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 that allows serious cooks to smile and acknowledge that this work is their destiny. Maybe…
Tag: chefs
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 $800 billion in collective sales and serving a population that now spends nearly 50% of…
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 there are many factors that lead to success, but just as many, if not more,…
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 bloodshot, determined, aware of what is happening on the periphery, wanting, questioning, confident and a…
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, after all, the common denominator, the point of conversation, the pride of the work, and…
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 restaurant industry took full responsibility for training and developing the next wave of professional cooks…
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 my most recent article for San Pellegrino’s finedininglovers blog and let me know what you…
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 a result of a lack of understanding. In all cases, if they allow it to,…
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 a large degree, and maybe even larger than we admit – what we do in…
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 those who chose a life behind the range. For me to continue offering such articles…
