chefs
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MEMORIES OF A LINE COOK – YOU HAD ME AT EGGS OVER EASY
The older you get, the more time you invest in thinking back. Recently, I have been thinking about those first moments working in a kitchen when I was 15. Yes, I was washing dishes, and yes it was originally just… Continue reading
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LINE COOK QUESTIONS WITHOUT ANSWERS
There are numerous questions that every line cook would like to ask, but since they know that answers will never be forthcoming, they simply wind up stored on that subconscious shelf. Many of these questions can be categorized as “ironic”… Continue reading
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THERE ARE REALLY ONLY THREE TYPES OF RESTAURANTS
Certainly there are numerous permeations of restaurants from food trucks to quick service brick and mortar operations, family style to fine dining, thematic operations to various ethnic concepts, and business and industry cafeterias to catering operations, but in reality all… Continue reading
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CRACKING THE CODE OF THE COOK
So what makes a cook tick? What environmental factors, personal history, social interactions (or lack there of), or critical life experiences need to be in place for a person to rise up one day as a cook? Are certain individuals… Continue reading
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COMING OF AGE IN A RESTAURANT KITCHEN
Where and when were you first introduced to the world of work and a snapshot of what your future might bring? Well, if you are like one-third of the American population, then this start was in some type of restaurant.… Continue reading
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CAN A RESTAURANT BE EXTRAORDINARY AND AFFORDABLE?
I really do love the restaurant business. As a cook and chef I thoroughly relished walking into the kitchen early in the morning to the smell of fresh coffee, bacon being pulled from the oven, fresh pastries still hot from… Continue reading
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SHOULD RESTAURANTS OFFER COOKS MERIT PAY?
Compensation is not the only motivator, but it is pretty close to the top of the motivational food chain. Turnover of employees in restaurants of all types is much higher than the norm. Although there are many reasons for turnover,… Continue reading
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WHY CHEFS AND COOKS SHOULD CARE ABOUT GMO’S
I know, this is a hot topic with rabid support on both sides of the issue, but regardless of your opinion, here are some reasons why it is important to be informed and take a stand. Actually, the more appropriate… Continue reading
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STOCK IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF A KITCHEN
There is something about a simmering stock that sets the tone for a professional kitchen. It is more than the basis for so many products and preparations; stock is the symbol of your commitment on so many levels and the… Continue reading
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CHEFS KNOW – IT SUCKS TO BE IN CHARGE
To a serious cook, the prize is to reach the pinnacle of his or her career – reaching for the position of chef in a property. Becoming the person with the embroidered jacket, the office with a nameplate, the business… Continue reading
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THE FORMULA FOR A GREAT LINE COOK
The visionary for a great restaurant may very well be the chef, but the body and soul of that operation is the cadre of line cooks who make it all happen. What distinguishes an average line cook from a great… Continue reading
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AS A COOK, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SIGN YOUR WORK?
This may seem like a strange question, but, having worked in, managed, and patronized many restaurants, I sometimes wonder if signing our work would make a difference. Signing what you do sends a very powerful message, “I made this, it… Continue reading
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THAT ONE INCREDIBLE MEAL
What was the moment, the event, the restaurant, the dish, that changed your life? Can a meal or a restaurant experience really change a person’s life? Maybe it wasn’t in a restaurant after all, maybe it was a memorable experience… Continue reading
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CHRISTMAS FOR RESTAURANT STAFF
This was Jake’s 20th year in restaurants, and the 20th straight Christmas that he would be working. As the restaurant’s Executive Chef he knew how hard today would be for everyone in the kitchen and the dining room, but the… Continue reading
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WHY ANTHONY BOURDAIN IS IMPORTANT
Sure, he wrote Kitchen Confidential, and exposed stories of life in the kitchen that do not exist at the same level today than in the 70’s and 80’s, and his persona is pretty much take it or leave it, but… Continue reading
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DISGUISED AS COOKS
Professional cooking is serious business. This statement sums up a pet peeve of mine, something that really grates at my nerves, and I think does the same for many chefs and serious cooks. The title of cook is given out… Continue reading
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RESTAURANT FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE CRITICAL
Running a restaurant is hard, but it is not difficult. This may seem to be a contradiction, but I can assure you, it is not. Many restaurateurs will struggle with trying to develop that perfect formula for success while it… Continue reading
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PROFILE OF A LINE COOK
Is it part of a person’s DNA? Is it a result of the environment where a person grows up? Is it due to unique social interactions or inspiration from role models? What is it that sets the stage for a… Continue reading
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I COOK, THEREFORE I AM.
Everyone, at some point in time during his or her life, is in search of purpose. “What is it that I was meant to do? What contribution can I make with the natural tools I was given? What will make… Continue reading
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COOKS AND MUSICIANS ARE CUT FROM THE SAME MOLD
A common thread, a core philosophy on life, and a shared heartbeat can make you believe that cooks and musicians may be twins from different mothers. The similarities of their craft, the dedication required, and the innate talent that must… Continue reading
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COOKS AND CHEFS KNOW THAT CONFUCIUS WAS WRONG
“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” We have all heard this statement many times and have inadvertently made a mental note to assess what we do for a living… Continue reading
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ATTENTION COOKS: APPRECIATE FARM TO GLASS
Allow me to paraphrase from a really great documentary I just viewed: “Whenever you open a bottle of wine you are introduced to a year of weather, generations of history, and thousands of years of biology and geology.” With all… Continue reading
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A CULINARY EPIPHANY
Most professional cooks will tell you that part of their reason for doing what they do stems from an “a ha” moment; a particular dish, ingredient, or drink that set their mind abuzz with enthusiasm, wonder, and undeniable electricity. If… Continue reading
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COOKS – IN SERVICE OF THE POTATO
It is very easy to take for granted the raw materials that we (cooks) work with on a daily basis. We are so removed from the source, that many of the incredible items we use in kitchens have become simple… Continue reading
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ANOTHER KITCHEN ADRENALINE RUSH
A common response to the question: “Why do you work in a busy kitchen”, is, “I love the rush.” Those of us who have spent many hours, days and years behind the line have certainly experienced this, but few really… Continue reading
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HOW A LINE COOK CREATES A NEW DISH
It is certainly true that the heart of a new menu in a restaurant rests in the hands of the chef. He or she has the ultimate responsibility for designing and creating the menu items that reflect the image of… Continue reading
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SEEING THE WORLD THROUGH THE KITCHEN LENS
One of the worst mistakes anyone can make each day is to turn on the news. If there were good news in the world, you would be hard put to notice through the media. If there were a rise in… Continue reading
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WHY LET RESTAURANT CRITICS DEFINE US?
There was a point in time when people relinquished their decision making to outside services and individuals. Deciding on a movie, automobile, record, school, bank or restaurant suddenly became someone else’s responsibility. Siskel and Ebert told us what movies to… Continue reading
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