cooking
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CHEFS – DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE CRAFT
I was listening to a person the other day who was involved in the restaurant business. He was making a point about how we (those of us who work or have worked in kitchens) need to embrace more technology and convenience foods if we are to survive. It was imperative, from his perspective, that we… Continue reading
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ACCOMPLISHED COOK – WHEN COMPETENCE ECLIPSES A LACK OF CONFIDENCE
Most of us have been there at some point. You know the feeling and you shake your head thinking back to those moments. You thought you were good, a solid line cook or prep cook, a couple years of experience under your belt working in a busy restaurant. You were on fire and felt confident… Continue reading
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MY HEART ACHES
I’m angry and my heart aches for the seven World Central Kitchen volunteers who were killed in Gaza. Of course, we all feel for the thousands who have been killed in this war and the dozens of other conflicts that have occurred in our lifetime, yet this one cuts even deeper. These heroes were doing… Continue reading
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CHEFS – REMEMBER, REFLECT, RELISH, AND SHARE
There was a time, maybe not too long ago, when you knew very little about food and cooking. There was an initial moment, maybe as a young guest in a restaurant, or possibly as a “first job” dishwasher, when the light bulb switched from off to on. It was a new taste, something exceptional, a… Continue reading
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COOKS – CLAIM YOUR OWN PATH TO SUCCESS
If you’re a chef from my generation then you likely have concerns over the changing landscape in the kitchen. I hear, nearly every day, “things are not what they use to be.” Chefs lament over a time when cooking was a giving craft, not one focus on what the cook received in return. We speak… Continue reading
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COOKS GETTING TO CONFIDENCE
Confidence is vividly apparent with musicians, athletes, actors, carpenters, and other trades, and certainly with cooks and chefs. It’s that point in time when they are comfortable working side by side with their peers and mentors. Confidence is a wonderful feeling when it can be backed up with skill and knowledge. You know – that… Continue reading
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WHEN THE KITCHEN AND FOOTBALL COLLIDE
It’s January in the Northeast – a time when the demands of the kitchen and the excitement of football converge. It’s the lull after the holidays in restaurants and the beginning of the NFL playoffs. As the chef of a busy restaurant, I know emotions in the kitchen will be high and the focus on… Continue reading
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ANOTHER YEAR – A CHEF’S NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
I know, I know – New Year’s Resolutions seem to be a waste of time. We all make them and rarely stick to the plan. But lack of execution should never get in the way of planning, dreaming, and setting goals. As Lewis Carroll proclaimed in Alice in Wonderland: “If you don’t know where you… Continue reading
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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 COOK’S SENSUAL OVERLOAD – TOUCH, TEXTURE, CHEW
We are tactile beings – the feel and texture of things that we encounter is very personal and very important to our life experience. Such is the case with the food that we consume. As is stated by the Institute for the Psychology of Eating – some believe that chew or experiencing the texture of… Continue reading
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COOK FOR ME
I have seen the following quote from Anthony Bourdain many times before, but today it really resonated. It is a statement so simple, yet so profound; so foundational, yet so deep and meaningful; so intriguing and so beautiful. This statement strikes a chord with every professional cook, every chef, and every entrepreneur who owns that… Continue reading
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WHY I LOVE TO CALL MYSELF A COOK
I haven’t walked through those professional kitchen doors for quite some time now – my tenure as a chef ended a few years back. Even though I am not clocked in – I still cook every day and still reflect positively on my fifty years associated with the profession. Cooking is, and will always be,… 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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COOKING MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT LIFE SKILL
As members of an advanced society we stress over many things – to most the skills necessary to survive, thrive, and contribute to society rank above all else – some might even say that learning how to make a difference is at the top of the list. We invest heavily in formal education and acknowledge… Continue reading
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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… Continue reading
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COOKING THROUGH THE SENSES – THE CHEF’S UNIQUE SKILL
We are familiar with the human senses and likely understand that they are all connected as individuals try to distinguish flavor and the experience of eating. As cooks we know that there are many more opportunities for people to distinguish smells than tastes, that texture impacts how our mouths separate the experience of one ingredient… Continue reading
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THE LINE COOK’S ADRENALINE RUSH
What is it about working the line in a busy restaurant that is so attractive to cooks? Why, with all of the challenges that a career in the kitchen brings are people, especially those who are younger, willing to set those challenges aside for the experience of standing in front of a battery of full-throttle… Continue reading
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COOKING AND ALL THAT JAZZ
I have often compared serious cooking to the free-form interpretations of jazz musicians. Since at the core of jazz you can always find the foundations of a melody there is a baseline of discipline that allows the improvisation of jazz music to mimic the feelings of the musician. So too there is discipline and improvisation… Continue reading
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A COOK DEEP IN THOUGHT
If you are a restaurant cook – how often have you paused to think: “Why am I doing this”? Every cook understands that there is a balance of good, bad, and ugly with most careers, but at times it does seem like the cook’s job leans a lot more towards the bad and ugly. So,… Continue reading
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THE WELL-SEASONED COOK
What is it about food that stops people in their tracks? What single characteristic about the food that we consume is literally addictive? What is the most important part of the formula for a successful restaurant that attracts return customers and new customers and builds a reputation that will carry the operation for a long… Continue reading
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THE FOUR TYPES OF COOKS – WHERE DO YOU FIT?
We work – this is what people were meant to do, this is what helps to give us purpose, this is what shapes, to a large degree, the person that we are. How we approach this work, the type of work that we choose or that chooses us, and the level of satisfaction that we… Continue reading
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TASTE and FLAVOR
There seems to be an unwritten rule when it comes to eating in America – “If something is good then more of it will be even better.” A classic American hamburger becomes better if it is twice as large as the original, a beverage is somehow improved if it is supersized, an 18 ounce steak… Continue reading
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CAN THE FAMILY TABLE SOLVE MANY OF THE WORLD’S PROBLEMS?
Progress is important and as we all know, sometimes progress cannot be stopped – it has an energy and mind of its own. In my lifetime the amount of change described as “progress” has been and continues to be staggering. I believe that it was Julia Child who stated (and I am paraphrasing): “Every significant… Continue reading
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COOKING FOR THE SAKE OF COOKING
Many years ago, at an ACF Conference in Phoenix, Andre Soltner (in my mind one of the greatest chefs in recent history) spoke to an audience of enthusiastic members. He began by trying to downplay the hype that was building around the term “chef” by removing his glasses and looking at the audience directly and… Continue reading
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WHEN COOKING TRANSFORMS FROM A JOB TO A CALLING
The average worker spends 40 hours per week on the job, that’s 90,000 hours over a 45-year career. A professional cook who becomes a chef may spend 50-75% more time than that. In some cases that’s more time than a cook will spend with family and friends and sleep combined. This type of dedication seems… Continue reading
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AN OPEN LETTER TO LINE COOKS
There are certainly some negative aspects to life in the kitchen; however, those who have enlisted in the cause of great cooking will typically demonstrate a true passion for their choice of careers. Some may reflect on the physical demands, the required emotional conditioning, the military approach towards organization, the fickle restaurant guest, the social… Continue reading
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BEING A COOK IS SUCH AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT JOB
I often times give thought to the significance of cooking. Although I may invest the majority of time on a portrayal of professional cooks and the kitchen environment of restaurants, cooking is far more important than simply referencing the dining out experience. More than likely, many of those who now consider cooking their life profession… 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 card that proclaims “executive chef”, the one who claims ownership for the menu, is the… Continue reading
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CELEBRATE CHEFS TODAY AND EVERY DAY
Today, August 16, is National Chef Appreciation Day, a perfect time to reflect on the importance of cooks and chefs to everyone. If you are a chef or cook, then hug your coworkers today, if you are not, then find a cook or chef to hug or at least thank. Here is why we are… 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.