So much of what we do is based on a cook’s acquired ability to beat the clock, to work like hell to maintain a level of excellence while jamming on a rail full of tickets designed to hit and run. Turning tables becomes a goal, ticket times are a measure of success, mise en place…
Tag: chefs
A COOK’S KNIVES TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HIS OR HER CHARACTER AND COMMITMENT
Do you remember that first knife that you called your own? Mine was a 12-inch Sabatier carbon steel beauty that held a razor sharp edge. That knife could slice through vegetables like they were butter, and far too frequently mistook my fingers for a carrot. Still, I loved that knife, sharpened it on a wet…
A CHEF’S ROADMAP FOR SUCCESS
What does success mean to you? Is success measured in professional position, status of the operation where you work, public recognition, accolades, money, lifestyle, or family? Maybe, it’s a combination of all of these factors and some level of balance between them. However you measure success there is a way to get there if you…
COOKS – YEP – WE’RE DIFFERENT – SO WHAT?
When will this nonsense stop? How far will it go? Will we reach a point where a job posting states that eligible candidates must be of a certain political affiliation, religion, sexual orientation, or nationality? This era of polarization is incredibly dangerous and divisive. Through all of my years in the kitchen I never, ever…
CHEFS AND RESTAURANT OWNERS – LOYALTY GOES BOTH WAYS
For some reason loyalty has been given a bad rap in recent years. Loyalty need not refer to blind support of an individual, company, product, party, or even country – loyalty is something that is earned and constantly reinforced, but once present provides a level of respect and comfort that should carry a load of…
CHEFS – THINGS JUST AREN’T WHAT THEY USE TO BE
Looking back over the past 18-months it is hard to grasp just how much things have changed in the restaurant world. It made me wonder if all of this change (some planned, some unexpected) is good for the culinary world or not. Having long been an advocate for the importance of change, I find myself,…
THE FALLACY OF RECIPES
Let me begin by setting the stage for this articles title: I do believe in the importance of recipes, but…. they are not the answer to consistently great cooking. Recipes fail in the following ways: Recipes do not factor in variances in the quality of raw materials based on freshness, maturity, the impact of soil…
GETTING INSIDE THE CHEF’S HEAD
Worldwide there are hundreds of thousands of individuals who hold the title of chef. It is a title that seems well defined, yet each individual portrays it differently and fits the position with a unique set of qualifications. It would be somewhat naïve to try and classify all of these chefs into specific silos, but…
MAKE NO APOLOGIES FOR BEING A CULINARY TRADITIONALIST
It seems that too often, in conversations with those younger cooks who have some level of serious interest in a kitchen career, that food talk is all about experimentation. I have lost track of the number of culinary students who (and I paraphrase here) state: “When are we going to move on from the basics…
HANGING ON TO QUALITY
When did the desire for quality fade away; when did it become an option instead of the standard? We are all born with a desire to please those around us from the time we are able to crawl, walk, talk, build, create, learn, and grow. Every achievement is aimed at being great and pleasing to…
