resolution is often a noble attempt at making corrections, while… Continue reading
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A CHEF’S LIFE – IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE
In the Blink of an Eye “Looking forward has no limits Looking back reels you in Thinking about what could be Gives pause to what might have been Vision is energy for an active mind while Reflection is food for the soul In the blink of an eye our vision and Reflections intersect as What… Continue reading
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WHEN COOKING BECOMES MORE THAN A JOB
Typically, it starts off that way – old enough to work, they’re hiring, no experience required – it’s a job. Maybe it’s a local diner as a dishwasher or assistant to a short order cook; maybe it’s a fast food operation as a “sandwich artist” or grill person for that hamburger chain; or maybe it’s… Continue reading
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COOKS AND CHEFS- BUILDING YOUR CAREER TAKES EFFORT
The best things in life are never easy, and with your career, if you truly want to reach for that rewarding chef position or chef/owner opportunity then it is essential that you set your goals, chart a course of action, stay true to the end game, and know that it will take time and considerable… Continue reading
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CHEF OWNERSHIP – SCENARIO #2
This is the second of three chef/ownership scenarios drawn from the initial article on that “OWNERSHIP THING”. Sabrina’s Scones and Crust: Sabrina has worked in various pastry shops throughout the Pacific Northwest and has built a strong reputation for her creativity and exemplary work ethic. Wherever she works, business improves due to the magic touch… Continue reading
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CHEFS CHASING THE OWNERSHIP THING
I don’t believe that I know a single professional chef who doesn’t have a deep seeded desire to own a restaurant. Some are more obvious about the desire then others, some hide it pretty well, but underneath the façade of contentment with their current situation – every chef craves the chance to put their name… Continue reading
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LINE COOKS WHO TAKE THE LEAP
At some point, fairly early on, restaurant cooks make a decision to either view what they do as a transitional job while they look for something that they really want to do, or decide that cooking is their life calling and they intend to become exceptional at the craft. This is true for nearly any… Continue reading
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BECOMING A GREAT LINE COOK
Whether you are a product of a formal culinary education or working your way up through the school of hard knocks, it is likely that all roads leading to the position of chef will move through the line cook position. Line cooks are the backbone of the kitchen and the sought after position by all… Continue reading
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A LINE COOK’S VIEW OF SUMMER MONTHS
It’s pushing 10 a.m. when an evening line cook finally rolls out of bed. The July sun is starting to really show its ability to bear down with penetrating heat and the humidity is bringing those first beads of sweat to the cook’s forehead. Ah…the start of another summer day. The primary role of the… Continue reading
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COOKING FOR THE RUSH
I remember when I first encountered the jazz influenced improvisational music of Eric Clapton as a member of Cream. Many of my age were in awe of the speed and almost frenzy nature of this adrenaline infused music that started with structure and then blasted away in a hundred different directions. No one really knew… Continue reading
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BECOMING A MASTER OF YOUR CRAFT
I just finished watching a YouTube video clip of Jeff Beck and Stanley Clarke performing their incredible music at a jazz festival. I watched the clip four times in a row until I knew that I had to get back to work. These musicians are masters of their craft. There was something truly magical about… Continue reading
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IN THE KITCHEN – SKILLS ARE THE DRUG, CONFIDENCE IS THE HIGH
Many have pointed to the abuse of drugs and alcohol that seems far too commonplace among restaurant employees. It may be part of the culture, possibly a release from the accentuated stress that exists in kitchens, and it may simply be more visible yet just as prevalent in other careers. This does not take away… 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 those who employ cooks in service of the guest. While many of the concerns expressed… Continue reading
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THAT KITCHEN SENSE OF URGENCY
There are some things in life that can’t be taught. Only the experience of impending doom can push a person to dig deep and find solutions that they never thought were possible, discover skills that were never present before the challenge occurred, and either sink or swim under the pressure of creating order out of… Continue reading
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HEY CHEF – WHO ARE YOU?
What does it really mean to be a chef? Is it strictly a position of authority – a position well-earned through time, trial and error, loads of cooking skills, business savvy, and a brand that helps the operation and the person? Or, are there other responsibilities and opportunities that come with the turf? It was… Continue reading
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BEING A CHEF – THE PASSION AND THE COST
Let’s first separate those three types of cooks who stand tall behind a range: Those who consider cooking to be their purpose in life, the career choice that inspires them, and the choice that let’s them jump out of bed in the morning to face the opportunities that cooking will provide today Those who view… 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 are related to our personal lives and occasionally they are connected to what we do… 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 is the people who stand tall in their hounds tooth pants and double-breasted white jackets.… 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 others. But in reality a chef is a person with a highly developed intellect that… Continue reading
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WHY COOKS HANG OUT WITH COOKS
In the era of social media the term “friend” has been misconstrued. A Facebook friend is likely distant from the true definition that has been an essential part of a full life since the beginning of time. A social media friend is likely only a person who chooses, in the moment, to click on that… Continue reading
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WHAT MAKES A CHEF’S JOB SO CHALLENGING
If you cook in a serious way, if you have defined the process of cooking as something that you want to invest in, if you find that the passion of working in a professional kitchen is something that inspires you, then you will have an undeniable desire to become a chef. What many do not… Continue reading
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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 seemed endless – boredom was a choice that some elected to dwell in, while others… Continue reading
About Me
PAUL SORGULE is a seasoned chef, culinary educator, established author, and industry consultant. These are his stories of cooks, chefs, and the environment of the professional kitchen.
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