Harvest America CUES BLOG

cooking

  • 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… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • 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.… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • 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,… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • CHEFS KNOW – IT SUCKS TO BE IN CHARGE

    To a serious cook, the prize is to reach the pinnacle of his or her career – reaching for the position of chef in a property. Becoming the person with the embroidered jacket, the office with a nameplate, the business… Continue reading

  • 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… Continue reading

  • COOKING IS THE ULTIMATE SENSUAL EXPERIENCE

    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… Continue reading

  • LINE COOKS ARE THE ENGINE THAT DRIVE A RESTAURANT

    It takes many years for a good cook to become a great cook, to become a chef. There is an enormous amount of experience that leads to the ability to lead a kitchen, to create a vision and set the… Continue reading

  • ENOUGH WITH INACCURATE TV FOOD SHOWS

    Nearly everyone in the restaurant business that I know cringes when anyone mentions one of the “reality food shows” on various networks. Inaccurate would not go far enough to describe the environment that is portrayed. Some may clarify and say,… Continue reading

  • DEEPER STILL: LINE COOKS AFTER HOURS

    Everything seemed to be in order at the end of service. Jake’s station was spotless, his knives were cared for and locked up, his dirty uniform replaced by jeans and a sweatshirt, and his prep list for tomorrow was on… Continue reading

  • IS YOUR RESTAURANT STRUGGLING TO MAKE A PROFIT? LET’S LOOK AT THE MENU.

    The restaurant business is built on very narrow margins. We are constantly faced with decisions that nip away at the pennies that operators try to make on every dollar in sales. Let’s look at some basic facts that have placed… Continue reading

  • SOUP’S ON!

    The air is crisp, fog sits on the lake every morning, leaves are turning to vibrant colors, sweaters come out of hiding, the sun burns off the fog but still leaves a chill in the air, and cooks are busy… Continue reading

  • SHORT ORDER COOKS WERE MY HEROS

    I can still remember that day in my hometown of Buffalo, New York. I was 10 years old and on a shopping trip downtown with my mother as we came upon that restaurant with a full picture window framing in… Continue reading

  • Onions – The Most Important Ingredient

    Two things occurred in the same week a few years back when I was the Executive Chef at a four-diamond resort. A server approached me when I was expediting and stated that a guest was allergic to onions and wanted… Continue reading

  • THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COOK AND A CHEF

    A few years back I read of an interview with a prominent chef who was asked: “what is the difference between a chef and the millions of cooks throughout America.” The response, to me, was a perfect definition: “Most reasonably… Continue reading

  • PROFESSIONAL COOKING IS A TEAM SPORT

    The cadence of orders in a busy kitchen seems unrelenting. A staccato clicking from the point of sale printer sends out a drum roll of orders while the expeditor calmly, yet seriously calls out tickets in kitchen lingo to the… Continue reading

  • Escargots – So Much for Eating with your Eyes

    I oftentimes find myself asking “who was the first brave person to eat………(fill in the blank)”. A long-time advocate for insuring that food looks good, I am somewhat perplexed at the exceptions to the rule. Food does have to get… Continue reading

  • It is Time for Reform – Your Health is the Top Priority

    The Elephant in the Closet: So here is the reality: I praise the president for making an attempt at healthcare reform and unlike some I do not necessarily oppose what has been labeled as Obamacare. I think the greatest nation… Continue reading