Tag Archives: cooking

THE FOUR TYPES OF COOKS – WHERE DO YOU FIT?

01 Thursday Sep 2016

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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 gain from what we do is very much dependent on how seriously we take the process of making a career choice. Some may say that choosing what we do is the exception to the rule, that to many people work is work – a means to an end, a necessary process that allows us all to survive – to get by. I would respectfully disagree and choose to take the more optimistic approach and say that everyone can make a choice, a choice that will allow an individual to survive financially, but even more importantly – to find a purpose. Is this a bit altruistic? Maybe so, but it is how I choose to look at life. Where there is a will there is a way – every person (I believe) has a role to play, a direction that allows he or she to feel fulfilled and significant.

From my experience, keeping the aforementioned approach to life close at hand, there are four types of cooks working in restaurants today. Everyone fits into one of these categories and I believe that they are there by choice. I would suggest that if you are currently working in a professional kitchen that you ask yourself the question – in which category do I fit? It is an exercise that will help you to answer many questions, set aside some concerns, and build a case for where you go next.

[]         CATEGORY #1:          I SHOW UP

I am not portraying these cooks in a negative way. There is a need and a place for employees who show up physically, do what they are told to do, avoid making decisions on their own, do not question what is needed, arrive at the exact start of their shift and leave physically and mentally the moment their shift is over. The critical distinction here is that they show up. If you are a chef or an owner you know how valuable this trait is.

“Showing up is 80% of life.”

-Woody Allen

[]         CATEGORY #2:          IT’S A LIVING

This category continues to baffle me. I am sure that individuals working to make a living are common in most professions, but I fail to understand how anyone can thrive under these conditions. “Making a living” is hard to swallow for those who are seeking to find purpose and as such fails to set the stage for personal motivation. Those cooks who view their kitchen job as “making a living” typically miss the big picture enthusiasm for food, an appreciation for how food is grown, the joy of preparing a perfectly balanced dish, and the pride in being creative. Certainly making enough money to live comfortably is and should be a goal for anyone, but on its own, this is a shallow approach towards a life of fulfillment.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

-Winston Churchill

Cooks who have found their purpose in kitchen life know that the joy of cooking is the joy of giving through personal expression, the joy of giving to those who consume the products they make, and the joy of participating in kitchen team dynamics in the process of serving the public.

[]         CATEGORY #3:          THIS IS WHAT I ENJOY

Yes, these are the cooks who thoroughly enjoy their time in the kitchen and the type of work that they do. They find real pleasure in working with the intense, and sometimes-borderline crazy people who deliver, prepare, and serve the food that makes a restaurant truly hum. They may or may not be immersed in the culture of food, the need to understand the why of cooking or even the source of ingredients, but they do get pumped up over the adrenaline of working in the kitchen pressure cooker. To these cooks, working is fun and their time in the kitchen goes way beyond making a living – they are anxious to participate in the lifestyle. These are the individuals (sometimes pirates) who are bouncing on their toes in anticipation of the flood of tickets streaming off the kitchen printer, they give high fives when they exceed projected covers on a shift, and carry on their celebration of accomplishment after hours with their friends who share the same intense passion for the heat of the kitchen. The chef knows that these individuals will be there tomorrow and every day afterward – they thrive on the adrenaline.

“You were not meant for a mundane or mediocre life!” 
― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

[]         CATEGORY #4:          THIS IS MY CALLING

Cooks who have determined that the kitchen is their purpose in life are in a category all to themselves. They are totally immersed in everything about the process of cooking, the ingredients that they work with, the history of the profession, the process of building a sophisticated palate, and the pride of an honored profession. These cooks live to be in the kitchen, spend many extra hours on the job and off the clock, invest their hard earned money in tools, books, and saving for an extraordinary meal at one of those “bucket list” restaurants, refuse to take a real vacation unless it involves spending time in another kitchen, a farm, or a vineyard, and take those extra minutes every day to make sure that their uniform is pristine and representative of the great chefs who came before them. These cooks are serious about what they do and view their jobs as an extension of their personal identity. Every kitchen needs at least one, although too many of them can drive everyone else to drink. These are the cooks who know full well that they will be a chef some day, command an important kitchen, and/or own their personal restaurant with their name on the marquee. We read about them in culinary magazines, purchase their coffee table cookbooks, salivate about one day dining in their restaurant(s), and know their bios by heart.

So, which type of cook are you? Each cook has a place in today’s kitchen; each represents a different mindset and chooses the path they are on. Some will stay in the business while others will always be looking for a way out. A few will inspire others to take the path of a kitchen career while others will inadvertently turn young people away. They are the industry that we are a part of and they make it what it is. Each to his or her own, they are the person that they are either because of or in spite of the kitchen where they punch in and tie on an apron.

**The picture is of my team at the Mirror Lake Inn – Lake Placid, NY –  in 2006.  A great group that I still consider an honor to have worked with.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting and Training

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TASTE and FLAVOR

19 Sunday Jun 2016

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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 is far superior to a 6 ounce steak, and if a beautiful wine from Oregon or California is distinct and delicious then it would only make sense to drink a full bottle rather than a glass or two.

There are ample reasons why this logic backfires, yet more often than not restaurants and home cooks tend to fall into the trap of bigger is better. Excessive portion sizes pack on the calories and subsequent weight gain that plagues far too many American consumers, those supersized drinks contribute to many other health issues, and excessive alcohol only leads to a terrible 18-24 hour hangover. What is just as significant, and the reason for this article, is how “bigger” takes away the joy of taste and flavor intrigue.

In the long run, nothing supersedes the importance of taste and flavor when it comes to a great food experience. Presentation, room ambience, beautiful china and glassware, and certainly excessive portion sizes can never replace the significance of taste and flavor. It is this combination of flavor components that give a diner pause, this combination that excites the sensory touch points in the body and builds unforgettable memories of what it can be like to eat well.

Taste is a portion of the overall sensory experience – it is flavor (a combination of taste and smell) that defines great food. But, flavor can go beyond even these two components. Flavor can, and does, include texture (mouth feel), appearance, and even social interaction. It is the chew of a steak that brings out the nuances of flavor, the chew of a New York bagel that makes it unique, the crunch of a potato chip that creates an experience, and the soft and warm texture of a vine ripened tomato that demonstrates all that a tomato can be. How this food is presented may not have a physical impact on flavor, but it does help to build positive or negative perceptions about what the flavor might be.

“There are about 700 flavors that you can smell, but only five you can taste. A lot of times what you’re perceiving as flavor has nothing to do with palette, but it’s more to do with scents.”

– Grant Achatz

Yes, eating and in particular – dining, is a social event and although it may not be physical – the social environment, the people with whom you dine, will have an impact on the memory of taste and flavor. This is why we are rarely able to replicate the flavor experiences that we have had in restaurants or homes without the same people dynamic in place.

Chefs and cooks are the gatekeepers of flavor in a restaurant and in that role they must have a deep understanding of what it takes to build taste and flavor and know how to manipulate the dining experience to its fullest. The accomplished chef or cook must be able to:

[]         BUILD ANTICIPATION

If you look at the dining experience as theater then you can quickly see how each scene can build as the chef guides a guest to a definitive point of sensory pleasure. This begins with those initial contacts with food in a restaurant. Nothing should be viewed as utilitarian – everything is important in the process of building anticipation of something great and unique. The quality and temperature of the butter, the crusty, chewy artisan bread, the tasting amuse bouche, and the quality of the ice water are all very important. “If the bread and butter is this good – imagine what the entrée will be like.”

[]         EXCITE THE PALATE

Every item of food should be well choreographed to stimulate the olfactory senses and taste buds. This is where a cook’s knowledge of flavor comes into play. It is not only important for each dish to be well designed from a flavor perspective, but even more important to ensure that each dish build up to the main character in the meal – the entrée. Each dish should not remain independent, but be part of the entire work.

[]         CREATE A REASON FOR PAUSE

When a guest stops his or her conversation at the table and captures the moment to savor what he or she is tasting- then the chef has been successful. Whether it is taste, aroma, texture, or presentation, the key is to always design each dish to create a reason to pause and take note.

[]         BRING THE FOOD TO CENTER STAGE

The social nature of dining is critical to the experience, but when social interaction turns to discussions about the food or drink that the guest is consuming then eating transitions to dining and the memories will be forged forever. More often than not, the process is really about knowing the food you are working with and understanding how to allow the ingredients to rise to the occasion. Great cooking is all about knowing how to make this happen.

“The simpler the food, the harder it is to prepare it well. You want to truly taste what it is you’re eating. So that goes back to the trend of fine ingredients. It’s very Japanese: Preparing good ingredients very simply, without distractions from the flavor of the ingredient itself.”

– Joel Robuchon

[]         DEFINE A WOW EXPERIENCE

Create the unexpected, exceed expectations, build flavor combinations that are new and unique, and concentrate on melding taste, aroma, beautiful visual combinations of food, and satisfying textures and you will establish the “wow factor” that chef reputations are built on, and lasting guest experiences are made.

[]         LEAVE THE GUEST HUNGRY FOR MORE

Don’t allow yourself to be coaxed into the “bigger is better” trap. The best flavor experiences always leave the guest wanting more. Too much of a good thing quickly loses its value. The amuse bouche should be one bite, the appetizer just a few more, the entrée portion size less than 6 ounces, leaving room for a fresh, unique, small tasting of a dessert. Note that the average person cannot digest more than 1 pound of food at a setting. Anything more is gluttony and in the end will diminish the experience and tarnish the memory. You want the guest to leave with a high level of anticipation for his or her next visit.

[]         BUILD LASTING MEMORIES

Think back to your own experiences with food. It doesn’t matter whether it was a white table cloth restaurant or a bar-b-que shack on a busy highway – if the flavor experience was a wow you will always hold that memory close and likely tell dozens of people about it. There will always be that desire to return and rekindle that experience that has been imbedded in your subconscious. This is what the chef and cook strives to do, this is the sign of success that these individuals seek to achieve, and this is what brings professionals to a life of cooking.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant and Culinary School Consulting and Training

LOOKING FOR A GREAT SUMMER BOOK TO READ? DO YOU WANT TO DIVE INTO MORE STORIES ABOUT THE LIFE OF A CHEF AND THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE KITCHEN? Then order your copy of “The Event That Changed Everything” TODAY!

This is the latest novel by Chef Paul Sorgule. Order your copy through amazon by clicking on the following link:

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CAN THE FAMILY TABLE SOLVE MANY OF THE WORLD’S PROBLEMS?

19 Friday Feb 2016

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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 change in history has been accompanied by a change in the way we grow, process, cook, and consume food.” Progress over my lifetime has given credibility to this statement. The question is – what have we lost in the process?

Not too long ago, the family table was one of the most sacred parts of the home. This is where family traditions took center stage in the form of cooking methods and recipes passed down from previous generations, protocols of respect, conversation about the day’s activities, family values, current events, and celebrations of large and small accomplishments. The family table was where beliefs were built, traditions were passed on, character was defined, and challenges were addressed. It was this sense of community that defined the core of an American family.

“Breaking bread” is universally used as a phrase to portray the values associated with the family table.

“To break bread is to affirm trust, confidence, and comfort with an individual or group of people. Breaking bread has a notation of friendliness and informality, derived from the original meaning regarding sharing the loaf.”

Wikipedia

Painted in Waterlogue

From this sharing came understanding, acceptance, appreciation, and a sense of unity that today seems to be lacking in so many situations. Could the root of many of our societal problems be linked, at some level, to our drift away from the literal and philosophical meaning of “breaking bread”? Maybe this is a stretch, but think about how so much has changed in the past 100 years and how much as a society we have strayed from the premise of strength in the family table.

Prior to the turn of the 20th century, most Americans lived, worked, and grew up on farms. Subsistence farming allowed families to grow their own food, care for their families first, communicate around the family table, and build on the character of what it meant to be part of a community. With the advent of manufacturing that all changed as families drifted further from their connections with the materials of cooking and began to rely on a growing distribution system that brought those materials to them. This merchant trade of new earned money for product continued through the next few decades, even giving life to neighborhood restaurants where even the process of cooking was turned over to merchants. The family table was beginning to evaporate and would continue to do so at an alarming rate through two World Wars and into that respite of time known as the 50’s. Prosperity meant that cooking was being replaced by convenience – frozen ingredients, TV dinners, pre-prepared items, and Wonder bread, made it possible for the average homeowner to relinquish the responsibility for cooking to the processing plant. Planted in front of the living room television, Americans stopped conversing, lost the intoxicating aromas of fresh food from every kitchen, and began a decade long drift away from the importance of sharing and moving towards the space of the individual.

In subsequent years we fell under the spell of microwave ovens that allowed every person in the family to determine what and when they would eat, restaurants of every type and price point from coast to coast where “being served” was preferred to serving yourself, and a rapidly changing definition of what it meant to be part of a family emerged. We plug into our MP3 players, are engrossed in becoming more and more connected in the digital world and less and less in the real world with family, friends and associates, and look to restaurants to fill in the gaps.

So, where are we now? What is missing and what, as a result, are the consequences? We don’t talk, we rely on others, outside of the family to help build our moral compass and our philosophical approach towards life, and we turn our health over to manufacturers who produce foods that, in many cases, are almost unfit for consumption. We talk about our love of food in America while the majority of individuals no longer know how to cook even the most basic foods. Traditions are no longer passed down from generation to generation and that recipe that your great grandmother proudly prepared from memory has long been lost. The family table is no longer an opportunity to sit and enjoy the food prepared by caring individuals, discussing our lives, turning to others for guidance and advice, and working through challenges and disappointments together. Getting a family to spend more than 15 minutes together at the table is a truly remarkable event.

Is it possible to point the finger at this societal change and say that it may be one of the causes of the problems we currently face? When else would we find the time to sit together and discuss education, relationships, careers, beliefs, history, faith, and yes – politics? How much do we miss that family table?

I suppose that this is a topic, one that I have ranted about many times before, worthy of more scientific study, but I am going out on a limb to say “Bring back the family table, it will make a difference.” Teach your children about your family history, research your family tree and relish what you learn, pass on this knowledge and do it while you are breaking bread. Celebrate the small wins, toast to your health, listen to everyone’s challenges and problems and help them to come to some resolution, enjoy each other’s company and do so while breaking bread. Don’t stop going to restaurants – they are important, but when you go make sure that it becomes more than simply a place to fill your stomachs – make it another chance to create a family or friend table. Food is more than fuel, it is a catalyst for sharing, caring, and celebrating what makes us the same and what makes us different. Food is that universal communicator that allows us all to set aside those things that make us sad, angry, jealous, and seemingly opposed to each others beliefs, and simply smile and enjoy the flavor, tradition, and grace that comes from satisfying the palate.

Is the family table an answer to some of the world’s problems – maybe not, but maybe so? While you are trying to figure that out, think about trying this:

  • Have designated meal times in your home and stick to it.
  • Make sure that everyone is at that table – make it sacred time.
  • Plan menus and take the opportunity to introduce new flavors and traditional ones in a format that everyone appreciates.
  • Get rid of that microwave oven! Cut the strings of dependence and start cooking.
  • Invest in cooking – spend time in the kitchen and invite others in.
  • Buy fresh ingredients and open up those cookbooks – take a stab at it – cooking is fun and therapeutic.
  • Engage everyone in lively discussions around the dinner table and make sure that it is not rushed. Dinner takes time to produce, take the time to enjoy what is made.
  • Require everyone to take part in setting the stage for the meal and cleaning up afterward.
  • Make sure that your family history is an occasional topic around the dinner table. Talk about the real diverse heritage that is the core of every American family.
  • When you go out to a restaurant – pick one that allows you to re-create that forum for sharing, truly enjoying well-prepared food, talking about the experience of eating and dining, and relishing the opportunity to be together.
  • Turn off the cell phones during dinner. Make this digital free time.
  • Make sure, most importantly, that you pass on a love of cooking and a love of the family table to the next generation.

Maybe it won’t help to put the world back in alignment, but I guarantee that it will make you feel like you are doing your part.

“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook – try new recipes (rediscover old ones), learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun.”

Julia Child

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

http://www.harvestamericaventures.com

COOKING FOR THE SAKE OF COOKING

16 Wednesday Dec 2015

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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 very seriously. I will always remember his significant words: “Ladies and gentlemen, we must never lose sight of the fact that we are all cooks.” His point was well taken by most who were present – let’s put aside the rumblings of prestige, slightly ill-founded celebrity status, and self-importance and remember that our jobs, and the enjoyment of our craft, evolves around cooking for others.

We all know how hard this work can be – many in and out of the industry including myself have portrayed this fact. The importance of what we do lay in the fulfillment that comes from creating beautiful, delicious food for others to enjoy. This is the whole enchilada, our reason for walking through those kitchen doors and investing considerable time and effort every day at our work. We are cooks, those individuals who have invested the time to nurture the skills necessary to convert raw materials into food worthy of praise.

I think that we can all appreciate that all of the interest in and praise of chefs has helped our careers in significant ways, but when all is said and done, if we do not enter the kitchen every day with a strong desire to cook well, respect the ingredients that we are privilege to handle, and make delicious food, then the praise and interest mean very little. After all, if we don’t love the process of cooking then there are certainly many other, less consuming career paths to seek.

If we don’t relish the opportunity to work with other serious cooks who do what they do for the feeling of accomplishment that comes from executing established cooking methods, building flavors to match those imbedded flavor memories that come from experience, and placing those creations on plates like an artist paints a canvas, then we are on a treadmill that will wear any person down at some point.

“I love hospitality, and I love cooking. The kitchen is where I feel most at ease and where I feel most like myself.”

Geoffrey Zakarian

As you aspire to move through the ranks of prep cook, line cook, sous chef, and eventually chef – the responsibilities may change significantly. We become business managers, trainers, negotiators, marketers, and the center of attention (when things go well or when they don’t), it should remain that the craft of cooking is what makes it all worthwhile. Here are a few things that may help every cook to understand why staying true to the craft is so important:

[] Cooks are able to convert the simplest of ingredients into a dish that turns heads and brings a smile to the face of even the most critical of people.

“Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes or colors, there are only so many flavors – it’s how you combine them that sets you apart.”

Wolfgang Puck

[]         Good cooking allows an individual to appeal to every human sense. No other art form can do this.

[]         At the end of the day, a professional cook like a carpenter, construction worker, electrician, fisherman, or plumber is physically exhausted, but gratified at having worked hard and able to show tangible accomplishment.

“Most cooks try to learn by making dishes. Doesn’t mean you can cook. It means you can make that dish. When you can cook is when you can go to a farmers market, buy a bunch of stuff, then go home and make something without looking at a recipe. Now you’re cooking.”

Tom Colicchio

[]         Cooking is part of the ecosystem of life that pays respect to farming, rewards those who consume the product for the work that they do, and eventually replenish the soil to start the cycle all over again.

[]         Cooking and the resulting finished food is the catalyst for bringing people together and creating a forum for conversation, recognizing each person’s similarities and differences, and allowing everyone to find common ground. Everyone can find commonality in tasting exceptional food.

We are all cooks – first and foremost. Cook for the love of cooking – this is what makes the work worthwhile.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

STILL TIME TO PICK UP THAT LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY GIFT FOR A COOK, CHEF, RESTAURATEUR, CULINARY STUDENT OR FOOD LOVER – Order your copy of “The Event That Changed Everything”, a novel by Chef Paul Sorgule, author of Harvest America Cues.

Click on this link to order your copy from amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Event-That-Changed-Everything-Relationships/dp/1491755105/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450274628&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Event+That+Changed+Everything

 

 

 

WHEN COOKING TRANSFORMS FROM A JOB TO A CALLING

13 Friday Nov 2015

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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 illogical if the end result is just a job and a paycheck.

Why is it that some gush about how much they love their time in the kitchen and more often than not, look forward to those 10-12 hour days of painstaking work, hours and hours on their feet, intense heat, and incredible pressure from every angle, while others dread another day in Hell’s Kitchen? Is it simply that some people are made for this work and others are not? Could it be that some refuse to look at the downside to working in restaurants? Is it the theoretical difference between Type “A’s” and Type “B’s”? Or, could it be that certain individuals have or go after those epiphany’s that set a different course for their lives and connection to what others call “work”?

Most of my friends are cooks, chefs, restaurateurs, winemakers, or are someway or another connected to the food business. If you were to ask me why this is so, I might say because I spent so many hours working in the field that these were the only people I had a chance to meet, or more than likely I would state that these are the people who inspire me, make me want to be better at what I do, make me laugh, and provide the benchmarks for “what could be”. I suppose there were those epiphany moments for me, those transition events or experiences that allowed me to think that what I did was (is) important, but if I were to try and tell what those moments were, I would be lost. Lost, not because I couldn’t think of any moments but rather lost because there were and continue to be – so many. After the first few such moments, people tend to seek out more, more opportunities that will allow them to reflect and push forward with even greater enthusiasm.

I have always enjoyed taking cooks on those journeys and watching the light bulb go off. When they occur it becomes nearly impossible to keep any cook from connecting, self-assessing, and glowing with possibilities. It might be that first local chefs meeting where a cook gets a chance to network with others who have the passion, or it could be dinner at a cutting edge restaurant where the chef is breaking new ground, yet again it could be a trade show or culinary competition that opens a cooks eyes to where the business is moving.

Sometimes, and I find this one the most rewarding, it is going back to the source of cooking and visiting a farmer or a cheese maker, or an artisan bread baker tucked away in a farmhouse bakery in the middle of Vermont. It could be a short experience working in the vineyards with a winemaker who views the grapes as his or her children – due the same respect as a member of the family. When a cook witnesses the limitless commitment that these artisans have for their craft, the product, and the importance of what they do, he or she begins the transition from job to calling.

A cook may not envision dedicating most of his or her energy and time to the craft like Thomas Keller or Grant Achatz. The cook may never fully understand how a small vineyard in central France can be cared for and nurtured for four or five generations, each individual dedicating his or her entire being to growing superb grapes and watching as nature helps to turn the grape juice into a spectacular wine, but I know that the experience of being with these individuals makes every cook self-assess and consider either making the commitment or looking toward a different career.

I watched an extraordinary documentary film the other night and experienced yet another one of those epiphany moments. The film: “A Year in Burgundy”, follows the lives of a few multi-generational wine makers in Burgundy, France while very naturally demonstrating the passion and joy that each draws from their calling. I have had a few opportunities to spend time with wine makers in France, California, Oregon, and New York and have always felt incredible respect for their commitment, but this movie went so much further in defining what “the calling” means.

I know so many extraordinary chefs who feel a sense of purpose in what they do, are consumed by a drive to always get better, and have developed a talent for constantly reinventing themselves in the kitchen. Whenever I am around them, I feel inspired. Whenever I spend time with them I find myself wishing that I could add another 20 years to my career, learn from them, and push myself in a new exciting direction.

Certainly, at one point, working in a kitchen for me was a means to an end. A paycheck that allowed me to have a reasonable life. At some point that paycheck became a calling and I have not regretted that transition for one moment (well maybe a moment now and then).

Whether you work 40 hours a week or 70, what you do is an important snapshot of who you are as a person. Those hours can be dedicated to the paycheck (certainly important) or to the pursuit of something much more significant. When your job becomes a calling, the doors open to so many possibilities. I encourage you to seek out those epiphany moments, push yourself to be inspired and act upon that inspiration. Enjoying what you do for a living is a very important part of life – make it count.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

BLOG: www.harvestamericacues.com

**The Watercolor photo is of Master Chef Anton Flory who was my original mentor and inspiration.  RIP chef.

****ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT A HOLIDAY GIFT FOR A COOK, CHEF, OR FOOD ENTHUSIAST?   If you enjoy the articles in Harvest America Cues, you will certainly enjoy my second novel: The Event That Changed Everything, available from amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Event-That-Changed-Everything-Relationships/dp/1491755105/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1447437309&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Event+That+Changed+Everything

AN OPEN LETTER TO LINE COOKS

19 Friday Jun 2015

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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 isolation and the long hours, but what is often overlooked is the pearl within the oyster shell. The opportunities that are present for every line cook lie within the grasp of the individual. The only question is how hungry is the cook for more.

This open letter is simply put – recognition of opportunities, definition of the prize, and a few recommendations on how to grab hold of them.

[]         WHAT YOU DO IS IMPORTANT:

If we begin with an understanding that everything about food is important to those who consume it, then we can wrap our arms around how significant the role of cook is. We help to nourish our guests, provide a reward system for them that may be lacking in the workplace or even at home, create a stage for people to have fun and network with friends, make important connections between farmers and consumers, and contribute to the establishment of culture both in the neighborhood and the home. To be a cook is one of the oldest and noblest professions known to mankind. Every cook should take pride in this realization.

[]         THE SKILLS YOU DEVELOP IN THE KITCHEN ARE TRANSFERRABLE:

Think about the real skills and habits that are built in a professional kitchen and how applicable they are to life and career: be on time, be prepared, organization is critical to success, work well with others, respect the role that everyone plays in process of accomplishing goals, cleanliness is very important, don’t accept mediocrity, be consistent, stay focused, and the list goes on and on.

Whether you stay working in the food business or choose to move on to some other discipline, what you learn in a kitchen is a life lesson, a life lesson that will define how you work and how others perceive you.

[]         LINE COOKS MAY NEVER FIND A BETTER ENVIRONMENT FOR COLLABORATION AND TEAM:

“There’s a bond among kitchen staff, I think. You spend more time with your chef in the kitchen than you do with your own family.”

            Gordon Ramsey

If I had to pick one aspect of working in a kitchen that is most rewarding (when it works) is the charge that cooks get from working together on a busy night. When everything clicks, the line is a thing of beauty. The orchestration of and symmetry that exists in timing, tasting and plating is always exciting to watch and experience. There are very few jobs that require this level of collaboration and provide such an opportunity every minute of every day.

[]         THE KITCHEN IS THE GREAT EQUALIZER:

The kitchen allows and requires that everyone take a supportive role knowing that everything is everyone’s job. It never matters how old you are, what size you are, what gender, race, ethnicity, political affiliation, or religion you might support, the only thing that matters is that you do your job as designed, to the best of your ability. Everyone must, due to the nature of the work and the demands placed on the team, accept their individual role and jump in to help others whenever needed. Everyone in the kitchen is equal.

[]         THE LINE CAN BE A STEPPING STONE:

“If you go around the kitchen and ask my employees what they want to be doing in three to five years, most of them, if they’re being honest, will tell you that they don’t want to be working for me. They want to have their own place. And I think that’s great.”

            Charlie Trotter

Every line cook can aspire to a larger role: sous chef, executive chef, food and beverage director, owner, restaurant manager, etc. All that is required is a commitment to grow. The challenge is that those positions do not simply come your way because you are close at hand. Line cooks with a vision need to invest the time and seek out opportunities to learn and grow. You want to move to a sous chef role – then ask the chef to show you how the schedule is determined, how prep sheets are developed, how to determine the amount of product to order, how to check for quality, and which purveyors are selected and why. Volunteer to take inventory with the chef, ask if you can participate in the menu planning process, and offer to rework the recipe file. The hungry get fed, the hardest worker receives the reward, and the knowledge worker is next in line for more responsibility. This attitude and commitment will be noticed and will always set the stage for the next position in a line cooks career plan.

[]         THE BEST NEVER ACCEPT MEDIOCRITY:

“As a young cook, especially in France, they’re very tough in the kitchen. The idea is to make you humble and learn fast.”

            Eric Ripert

There is never any excuse for mediocrity. The restaurant’s reputation is based on not just quality product, but even more importantly – CONSISTENT quality product. Cutting corners at the expense of this informal guarantee to your guest is the kiss of death for the restaurant, for the cook, and for the chef. Don’t cross that line.

[]         FEED YOUR BODY TO BECOME BETTER AT WHAT YOU DO:

Physically, the job is relentless.   You cannot afford to, “Make a promise that your body can’t fill” (Little Feat). It is extremely important, if a line cook is to extend his or her useful life in a kitchen and set the stage for growth to other positions, to take care of the most important tool in your toolbox: your body. Eat well, eat appropriately, hydrate, exercise frequently, buy the right shoes, bend when you lift, use dry side towels when grabbing a hot pan or tray, and see a doctor on a regular basis. Just like an athlete – physical preparedness is just as important as knowledge of the sport. In this case, the sport is cooking (just as demanding as many athletic sports).

“The kitchen is tough. It’s one of the last bastions in civilized culture that sets out to crush the spirit.”

            Yotam Ottolenghi

[]         FEED YOUR MIND TO BE BETTER AT WHAT YOU DO:

“I think a lot of people have a misconception of what the kitchen is about, but you know the grueling part of it is also the pleasure of it. That’s why I think you have to have a certain mentality to understand what that is and be able to handle it.”
Todd English

Cooks who have a desire for more, for that opportunity at a chef’s position or maybe ownership, need to constantly work at expanding their base of knowledge. First, the kitchen is a mental game; you need to be focused at all times. Secondly, as you grow professionally, so too must your understanding of business, human resource issues, marketing, accounting, menu analysis, customer relations, communication, and technology. Remember, that next position will not come to you simply because you are present, you will need to prepare for it. If school is not an option, then you must work on how to become self-taught, or again, volunteer to work with the chef on building those skills over time.

[]         IMPROVE EVERY DAY:

There should never be a day that goes by that you say: “I didn’t learn anything new.” No matter how small, build knowledge and skill improvement into your daily schedule. This is how the line cook becomes the sous chef, and eventually becomes the executive chef.

[]         DON’T EVER FORGET THE SUPPORT TEAM – STAY HUMBLE YOURSELF:

“I call all chefs’ cooks’. They’re all cooks – that’s what we do, we cook. You’re a chef when you’re running a kitchen.”

            Tom Colicchio

When you reach that next role in a professional career track, don’t ever forget that your success will depend on those who continue to serve in the capacity of dishwasher, prep cook, line cook, server, bartender, and so on.

[]         BE AN ADVOCATE FOR POSITIVE CHANGE:

“Even in the busiest kitchen, there’s always a point at the end of the day when you go home.”

            Yotam Ottolenghi

We often hear about the negative aspects of working in kitchens: long hours, working holidays, lack of time with family, low pay and minimal benefits, etc. The need for some level of change is always there. It is up to this generation of cooks to help determine how these factors can be improved so that working in the kitchen can survive as a life-long career choice. Be the answer.

[]         IF YOU ARE FOCUSED AND GOOD AT LINE WORK YOUR VALUE TO OTHERS INCREASES EXPONENTIALLY:

If you want to move ahead then be totally committed to excellence. Become the most efficient, conscientious, fast, knowledgeable line cook with spot on flavor memory and impeccable plate presentations. This will be noticed inside and outside of your current place of employment. Remember – build your personal brand.

[]         ALWAYS REMEMBER YOUR PRIMARY JOB:

Your primary job is to please the guest with consistently outstanding food and service. If this is done then the secondary task of helping to ensure restaurant financial success will be the byproduct.

[]         BUILD ON YOUR PERSONAL BRAND EVERY DAY:

“If you see someone in the kitchen that has good hands and a quick brain,then you need that person to be in the front of everything.”

            Rene Redzepi

[]         SUPPORT THE CHEF, SUPPORT YOUR PEERS:

Help everyone in the organization reach his or her personal and collective goals and your value will increase exponentially.

[]         SUCCESS AT THE EXPENSE OF OTHERS IS A HOLLOW VICTORY:

Build your peers up and avoid dragging them down. We all have strengths and weaknesses – recognize their strengths and help them through their areas of weakness. Those who win by walking over others in the process will be haunted throughout their careers.

[]         RESPECT TRADITION, BUT DON’T BE AFRAID TO QUESTION – JUST PICK THE RIGHT TIME TO DO SO:

Some facets of kitchen life are built from strong traditions that came from chefs such as Careme, Escoffier, and Point. There is a real value in protecting these traditions and honoring the efforts of great chefs and restaurateurs. However, things change, technology improves, customer tastes evolve, and as cooks we must also be willing to question and change. Offering suggestions to the chef that you work for will generally be well-received if you do the research, demonstrate the benefits, and pick a time for questioning that does not interrupt the crazy flow of business through your current system.

[]         IF YOU WANT TO BECOME A GREAT COOK OR CHEF, THEN THE KEY IS TO WORK WITH GREAT COOKS AND CHEFS. PICK YOUR EMPLOYER WISELY:

If at all possible – avoid selecting a position in a house that does not live by the mantra of excellence, team, service, and support. Find out which restaurant has the most admired chef in town and the most cohesive team and work hard to join their effort. Resumes are built by making selective decisions that will help you to build skills, and support your brand building efforts.

“I love hospitality and I love cooking. The kitchen is where I feel most at ease and where I feel most like myself.”
Geoffrey Zakarian

[]         AGAIN, THINK “BRAND” EVERY DAY:

This can be a wonderful business with limitless opportunities to grow professionally. Your commitment and effort is the key to success. Today is always a stepping-stone for tomorrow.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

Thank you to all of the chefs mentioned in this article for their spot on, inspiring quotes.

Pictures:  The Tailor and the Cook Restaurant in Utica, New York:  Tim Hardiman & Tim McQuinn on the line.

The Mirror Lake Inn – Plating for the Adirondack Food and Wine Festival.

BEING A COOK IS SUCH AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT JOB

10 Sunday May 2015

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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 owe their decision to cooking experiences in their home or in the homes of friends and family. Cooking is, after all, one of the most foundational tasks, the core of the family experience, the building block of a culture, and an integral part of our evolution as people of the earth.

When ever a person puts on the cooks apron, he or she is paying homage to a rich and long history of those who learned how to take what nature provides and perform a magical process of building flavors, imparting textures and aromas, and building on societal history. Some may claim that there is very little that is new in cooking, but actually, every time that a cook picks up a knife or a pan, he or she is putting a new signature on a dish; something that makes it just a bit more unique than before.

In any family, it is that file of unique recipes, handed down from generation to generation that helps to keep personal history alive. That special way that a grandmother made pasta, or roasted a chicken, memories of a loaf of crusty bread right from the oven, or a flaky crust apple pie that only a distant relative could make just so, is the foundation of the family.

Everything we do in restaurant kitchens reflects, at some level, back to those preparations that were defined early on in family homes. The methods of cooking evolved out of necessity based on the type and quality of ingredients that were available or were affordable, seasonings came initially from a need to compensate for a lack of formal means of preservation, and food combinations were reflective of what the family planted and what the earth provided. All foods that we find in restaurants are reflective of traditions. It is these food traditions that create joyful experiences; these traditions tempt people and satisfy their hunger for more than sustenance. This is the way that we remember, the way that we feel comfort, the way that we enjoy the experience of food.

What we do as cooks in restaurants goes way beyond the enjoyment of cranking out 150 dinners without a flaw, way beyond mastering those skills that will allow for consistently great tasting and looking food, and way beyond helping to build a successful business. What we do is to perpetuate traditions, pay respect to our history, and rebuild memories for every guest who passes through the dining room.

Why would a chef/owner insist that a thin crusted, wood-fired pizza be made with specific flour from Northern Italy and water that has the same mineral content as a mountain lake on the edge of Tuscany? The desire is to re-create an experience with pizza made in a small family trattoria in a village along the outer edge of Piedmont.

Why did Lionel Poilane insist on using authentic tools from prior generations of bakers, in hundred year-old style ovens, in a production bakery built in the middle of a wheat field outside of Paris? Because the nuances of the Poilane Bread Experience demand sticking to tradition so that he could create “recall” with every chewy bite.

How many restaurants grow from a desire to re-create an experience that the chef or diner relishes from the past – a tradition that left an indelible mark on his or her subconscious?

It would be hard to improve upon Escoffier’s Peche Melba (still used extensively around the world as a timeless dessert), Chef Marc Meneau’s Foie Gras and Truffle Cromesquis, Mario Batali’s Veal Cheek Ravioli, Jasper Hill’s Bayley Hazen Bleu Cheese, Vermont Creamery’s Cultured Butter, Poilane’s Bread, or Jean George’s Poached Asparagus. At the same time, your grandmother’s Indian Pudding, scratch made Sauce Bolognese, and Chicken and Dumplings will always be benchmarks for any restaurant to try and replicate.

What is our job as cooks and how important is that job? We hold in our hands the ability to keep history and food culture alive. We are caretakers of tradition and ambassadors for the process of cooking well and trying to replicate the integrity of great food. Our job is important, it goes way beyond attacking those tickets that are relentlessly shot from the POS. Every dish that we produce has the ability to bring great memories to the surface and build an experience that is lasting. Cooking is an honor, a privilege and a significant responsibility. As professionals, we must hone our skills, learn our craft, understand what came before and who brought about those important experiences, relish traditions, and try like hell to do them all justice.

Ask yourself a simple question when you stand at the ready behind the line with your mise en place in order: “Am I about to create memorable experiences for guests? Am I proud of what I am doing and how I am representing all the traditions that have been built before?” This is our commission, our responsibility, and our gift as cooks.

Be a proud advocate for the importance of cooking, for the value of tradition, and for the impact that we have on the lives of everyone.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

CHEFS KNOW – IT SUCKS TO BE IN CHARGE

11 Sunday Jan 2015

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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 goal, the crystal skull that Indiana Jones sought for his entire life.

Of course, with the position come many benefits: better compensation, the feeling of kitchen ownership, the respect of peers, the signature on the menu and the restaurant for all to see, and the chance to make the decisions. It all sounds great, certainly what one would expect as the culmination of a career in food, well deserved. So why would I say that becoming this person sucks?

Believe me when I begin by admitting that as much as this statement is true, there are ample moments when the position offers a feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment, however, if one were to chart the pros and cons of being the one with the pen, it would be time for another dose of extra strength Excedrin.

Here are some of the realities associated with the position of chef (by the way, you could pick any career and apply these same or similar realities to the position of authority):

[] OTHERS EXPECT YOU TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR MORALE: “You’re the boss – motivate me.” Or even worse – “I have a bad attitude at work because of the chef.” The truth is that the only person who can take charge of your morale, the only one who might stand a chance of motivating you, is YOU.   Motivation is an interesting topic, one that will chew up a significant portion of a chef or managers day. The only thing that the person in charge might do is to create an environment for self-motivation. In these work environments the chef takes on the role of communicator, teacher, and facilitator. The chef’s task is to focus on providing the tangible and intangible tools necessary for staff members to do their job, but if an employee is not inclined to exhibit positive attitude, there is very little that a chef can do except help them to find another place to work.

[] YOU MIGHT THINK THAT THE MENU IS YOURS, BUT…if it doesn’t sell it doesn’t stay. There are two ways to develop a restaurant menu: design a menu based on what you want to prepare, or build a menu based on what customers are willing to buy.   If you choose the prior, there is a good chance that the menu will eventually evolve to the later.

[] I CAN BE IN CHARGE OF MY OWN SCHEDULE: Hmmm… I guess you could say this is true. Simply put yourself on the schedule as “On” for six days a week and be prepared to work the seventh anyway. At the very least, the chef should be present for most of every meal period served. Oh, and if one of your cooks calls out, you might very well be working a station tonight.

[] YOU ARE THE DECIDER: Just as President Bush proclaimed during his administration, the buck does stop with you. As the chef, everyone will expect you to be the problem solver, the person with the answers, the knight in shining armor who will save the day. Look to your left, look to your right, there are very few others to turn to, and no one left to pass on the decision-making responsibilities to. The ball is in your court – be ready!

[] TEAM BUILDING IS SUCH A JOY: The single most important task that you will take on as the chef, is to build your team. This means determining what you need, seeking out and hiring the individuals with the “right stuff”, training them effectively, and figuring out ways to keep them. The best chefs also take on the role of mentor and as such should always take pride in those situations when a great cook says, “Thanks for everything you have done for me chef, but I have accepted a position with more responsibility at another restaurant.” Part of your role is to develop others, and if you do, they will eventually leave. This means that team building will become an ongoing, every day project. You will always be in a position to train new members.

[] YOU CAN’T RULE WITH AN IRON FIST ANYMORE: There was a time when fear and intimidation were the methods of operation adopted by most chefs. The only way to get the job done through others was to yell, demean, and pound your fist. This is NOT possible today. Today’s DEMANDING attitude equals tomorrows HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT claim. Treating your employees with respect is the rule of thumb today, and PATIENCE is a virtue that all chefs must exhibit.

[] IT’S LONELY AT THE TOP: In an effort to create an environment of perceived fairness and not cloud a chefs decision about staffing issues, chefs and managers can be friendly with employees, but cannot afford to be their friends. This, for younger, first-time chefs, is very difficult.

[] EXPECT LESS TIME ACTUALLY COOKING: Once you reach the position of chef, you can expect that the majority of your time will be spent with the business side of operations. Ordering and negotiating with vendors, processing invoices, taking inventories, reviewing sales abstracts, scheduling and monitoring labor cost, planning menus for the restaurant and special events, training and sometimes disciplining employees, building and managing budgets, establishing item selling prices, and involvement in public relations and other forms of marketing will take up 85% of your day. Cooking, when it happens, becomes your release from stress, not your job anymore.

[] SO YOU THINK THAT IT IS YOUR RESTAURANT AND YOUR REPUTATION: Everything that leaves the kitchen carries your signature, yet, for the most part, you will have very little to do with the preparation. To this end, your signature is in the hands of every cook and server who works for the restaurant. Your reputation is in their hands. If the food isn’t right, it will always be your fault. If it is great, you will take the honors even though you know that your staff members made it happen. It will become critical for you to create an environment where everyone shares the vision, is well trained, and recognized for their part in the process. Your brand as well as that of the restaurant is at stake.

Not every cook who works in a restaurant has the desire or even the ability to become the chef. On any given day, they may feel that they could do parts of your job better than you, and they are probably right. You will be admired for success and demonized for failure, accept it. Those who know they could do parts of your job with greater success are free to work their way up to the position. Just as it is important for chefs to never forget how important the prep cooks, line cooks, sous chef, pastry cooks and bakers, servers, bartenders and dishwashers are to success, all of those important players must understand what it is like to walk a mile in the chefs shoes.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

Restaurant and Culinary School Consulting and Training

CELEBRATE CHEFS TODAY AND EVERY DAY

16 Saturday Aug 2014

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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 in their debt:

“We may live without poetry, music and art;

We may live without conscience, and live without heart;

We may live without friends; we may live without books;

But civilized man cannot live without cooks.”

by: Edward Robert Bulwer

Although, I would not relish a world without music, poetry, art. conscience, heart, friends, or books, you get the feeling of how important well-prepared food is to our existence. Julia Child even went on to state that every significant step in human progress was always accompanied by a positive change in how we grew, processed, prepared, served and consumed food. Since the first mastodon steak was seared over an open flame, men and women have yearned for and appreciated the process of cooking and those who have a knack for it.

Today, chefs are significant players in the evolution of a culture and the protectors of the traditions that make a society unique. It is, after all, that indigenous food and traditional preparation that helps to give a group of people their unique identity.

I have often said that cooking attracts unique spirits, and through my experience, people don’t typically choose to become cooks and chefs, the profession chooses them. There is a destiny factor that seems to universally apply to all who make a decision to spend their life on their feet, bent over a pit of fire, sweat rolling off their brow, blisters and cuts from the tip of their fingers to the edge of their elbows, and smelling of today’s catch or yesterdays garlic. These warriors of the kitchen are focused and passionate about what they do. They sacrifice a “normal” life for one dedicated to creating wonderful tasting dishes for each of us to savor and enjoy. It is this commitment to creativity and service that makes today an important time to pause and give them thanks.

Here are some of the unique traits of chefs and cooks that are worth noting:

  1. Chefs and cooks are very generous people who will give freely, over and above their job requirements, to those in need. Cooks and chefs are involved in fundraising dinners, spending a day off at a local soup kitchen, cooking for appreciative friends, tipping way over the norm when they get a chance to go out for a meal, and helping others to understand the importance of handling food in the proper way.
  2. Chefs and cooks take their work so seriously that operators need to demand that they take the day off if they are not feeling up to par. They would work through anything because they know they are needed.
  3. Professional chefs and cooks take the health and wellbeing of the guest very seriously.
  4. Chefs and cooks get excited over coworkers achievements and show their support of each other.
  5. Professional chefs and cooks respect hard work and dependability above all else and show no interest in what color, race, gender, sexual preference, size, age or beliefs accompany a person. If they are there when they need to be and work hard, then nothing else matters.
  6. Professional chefs and cooks respect the ingredients they work with and the work that went into getting those ingredients in their hands.

Here are a few chefs and cooks who I am grateful for:

Escoffier, Careme, Point, Bocuse, Boulud, Ducasse, Meneau, Waters, Bastianich, Batali, Ripert, Folse, Shire, Child, Beard, Verge, Kaysen, Metz, Carroll (all three), Keating, Russ, Hardiman, McQuinn, O’Donnell, Swaney, Hemm, Parsons, Bivins, Mahe, Soulia, Schempp, Hugelier, Schimoler, Pecoraro, Beriau (both), Allen, Faria, Higgins, Flory, Czekelius,Connolly, Zuromski, McBride, Hoffman, Wright, Prouten, Langan, McCully (both), Steffan (both), Franklin, Pantone, Dunbar, Leonard, Costantino, Beach, James, Winfield, Virkler, Masi, Gerard, Duhamel, Barton, Michaud, Porter, Borden, Johansson, Samuelsson, Barber, Lynch, Danko, Burnier, LeBorgne, Lee, Leigh, Alford, Kruse, Koetke, Sonnenschmidt, Roche, Rosenweig, Silverton, and hundreds of other cooks and chefs who I have admired, worked with or worked for.

A tip of the chef’s toque on National Chef Appreciation Day. Who do you appreciate?

PLAN BETTER-TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC
www.harvestamericaventures.com

COOKING IS THE ULTIMATE SENSUAL EXPERIENCE

10 Sunday Aug 2014

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It’s 7 a.m. as the chef walks into the kitchen. He grabs a cup of freshly brewed coffee even before opening the door to the office. Nodding to the breakfast cook who has been there since 5, the chef enters the office and pulls a crisp, starched chef coat from the closet, buttons the front, folds up the sleeves, inserts a thermometer and black sharpie in the breast pocket, adjusts his hat and grabs the coffee mug on his first walk-around of the day. The aroma of the coffee is quickly replaced with the smell of bacon being pulled from the oven, breakfast pastries drawn from the decks in the bakeshop and a mirepoix caramelizing on the back stove for today’s stocks. The day has begun.

Reviewing the banquet orders for the day, the chef notes that there are two small luncheons and a recognition dinner for 175 that evening. In two days, the restaurant will present a semi-annual wine dinner for 100 foodaholics; seven courses, each with a complementary wine. It will be a heavy prep day on top of normal a ‘la carte business. The time the chef had hoped to work on next season’s restaurant menus would need to wait, he will need to give the prep crew a hand.

The chef continues to touch base with cooks in each department, refills his coffee mug, washes his hands and sets up a cutting board for the work ahead. He grabs his knife kit from the office and proceeds to draw the blades of his French knife, boning knife, and bird’s beak tourne over a wet stone. He always enjoys the feeling and the sound of carbon steel as it makes contact with the stone. There is a spiritual connection between the stone and the steel that can be sensed. The two belong together. Once the chef is confident that the edge is honed, a few draws down his steel to remove any burrs, a quick wash and sanitize of the blade, and he is ready.

Over the next three hours, the kitchen is filled with a cacophony of sound: the chopping sound of blades on the cutting boards, the clanging of pots and pans, sizzle of meats being seared in a hot pan, constant hum of the exhaust fans and the roar of the conveyor dish machine have become the music the chef and his cooks seem to enjoy.

Throughout the shift, the chef responds to clues that are passed his way through the smells, sounds, sights, textures and tastes of the kitchen. His highly acute, educated senses can tell if a piece of chicken or beef is being properly seared by the sounds of a pan, hot enough to create that Maillard reaction resulting in a beautiful caramel color and the browning of sugars to enhance flavor. “Your pan is not hot enough. Wait before you place the meat in the pan and do NOT overcrowd the pan. Sear it, don’t steam it!” His nose can identify that pan of sliced almonds on the verge of burning, the fish that is too far passed it’s useful life or the bread that is ready to come out of the oven without even seeing or touching it. A tap on the bottom of the loaf to catch that hollow sound is the final signal of a loaf ready for the cooling shelf. Every cook, as the day goes on, will bring samples of their work to the chef for final adjustments or approval of the taste profile expected. They may all have great “buds”, but it is the chef’s palate that has earned the right of final approval.

Working in a kitchen is so incredibly unique. There is no other profession that not only allows, but; requires employees to turn on and tune in all of their senses, every minute. Those who are most successful in the kitchen are cooks with well-defined olfactory senses and firmly developed taste buds. What is even more important is the “flavor memory” that each cook owns. This memory is a database of sensual experiences that over time, allows the cook to know; this is what the product should look, sound, smell, feel and taste like.

From the moment the chef or cook arrives, there are opportunities to charge up the senses. Smelling those cantaloupes when they arrive from the vendor to determine if they are ripe enough for refrigeration or if they need a day or two in dry storage to mature; or snapping the green beans allowing the cook to establish if they are from a fresh harvest or cold storage. A bakers gentle touch of a dough during bowl proof will define whether it is time to punch down the dough and form it into individual loaves. A simple press of the fingers on a steak being grilled will send a message to a line cooks memory as to the degree of doneness. All of these, and so many more sensual opportunities exist in a kitchen, every day.

By the end of a shift, cooks all suffer from sensual overload. Yes, the job is very physical, stressful and even emotional, but what many do not realize (unless you live the life of a cook) is that cooking can leave your senses in a state of shock. Each day, cooks need to wake those senses up again and exercise them like an athlete in training.

The color of a beautiful glass of Pinot Noir can help an educated chef determine the quality of the drinking experience. That perfect caramelization of a diver scallop in clarified butter will awaken the memory of how it should taste. The smell of a rustic loaf of sour dough bread pulled from the oven or the enticing aroma of the garlic, onions and tomatoes in a well-prepared marinara are triggers that allow good cooks to become great chefs.

Those who wonder what it is like to work in a professional kitchen, day in and day out, must know that it truly is a sensual experience. Beyond the intensity of the work, beyond the barking of chefs and servers, way past the demands of the guest and owner, cooking is sensual. This is really what brings us back time and again. It all starts each day with the smell of rich coffee, bacon, onions and pastries hot from the oven. You have to love it. Cooking is the best job on the planet.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC
www.harvestamericaventures.com

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