cook
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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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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 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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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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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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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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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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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
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I LOVE BEING A CHEF BUT I’M MAD AS HELL
From that first moment when I held a spatula in my hand at the age of 15 and was shown how to flip a pancake and how the flick of my wrist could coax an egg to gently change sides in a pan – I knew that the kitchen was a place where I could… Continue reading
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THE RECIPE IS A BOOK WORTH READING AND HOLDING CLOSE TO YOUR HEART
There has rarely been a better time for a book like this. I don’t normally use my blog to talk about books that you really should read. My focus is to pay respect to cooks and chefs, restaurateurs and servers, culinary students and instructors, and all who have made the choice to spend time in… Continue reading
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THE WINE EXPERIENCE /THE WINE CULTURE – A CHEF’S PERSPECTIVE
Is it possible that an area like the North Fork of Long Island could become the next serious wine region of the country? What differentiates the Napa Valley, Paso Robles and Sonoma County of California from the Willamette Valley of Oregon, Walla Walla, Washington from the Snake River Valley of Idaho, and the Finger Lakes… Continue reading
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A LINE COOK’S LIFE DIRECTION
“There’s nothing worse than a feeling of being lost.” -Chef Daniel Boulud These are such important words from a chef and restaurateur whom many consider one of the worlds finest at his craft. They gave me a moment of pause as I reflected on my life in the kitchen, realizing like many others, that it… Continue reading
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HOW TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL CHEF – A BAKER’S DOZEN
This may not turn out to be my most popular article, but it might very well be one of the most important for a cook or chef planning on a long, successful career in the kitchen. If we take a step back for a moment and try to understand that restaurants are businesses –… Continue reading
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THE ORIENTATION OF A NEW COOK – WELCOME TO THE CLUB
“Welcome to the camp, I guess we all know why we’re here.” These opening lyrics by the Who in their dramatic album “Tommy” referred to an underlying understanding of purpose. Anyone could interject numerous scenarios that point to common beliefs, direction, misunderstandings, reflections, or transitions in a persons’ life. One of those transitions is finding… Continue reading
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24 HOURS IN A PROFESSIONAL LINE COOK’S LIFE
Yes, the life of a cook is based on routine – a routine that may be different, but a routine never the less. What differs is the amount if time dedicated daily to the environment of the kitchen and the people who call it home. So, for a moment put yourself in the shoes of… Continue reading
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WHAT DRIVES A CHEF
The vision of extreme work ethic always inspires me. Extreme may be an over-used word, but not in the restaurant business. A chef’s life is a life of never-ending focus on food and the workings of his or her kitchen. Yes, I do mean never-ending. In a recent travel show I took note of a… Continue reading
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THE EFFECTIVE CHEF’S NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
Why do we bother to create a list of year to come resolutions when more often than not we disregard the list soon after it is written? Is it because of a tradition that lacks commitment, or because we know that we could and should do some things differently? Is it an indirect way of… Continue reading
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A CHEF’S LETTER TO LINE COOKS
Interesting how even after hanging up a chef’s hat I still enjoy being called “chef”. Although I haven’t spent more than one occasional day at a time behind a professional kitchen range in some time, I am still filled with enthusiasm for kitchen life. One of my great joys when holding that position was… Continue reading
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A COOK’S PRIDE
Pride is defined in both a positive and a negative manner. To some, pride is something to avoid: “An irrationally corrupt sense of ones personal value, status or accomplishments.” – Wikipedia – Or as some would label it: “ego”. On the other hand, pride can be viewed in a positive sense: “A humble and content… Continue reading
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THE WELL-SEASONED COOK
In cooking – when you get it right – the right ingredients, the well executed cooking method, the caring attitude of the cook, and the seasoning based on a cook’s palate that has been refined over time – the end result is a memorable dish; a dish that gives people pause when they taste that… 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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