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BEING A COOK IS MORE THAN THE PROCESS OF COOKING

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, then read on. Moving forward in search of doing something meaningful and growing your position into a career may require some adjustments and a definite plan.

So, here are some golden rules that will help you to move in the right direction. Maybe this is who you already are, but if not, then view these as some “food for thought” that can turn your professional life around.

[] BE POSITIVE:

Simple, right? Pushing aside the challenges and problems cooks face every day and resisting the tendency to find fault and complain is not easy. We can always find things to disagree with and people who frustrate us, but very little good ever comes out of this approach. As is often said – learn to become a problem-solver and not a finger pointer, build people up instead of tearing them down, and reap the long-term benefits of a positive attitude. People will notice.

[] INVEST IN YOURSELF:

Self-improvement is the ticket to competence and confidence. Don’t wait for someone else to build your skills and knowledge – take charge of your own growth. Join, engage, read, learn, practice, connect, experience, and volunteer – this is how we improve.

[] BE A TEAM PLAYER/LEADER:

Start by becoming an exceptional follower and an advocate for playing your part in a team effort. Look at your current role as the most important in the success of the operation and the power of the plate. Master your role and support those around you. Share, teach, and train others – this is the fuel that drives your own leadership engine. Every good leader understands how important great followership is and how the leader’s role is to give them all the support he or she can muster.

[] DEFINE YOUR BENCHMARKS:

Find those cooks, chefs, restaurants, companies, or inspirational leaders who define excellence and learn from them. Study how they work, why they are so committed, and how they approach their work. Use all of this as your roadmap to success. Push yourself to be better and use their performance as a guiding light.

[] WORK WHERE YOU CAN LEARN:

As you build your skill set make sure you select employers who are willing to invest in you; places where mentorship, training, and helpful critique are part of their method of operation. Everything else will come to you as you fine tune those skills and the knowledge to be exceptional at what you do.

[] BE YOUR OWN WORST CRITIC:
Don’t wait for someone else to critique your work – assess your performance and compare it to those benchmarks. If you can improve then set a course to do so. Find out the best way to improve, seek out those individuals who have mastered a particular task and connect with the intent to accept critique.

[] FIND A MENTOR/BE A MENTOR:

Set your focus on finding a person who will be honest in their critique and willing to show you how to improve. Don’t settle for a person who always seeks to compliment – you will only improve if someone is honest and helpful at the same time. Finding a mentor is the most important step you can take to change your professional life.

[] THIRST FOR EXPERIENCES:

Be willing to step outside your comfort zone if there is an opportunity to learn. Seek out unique opportunities to experience great food, the source of that food, the people who dedicate their lives to it, the service that accompanies exceptional dining, and the commitment to excellence that very successful cooks and chefs are a part of. Immerse in experiences whenever they are available. Spend a week working on a farm, tour a meat processing plant, work on a fishing boat, save your money and dine at extraordinary restaurants, work the crush at a local vineyard, help the best ice carver in your area, stage at the best restaurants on your days off, shadow a coffee barista and learn their craft, attend food shows and culinary organization workshops – everything helps to build that base of knowledge, improver your resume, and change your professional life.

[] FIND A WAY TO BALANCE:

If there is a lesson that most seasoned chefs will point to is finding balance. All work and no play make any cook rather dull and positioned to fail as a friend, sibling, spouse, or parent. Make sure your plan includes diet, exercise, free time, family time, travel, and relaxation. Work hard but know how to step away.

[] CONNECT:

Be part of something larger than you, join groups of cooks, restaurateurs, bakers, and food enthusiasts who can offer a different perspective, cutting edge changes on how we cook and present food, or the best way to ensure financial success in the restaurant business. This will feed your competence and confidence and provide a network of resource experts who will be there when you need an answer.

[] RESPECT OTHERS:

Remember the rules of thumb for teamwork and leadership. They all evolve around a commitment to respecting those around you who share a stove, grow the ingredients you use, carry your food to a guest, and manage the operation to ensure that it remains financially healthy. Respect for others leads to the respect you receive in return.

[] RAISE THE BAR:

As good as you may be today, you should never accept good as the best you can become. Always push that carrot a little out of reach and then work like crazy to grab it. Just when you think you are there – push it out a little further. Remember, excellence is a journey, not a destination.

[] ALWAYS BE IN SEARCH OF EXCELLENCE:
Use the concept of excellence, even perfection as the goal knowing that it will never be reached. Again, the journey towards excellence will always result in constant improvement – a chance to “wow” those around you.

Stay the course, enjoy the ride, and know that when your sights are on excellence your life will constantly change for the better.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Seek to be all that you can be.

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

(Over 800 articles about the business and people of food)

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

More than 50 interviews with the most influential people in food

CHEF OF THE COLD KITCHEN

09 Tuesday Mar 2021

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chefs, Cold Kitchen, cooks, culinary, Garde Manger

We have all heard the phrase: “If you can’t stand the heat – get out of the kitchen”. To many it defines what it is like to work in a restaurant kitchen – toiling over cherry red hot flat tops and char broiler flames that rise up to surround steaks and chops seeking those perfect grill marks, a deep fryer spitting hot oil back at the fry cook, and pans so hot that they would polish the palms of a cook if touched without a proper dry towel. Those who have held a station position on the line know what it’s like to feel sweat run down your back, chef hats soaked at the end of the night, feet swollen from the heat, and dinner plates almost too hot to handle. The temperature in front of the sauté station is likely in excess of 150 degrees and the broiler even higher. Ovens are cranked up all the way during service so that opening and closing of doors does not drop the temperature too much, and if you have a wood fired oven for pizza it is likely tipping the scales at over 700 degrees. It’s hot!

But….there is another part of the kitchen where this is not so. A part of the kitchen that is home to cooks and chefs who are just as hard working and just as talented as those on the line. This is a place where the pressure of the clock still exists, where orders off the POS seem to stream just as relentlessly, and where impatient servers tap their shoes and stare just as mercilessly as they do on the hot line. This is the home of Garde Manger, or pantry, or simply – the cold kitchen. This is where cold appetizers, salads, terrines, pates, cheese plates, and likely desserts are presented with a high level of artistic expression and where, in many cases, the profit in restaurants reside.

Don’t dismiss this area of the kitchen. While the hot line may be home to the adrenaline rush and the machismo associated with a bit of suffering to accompany the excitement – the cold kitchen is a place of a methodical approach towards design and structure. The person who is dedicated to the cooking methods used and the complexity of design will find that the cold kitchen is a place where cooks learn about ratios and formulas, the exactness of flavor building that is sometimes replaced by an educated palate on the hot line, and where the layout on the plate can be comprised of an inventory of flavors that are both separate and unified akin to planning out what clothes you might wear signifying the uniqueness of each piece and the symmetry of the whole package.

When an appetizer is planned appropriately it is a vivid introduction to a meal, a piece that starts the process of leading up to the entrée and foretells what the guest can expect. The flavors should be full and tempting causing the person to both salivate and anticipate what will follow. The garde manger must be conservative with portion sizes while affording the greatest impact on the dining experience. Additionally, the cold appetizer that arrives from the garde manger must be so striking as to cause the guest to stop and admire the dish from different angles before experiencing the flavor, aroma, and texture. Finally, the cold appetizer should be such that the guest is hoping for more, but knowing that the stage has been set for subsequent courses to complete the package.

If it is a pate, terrine, or galantine; rillettes, plate of canapés, or even the before the meal amuse bouche – the Garde Manger must understand composition, the role of and ratio for fat to meat, the impact that temperature has on the flavor profile of the item, the best way to use space on the plate, the right complements or sauces that will enhance the flavor of the item while not attacking the palate leaving it unreceptive to the next course. It is a fine line to walk – one that requires the planning of the menu to be such that all courses are designed to marry with others. Chef Grant Achatz of Alinea Restaurant in Chicago refers to it as “Flavor Bouncing” where everything on a plate marries with every other ingredient and every dish on a menu does the same with other dishes.

When the Garde Manger approaches salads- he or she does so with the same enthusiasm that a Sauté Cook or Grillade does with a dish from their station. There can be no “utilitarian” salad in a true garde manger department. The salad, even one described as a “side”, should be able to stand alone in terms of its flavor blending, and visual presentation. Salads from this department are designed to accent the components of construction to include a base, body, garnish, and dressing. Nothing on the salad plate is superfluous – everything has a purpose. The ingredients must reflect the height of freshness, the colors and flavors of the season, the application of height and breadth on the plate, the textures that excite the palate, and a dressing that is noticeable, yet reluctant to hide the natural flavors of the primary ingredients. In a true garde manger department the salad dressing is applied by the cook, not by the server, and the dressing used is specific to the integrity of the dish.

Oftentimes the cold kitchen is also the place where the work of a pastry chef or baker is assembled for the guest. The ingredients of gelato, sorbet, cakes, tortes, pate au choux, Bavarian, mousse, coulis and hippenmasse, and tuilles and savarin may have been prepared earlier that day, but the Garde Manger at night is assigned the responsibility of pulling everything together in an orchestra of color, height, structure, texture balance, and exciting flavor. This is, after all, the end of the meal and a memory that guests will carry with them.

On buffets it is the Garde Manger who stands tall and steals the show. Those platters of charcuterie, relishes and chutneys, exotic cheeses presented as if someone measured the precise distance between pieces and placed them as a river might flow within the boundaries of its banks. Standing tall on risers, or tilted toward the guest as if waiting for a camera to capture the art, these platters signify the commitment to quality that exists in the kitchen and how proud every cook is of the work done.

The first course and the last course are in the hands of the cold kitchen and as such become the basis for memories of the dining experience. It is this combination that affords the restaurant an opportunity to earn a profit. Those items that guests need not purchase, yet if presented properly are highly desired, are the ones that signify whether a restaurant will be able to remain viable or not. This is the role of the garde manger and the value of the cold kitchen. Don’t underestimate the importance of the person who calls this area of your kitchen – home.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

THE AMERICAN RESTAURANT 2022 (Post Pandemic)

22 Monday Feb 2021

chefs, cooks, restaurants, Restaurants in 2022, restaurateurs, the future of the restaurant business

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Ah…now is the time for everyone to start speculating about what the restaurant business will look like when all of this craziness is over. Let’s start with what we are fairly comfortable saying: whatever “normal” is will likely not make an appearance until the end of 2021 – so…let’s begin our speculation with January of 2022 to be safe. I know what you are thinking – WHAT!!!! Restaurants cannot wait that long, no way, no how – this is the end of the world, as we know it. Sorry – just trying to be realistic. Once we have a target we might at least be able to plan effectively to either re-invent or throw in the towel. At least the real bad news is out of the way.

Now, let’s think about the purpose of restaurants so that current and potential restaurateurs and chefs can choose the direction they want to take.

THE PURPOSE OF RESTAURANTS (Where do you want to fit)

To nourish and provide sustenance
To offer convenience
To provide a forum for conversation
To create opportunities for gatherings
To reward customers
To provide an outlet for chef creativity
To complete a neighborhood or destination
To rock customers world

There may be more reasons, but these are the most common. So choose where you want to sit and lets jump on the speculation train.

[] NOURISH AND PROVIDE SUSTENANCE:

Without a doubt – one of the primary purposes of a restaurant and one that supports the defined needs of a guest is to fill their stomachs. There are numerous multi-billion dollar chains along with countless mom and pop operations that do a great job on this front. Of, course the food must be tasty and appealing at some level and above all else – consistent. If this is your purpose then the field is wide open and will remain so as long as the price you charge matches the level of purpose.

[] OFFER CONVENIENCE:

Quite often, the restaurant that is focused on nourishment is also great at providing convenience. In a world where everyone seems to live on tight schedules – convenience rules the day. How convenient you might ask: we barely need to slow down our cars and roll down the window when our food arrives – that’s convenience. During the pandemic – those operators who have been able to convert their operations to take out, curb side, or delivery using third party providers like GrubHub and Uber Eats have hit the nail on the head. Safety and convenience are first and foremost in consumer’s minds.

[] PROVIDE A FORUM FOR CONVERSATION:

The heart and soul of many communities is a place where conversation flows freely – a place where opinions reign and where judgment of others is set aside in favor of a free flow of ideas. This was (is) the design of classic coffee houses, speakeasys, and corner cafes for generations. Whether a restaurant or tavern fills the role is dependent on many factors, but high on the list is the owner’s intent on creating a mecca for this to take place. If creating this type of environment is high on your list of priorities then there will come a time, an important time, when we are able to return to this type of interaction.

[] TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GATHERINGS:

Houses focused on catering informal and formal events whether it is that tavern where people gathered after a game to celebrate a win or commiserate a loss, the banquet hall booked for weddings, reunions, birthdays, and holidays; or simply that restaurant where you can always depend on familiar faces to clink glasses with – gathering spots are important. We have felt the pain of their loss over the past year, and will need to do without them a bit longer, but in all likelihood they will return in a very robust way once it makes sense.

[] TO REWARD CUSTOMERS:

There are operators who enter the business for altruistic reasons: to bring happiness to people, to reward them when others may forget to do so, or even to allow guests to find their own reason to seek a pat on the back. Great food and drink and honest, sincere service can be the sunshine at the end of a not so terrific day. This is what hospitality is all about.

[] TO PROVIDE AN OUTLET FOR CHEF CREATIVITY:

The definition of a chef sometimes includes: “frustrated artist”. Individuals who dedicate their lives to the preparation of food often view the plate as their canvas and what they do as something far more than just nourishment. This may be your priority, but know that those on the consuming end may not appreciate the chef’s art form. Restaurants are businesses as well and the customer is the other end of the restaurant tug of war. Art is wonderful, but in business it must sell to have any real value.

[] TO COMPLETE A NEIGHBORHOOD OR DESTINATION:

Look at your own neighborhood and point to any common point of interest that helps to bring people together and turn a few blocks of houses into a community of homes. Chances are pretty good that the point of interest will be a restaurant. Gentrification or urban renewal almost always begins with the opening of a place of dining. Focusing on this makes both altruistic and good business sense.

[] ROCK CUSTOMERS’ WORLD:

Ah, then there are restaurants, restaurant owners, chefs and cooks who see the operation as a vehicle for standing out, for making people jump up and applaud, for confusing the competition and helping people focus on food experiences that they never imagined. These are the risk takers, the individuals who push the envelope, and the ones who work like crazy because they have a goal of knocking people’s socks off. If this is your objective then know that it is hard, it involves the fickle nature of consumers, it requires superhuman effort to earn and then more to maintain a reputation for “the extraordinary”. To see this as a goal is to make a lifetime commitment to constant improvement because what rocks a customer today will become ordinary tomorrow. Many have tried, but few have succeeded.

So, what will rise to the top when the Covid Monster has gone into hibernation? Impossible to say, but there are some indications of change they just might have staying power. Here are a few to chew on:

GHOST KITCHENS are making people scratch their heads and wonder if this is the next “big” thing. Rent kitchen space, develop multiple concepts around a core of ingredients, develop a separate branding campaign including “order friendly” websites, contract with a third party delivery service and go to town. Minimal staff, no long-term lease, no property taxes, no dining room, no service protocol, and social media as your only marketing initiative. If one of those brands fails to move well then shut down the website and you are done. Much of the sizzle is set aside, customer interaction is non-existent, and the feeling of community may be lost – but it certainly is interesting and it eliminates many of the challenges that restaurants face.

FOOD TRUCKS are not a passing fad. Eliminating the need for brick and mortar and a set location give restaurateurs a chance to take the product where the customer is and move freely when customers have a need to do the same. Limited, focused menus; high impact flavors; spontaneity, and limited staff needs make this a very attractive model for chefs and owners. Add a rented commissary kitchen space (ghost kitchen) for prep and you can scale a hot concept to multiple trucks working an entire city.

POP UP RESTAURANTS give a chef the opportunity to experiment with concepts, menu items, styles of service and preparation, and even multiple locations. Running a concept for a few weeks can provide enough analytical data to support the need for a brick and mortar operation someday down the road. It makes sense to move in together before marriage.

GROCERY STORE PARTNERSHIPS provide chefs with another potential outlet for their product without the headache of dining rooms, service staff, and the pressure of the clock. Renting shelf or cooler space for your product places the merchandising, collection of cash and credit, and facilities maintenance in the hands of the store. Placing your product in a location where customers visit anyway opens the door for spontaneous sales providing your packaging and point of sale merchandising is top shelf.

BRICK AND MORTAR OPERATIONS will have a much more difficult time rising from the destruction that the pandemic is leaving behind. Lease, mortgage, utilities, staffing, and the need to convince people to visit you is even more of a challenge than in the past. There is little doubt that location restaurants will return, will service the needs of customers, and in some cases will thrive, but they’re a far greater gamble than other options – at least in the short term.

Be cautious, but through planning and the willingness to make solid business decisions you can find a market for your product and service.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

https://cafemeetingplace.com/cafe-podcasts

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

THAT FIRST NIGHT ON THE LINE ALL OVER AGAIN

10 Wednesday Feb 2021

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cooks, kitchen, line cooks, restaurants

One thing is for sure – we will be back. We don’t know exactly when, or what it might look like, but we will be back. A year has gone by and most cooks have now forgotten what it was like to have a full dining room, to feel the anxiety of the wait for those first tickets, of feeling that you don’t know how things will turn out. It has been a long year of uncertainty that has pulled you away from what you do best; a year that maybe even made you question whether or not this “cooking thing” is what you want to do any more.

It was the exercising of your skills, relying on your competence and confidence, of getting ready for battle and conquering the beast that made you want to crawl out of bed in the morning and face another day of craziness. With all of it’s speed bumps, curve balls, and relentlessness – this job is something that you were good at, something that brought excitement along with a touch of fear, a job that made you feel alive and pushed you to your limits. It has been far too long since you felt all of these emotions.

One day it will all return. One day customers will fill those restaurant seats, look at your menu with anticipation, test your abilities and sometimes your patience, and give you reason to click those tongs with anxious anticipation. I don’t know if it will come this summer or fall, but I do know that the day will come and I hope that you will be ready.

Consider this to be the off-season for cooks, a time to relax a bit and shed some of the stress, but also a time to get into a new rhythm of conditioning. This is the time to build your physical strength, hone your technical skills, exercise your mental acuity, and dig into more of the “why” that you cook a certain way. This is not a time to forget and lose a step, this is a time to get ready for the real season to come, and it will come.

I am certain of this because people need us, our communities need us, the economy needs us, growers and producers need us, and we need to do what we do best – it is our calling to cook. People crave the opportunity to gather again, to laugh and cheer, to break bread and tell stories, to raise a glass and toast to today and tomorrow. This is human nature and it cannot be denied forever – restaurants will rise again as soon as they are able. The time is getting near; if we all work to contain this virus and stand ready to receive the vaccine – the time will come soon.

So here are a few reminders for cooks immersed in the off-season – we are about to enter spring training camp – a time when we put aside what we have lost and bring ourselves into competitive condition.

[] PHYSICAL STRENGTH

You remember – don’t you? Pulling a 10-12 hour shift off is physically demanding. You will be on your feet for most of that time, always lots of movement – turning, lifting, bending, stretching to reach, using your shoulders and back, and gripping and flipping filled sauté pans allowing the food to dance with the syncopation of orders coming and going. You will need to be ready for this. You will perform best if you are in condition. This is the time to immerse in a physical exercise regiment. Walking, running, weight lifting, sit-ups, push ups, chin ups, hand exercises, stretching and good nutrition will be the keys. Keep that weight down and hone your diet to that of one most aligned with an athlete. GREAT LINE COOKS REALLY ARE ATHLETES!

[] MENTAL ACUITY

Being able to think clearly is essential if you are to win the battles on the line. Remember – those orders will come at you with relentless rapidity. The expeditor will challenge your retention skills, the steps in cooking that differ from dish to dish will test your memory, your flavor memory will be your friend once again as you taste-season-taste, and your ability to problem-solve when things go sideways will be your saving grace more times than you can imagine right now. Take time every day to walk through those steps in cooking that made you superb at your job; run through all of those problem scenarios that came your way in the past and jot down how you solved (or failed to solve) the problem, and push yourself to multi-task in your current environment – fill your head with too much to do and try like crazy to work your way through the list.

[] SKILL TUNING

It will be the foundations again that save the day, that will make you valuable to an employer, that will separate you from those who don’t quite have what it takes. Knife skills, mise en place, sanitation, and speed and dexterity are all part of your bag of tricks. Practice them at home or work even when business volume doesn’t demand it. Keep your knives sharp, organize yourself every day, and keep your lists of things to do (even if not related to cooking) – all of this will pay off when that day arrives.

[] KNOWLEDGE

Read professional cookbooks, study the cuisine that you are focused on, and make a list of those processes that you followed in the kitchen – “because that’s the way you were taught” – and commit to finding out “why” those processes are important. Commit to being more knowledgeable when business returns – the more you know the more confident you will become.

[] TEAM BUILDING

I know it’s hard to work on team skills when the team is not together, but what you can do is to mentally walk through scenarios in the past that can help to drive your “team savvy” approach in the future. Think about those actions of yours or others that drove a wedge between team members and think through ways of avoiding that in the future. Write down those “team defeating” actions that drove you crazy in the past and commit to working through them in a more positive way in the future. Think about “why” things might have gone sideways in the past and how honest sharing with the team can help to work through those events in the future. Don’t let correctible problems raise up their ugly head in the future and put a damper on the effectiveness of a team.

[] RE-COMMIT TO YOUR COMMITMENT

Most importantly, this is a time to ask yourself a very important question: “Now that I have been forced to step back or step away from the life of a cook – do I want to jump back in when the opportunity arises? Am I willing and able to re-commit what it takes to be GREAT at what I do?” If the answer is “no or I’m not sure” – then this is a perfect time to start thinking about your next career choice. If the answer is “yes” then roll up your sleeves and get to work on your conditioning. The time WILL come when restaurants are back in full swing.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

CULINARY SCHOOL – STICK YOUR TOE IN THE WATER BEFORE BUYING A BOAT

18 Monday Jan 2021

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becoming a chef, chefs, cooks, Culinary School, kitchen, restaurant work

There are a handful of very significant decisions that we make in life – decisions that involve tremendous commitments of time, effort, focus, and yes – money. Starting a relationship, a decision to marry, buying a house or an expensive car, opening a business, and enrolling in college are all decisions that would be considered “monumental”. The right decision can lead you to self-awareness, long-term gratification, rewarding careers, and the foundations of family. The wrong decision – of course will be the opposite. How we go about making those decisions is the real question.

Making a decision to marry another person without taking the time to understand who he or she is and what makes that person tick can lead to loads of pain and disappointment. Buying a home without researching what is available, how that location fits your life situation, and how you will manage paying for that home can weigh heavy on your shoulders. Choosing to attend a college, especially one that is focused on a very specific career path without having a clear idea of what that career path is and how it will impact your life – will oftentimes lead to heartache and years of burdensome debt.

So – you are a young (or not so young) person who loves food, enjoys restaurants, and finds the media depiction of becoming a chef to be exciting and rewarding. “This looks like something that I would love to do for the rest of my professional life.” This might be true, and if you like games of chance, maybe this is a “roll of the dice” that is intriguing. If you understand the implications of: “You can’t always judge a book by looking at the cover”, then you should understand that the sizzle may sell the steak, but the sizzle doesn’t always tell the full story.

It has been my experience that those who choose culinary school as a way to build a strong foundation for a career in the kitchen fall into one of two brackets:

Those who do so from a place of experience (they have worked in a kitchen – preferably one that is run in a professional manner)
Those who do so by placing all of their decision making powers in the hands of the media

In other words those who understand what they are getting into vs. those who don’t. Now, I do not have any statistical data to support my next observation, but I have found that those who have spent time in a kitchen before entering culinary school are more committed, more intent on doing everything they can to absorb all that is offered, hungrier to learn and apply new skills, and far more likely to succeed and stick with their career choice. Again, an unscientific conclusion, but I would bet that many culinary instructors and restaurant chefs would agree.

My plea to those who are wrestling with a decision about culinary college is to get a job in a kitchen first. If you are a high school student – find a part-time position on weekends while in school and full time in that summer period. If you are a career changer – knock on a chef’s door and tell him or her of your plans to attend school, ask for a position in the kitchen (yes starting off as a dishwasher is a good decision), tie on an apron and give it a whirl. You will learn what you need to know about the type of work, the physical demands, the stress of timing, how decisions are made, the organization of a kitchen that sometimes is chaotic, the dynamics of team, the demands of a customer, the heartache that comes from a rejected meal, the joy that comes from an occasional compliment, the exhilaration of serving more guests in a meal period than anyone thought was possible, the crush of defeat when things go sideways, and the effort that will be required to move from dishwasher to chef at some point in time. Just imagine how shocking it would be to enter that culinary school classroom or kitchen without having those experiences under your belt.

Those decisions in life that are monumental are learning experiences, but proper research will help to minimize the negative impact of wrong ones. Culinary schools understand all of this, but at the same time they are intent on making sure that enough students enroll to make a class viable. After all – everyone should have an opportunity to succeed or fail, but when students discover mid-term that this is not for them, then everyone suffers from a realization that did not have to be. When a student fails to complete a program or loses the energy to remain passionate then it hurts the instructor and the school as much as it does the student.

There was a time when prior experience was a pre-requisite to acceptance into a culinary program, but the feeling that this is somehow counter-intuitive to a persons right to choose what he or she wants took over the logic of requiring prior experience. I believe, that this is a harmful change in approach.

If a prospective student is wrestling with the college decision then there are avenues that can help. Working in a restaurant is a natural step in the right direction, but there is also the vocational education option for high school students or if all else seems to not fit your situation – at least schedule appointments with local chefs and ask if they would talk with you about “what it takes”. Spend a couple days as a stage’ (working or shadowing without pay) in a restaurant just to get a feel for the environment. Dine in as many different restaurants as you can and ask for a tour of the kitchen. Do whatever you can to paint a more accurate picture than is portrayed in the media. You owe this to yourself! Restaurant work is NOT FOR EVERYONE. Once engaged in a restaurant you will find that 98% of what you do in the kitchen is just plain hard work. You need to learn about the heat and the sweat, the physical demands, the emotional requirements, the infringements on what is considered a “normal” life/work balance, and the time that it will take to accumulate the skills, knowledge, and experience to become a chef.

Stick your toe in the water before you choose to buy the boat. You might start by reading the 650 articles in this blog.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC
Restaurant Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

THE KITCHEN MAGIC OF CHEF PHIL LEARNED

12 Tuesday Jan 2021

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chef, cooks, kitchens, Phil Learned, The Balsams

Our industry recently lost a giant of the professional kitchen. Chef Phil Learned stood tall in the kitchen of The Balsams Grand Resort in Dixville Notch, NH. In its day, the Balsams was one of the finest destination resorts in the country – a place of elegant relaxation, beautiful surroundings, and most notably – exceptional food. This place tucked away in the hills of the northeast represented the epitome of culinary arts in their American Plan dining room. A stay at the Balsams included all meals – each one representative of the dining style that had a long history of classic representation.

The kitchen of the Balsams was expansive and structured in the manner of Escoffier. A separate pastry shop with Patissier and Boulanger, a Garde Manger department where elaborate platters of charcuterie, cheeses, fruit and crudité were built to complete elaborate buffet presentations; a butcher shop that broke down primal and sub primal cuts of meat and filleted the fresh fish that came from Portland, Gloucester and Boston; simmering stocks and reducing sauces from the prep kitchen; and of course a hot line that was built for speed and volume with quality always front and center.

The menu changed every night within a cycle with a full array of appetizer, salad, entrée and dessert choices for an audience that was likely staying at the hotel for a week or more at a time (many of the patrons were second or third generation Balsam’s guests) since a stay at the “Notch” was a family right of passage. Each line cook during service had one dish to prepare completely. Guests would make their selection, servers would drop off a plate cover to a cook’s station, and then the final preparation and plating would begin. Counts were tallied throughout the night and the chef/expeditor would keep everyone apprised as to how many guests had been served and how many registered guests remained. Service was swift and efficient as the 300-400 patrons were acknowledged at each meal.

What was most impressive to me was the work leading up to service. From purchasing to plating there was a commitment to communication and doing your job well. Professionalism was expected from the starched chef uniforms that were maintained by the on-site laundry, the cleaning regiment that everyone participated in, the adherence to classical techniques, and the respect that was shown everyone who became part of the team.

Prior to the beginning of service each cook had to prepare two sample plating’s of his or her respective dish. One was set for the department chefs to evaluate before service, making any last minute adjustments to the flavor profile and presentation; and the other would grace the show table in the dining room. This way, every guest who entered the dining room was able to see every menu item as they made their menu decision.

Those last few moments before the dining room doors were opened saw every member of the service staff around the show table as chefs went over the preparation, ingredients, and flavors of each dish. It was important for service staff to know the menu and be that seasoned resource for guest questions. This ritual was so important to the Balsam’s Experience.

At the core of the kitchen team were highly professional, accomplished chefs and a cadre of enthusiastic apprentices. The Balsams was one of the premier formal cook’s apprenticeship sites in the country. Supported by the American Culinary Federation, this highly structured 6,000-hour program was the passion of Phil Learned. He was always an ambassador for passing it forward – for making sure that what he had learned throughout his career, was given with enthusiasm to any who were committed and enthusiastic recipients.

Over the years a significant number of young cooks got their start in the Balsam’s kitchen as an ACF Apprentice. A number of those individuals went on to hold the top position in restaurant, hotel, resort, and club kitchens as well as those who went on to become entrepreneurs. It was easy to recognize a Balsam’s cook in their spotless, starched chef coats and professional decorum. “Yes Chef” was the typical response to any directive that was made in Chef Learned’s kitchen. After two tours in the military (WWII with the Marines and Korea as a member of the Army) Chef Phil worked his way up to his first chef position at the Balsam’s in 1966. He served as Executive Chef (the first chef to be certified at that level in the State of New Hampshire) until 1977 when he became the Director of Food Services where he stayed until 2005.

Since many of the employees at the resort were apprentices or interns from other schools – a significant portion of staff members lived on property during their season. This led to a sense of team and loads of positive camaraderie. Chef Learned, cognizant of the importance of professionalism and team dynamics always made sure that staff meals were of the highest quality and a priority of the kitchen. He also instilled a commitment to the basics of cooking. Stocks were made as they were intended, knife skills were to be exact, sauces were defined by their history, caramelization in cooking was paramount, the right pan for the right task, and mise en place ruled the day.

Chef Phil will be missed, but his legacy will live on – a legacy of giving back, of teaching the next generation, of insisting on standards of excellence, setting the stage in kitchens for professional conduct, and customer service above all else. I feel fortunate to have known Chef Learned and to call him a friend. Working with many of his exceptional leadership team: Charles Carroll, Steve James, Will Beriau, Torill Carroll, Steve Learned, Jennifer Beach, and John Carroll – I built a new level of commitment to my own work as did every young cook who passed through those kitchen doors.

Rest in Peace Chef!

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

THE RESTAURANT ECO-SYSTEM NEEDS HELP

17 Thursday Dec 2020

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chefs, cooks, Restaurant failure, restaurant success, restaurants need help, restaurateurs

There are a number of reasons why restaurants fail – some are predictable and avoidable, while others can catch a business off guard. None, however, are as devastatingly out of the operators control as this pandemic. Even the best operators are at a loss for solutions. There are short-term band aid solutions such as takeout, delivery, or even conversion into retail markets where wine inventories and local necessities take over space once occupied by diners, but they are not a replacement for a steady turn of tables. Restaurants have been relegated to outside dining or limited indoor space with loads of protocol limitations (some that are even more stringent than what is expected of other businesses) – this doesn’t pay the bills or keep a staff employed.

The pandemic is an “all hands on deck” problem that can be somewhat contained through simple precautions, but until there is mass vaccination of a population – these precautions dig at the heart and soul of a business that is essential to our way of life, our psyche, and our social health and wellbeing.

There have been well over 100,000 restaurants that have closed their doors permanently as a result of the pandemic. Many of these restaurants have been around for decades or even generations. They just can’t survive the pain of lost business for months on end. Now, this alone might not keep the average consumer or politician up at night, but what they fail to understand is that restaurants are at the center of a broad eco-system of businesses that are inter-dependent. When your favorite restaurant closes its doors it is disturbing and sad, but it is also part of a domino effect that can tumble out of control.

Here are some of the other businesses that suffer when a restaurant closes, sometimes they too cannot survive as a result:

[] Regional Farmers: A significant percentage of farm crops are dedicated to restaurants. A reduction in restaurant business leads to crop waste, unplanted land, and serious cash flow problems for farmers. Already living on the edge – smaller farms cannot withstand this loss of business volume.

[] Fisherman: The end consumer’s love of fish cannot sustain a fisherman’s need to catch and sell a quantity of product to offset their expenses. Restaurants account for a large percentage of a fisherman’s direct or indirect business volume.

[] Ranchers: Have you noticed that the price of beef, pork, and chicken has increased significantly over the past few months? Those processing plants need to cover their substantial operational costs now that restaurant business has all but disappeared. If processing plants cannot find an outlet for their end product then this trickles down to the rancher who is saddled with cattle, pigs and chickens without a market. The end result is reduced herds, increased cost of feed, land without sufficient grazing, etc., etc.

[] Cheese Makers: Cheese, although there are exceptions, is still a product with a shelf life. When restaurants fail or reduce their product needs, then cheese makers must do the same. Inventories wane, waste becomes a real concern, decreased cheese product means a reduced need for milk putting a strain on dairy farmers, and the lists goes on and on.

[] Equipment Manufacturers: Restaurant kitchens are home to some very expensive equipment – when sales volume evaporates then restaurants are faced with aging equipment that they cannot replace, and delays in opening new operations that require equipment purchases. There is no other outlet for this specialized equipment.

[] Breweries: Sure, maybe consumers are directing their beer purchases to their local package store, but breweries know that this direct to consumer cycle is not sufficient to support their growing expenses. It is the restaurant segment of their business that creates a steady flow of cash to support their endeavors.

[] Distilleries and wineries: The same holds true for those who market distilled beverages, and of course the wine industry. Restaurants are the mainstay of business for vintners both domestic and imported.

[] Table Top Manufacturers: Restaurants are constantly buying and replacing china, glassware, and flatware for their restaurants. It is a business that is predictable and dependable – until purchases stop. Every restaurant that tries to survive during these difficult times will commit to tightening their belts and deferring any purchases that are deemed non-essential. Those companies focused on tabletop have found that their business has disintegrated.

[] Local Musicians: Musicians need to play. That wonderful local talent that graced the stage in bars and restaurants, and at banquets and festivals no longer has an outlet. There is literally no opportunity for them to play and earn a living. The need to survive will have a long-term impact on the availability of live music for quite some time. Musicians depend on the restaurant business.

[] Florists: Sure – florist shops do very well on Mother’s Day, Easter, and Valentine’s Day – but the rest of the year involves a full-time focus on weddings, banquets, reunions, anniversary parties, and daily restaurant floral displays. When this business goes away (there are no conferences, large wedding receptions, business gatherings, or restaurant floral displays during the pandemic) then the florist is left with unsustainable cash flow.

[] Linen Companies: The vast majority of restaurants do not have laundries where tablecloths and napkins, and restaurant uniforms and side towels can be laundered, starched and ironed. These restaurants rely on linen companies for this service as they rent all of the above. When business dries up in restaurants – so does business disappear for linen companies.

[] Wholesalers: Those companies that collect, deliver, stock, and bill for essential ingredients in restaurants depend, almost exclusively, on restaurants for their business. Unless they can change their business model and supply ingredients directly to consumers – then wholesalers are left with a greatly diminished amount of business volume.

[] Clothing Stores and Uniform Companies: Those local clothing stores take a direct and indirect hit from a faltering restaurant industry. Directly – those clothing stores that have relied on providing restaurant uniforms have found that their business model is void of customers. Indirectly, as fewer people take the risk of dining out and shelter at home during the pandemic, they also cut back on clothing purchases that they can display when enjoying a night at their local restaurant or bar.

[] Coffee Growers and Roasters: The direct to consumer market for coffee roasters is certainly important, and at some level the take out business and home brew option is still strong, but still a large section of their wholesale business has dried up as restaurants fail at an alarming rate while others have seen business volume decrease by 50% or more.

[] Landlords: Building owners have been a target during the pandemic as restaurants have found it impossible to meet the requirements of a lease. In the end, the landlord also has to pay bills and when a restaurant defaults – they find themselves in a very difficult situation. “Should we cancel a lease for non-payment and evict the tenant, or should we try to compromise?”

[] Bakeries: Most small to medium sized restaurants cannot afford the space or talent needed to produce their own breads and other baked goods. So, they rely on local or regional bakeries for those goods. Many bakeries have built their business model on this type of wholesale as their mainstay. When restaurants fail – they take your local bakeries with them.

[] Culinary and Restaurant Management Colleges: With a decrease in the number of restaurants and significantly lower volume of business – there is far less need for those young, eager graduates. Schools are experiencing dramatic declines in enrollment and challenges in job placement. Every day brings another college program closing.

The list could go on and each of these listed businesses has their own eco-system of impacted operations. The point is that that failing local restaurant is only part of the dilemma. If we allow restaurants to fail, then we allow the entire ecosystem to fail as well. If restaurants are financially healthy then the system works well. Right now the restaurant industry needs help from the Federal government. Without extended PPP benefits, bank loan deferrals, help for landlords, and business recovery training for small restaurants – this system will crumble. Restaurants cannot wait until 70 or 80% of the population receives a vaccine. Restaurants cannot survive until the fall of 2021, restaurants cannot continue to wonder from week to week whether they will be able to accept indoor customers or not and they cannot wait for politicians to find a way to talk respectfully to one another. They need help now! If this is not provided then an important part of our culture, a major employer of people, and the heart of the food ecosystem will not survive. Write to your representative, speak your mind through the media, stand in support of your local businesses and do your part. We have lost too much over the past 9-months; don’t add your local restaurants to the list.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

MARC MENEAU – ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREAT CHEFS

12 Saturday Dec 2020

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chefs, cooks, great chefs, L'Esperance, Marc Meneau

There are chefs who have mastered the craft of cooking, chefs who have built a public brand that defines a region or exemplifies a cuisine; there are others who give to their community and as a result uplift those who call that community “home”; and there are those who push cooking in new and exciting directions. On rare occasions, there are chefs who do all of the above and more. Chef Marc Meneau was such a chef – a powerful personality who elevated the dining experience – a chef who lived excellence every day in his restaurant L’Esperance in Vezelay, France.

A small, historic community on the crest of a hill in the Burgundy stands tall as a village where thousands of worshipers and interested historians visited each year to pass through the threshold of its Benedictine monastery – The Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine built in 1120 A.D. – a house of worship where it is claimed rest some of the bones of Mary Magdalene. Walking up the cobblestone road that leads to the church and taking in the beauty of the French countryside is truly a spiritual experience. At the same time, on the outskirts of this religious mecca, sits another destination that for decades attracted worshipers of a different kind.

Vezelay is a centuries old village of less than 500 year-round residents, but throughout the year, visitors from around the world would make the trek to experience the spirituality of the area and to win a table reservation at Marc Meneau’s magnificent restaurant. Some would fly into France and make the final journey by car to break bread with friends and business clients at the Michelin 3-star L’Esperance, enjoy a memorable meal, and then fly home. It was this good.

Walking towards the entrance to L’Esperance – you could feel the stress of life leave and the anticipation of something unique and noteworthy about to happen. Chef Meneau’s wife, Francoise, might greet you at the door, as well as their dog that had free reign of much of the restaurant. A beautiful, petite gift shop on your left was reminiscent of stepping into a Cartier store in Paris, but in this case the product was not jewelry, but rather expensive wine, caviar, glassware, and reminders of your time visiting Marc Meneau’s contribution to the culinary arts.

The dining room was perfectly appointed with fresh flowers, the finest tabletop details, and magnificent views of the L’Esperance gardens. Many visitors would in fact be encouraged to walk through the gardens in between courses to take in its beauty and aid in digestion of the multiple courses to come.

As you walk through to your table you might pass young service staff hand wrapping house made caramels and chocolates, polishing silver, and nurturing the robust coffee beans that would eventually become a perfect espresso at the end of your meal.

As perfect as the dining room was – the environment was still light and comfortable. The L’Esperance experience was not pretentious at all, yet for those who make their livelihood with food – there was a reverence to this place that was quite unique.

If first impressions are truly lasting impressions then Meneau knew how to control them. While guests take in the view and passionately read the menu – the L’Esperance signature Cromesqui would arrive. Painstakingly prepared with foie gras passed through a fine mesh sieve until it was as smooth as silk, and added truffle and cognac – this mind blowing concoction was refrigerated, cut into precise cubes, coated in seasoned flour, and fried until crisp. When served the process of enjoying this amuse bouche came with instructions from your server. “Place it in your mouth, do not chew – allow it to melt in your mouth and attack your senses.” This single bite could be felt in your sinuses, on your palate, and in the process of coating your throat as it disappeared. This set the stage for what was to come.

Each course would be masterfully prepared and presented and flawless in execution. You would find yourself wanting more of each dish, but anxiously awaiting what would come next at the same time. This was dining as it could be; dining executed at the highest level. If you ever wondered why a 3-star Michelin experience was so special – you now knew.

A tour of the kitchen was to a food lover, the ultimate polish to a perfect meal. The kitchen, as you would expect, was pristine. Stainless, silver, and copper was accentuated by the natural light that flowed from the kitchen windows. Stations were set as per the same model that Escoffier had defined more than a century and a half before. Entremetier, Saucier, Poissonier, Garde Manger, Grillade, and Patissier were directed by the calm yet forceful voice of the Sous Chef/Expeditor as he called out orders in French. Everything was made fresh and from scratch – in fact, at the end of a service, the coolers at L’Esperance would likely be near empty –waiting for the early morning orders to arrive tomorrow.

Chefs and commis were in crisp whites and blue aprons. They were serious about their work and cognizant that the smallest detail was as important as the most complex. The experience that was the guest’s – began with this level of passion and commitment.

Meneau’s presence was always felt, even though he might be walking through the dining room visiting guests. He did not need to cook a dish to impact it’s flavor and presentation. This kitchen was the perfect example of a consummate team of professionals.

Meneau was never trained as a cook, yet his passion for food, for outstanding experiences, and for the significance of excellence allowed this self-taught study of the craft to rise to the culinary world’s highest perch.

For ten years, I had the distinct pleasure of sending student interns for a semester experience in France. An experience that included a stage in operations like L’Esperance. While not every student had the opportunity to work with Meneau, they did find themselves in Michelin restaurants from Paris to Sancerre. Every student knew of Meneau and what he represented, and he would often visit our home base in Entrains sur Nohain to chat with them about food, history, and the beauty of France.

Meneau was a world ambassador for French cooking and was treated as a celebrity wherever he would visit. He was commissioned to work with the producers of the movie “Vatel” featuring Gerard Depardieu as the chef who made the grand food presentations during the age of Louis the XIV. The food that you see in the movie was directed by Meneau. Sofia Coppola, in the movie: “Marie Antoinette, was surrounded by beautiful food created by Meneau and his team.

As a restaurateur – Meneau understood the challenges of being successful. Of earning a profit – he once told me: “Restaurant profit is found in the onion peel, not the onion, and in the lobster shell, not the lobster itself.” At one point Meneau suffered through the loss of a Michelin star, but- re-energized, he worked to gain it back and did so. Earning those stars is challenging, but keeping them is relentless.

On December 9, 2020 – Marc Meneau passed away at the age of 77 and the culinary world will miss him. His impact will not be lost as this chef has raised the bar and sits with a small cadre of exceptional culinarians as a benchmark that will continue to define the possibilities of great dining.

Rest in Peace – chef.

PLAN BETTER –TRAIN HARDER

Listen to and learn from the great chefs

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

COOKS AND THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

08 Tuesday Dec 2020

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chefs, cooks, kitchen career, learning to become a cook, professional kitchens, restaurants, school of hard knocks

Sweat was creeping down Alex’s back. The line was just 15 minutes into the 7 o’clock push and the board was full. The pressure was on, but Alex was on his game – he was wearing an ear-to-ear smile because he knew he was in the zone. The line team was in total sync: Alex looked at his sous chef expediting on the other side of the pass – his eyes said: bring it on chef.

This has been a long haul for the eager, confident line cook who started out three years ago as a dishwasher. It was that part-time job in his senior year of high school, diving for pearls on weekends and an occasional weeknight that gave Alex a level of confidence that was lacking in his life. He would graduate from school, but not because he was a stellar student, but simply because he promised his parents that he would. School actually came easy for him, but it just wasn’t his thing. Working, sore muscles sweat, aching feet – this is what gave him a sense of purpose.

The light bulb went off the summer after graduation when he finished his third consecutive week of 50 plus hours on dishes – the chef called Alex into his office and sat him down. “Alex, I really like your work ethic, the fact that I can always count on you to be here and work your hardest is incredibly valuable to me and the team. I just don’t think that you are working to the level of your ability. You’ve washed enough dishes – it’s time to learn how to cook.” From that moment on Alex knew that his career choice had been made.

This is how so many cooks are made. Even those who have the opportunity to take the time to attend culinary school, if they are truly committed, started out just like Alex. It has been said many times that career cooks don’t choose their profession – it chooses them.

Alex spent a year as a prep cook – this is where he learned how to identify ingredients and judge their quality, proper food safety and sanitation, how to set-up a work station, sharpen and care for knives, the dimensions on vegetable cuts, how to make a perfect stock, all of the cooking methods, fabricate a chicken, cut steaks, bone out a ham, fillet round and flat fish, open clams and oysters, turn potatoes, build flavors, and create an array of sauces from the bold stocks that he made. Most importantly he discovered how to organize his work, be consistent, meet the standards of the operation, and build some speed. After a year of this important routine – he was ready for the line.

Things were a bit rough at first. Alex had become accustomed to working independently – playing his skills against the clock and the constantly expanding prep list, but now he had to depend on others. The whole concept of team was something that would take adjustment time. He started on the fry station where his focus was on a few bar appetizers, pommes frites, and an occasional deep fried entrée. When other stations depleted their mise en place Alex would jump in to chop fines herbs, portion extra proteins, clarify butter, or simply line up plates or fold extra side towels. This was a valuable experience since he had the chance to watch how every other station operated. At first it seemed impossible: “How do they keep all of those orders timed properly, seasoned appropriately, and always looking perfect at the time of plating?” After a few months he had a pretty good picture of how it all worked and his comfort level improved dramatically. Now he was pulled into the grill station on a reasonably slow night when the normal station cook was ill and couldn’t make it in for his shift. Alex understood degrees of doneness, but keeping a chargrill organized with multiple degrees of doneness, making sure that those hash marks from the grill were spot on, and taking carry over cooking into account was overwhelming. He made it through that first night with only three re-fires, but it was rough.

The chef made sure that from that point on – Alex was scheduled one night per week on the grill. Practice makes perfect and in no time he had built a high level of competence and confidence. Alex saw that the chef was determined to build him into a roundsman – a cook who could work many stations with a high level of skill. For the first time since washing that first dish while in high school, Alex saw the kitchen as a likely career – one that might even lead to the chef’s position at some point.

Another few months and the chef pulled Alex off of the hot line and scheduled him to shadow the Garde Manger. “You need to learn the cold side of the kitchen as well. Garde Manger is where we make our profit. Salads, appetizers, and desserts are the “extras” that help to turn a restaurant into a successful one. This is also where you will fine tune your skill at plate presentations.”

To Alex, this seemed like a demotion. The hot line was where the action was, where teamwork was built, and where the sweat from hard work was most evident. Garde Manger seemed too light for a cook on the rise. He would work with Sally who had been at the restaurant for three years – the last two in Garde Manger. Alex quickly saw that the shear number of components that Sally had to work with made the grill station look like child’s play. Everything had its own process, most of which fell on Sally’s shoulders unlike the hot line that was serviced by the prep cook. There were marinades, dressings, poached fruits, sauce reductions, delicate garnishes, artisan cheeses of all types, croustades, washed and spun greens, shucked oysters and clams, poached lobster, pates, and galantines, and the assembly of some pretty intricate desserts that were prepped by the pastry chef in the early morning hours. It was a lot to organize and assemble – Sally did it so well, with so much finesse. Alex’s learning curve would be steep. He dove into the challenge and learned to admire Sally’s skill more and more every day. He would later find out that she too started on the hot line, but now preferred her artistic station.

Through his on-going training rotation Alex felt himself grow into each position, earn respect from his peers, and slowly become a very good and extremely valuable member of the restaurant kitchen team. After three solid months in Garde Manger the chef called Alex in to the office. “Alex, I am very pleased to see how much you have grown and how confident your teammates are in your skill set. I want to take a step back for the next month and schedule you back in the dish room. You will start there on Monday.” The chef left it at that without any explanation. Alex was crushed and confused. “This is where I was two years ago. I thought I was doing a really good job in the kitchen – why is the chef doing this?” A bit of anger crept into Alex’s psyche and as he walked home he even gave thought to quitting this job and looking to a different restaurant. The next day, however, he returned to the kitchen thinking that he would show the chef that he was much more talented than wasting his abilities on diving for pearls.

What happened in that first week of dishwashing was both enlightening and humbling. He began to see the position differently now – he looked at the importance of the dishwasher through the eyes of the cook. It wasn’t sufficient just to wash sauté pans for the middle station – he wanted to make sure that they were stacked in line with the cooks mise en place, handles pointing a certain way, scrubbed till they glistened, and always perfectly dry before they hit the deep blue flame from the stove. He made extra sure that plates were perfectly clean, dry, and free of chips and cracks. He knew now how frustrating it was for a cook to pick up a plate and find out it wasn’t suitable for the assembly of a dish. He took the time to show servers just how important it was to properly scrape and stack dirty plates to keep the system working well, and he was always on the look out for floor spills that could endanger a cook or server. He quickly slipped into the role of an excellent dishwasher.

After two weeks, the chef called Alex into the office again. “You may have wondered why I put you back in the dish area after two years of cooks training. I think you see now that the objective was to give you a different perspective on how important that position is to the operation of the kitchen. A great dishwasher can lead to success and a poor one can bring a kitchen down. I guarantee you that from this point on you will never take the position for granted. Tomorrow you will begin to learn sauté – our most complicated line position.”

It has been three months now since Alex started on sauté. He is exceptional at the work, incredibly well organized, spot on as a teammate, and well rounded with his understanding of cooking. When his look passed on to the expeditor said: “bring it on”, it was because Alex was a confident and competent cook who learned through the school of hard knocks. He loved what he did and knew that the chef could depend on him to jump into any position where he was needed – even the dish room. Alex could see into the future and knew that it wouldn’t be long before that first sous chef position came his way.

There is no better way to learn the ropes, become excellent at your craft, and set the stage for a long and fruitful career than learning by doing. All of these steps are essential. Look for the opportunities, accept the challenges, enter each phase with an open mind, and build your repertoire in a methodical fashion. The world is your oyster.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

One Step at a Time

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

CHASING THE DEVIL – SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS

04 Friday Dec 2020

ALCOHOL AND DRUGS IN RESTAURANTS, chefs, cooks, restaurants, substance abuse in the kitchen

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Joe is a single guy, young and well educated, quiet yet personable enough, incredibly talented as a cook, reflective, and a closet alcoholic. From the perspective of the chef who reigns in charge of the restaurant where Joe works – this young line cook is an ideal employee. The chef knows that Joe will always be ready with his mise en place at service, always be focused on excellence in cooking, he will look the part of a professional and whenever the chef is short an employee he knows that Joe will respond to the emergency and double time it in on his day off. The chef is either oblivious to or avoiding what everyone else in the kitchen knows – Joe drinks with reckless abandon. After work – Joe can’t wait to trot to the closest bar where his alter-personality kicks in after the second drink. When he settles in to this environment he quickly turns from that quiet, reflective, talented cook to the life of the party. He has done this for so long that Joe is able to stumble home at 3 in the morning and appear sharp and focused at 1 p.m. when he arrives for another shift behind the line.

Today, something is different. It’s 1:20 and Joe hasn’t shown up for work yet. The rest of the crew is quiet and uncomfortable as the chef asks if anyone has heard from Joe – his most dependable cook. The chef has called Joe’s cell a few times – but no one answers. By 2:00 everyone is rather worried and the chef sends one of his other cooks to Joe’s apartment to check on him. After pounding on his door for ten minutes – he finally opens the door. He is in rough shape, his face is bruised and cut, his clothes are spattered with blood, and he is obviously still intoxicated from a late night of bar hopping. “Man – what the hell is going on? You’re supposed to be at work – the chef sent me to check on you.” Joe is speechless – he simply waves off his peer and says: “I’m not coming in today.” This cook has hit the wall – alcohol has taken control and there is no turning back at this point. He hasn’t been on an extended bender for quite some time – but now one is rearing up its ugly head. This isn’t the first job that he will likely lose, and it won’t be the last.

If you are working in the restaurant business then this story will ring true. Maybe you are one of the lucky ones who can occasionally over-subscribe to alcohol or other substances and not worry about the disease sinking its clutches into your every being. Even if this is the case – you have worked or are working with others who can’t turn it on or off. Statistics that measure substance abuse by industry rank food service as #3 in heavy alcohol use and #1 in abuse of illicit drugs. Joe is not an anomaly. Nearly 13% of all heavy alcohol users in the U.S. work in the food service industry! Why is this so and what can be done about it?

There are a number of tragedies associated with Joe’s situation – a number of ancillary victims whose only shortcoming is a quiet association with Joe and his problem. The chef will ultimately lose a great employee, his co-workers will suffer the impact of Joe’s meltdown, customers might even begin to notice a change in the quality of work, Joe’s family will suffer the uncertainty of his health and wellbeing, friends and relationships will deteriorate, and he will continue down this bottomless pit until he self-destructs even further. All of those connections tried to ignore the growing problem and simply shook their heads and hoped for the best.

One recovering alcoholic stated: “I think I always knew there was going to be a problem – but I thought – not me. One day a delivery driver arrived late – I was pissed! I gave him a hard time for no reason – it was not his fault. On his way out the door he said to me: ‘I wish I could give you a beer’. It was confirmed – I wasn’t hiding it well.”

Alcoholism and Drug Abuse are part of a disease category that relies on dependence. Like any other disease it needs to be recognized, accepted, and treated. This dependence will not go away on it’s own. The person or persons impacted by this disease will require a regimented treatment unlike any other debilitating disease. People impacted by substance abuse will need tough love, support, physical treatment, mental and emotional support, and a lifetime of discipline to overcome the need to lean on alcohol or drugs. As is said: “once an alcoholic or drug user, always an alcoholic or drug user.” Note that no one is ever cured of this disease – they are always referred to as “recovering” – never cured. Yet, like Joe – so many keep their problem under wraps as long as they can – never seeking help, never admitting that they are plagued by the evil hands of a monster that always tries to draw them in.

You might think: “a drink now and then is fine, it’s enjoyable, a nice release, a way to enjoy the social nature of friendship and family.” You might reflect on your own situation where a bottle of wine with a great meal is the complete package and never something that draws you in at the expense of family, friendships, mental health, or a career. That’s great – I belong to this fortunate club, but at the same time I have witnessed lives crushed, relationships shattered, careers end, and even lives lost among those who are not as fortunate to have the off and on switch. What Joe is experiencing is what tens of thousands of food service workers face every day – it is a very, very serious problem. There was a point in my career when I felt that I should become an honorary member of Alcoholics Anonymous simply because so many of my friends and co-workers built their life schedules around AA meetings. Let me reiterate – it is a very, very serious problem.

A good friend and fellow chef stated: “Most alcoholics and addicts feel all alone in a crowded football stadium – most of us think we don’t belong. A lot of people think, in the beginning, it will help them be more social, to get along better, but what you’re really doing is placing yourself where you can no longer learn – you stop growing.”

During these unprecedented times when the restaurant industry is challenged like never before, when the routine of the cook, chef, server, or manager is very uncertain, and when that typical adrenaline rush of working in a busy kitchen has, in some cases, come to a halt; there may be more individuals than ever before who are on the edge. It is so easy for alcohol or drugs to creep in and take control. We all need to pay attention to the signs, be aware, and be there to support those who are finding it difficult to cope.

It takes a village to save a friend or co-worker from the ravages of substance dependence; we can all play a role in the recovery process. First, most who are in the know will tell you that it serves no purpose to ignore or discount an alcoholic’s or drug addict’s actions. This is the tough love part – they need to be called out. Second, we can all help by talking about how their actions impact not just themselves, but also all those individuals around them. It is important that the individual come to grips with the problem. Third, we need to support them by helping the alcoholic or drug dependent individual connect with the right help. Bring the individual to the helping hands of another recovering cook, chef, friend, family member, or known AA sponsor. Know where and when local AA meetings are being held. Post it in your kitchen for all to see. Finally, be the voice of encouragement – the process out of despair is long and difficult, but never turn away from their desire to become whole again. The person may lose a job along the way; find a family member or friend who turns his or her back, or a co-worker who fails to understand the disease. From this point on – staying sober or clean is the most important action in their lives.

Words of advice from my friend: “Ask for help! You are not alone. There is so much help out there – talk with somebody before it’s too late.”

I was turned on to the following TEDTalk. It is heart-wrenching and uplifting at the same time. Everyone, whether directly impacted by substance abuse or not – should watch and listen. This is a valuable 10-minute investment of your time.

SOBER REALITY FOR THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY:

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER
Know that you are not alone

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT IN THE MAKING OF A GREAT CHEF

30 Monday Nov 2020

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chef success, chefs, cooks, important chef ingredient, professional kitchen, restaurants

Is it possible to narrow down the secret of greatness to one ingredient? What could it be? Is it really that simple, or in this case is simplicity really complex? I have had the honor to work with, know, or at least meet many extraordinary chefs and cooks and my assessment is that – yes, there is one common ingredient that makes all the difference in how adept, interesting, creative, and ultimately successful a chef or cook might become. The ingredient is CURIOSITY.

Great cooks and chefs never simply accept – they are perpetually inquisitive. Those classical kitchens where cooks simply follow directives because that is what the chef demanded were never destined to nurture great chefs. Cooks need to state the most important questions if they are to grow – “why, where from, what is the rationale, what is the history, how is it made, what are the differences, and when should you choose one example over another?”

It is curiosity, the quest for answers upon answers that builds passion, understanding, creativity, and competence. When a cook simply accepts without asking why, how, what, or when, then his or her passion for the craft will be limited, his or her perspective on the job of cooking with be tainted, and the resulting cooking will be a shadow of what it might become. To nurture young cooks, to teach and train, and to build competence and confidence among those who work in a kitchen, it is essential that we (chefs and culinary teachers) establish a platform where curiosity reigns.

Think about the possibilities and the opportunities that curiosity might unveil.

SALT as a mineral and a seasoning is just salt – why question it? Yet to really know salt is to understand where it comes from and how it is extracted. Once you understand that the environment where salt is drawn from, just like the terroir for wine grapes, will have a significant impact on this magical mineral. Visiting a salt mine, a sea salt plant, or if you have the chance a French Fleur de Sel farm or Japanese soy sauce artisan producer will reveal the complexities of this simple ingredient that to many cooks is just a commodity that sits on their storeroom shelves.

CARROTS, POTATOES, TURNIPS, and PARSNIPS are root vegetables that are easily available to all cooks and are offered at very inexpensive commodity prices. Root vegetables are just root vegetables unless you understand them, visit a farm where they are grown, spend a few days in the farmers shoes, harvest the root vegetables by pulling them from the soil that has kept them in a protective blanket for months, and brushed them off and taken a bite. Curious chefs want to know what that carrot really tastes like, how the farmer plays a role in its shape, texture and flavor, and how soil and climate impact the flavor. I guarantee that if this curiosity is met – the cook will never view a root vegetable in the same manner again.

THAT STRIP LOIN COMES FROM MY VENDOR, period. This is easy to accept. Call your local meat vendor, place an order, receive it, store it, prep it and prepare it just as the chef told you. Simple directions for the cook working the grill station in your kitchen. But cooking that is void of understanding is so shallow, void of respect, and starved of meaning. To become an extraordinary grill cook and eventually a chef who plans menus using those products received from a meat vendor – a serious kitchen employee must ask those critical questions: WHERE does the product come from? WHAT part of the animal? WHY do certain cuts adapt well to high temperature, rapid cooking like grilling, while others insist on low heat and slow timing? HOW is the animal cared for? WHAT is it fed? HOW is the animal processed, fabricated, aged, graded, and packaged? WHAT is the difference between dry and wet aging and does Cryovac impact the flavor of the muscle? Think about the care, respect, intensity of attention to detail, and pride that a cook will have once he or she is able to have answers to these questions, maybe visit a cattle ranch, a feed lot, and processing plant before turning a steak on a hot grill to receive those perfect grill marks.

ORDER FRESH SEAFOOD FROM OUR USUAL FISHMONGER is a task that chefs engage in constantly. It might come from a local supplier or be flown in from different parts of the world, but what is important is the transaction and receipt – right? The styro boxes packed with ice arrives and inside are beautiful Queen Snapper from Florida, Mahi Mahi from Hawaii, Atlantic salmon from Norway, Lobsters from Maine, or Dover Sole from the coast of England. The chef unpacks, fabricates, stores, and prepares this seafood as is intended and the customer enjoys the fruits of the chefs labor. How shallow is this process that is void of any real understanding or curiosity? Why did the chef choose that Queen Snapper from Florida, Salmon from Norway, or Lobster from Maine? Is it simply because of a product specification designed to meet a standard? Imagine how the chef would approach the transaction if he or she had spent an arduous day on a Maine Lobster boat – pulling in cages? Imagine how the chef might approach the fabrication of a beautiful Norwegian Salmon if he or she had visited with those engaged in fish farming off the cost of Bergen, Norway? Imagine if that same chef had tried to overcome seasickness on a 25-ton fishing trawler positioned miles off the coast of Florida as they pulled in nets filled with the fruits of the sea? Would satisfaction of this curiosity change the way that chefs order, store, fabricate, cook and serve the fish that came through the hands of dedicated fishermen rather than those who simply move the product from point A to point B?

PURCHASING THOSE FLOUR OR CORN TORTILLAS is the most cost effective way of acquiring the ingredients for that “authentic”, Central American restaurant. After all, who has time to make fresh tortilla? This will always be the case in the absence of curiosity. Until a cook or chef has tried that first hand pressed and grilled tortilla, folded it to encompass a world of different ingredients, maybe pay a visit to Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, or Costa Rica or at least spent a day with indigenous people who would never, ever use a store bought shell – he or she will fail to feel the history and the passion behind this beautiful ingredient and process. “I wonder if there is any difference between store bought and hand made tortilla, and I wonder how the item came about in Central American culture.” Inquiring minds want to know, and inquiring chefs will always learn to excel at what they do.

THE WINE LIST IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DINING ROOM MANAGER OR SOMMELIER – says a typical chef in a busy restaurant. Have enough variety and there will be something to please most guest palates, besides, the chef really doesn’t have time to engage in wine selection as well. Great restaurants and great chefs understand the connection and importance of food and wine pairing. A great chef without a solid knowledge of wine varieties, terroir, the art of the wine maker’s signature, variances in vintage, and how a particular wine enhances the experience of food presented on the menu will surely be at a loss. Chefs who delve into the winemaker’s closet of understanding will be far better at their job and will reveal a passion that rivals that of the food ingredients that bring a menu to life. It is the curiosity about this beverage that is alive and ever-changing that adds a spark of interest to a chef’s repertoire.

Whether it is a desire to learn more about the ethnic influences that create a cuisine, the indigenous ingredients that are at the base of a certain cuisine, the time-proven steps in cooking methods, or the historical environment that led to the development of a dish or a regional cooking style – it is that most essential ingredient: curiosity – that separates a good cook from a passionate great one. We must all remain curious if food is to be viewed as a life-long calling.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

IT’S STILL A TIME OF THANKSGIVING

25 Wednesday Nov 2020

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chefs, cooks, restaurants, Thanksgiving

For most people this will be a different Thanksgiving, a day without the traditional celebrations of large family gatherings, a day with far too much leftover turkey as we attempt to keep some semblance of normality through the bounty of the table. Even though those we care about the most may remain spread out across the country and social distancing is measured in hundreds of miles instead of six feet – there is still plenty to be grateful for. We can be grateful for whatever health we are able to enjoy, for the memories of those whom we have lost over the years, and the prospect of a happier and hopeful 2021.

We can be grateful for faith and science that has carried us through this most difficult time and that will allow us to rise up anew – refreshed and positive as the virus is slowly brought under control. We can be hopeful that what seems to have separated us will now help us to heal and come together. When we look in a mirror there will always be more that unites us than tears us apart. We can be thankful that Mother Nature carries on with her work – the snow will be here soon, the crisp air will wake us in the morning, holiday lights will brighten our day, and the season of giving will have even more meaning this year. We can be thankful that this crisis serves as a wake-up call – an alert that allows us to remember what is truly important: family, health, friends, traditions, and that our longing to bring all of those blessings together will be rewarded soon enough.

We can be immensely thankful for those tireless individuals who risked their own wellbeing so that we could continue on with our lives during this pandemic: doctors, nurses, grocers, cashiers, first responders, medical technicians, postal carriers, farmers, fisherman, cooks and chefs, servers, FedEx and UPS drivers, teachers, and those in the trades who still managed repairs when their safety was tested. How would we have managed through this without them? We can certainly be grateful for ZOOM – this is a gift that allowed us to work from home, stay connected with our families, and even talk with our health care providers when a person-to-person visit was not possible.

For restaurants, chefs, cooks, and servers – this is a particularly difficult holiday season. Thanksgiving and Christmas Week, New Years Eve, Presidents Week, and Valentines Day are some of the busiest restaurant days of the year – especially during a season that has little to offer small restaurant businesses otherwise. This year will not be the same. We won’t see the elaborate holiday buffets, full dining rooms of families looking for a break from cooking at home, restaurants enjoying the seasonal increase in marriage proposals and planning for weddings, and of course those Santa visits to eager youngsters dressed up for the Christmas Eve buffet. There will be less need for kitchens filled with cooks working overtime, and servers hoping to receive those extra generous gratuities that will make their family holiday season a little brighter. Maybe it’s a good thing – maybe the industry needs to re-evaluate the importance of allowing their staff to be home with their own families during this time of the year and maybe those traditions of family kitchens filled with relatives trying to lend a hand at dinner will return as we collectively relish the way it once was.

Like other businesses, especially those small businesses that make up the backbone of our economy, this has been a catastrophic year. Some closed their doors and will not reopen; others have struggled to hang on with hope of a better tomorrow. Those who remain will be different when this is all over. They may look different, offer a new product or service, and will certainly be aware that how they deliver those products or services to the public will be different. They will need your support as never before. Those who could not weather the storm should know that other opportunities will arise and they will need our encouragement and engagement as well. We will be different in another year – different, but in many ways better, stronger, and more in tune with what needs to be done.

We may not enjoy those large gatherings at home or in restaurants this year, but we still know that the heart and soul of this season is all about appreciating what we have and looking forward to what will come next. This can happen in your dining room, in your local restaurant, or breaking bread via a ZOOM call that brings everyone together to smile, laugh, and enjoy the moment, even if virtually.

Next year will require that we remain vigilant and patient. It will require that we muster up the positive energy and courage to do what is right for our families, our neighbors, and ourselves. This is a time to give thanks for those connections and to remain strong while science does its work and the world collectively takes another step towards winning this battle.

After we have persevered – whether it is the Spring, Summer, Fall or beyond – it may be time to ask: “what have we learned and how will we act moving forward?” One thing for sure, we have all assessed and reassessed our priorities over the past few months – let us not forget what we learned in the process.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone; be safe, be well, love your family, cherish your friends, break bread and raise a glass, and let’s move through this as a stronger, more unified, compassionate country of 330 million people.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consultant

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

CHEFS – FAILURE IS NOT INEVITABLE

20 Friday Nov 2020

www.harvestamericacues.com

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chefs, cooks, Restaurant failure, restaurant success, restaurants

It seems that every time I check my email or flip through postings in social media – there is another restaurant, food business, or culinary school preparing to close their doors. It is heartbreaking to read of life visions dashed and even long-standing, viable businesses choosing to throw in the towel. I am writing this to tell you that, in most cases, this does not have to be the storyline.

There is no shortage of organizations established to support their segment of a far-reaching industry. We have organizations for bakers, pastry chefs, savory chefs, executive chefs, corporate chefs, club chefs, restaurateurs, cooks dedicated to sustainability, whole food chefs, college food service directors, culinary educators, hoteliers, club managers, dietitians and nutritionists, vegetable farmers, dairy farmers, cheese makers, servers, bartenders, mixologists, grape growers, wine makers, and sommeliers. Each has a focus on issues and opportunities for their particular group, but rarely do they talk effectively with one another.

I tend to try and separate cause and effect – knowing that nothing will truly change unless we identify cause and focus on that. Restaurants, culinary schools, producers, and those in the beverage business are suffering because of the pandemic, but there were (and still are) plenty of other crisis situations facing these segments long before Covid-19. Restaurant profits are too low, finding competent staff is far too difficult, prices of ingredients keep rising, rents are out of sight, culinary school enrollment continues to decline, competition is too expansive, cost of an education doesn’t match rates of pay, industry pay scales and benefit offerings are too low, and marketing is way too confusing in the era of technology and social media. How many of these challenges might be addressed if all of these silo groups actually viewed themselves as part of the same business and worked together?

Here are some things that I know to be true:

[] Restaurants Will Rise Up Again

When WWI and WWII ended – restaurants and bars were some of the first businesses to recover. When the Great Depression came to an end – restaurants and bars positioned themselves to thrive. As we rebuilt American pride after 9/11 – restaurants stood in position to greet a reinvigorated American spirit. Following the economic devastation of 2008 – restaurants hunkered down for months and then came back refreshed and charged up. And when we are able to bring the pandemic under control – the same recovery for restaurants will be the case. Restaurants and bars will be different; their product, service, and method of operation will likely change – but they will rise up again.

[] Culinary Schools Will Be In Demand Again

Those schools that self-evaluate and communicate effectively with the industry they serve will always be needed. The question is – are they willing to change? The purpose of colleges is to teach, prepare, train and connect students with the rest of their lives. The purpose is not to generate degrees. When they start to look at the relevance of products that they offer and diversify from the standard degree; and once they connect better with the industry that hires their graduates, they will stand tall and thrive. Schools cannot continue to exist in their own bubble – creating content that fails to align with the industry they serve. They cannot continue to create programs that place graduates in debt for 20-years following graduation and, they cannot remain effective unless they deliver an education model that takes advantage of industry partnerships.

[] Bars Will Once Again Become a Preferred Meeting Place

People love to gather, to connect with friends and make new ones. Restaurants and bars have always served that purpose and they will again once people are comfortable with being out in public. In fact, I would dare to guess that bars, in particular, would find themselves busier than ever before.

[] Smaller Farms Will Become Essential Once Again

One thing that has become very apparent during this pandemic is that our supply chain is far more fragile than we thought. Compound this with the impact of climate change on centralized production and we have a real concern that reaches far beyond the altruistic and environmental reasons for connecting with local farms. Although a very difficult business – the opportunities for smaller regional and local farms will only grow. But, farmers and chefs must work together to create this model. Neither can exist in a vacuum. The farmer needs to grow what the chef is looking for and the chef must create more fluid menus that take advantage of growing cycles and the quality derived from peak crop maturity.

[] Great Bread Will Be Even More Important to Restaurants in the Future

One thing that we have learned over the past two decades is that great bread is essential to a great restaurant experience. We have also discovered that artisan style bread is preferred over the tasteless, poorly structured products that were prevalent in the American diet for decades. For those who are willing to learn and invest the intense amount of effort – artisan bread will be in much higher demand – thus a business opportunity.

[] Private Entrepreneurship Will Prevail in the American Restaurant Industry

Those who have been most impacted by the pandemic are the small, privately owned restaurants in America. Tens of thousands will close their doors, yet the American dream of entrepreneurship will rise up from the ashes and restaurants that have always been, and will once again become – a first choice for those who want to leap into ownership. If banks can become more “user friendly” for restaurants and landlords more reasonable with rent, then your neighborhood restaurant will return – maybe with new owners, certainly with new concepts, and a fresh way of serving the needs of a community.

[] More and More People Will Seek to Eat Healthy as They Understand the Impact on Health and Wellbeing

It is inevitable that our obsession with healthcare will lead a larger percentage of the population to work on preventative issues such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, and heart issues – all are linked to the type of food, the method of cooking, and the amount that we eat. Restaurants will need to respond, and they will.

[] Profitability and Challenges with the Labor Market Will Eventually Find Common Ground

Restaurants are and always have been highly labor intensive while remaining very stingy with profit. The answer has always been to skimp on rates of pay and benefits creating an ever-challenging swinging door of employees moving from operation to operation for a few pennies more in pay. The likely answer is to change the way we look at production and service leading to more efficient operations requiring fewer employees that can be paid a fair wage with reasonable benefits. Something has to give.

Now, if we can unify our efforts around these realities, if we can connect all of those silo driven organizations to work together for common solutions, then the business of food will thrive and become far more resilient before the next crisis strikes.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant and Culinary School Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

WHAT CUSTOMERS DON’T KNOW ABOUT RESTAURANT WORK

17 Tuesday Nov 2020

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chefs, cooks, culinary, kitchens, restaurant life

More difficult than you may have thought, more chaotic than you might expect, more poetic than you realize, and more fulfilling than you would understand: this, to me, describes the environment of the professional kitchen that few customers are able to view or experience. It is this dichotomy of experiences that draws people into a career behind the range and keeps them there for decades. This is a behind the scenes look at the place and the people that bring a plate of food to the guest’s table.

TEN THINGS YOU DIDN”T KNOW ABOUT A RESTAURANT

An organizational structure that attempts to keep things under control

There is a long history of how kitchens and restaurants are structured. Although executed at different levels – this structure is something that all those whom work in restaurants can depend and lean on. It is our comfort zone – a place and an organizational structure that makes sense and attempts to keep a lid on a long list of independent work before and during service.

In the kitchen – work responsibilities are divided into oversight and action positions – the number depending on the scope of the restaurant menu and the size of the operation, but basically there are chefs, cooks, and support staff. Each have specific duties and all have some shared responsibility. The chef will likely be the most experienced culinarian with responsibility for the financial operation of the kitchen, menu planning, ordering and inventory control, training, and quality control. He or she may not spend as much time cooking as a typical guest might think. The cook is the action person – this is the individual who actually brings ingredients together, responds to customer requests, and prepares your plate of food. The support staff members include those dishwashers, and cleaners who keep the ship afloat during the chaos of prep and assembly.

The front of the house is typically separated into those who interface with guests directly and walk them through the ordering process to those who set the stage and support the work of the primary server. This includes back waiters, bus personnel, and bartenders. The strict alignment to table stations, training, development of a wine list that complements the food menu, and the smooth oversight of intense chaos so that it seems to be controlled rests on the shoulders of the dining room or restaurant manager.

Regardless of the restaurant type – this is a standard structure that anyone working in the business can expect and adapt to.

Independence in a manufacturing model that defies logic

To walk through a kitchen prior to service you will see a number of cooks and support staff going about their respective work with seemingly little connection to a master plan. Each will have their own list of prep that relates to either a station or event and with rare exception they are allowed autonomy in how they approach the work. Underneath the façade of independence lies a system that keeps all of this personal activity integrated into a bigger picture. This may never become apparent until these same cooks are setting up their stations for finish work once the dining room doors open to the public.

A cluster of artists accepting control

Every seasoned cook struggles with controlling a desire to flex his or her artistic muscle and modify a dish to suit his or her style. At the same time, each cook is fully aware that consistency and adherence to the standards of excellence that defines the restaurant must win in the long run. A smart chef will provide opportunities for creative expression through nightly features and a cook’s input on the next wave of menus. Any long-term attempt to keep artistic expression under wraps will result in constant replacement of cooks after frustrated ones leave for an operation with more freedom.

Chaos that leads to symphonic orchestration

There are two different kitchens, two different restaurants that might be observed by an interested guest. The kitchen before service is alive with independent, sometimes stressful work scattered throughout the space. Each cook is struggling against the clock to get his or her prep in order before setting a station for service. Once service begins there will not be any time to take care of prep that was not completed in advance. To view this, one would certainly use the word: chaos.

Once each line station is set for service, the mise en place is well appointed, the side towels are folded, pans stacked in the ready, menu reviewed, and ingredients are in place; once the orders start to tick off the printer and the expeditor raises his or her baton to signify the start of the nightly score – the chaos turns into a beautiful piece of music. Cooks pivot and turn, pans ring as they hit the stove top, tongs click in rhythm, plates clang in unison as they are set in the pass for pick up, and cooks chime in with yes chef when directives are given by the expeditor. You can put music to this dance that is very poetic and fluid.

Improvisation that is kept in check

Although cooks will have a chance to express themselves through nightly features and an occasional pitch of an item for the next menu – when the restaurant doors are open on any given night – their job is to make sure that each dish is prepared consistently, looks and tastes the same, and follows the established design that the chef has put his or her stamp on. There can be no deviation from the established norm. Cooks know that “buy-in” to this game plan is essential if they hope to keep customers coming back time and again.

The chef who rarely cooks your food

This may be a shock to many guests, but the chef in your favorite restaurant is probably not the person who cooks your meal. As previously mentioned each person has specific responsibilities and the chef’s are at a different level than those who finish the food you order. It is, however, the chef who is responsible to train those cooks how to prepare the dishes that the restaurant puts its signature on.

A culture of family that defies logic

All of the typical highs and lows of being part of a family exist in a kitchen. Team members know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and compensate accordingly. They may be highly critical of each other, but don’t ever assume that someone outside of the “family” has the right to do the same. When in trouble – the team will help a member of their group – without question. There is a brotherhood or sisterhood that is just as real as if there was a biological connection between them.

Service staff that have other careers

The majority of those restaurant servers that a guest connects with have other jobs – sometimes jobs that are their chosen careers – they just don’t pay enough, or they don’t provide the challenges and stressful excitement that comes from being a pleasant server, psychologist, counselor, and menu expert for those who fill dining room tables.

A gathering place for castoffs and square pegs

The dynamic of the restaurant employee (especially in the kitchen) is flush with those who don’t fit in, are not inspired by typical 40 hour work weeks, find comfort in chaos, never flinch at cuts and burns, and do what they do out of a love for the art they produce and challenges that uncertainty brings every day. Restaurant employees are part of a culture that doesn’t fit anywhere else.

Adrenaline junkies who are gluttons for punishment

When you step back and watch all of this, when you discover that cooks in particular live on the edge of disaster on any given day, when you see how they kick into gear when the job becomes impossible, and when you see them return the next day for a repeat of the same punishment, then you will begin to understand that the heat, the stress, the uncertainty, and the shear craziness of kitchen life is driven by the adrenaline rush. Unless you have been there and felt it, you can’t understand.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

**Check in to CAFÉ Talks Podcast this Wednesday – November 18 for an interview with Chef Jeremiah Tower.

A COOK’S SENSUAL OVERLOAD – TOUCH, TEXTURE, CHEW

12 Thursday Nov 2020

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chefs, chew, cook's senses, cooking, cooks, kitchens, restaurants, texture, touch

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 food is an innate need to show a level of aggression – a necessary release for our piece of mind – while others simply point to the process of chewing as an essential part of the digestion process. In all cases, the concept of flavor depends on the texture of food, to be complete.

To this end, certain foods are defined by their texture or chew. What would a September apple be without that crisp snap when we bite into it, what would a great bagel be without the hard work of chewing, a pudding without the creamy texture of softened butter, or a steak without the rich chew that releases the deep umami sensation that is a result?

“So important is the level of crunch that many years ago, potato-chip manufacturers developed a sophisticated apparatus to measure the perceived level of crunch that consumers hear in their heads. The most pleasurable decibel levels were deciphered, and potato chips were subsequently manufactured to these standard orgasmic crunch levels.”-The Institute for the Psychology of Eating

Flavor is a complex and complete experience – it is far beyond the stimulation of taste receptors. To taste without chew is shallow and incomplete. Chew is something that has lasting meaning and, like smell, there is memory attached to it. Just as we remember and look forward to the texture of that fall apple, so too do we vividly remember what that experience is and use it as a benchmark of quality when it comes to judging all other apples.

Texture and chew is also a metaphor in life that points to how these “touch” events determine the depth to which we become one with life’s experiences. We are told to “chew on it” when presented with an opportunity or problem. Accountants “crunch” the numbers signifying a commitment to ensuring that the results are accurate and when we over-extend or take on too much responsibility we are said to “bite off more than we can chew”. It is this physical process or association that helps to define the type of experience that is a result.

As cooks and chefs build their flavor memory they must understand and categorize the process of connecting with texture, touch, and chew. Think about these products and experiences and how important touch, texture, and chew are to the dynamics of flavor.

That first oyster or clam:

It is an act of faith in the strong recommendation from a chef or the result of a dare from others that allows us that first experience with a raw oyster or clam. Certainly, it is rare that anyone would choose to let a live shellfish slide down your throat for any other reason – yet, if we allow that incredible texture and ocean brininess to take hold – the flavor experience is like no other. In this case – chew is very subtle; we allow the throat to simply accept the texture of the sea.

The French fry expectation:

Food companies spend countless hours trying to perfect the French fry experience. For the product to meet and exceed expectations it must retain its deep fried crunch on the exterior while yielding a soft and moist experience within. It is a delicate balance between the type of potato, the method of processing, the state of chill or freeze, how it is blanched, the type of oil used in deep frying, the temperature of the oil, and knowing how the cook will treat the whole process before the finished product is placed in the pass. With the French fry – texture is king.

Ripe melon:

Melon is one of those fruits that thrive on the extreme. An unripe melon just doesn’t feel right in the mouth, is tasteless, and is likely quickly discarded by any who have experienced the benchmark of ripeness. When ripeness is at its peak – the texture is soft, yet still in complete control, the flavor is pronounced, the level of moisture is intoxicating, and the overall food memory created is exceptional. Once you experience a perfectly ripe melon – nothing else will do.

Vine ripened tomato:

To meet the demands for tomatoes on the market – twelve months a year, and to be able to ship those same tomatoes without damage – they are far too often produced in a greenhouse, sometimes hydroponically, picked long before vine maturity, sometimes waxed and sent your way. The result is a firm and tasteless product that barely resembles what a perfect tomato should be. When a tomato is exposed to the sun, grown in rich soil, picked when it is mature and consumed while still warm from that July sun – it is something to write books about and sing its praise with song. When the texture of the skin serves to simply keep those warn tomato seeds from bursting forth, when the bite yields the powerful flavor and soft texture of that warm interior running down your chin – then you have a flavor memory that will linger until next season.

The magic avocado:

Maybe more so than any other fruit – the avocado is a tough client for the chefs cutting board. Before it is ripe – the texture is uninviting and unwilling to add any value to the kitchen program at your restaurant. Left too long in its skin and the peak creaminess of a perfect fruit turns to a stringy and sometimes blackened interior that shouts to the cook that he or she has waited too long. When the avocado is perfect it is as creamy as softened butter, rich in flavor and brilliant in color. This is the fruit that serves as a centerpiece for salads, appetizers, and your favorite guacamole.

Crispy skin of a roast chicken:

There are few preparations that point to the skill of a seasoned cook than a perfectly roasted chicken. When the cook pays as much attention to the skin as he or she does the breast meat or rich darkness of the thigh and leg, then the chicken experience is so prominent as to become a favorite meal. Basting, seasoning, covering and uncovering through the roasting process will yield that crisp, buttery, salty crunch that is the first thing that a knowledgeable consumer reaches for.

A Georgia peach at peak maturity:

Stone fruits like plums, nectarines, cherries, apricots, and peaches can be just as fickle as the avocado. Typically picked before maturity so that shipping does not damage the fruit – these hand held products of nature can be too hard, too unforgiving, and too tasteless for positive food memories. When picked at or near maturity – the peach is an ambassador for Mother Nature. Soft with a small amount of bite, bursting with flavor of sweet and a little bit of tartness, dripping with nectar, and hard to put down – the ripe peach is right at the top of the food memory data bank.

Artisan bread:

Very few foods are as satisfying as perfectly baked artisan sourdough bread. When done right – the combination of a crisp exterior and a chewy interior that releases more and more flavor the longer you chew is something that you can experience virtually once imbedded in your food memory.

The stages of salt water taffy:

Maybe not the most prominent flavor that chefs think about, but in remembrance of your youth – walking on the beach and stopping at that salt water taffy stand is something that can define an important time in your life. Taffy has it all from a texture and chew standpoint. The warmth of the sun makes the taffy a bit sticky to handle, but once in your mouth you will always remember the changes from a challenging chew at first to different stages of softness until it finally melts and disappears. Incredible – imagine if chefs could re-create these stages with their dessert selections in a restaurant.

Al dente pasta:

Al dente – or firm to the bite defines how most pasta is designed to be eaten. When cooked al dente – pasta is digested more slowly and thus satisfies your hunger for a longer period of time. The firmer texture creates a more enjoyable “chew” and retains far more flavor than over-cooked pasta that bleeds out its flavor to the salted cooking water.

A comfortable dining room chair:

Aside from the food itself – the environment where we dine has much to do with the flavor experience. An uncomfortable chair detracts from the process of eating and attention is placed on finding a way to relax so that dining becomes a positive respite.

The feel of the right flatware:

The feel and type of flatware can enhance the flavor experience if it matches the food ingredients, their preparation and their cost. A plastic fork and knife may be perfectly acceptable for that Nathan’s hot dog and fries, but the Black Angus rib eye steak deserves a rose wood handled Henkel steak knife and heavy, long tine sterling silver fork. The touch of the tools is part of the dish memory.

The delicate elegance of the right wine glass:

Wine is such a unique beverage that is impacted throughout its life by numerous environmental factors. The struggle that the vine goes through to extract nutrients from the terrior will determine much of the grapes integrity and flavor; the process of touch as it applies to how the grapes are crushed (gravity fed or more aggressively pressed) will determine if the grapes are bruised and possibly change the deepness of flavor; the packaging for shipment of bottles will either protect or endanger the stability of the continued bottle fermentation; and the quality of the wine glass does, in fact, impact the experience of taste and aroma. If you have never been through a Riedl glass seminar then make sure you put it on your list of “must do” experiences

Touch, texture, and chew are essential components of the dining experience and critical elements that define your food memory benchmarks.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER
Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

A COOK’S SENSUAL OVERLOAD – SMELL

07 Saturday Nov 2020

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chefs, cooks, kitchen, sense of smell, senses

Now that I have your attention – allow me to walk you through a cook’s journey of experiences that activate the senses. One of the most amazing aspects of the human mind is its capacity to store and remember every single experience from birth to last breath. These experiences whether they are tactile, social, psychological, or spiritual are stored in the subconscious mind – a person’s “built-in” hard drive. Sometimes those experiences are buried deeply in that hard drive and take real effort to bring to the surface while others simply require a small prod to jump into the conscious realm and activate all of the senses. It truly is amazing.

What cooks and chefs talk about quite often is “food memory”. Oftentimes the difference between a good cook and an exceptional one is the breadth of a person’s food memory. Sometimes we refer to them as flavor benchmarks – significant additions to a food memory data bank that become the standard-bearers of how we approach and compare food experiences moving forward. Cooks and chefs are bombarded with these benchmarks – each and every day.

WHAT IS THAT SMELL?

*Bacon – is there any deeper, more intoxicating, more all consuming smell than that of thick strips of bacon frying in a pan or rendering in an oven. Every kitchen is filled with this gratifying aroma that greets cooks and chefs as an old friend wrapping his or her arm around their shoulder and telling them that life is good?

*Onions – what makes us salivate, wake up and direct our attention to our palate is the rich smell of caramelization. Onions are the mistresses of the kitchen – that irresistible link to the passion of eating. Every cook snaps to attention when those onions hit the surface of a hot pan and squeak and hiss as they turn from white to transparent, to lightly brown.

*Garlic – Ahhhh – garlic. What is that smell that reminds us of home cooked meals, of the beginnings of a rich Bolognese, the foundations of shrimp scampi, or the start of a sear before the long and slow process of braising those veal shanks or short ribs? Garlic, to cooks, is the magic ingredient that only gets better as it is used with reckless abandon.

*Grilled meat – a cherry red grill fed by the flames from briquettes laps around that ribeye, New York strip, or Black Angus filet. The marbled fat that webs through the eye of those steaks begins to melt and drip – fueling the flames even more and sealing in the flavor and moisture of the steak with grill marks and an exterior crust that shows the power of the Maillard Reaction. This smell is like no other – it reminds us of a good life, of summer bar-b-que with family and friends, and the best partner that a robust red wine could have. This aroma welcomes cooks to their station and reminds them of why they do what they do.

*Sauté’ mushrooms – When we use the term umami we often think of the savory aspects of roast pork or a 109 rib pushing it’s internal temp close to 120 F. But the smell of fresh mushrooms like porcini, shiitake, crimini, morels and chanterelles is as close to umami nirvana as one might ever expect to achieve. This is the environment that cooks live in.

*Bread from the oven – the work, the time, the physical handling of a living product, the elegant simplicity of four ingredients, the marvel of a sour dough starter uniting the gluten strands and lifting a dough to a remarkable stature pales in comparison to the smell of the finished product being pealed from the oven. Let the loaf dance in your hands as you flip it over, pull it close to your nose and drawn that completely unique smell into your being.

*Cinnamon Danish – if you have worked in a kitchen where breakfast is served – then you are familiar with the sinful smell associated with cinnamon rolls or Danish pastries fresh from the oven. You know that you shouldn’t, but it is nearly impossible to get anything else done until you break apart the rings and allow that first bite to melt in your mouth. You must take a moment with a familiar cup of coffee to relax and just let the magic happen.

*Simmering Stock – I always made sure that every kitchen that I orchestrated had a stock working every day. Sure, the stock was important as the foundation to soups and sauces, but maybe even more importantly it sets the tone for a kitchen dedicated to foundations, to building flavors in layers, and to respecting the traditions of a professional kitchen. Stocks are a statement and their deep aroma welcomes every cook to his or her station, allowing them to know that they are part of something special.

*Fresh brewed coffee – We all have a relationship with coffee. To many, it is the first thing that we seek in the morning, the finish to a great meal, and the last acknowledgement to signal the end of the day. Each sip allows us to engage our olfactory senses as well as our taste receptors. In professional kitchens – coffee is a baseline aroma that is always there, always luring us over for another jolt of caffeine.

*Cured meats – The inspiration for this article was a video clip that I watched a dozen or so times – a walking tour through a curing room filled with thousands of Prosciutto hams hanging and working their way through the long process of fermentation that yields one of the culinary worlds most heavenly aromas and flavors. Picture what it must be like to walk through that cure room, take a deep breath, and let your senses turn to high alert. This is a cook’s moment.

*Cheese affinage – As enticing as the prosciutto cure room might be, the musty, fruity, deeply fragrant smell of a cheese cave takes it a step further. It is the affinage that takes the pressed curds from milk and transitions them into signature cheese from runny soft, and stinky Epoisse, to firm, mature Manchego, or the aged and intelligent aromas of Parmigiana Reggiano. Cheese, bread, cured meat, and great wine combine to tempt the nose to understand the mystical nature of the food that we eat.

*Shaved truffles on scrambled eggs or pasta – Not an every day experience, even for the most experienced chef, but if there were an aroma that’s impossible to describe except to say “truffle” this would be it. Nothing else smells remotely close to a truffle, nothing will make you stand tall and give all of your attention to food, and no smell is more addictive than a fresh truffle that is shaved over loosely scrambled eggs or fresh pasta. If there were a smell to describe heaven – this would be it.

As cooks we are privileged to work with, be enticed by, and enjoy the pleasures of aromatic foods. This is the environment we work in and this is quite possibly one of the greatest benefits of choosing a life behind the range.

Up next: TOUCH, TEXTURE, and CHEW.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

THE APOCALYPSE FOR RESTAURANTS IS NEAR

31 Saturday Oct 2020

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chefs, cooks, Restaurant Survival, restaurants, Restaurants and Covid

It is the end of October 2020 and we are all focused on the National Election in just a few days. We certainly should be zeroing on this event that will likely change the course of history and determine what America looks like and how it is perceived for generations to come. While we wrestle with important issues of voter suppression, confidence in the system (how amazing it is that this is a concern in the United States of America), and whether or not one party or another will accept the results – there are two monumental disasters looming: Covid-19 is rearing up its ugly head for a second and third wave that all indications point to as worse than the first (even if some may try to down play the threat) and as a result – the restaurant industry is facing the end of the road. As Jeremiah Tower stated in a recent interview I conducted with him: “This is not a challenge – it is the apocalypse.”

This is not an exaggeration, this is not a case of fear mongering, this is not political – it is a fact. As winter looms heavy on every restaurateurs shoulders and those outdoor patios are closed due to weather – restaurant owners and chefs are breathing heavy as they know what lies ahead. The pandemic is real, the virus is real, and people are scared. Dining indoors is scary enough for both customers and providers, but opening inside dining with 50% occupancy is simply not workable financially. Add to that the realization that at any moment, Covid-19 may force local governments hand and another mandated lockdown could be right around the corner. Leisure travel is non-existent, and business travel is very limited. Conferences and conventions are gone, weddings are not taking place in hotel and restaurant venues, meetings are virtual, graduations are accomplished on ZOOM , and those Friday night meetings of friends in a local bar or trendy restaurant have basically evaporated. Each one of these changes is another nail in the coffin of the restaurant business.

Try as they may – restaurants cannot sell enough take out, press regular customers to purchase enough gift certificates, deliver enough re-heat meals, or convert enough dining rooms into marketplaces to cover their expenses and make up for that loss of full dining rooms. Restaurants are facing really, really difficult times. These are problems that they can’t ideate their way out of. Even the best restaurant minds are at a loss – what can be done to stop the bleeding and ride out the storm that is likely to last another year? Holy crap! Most restaurants have a tough time surviving through one tough month – let alone nearly two-years.

Breathe deep, sit down, have a glass of wine or beer and think about a world, a country, a neighborhood without those familiar restaurants, those places where we gather with family and friends to celebrate, honor, laugh, toast, and communicate over great food. We might try to convince ourselves that restaurants are a luxury and we can get by without them – but the reality is that restaurants are a very, very important part of our lives – we all need them. We may have survived over the past eight months without those restaurants, but think about the hole in our lives as a result let alone the loss of jobs and the demise of small businesses. This is a serious and highly transitional time that will have a long-term impact on society.

We certainly can’t ignore the dangers of Covid-19, it is our responsibility to do what is necessary to move through this, stay safe, and keep our neighbors healthy. Restaurateurs and chefs, for the most part, do not deny this – but, the question is: “are we ready to pay the price?” Are we ready to face a life without those places that are the core of a community? Is there an answer, is there a way to protect each other and support the restaurant industry at the same time?

YES THERE IS!

First, and foremost – we need immediate assistance from the Congress and the Executive Branch of government. It might even be too late, but we (I mean each and every one of us) must insist that Congress pass a relief bill that focuses on the individual, restaurants, and state governments that host all of those public services that we depend on. A new wave of PPP support to help restaurants and other small businesses pay their employees (employees that are in rough shape through no fault of their own), intervention with landlords for reasonable deferral and payback programs for rent that can’t be met during the pandemic, and an infusion of funds to the SBA so that they can buoy up restaurants that need short term loans and consultation to help problem solve their crisis issues.

Second, we need to stop this politically polarized nonsense that denies the seriousness of Covid-19, ignores the directives of science, and coddles people who fight common sense over wearing masks as if they were middle school brats, and promotes dumb conspiracy theories that the virus is non-existent or far less serious than it is. This is just absurd and we will never get back to anything close to normal unless we stop this foolish behavior.

Finally, we all need to do our part to support local businesses in ways that we can, while still practicing safe behavior. We need a 12-month strategy that will support the 24/7 efforts of local businesses to survive. The alternative is to accept a life after Covid without those restaurants that have been around for generations, those places where we gather to celebrate special occasions, take a break from the stress of work, or simply get together to clink glasses, share our day, and laugh with reckless abandon. Remember those days, remember how important those opportunities were to our wellbeing?

Call your representative, vote for those who know what needs to be done and stand on a soapbox to fight for yourself and those local businesses that make a community all that it can be.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

SAVE LOCAL RESTAURANTS – WE NEED THEM!

Be smart – wear a mask, socially distance from one another, wash your hands, and know that together, with effort, we can make a difference.

COOKS AND CHEFS – WE ALL CRAVE DISCIPLINE

27 Tuesday Oct 2020

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chefs, cooks, kitchen discipline, kitchens, Professionalism, restaurants

Let’s not confuse freedom with a desire to do whatever we want without a system of order or respect for the discipline of structure. We can both be free and still respect the need for that discipline that comes from organization. A well-run kitchen is not a free-form environment where every cook does his or her own thing or moves to the beat of his or her own drum. Just like other well-run organizations – the kitchen functions best in a system where everyone has well defined jobs, follows the structure of systems or order, and exhibits the discipline of structural respect.

Whether it is the military, your favorite baseball or football team, FedEx, UPS, the airlines, or your favorite musical group – structure and a level of discipline are essential if the end result is going to be accomplishment of business objectives.

My experience, and I will note that it may not be everyone’s experience, is that kitchens tend to attract a broad array of staff members who come from environments where discipline is not always the norm. The refreshing nature of discipline is what attracts many of those great employees to the environment of the kitchen. There is comfort in the ability to achieve concrete objectives – a well-prepared plate of food and a satisfied customer. There is comfort in wearing a clean, crisp, white uniform that represents history, tradition, and pride. There is comfort in following the directives on a prep list, a recipe, or a banquet order. There is comfort in knowing and executing foundational methods of cooking that can consistently yield good results. There is comfort in knowing that there is a chain of command in the kitchen and that following this order creates a sense of team when and where it is needed.

I have recently read articles that claim that the discipline and order of chefs as far back as Escoffier or as contemporary as Ferran Adria or Thomas Keller are no longer appropriate or needed. That this structure that chefs have defended for generations will somehow stifle an individuals opportunities in a kitchen and thwart their ability to grow. Oh contraire, my experience is just the opposite. It is exactly this structure, and this discipline that helps to develop talented, polished individuals and build a skill set that leads to long-term success.

Do not misconstrue this support for discipline as an endorsement of hostile work environments where some chefs have been known to demean and excessively criticize cooks – there is no place for this approach. Discipline is not synonymous with this awful, abhorrent approach that is, for some reason, portrayed as normal on TV kitchen shows. This may have been normal in the distant past, but it cannot be tolerated today. But, a level of discipline and structure is critical, especially in complex, ever changing and time sensitive environments like a busy kitchen.

I have observed kitchens that are highly disciplined while employee centric at the same time. It is these kitchens that hum with enthusiasm, pride, and professionalism and produce extraordinary results. I have seen cooks when they button up those crisp, clean uniforms, tie on an apron, and draw their knives across a wet stone to hone an edge; when they wipe down their station, line up their tools, and pull down an organized prep sheet, and I have watched that spring in their step, that look of focused professionalism that can only occur in a kitchen that respects the order and discipline of the work.

It makes no difference if it is a 4-diamond restaurant offering fine dining, a quality pizza shop, a bakery, or a hospital foodservice – discipline, pride, and results are closely aligned. I have seen cooks from all different walks of life – some from culinary schools, some who worked their way up from dishwasher, some born into an American neighborhood, and some who came to our country for a better life, both male and female, young and at the beginning of their work life and others who are nearing the end of their careers – come together with pride in the work they do, joy in their accomplishments in front of the range, and charged up about the kitchen where they work. This is what discipline and organization bring to a work environment.

Peek into the kitchens of restaurants that you patronize and you can immediately see the difference. In fact, it is likely that the food presented to you as a customer will reveal the level of discipline, professionalism, and organization that exists in that kitchen.

A chef who understands that his or her role is to define that structure, create an environment where critique is tied to training, and results are aligned with the structure and organization that –yes, Escoffier, Pointe, Poilane, Keller, Trotter, and others established or reinforced, is a chef who will not only find personal success, but will set the stage for employees to enjoy a long and fruitful career.

There are many aspects of the restaurant business that need to change: pay scales, benefits, reasonable work schedules, tolerance of chefs and operators who demean and belittle employees, and addressing the factors in restaurants that limit profitability- but, in all cases it will be organization and structural discipline that will make those changes possible.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

CHEFS – WHAT DOES YOUR MENU REPRESENT?

24 Saturday Oct 2020

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chefs, cooks, menu planning for chefs, restaurant menus, restaurants

Consider this – the menu is the most important component of a successful restaurant and once designed it can, and should, impact every other aspect of the business. These aspects include: décor, skill level of staff, style of service, pricing, profit, type of vendors selected, kitchen layout, equipment selection, marketing and advertising, pay scales, dining room seating, type of china, glassware and flatware, even the location and color scheme for the exterior of the restaurant. YES – the menu is that important!

The menu comes first and should reflect the philosophy of the owners and chef and how the operators expect to be perceived by the public. Far too many times the menu takes a back seat to all other planning that will lead to serious miscalculations along the way. General Motors would never build and equip an auto plant, hire the entire staff, and create a marketing strategy until the car they intend to build is designed, prototyped, and presented to various focus groups first. Why should it be any different for restaurants and their menus?

That being said – here are a few examples of “menu thinking” that can be considered:

[] A COLLECTION OF ITEMS THAT SELL

This menu is developed using analytical data that is drawn from surveys and historical reference to other restaurants within a community or region. There is certainly nothing wrong with this approach except that the result is typically an operation that lacks inspiration, lacks soul, and attracts employees who are less interested in passion and far more content to align with the operation that provides a dependable paycheck. There are thousands of restaurants just like this – they serve a real need for dependability.

[] A CONNECTION TO HISTORY

Whether it’s the history of the town where the restaurant is located, the family that owns the operation, or the heritage of a certain ethnicity – sometimes these influences set the stage for a menu and what it represents. Destiny and tradition create expectations that are hard to argue with. A restaurant on the Maine coast without lobster would be difficult to justify, just as a café in the French Quarter of New Orleans without some reference to Cajun, Creole, traditional Southern or Acadian French cooking would seem out of place.

[] A CHEF’S SIGNATURE

Of course – many chefs view the menu as a chance to make a statement – a statement that focuses on those styles of cooking that influenced the chef, his or her desire to “push the envelope”, and a chance to stand out among the crowd of competitors. This menu energy is attractive to chefs while at the same time it is risky. A chef’s signature without any research can set a negative perception of the restaurant that is hard to break. At the same time – a restaurant that boxes a chef into a corner with little or no room for expression will find it difficult to hang on to culinary talent.

[] THE COLLECTIVE STYLE OF THE KITCHEN TEAM

When a chef engages the culinary team in the process of menu building, and when this is done with proper guidance and adherence to a common set of benchmarks, then real kitchen synergy will result. This is one of the best ways to attract excellent cooks and create an environment where they want to stay and contribute to the team effort.

[] A DARING TRIP INTO THE UNKNOWN

We have seen some examples of uniquely talented and daring chefs who want to shock as much as inspire. Keeping in mind that there is a relatively small, but passionate number of consumers who are referred to as “innovators” (1-2% of the dining public) – there will always be room for a few disruptor restaurants. The biggest challenge is keeping those innovators interested and expanding the market to enough predictable guests to keep the restaurant in business.

[] A REFLECTION OF COMMUNITY

When a chef takes part in active demographic research – a menu might very well reflect something about the community where the restaurant sits. Building a neighborhood restaurant where support for the operation is considered a responsibility of residents becomes a reality when that operation truly connects. It might be based on a menu that reflects the heritage of the community, the ethnicity of residents, their socio-economic background, or something about the community that makes it unique. When a chef identifies this and as a result creates loyalty – then a restaurant can expect to live on for generations.

[] THE OWNER’S FAVORITES

Owners have a tough time staying out of the menu planning process. It is their business after all – right? The chef, regardless of how creative he or she might be, and the owner, regardless of how savvy he or she might be as a consumer – needs to take a back seat to all of the factors that will lead to a connection with consumers and return customers. Beware of the owner that hopes to build a personal menu rather than one that might work.

[] A LIST WITHOUT DIRECTION

It takes just a minute or two for a seasoned restaurant professional to identify a menu without direction. There should always be “connections” on the menu: the appetizers set the stage for the entrees, and the entrees lead to desserts that complete the package. When a menu lacks continuity, then the experience suffers and the customer is left – confused.

[] AN ATTEMPT TO PLEASE EVERYONE

There was a time when the American diner was prevalent at every major crossing of highways. Not ever knowing whom their next customer might be – these operations attacked the customer will pages of menu choices, representing multiple ethnic influences, utilizing every ingredient possible, and doing so without any parameters such as what makes sense for a given meal period or how the kitchen and service staff might function. When the restaurant offers pasta primavera and tacos throughout the day then the consumer starts to wonder what the results will be.

Don’t underestimate the importance of smart menu planning that takes into consideration the habits and desires of typical customers, demographics, the facility layout and equipment on hand, the skill level of the cooks, the style of service that front of the house employees are trained to execute, the price point and profitability potential of the items selected, the availability of vendors, and the passion and ability of the chef who stands at the helm.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

THE COOK’S INTELLECT

19 Monday Oct 2020

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chefs, cooks, cooks intellect, professional kitchen, restaurants

Anyone who has tied on an apron in a professional kitchen understands the physical nature of the work. We know about the aching muscles, the throbbing feet, the faltering knees, and the heat – did I mention the heat? But we don’t often take the time to stop and pay attention to the intellect of the cook and the broader skills that few careers can boast. Great cooks and chefs are highly intellectual individuals who are challenged to apply those skills and aptitudes every day. Unfortunately, it is rare to hear of anyone pointing out these essential abilities or the need for them if one is to be effective in the job.

So, for all who are sweating on the line every day, for all who are dipping their toes into the rushing water of a culinary profession, and to all chefs who think they know their worth – here are the unheralded skills that cooks and chefs apply each and every day without much fanfare:

[] MATH

Yep, that’s right – cooks are adept at using math every day in the kitchen. They apply these principles while expanding recipes, using fractions with units of measurement, working with percentages (especially in the bakeshop), portioning products, determining yield of products through fabrication and cooking, using geometry to determine precise vegetable cuts, and working within the parameters of recipe costing.

[] TIME MANAGEMENT

Working backwards from a finished plate of food – cooks must prioritize work based on how long each step will take, as well as pacing of a ‘la minute work on the line to ensure that every dish on an order is ready at the precise time for plating.

[] STRATEGIC PLANNING

From the moment a cook walks through those kitchen doors he or she is building a strategy for the day. “How will I approach today’s prep, what can I defer till a later time, based on who is scheduled for a shift – how must I adjust the work that I do, and given the reservations for tonight – which items might move and which items will take a back seat to demand.” Sometimes the strategy is systemic and doesn’t waver, while at other times each day will be unique.

[] PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Especially in operations where there are significant numbers of banquets and special events – the cook is assigned a function and must either align with a project strategy already developed by the chef, or in some cases build and manage that project independently. All of this is done within the parameters of standards of excellence and timing.

[] PROBLEM SOLVING

Even the best-laid plans can go astray when the unforeseen gets in the way. The best cooks and chefs will constantly work on scenarios so that very little is classified as a surprise. If left to chance – whatever could go wrong – will. This is the principle of Murphy’s Law that every cook subscribes to. The best cooks solve problems before they arise.

“In its simplest form, Murphy’s Law states: If anything can go wrong, it will. However, as with many successful business theories, the original law has been extended over time to cover specialist areas, several of which are given below:

Project Planning: If anything can go wrong, it will. Usually at the most inopportune time.
Performance Management: If someone can get it wrong, they will.
Risk Assessment: If several things can go wrong, the one you would LEAST like to happen will occur.
Practical creativity: If you can think of four ways that something can go wrong, it will go wrong in a fifth way.”
www.mindtools.com

[] HISTORY AND ANTHROPOLOGIE

The best cooks take the time to study the background of a dish or a cooking process. A person who has never studied the history of a dish such as Cog au Vin is far less likely to master it than another person who understands the ingredients, why they are used, how they are used, the type of people who consumed it, their socio-economic background, the indigenous nature of the ingredients used, how it was presented and how it might have been celebrated by those involved. So cooks are often compelled to learn more about a dish or process as part of their skill development. One does not learn how to make Kansas City BBQ without living in KC and apprenticing with a pit master who was born and raised there.

[] ART AND DESIGN

Food is the ultimate art form and every plate of food that a cook touches is truly a canvas that was analyzed and approached with an eye for color contrast, symmetry, dimension, consideration of negative space, applying different textures, combining geometric shapes, and maximizing the three-dimensional nature of the dish. Additionally, the cook considers all human senses in the build out of that dish: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch – no other art form is that fully engaged with the senses.

[] PSYCHOLOGY

There is psychology at play whenever team members are reliant on each other to perform a task. The kitchen team is a fragile organism that requires understanding, compassion, support, critique, anger management, and passion. All of the aspects of understanding oneself and those around you are at play at every moment in the kitchen.

[] COMMUNICATION

Communication in all of its forms is essential in a well-run kitchen. Verbal, body language, written communication, and eye contact are used by cooks – all the time. Whether it is checking what and how you say something, the manner with which you give a directive, offer critique, write a prep sheet, enter info in a log, prepare a recipe, or simply give a nod or make eye contact with another player on the team – communication is critical. Cook’s learn to be masters at this essential skill.

What is most interesting about these unique skills is that they define the difference between a cook and a great cook, a chef and a remarkable chef. These skills are also very transferrable – thus great cooks and remarkable chefs can quite easily transition into another career track as a result.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

Know your value and the unique skills that you bring to the table.

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

THE FUTURE OF THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS

13 Tuesday Oct 2020

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chefs, cooks, restaurant closings, restaurant future, restaurants after Covid, restaurateurs

Numerous people have asked me, over the past few months, what I think about the future of restaurants in America. Of course, this is a question without scientific studies to back up an answer – this is pure speculation. However, there are a number of indicators that point to a very challenging few years ahead. The simple answer is nobody knows for sure, but it doesn’t look good. Please read through till the end, because it’s not all doom and gloom.

Here are the challenging indicators

In the short term:

A capacity limit of 25% or 50% simply doesn’t work for an industry with substantial fixed costs and low profit margins.
The difficult labor situation pre-Covid was tough, it’s even worse now, as many people have decided that a job in the restaurant business is just not worth it.
Landlords can only be forgiving for a short period of time – they have bills to pay as well.
Customers may put their toe in the water and test the safety of going to restaurants now, but all that it will take is an outbreak traced back to a restaurant to change everything.
The industry, in many parts of the country, had a decent summer season, but that was because of outside dining. In many parts of the U.S. that is beginning to change as winter looms large. Dining inside is just not as attractive right now.
Un-employment and under-employment eradicate unnecessary family expenses – so restaurants are right back where they were after the 2008 economic crash – they are not essential.
Small restaurants, in particular, are just like their employees. They cannot endure long periods of time without a revenue stream. Many restaurants cannot survive past a month or so without throwing in the towel (It has now been more than seven months).
Our government just doesn’t get it. Restaurants are important to the economy, they are important to American’s piece of mind, they are effective ways of bringing people together especially when everything else seems to push them apart, and restaurants tend to define a community or neighborhood – they are the heart and soul of what makes a community gel.
It is estimated that as many as 50% of the nations restaurants will close and never re-open as the virus continues to thwart any chance of financial survival.

In the long term:

Restaurants don’t want a bail out – they want support and real help. This means that American entrepreneurs need the support and advice of experts to help them figure a way out of this business mess. These restaurants need training and mentorship, they need easier access to low interest loans, they need some type of easement on their rents (which requires federal support for landlords), they need extended unemployment benefits for their employees and they need a national marketing program to focus on the importance of your neighborhood restaurants.
This pandemic has revealed significant problems with the U.S. supply chain. This is just as important as talk about infrastructure rebuilds. Without real dialogue that looks hard at centralized production and distribution vs. a return to a more de-centralized model – there is little doubt that the supply chain will continue to show its weakness.
Low profitability and intense need for lots of hands to get the job done are issues that have plagued the success of restaurants for many decades. The country needs a load of great minds to figure this one out. With an increased failure rate among restaurant start-ups, soon enough we will see a decreased interest in becoming a restaurant entrepreneur.
Low pay and meager benefits have been associated with restaurant work forever, finding a solution to this is long overdue. Ask yourself: “Why would anyone want to work in a high stress, physically demanding, unpredictable, labor deprived powder keg industry when pay is below the national average for skilled workers, employer paid healthcare is impossible to find, sick leave is even rarer, vacation time is questionable, personal days are non-existent, and predictable schedules are impossible?
For seven months people have become accustomed to avoiding restaurants, cooking more at home, and saving money that would have normally been spent for a dine out meal. Will they return at some point as though this period in time was just a slight inconvenience?
As restaurants suffer from low participation and in many cases – closure, so too have culinary schools who had the job of training tomorrows cooks, chefs, and restaurant entrepreneurs suffering from low enrollment and less than stellar placement opportunities for graduates. This adds to the draining of the labor pool.

So, indications for long-term recovery and success are not great. But, this does not mean the restaurant industry will not recover and regain strength over time. These factors simply change the face of an industry that has evolved very little over the past 50 or so years. There is, and will be, real opportunities moving forward for those who can recognize and solve the immediate problems, accept the need to change – really change, and approach tomorrow with passion and enthusiasm.

This is what I (again, no scientific data to support my theory) think will occur over the next few years:

There will be a wholesale culling of restaurant numbers. Those who are not business savvy with disappear, those who fail to recognize that they need to re-invent will disappear, and those without quality leadership will not have the heart and energy to carry on. This breaks my heart to see; yet it is the most likely scenario.
Those who stand tall and admit that they need help, seek out those who can encourage change and show them the path, and those who relish the opportunity to become truly different will find a path to renewed success. Of this I am certain.
Those who re-design their systems to reduce the number of hands required in a restaurant while increasing efficiency and quality will be able to pay their employees better and find a way to create improved work/life balance for their most important assets – people.
There will be a movement towards more reasonable dialogue and contractual agreements with landlords. There is a space for effective compromise here.
More and more – mobile options for restaurants will gain traction. This means more food trucks, more appropriate licensing and tax burden sharing with communities, and wider acceptance of this as a long-term answer.
Take out food will rise to a new level of excellence as most restaurant realize that although this will never be their most profitable way to present a meal – it will be an expectation and they had better do it exceptionally well.
Consumer education will become the norm through on-site classes, video chef demonstrations, and instructional links for take out customers – how your food was prepared and how to refresh it at home.
Partnerships between schools and restaurants will provide opportunities for certificates and degrees in culinary arts that cost less and result in better-trained graduates. Schools will need to speed up the process of learning, ensure that what they teach is relevant, and build hybrid delivery experiences that are as good or even better than full-time person-to-person. Refresher process specific course work will become available on line or through social media, and those who enroll in school will be able to access skill updates for life. The connection between schools and students will never end and job placement will become the key element of an education with some level of guarantee that those who complete a course or degree are “kitchen ready”.
The safety protocols that larger chains have adopted and seem able to deliver will be just as well programmed in those independent operations. As a result, the neighborhood restaurant will have a fighting chance of regaining their support in communities across America.
The government will eventually see the importance of restaurants to our way of life and will re-invigorate the breadth of work and power of the SBA to do so much more. They will be able to provide training and consultation for small restaurants, help them negotiate better terms for long and short-term bank loans, and connect hundreds of thousands of independent operations to a national marketing campaign that helps the industry attract employees, and convince the public that these businesses are streamlined to keep them healthy and safe.
Finally, the Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration, and professional commodity groups, food related organizations, and chefs will form a taskforce to look deeply into the changes needed for a stronger, more resilient food distribution system.

I truly believe this and am confident that with leadership in Washington that is more in-tune with the issues facing restaurants – things will change. It will take time, but as has been the case through national and international disasters over many decades – the restaurant industry will rise up and thrive again.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

CHEFS – YOUR EMPLOYEES JUST MIGHT HAVE THE ANSWERS

26 Saturday Sep 2020

chefs, cooks, Covid solutions for restaurants, restaurant employees

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We all know the challenges facing restaurants right now – there is little benefit in reiterating the problems. The question is: “What’s the answer?” Of course the pandemic is the cause and the effects are either a direct result of that or the necessary restrictions that evolved from Covid. What needs to be addressed is: “ How do we build trust among customers, trust that the restaurant will keep them safe, and how do we generate enough sales and in turn – profit, to keep the operation moving forward? Ask your staff!

Your staff members are vested in the success of the restaurant, just as you are. They may not be encumbered with as many critical issues as you – but they know the customer, they see the operation through a less cluttered lens, and they are able to tune into immediate changes that might just pull you out of the weeds. Engage them, trust them, encourage them, excite them and give them an opportunity to help far beyond preparing a plate of food or delivering it to the table. Behind the mask and the social distancing each one of those employees is home to that next great idea – sometimes obvious, and sometimes hidden beneath the surface.

WHAT THEY KNOW:

[] Your employees know that the essential challenge is TRUST. They see those hesitant customers walking into a restaurant (or not) while scanning the environment for masks, distancing, and proper safety protocol. Your employees know that this is not the best way to start a dining experience. They know that at this point their primary job is to make the customer feel safe. Ask your employees: “What else can we do to bring about that trust?”

[] Your employees know that preparing and serving food is only a part of what has kept customers coming back on a regular basis. They know that the ability to attract new customers lies not with just flavorful food and speedy service, but rather with a deeper experience that can and does create memories. Ask them how you might bring back an experience in a world of masks and 6 feet of distance.

[] Your kitchen employees know that the wall that separates the kitchen from the customer creates a level of uncertainty: “What are they doing back there to ensure that the food is safe, the plates are sanitary, and the process of preparation is designed to keep Covid at bay?” Pose these questions to your employees – who is better positioned to find the answers that would lead to a higher level of trust among customers than those who interact mask to mask?

[] Your kitchen employees know that 25 or 50% occupancy caps on restaurant dining rooms will never be sufficient to sustain an operation. They fully understand the rationale that the top line (sale) drives the bottom line (profit). They can see the concern in your eyes over the certainty of failure when a full dining room is not allowed. Ask them for ways that you might increase check averages, improve costs, become more efficient, or build menus that contribute more to the bottom line. You might just be amazed at what they have to offer. They live every day what you simply oversee. Who is better prepared to understand the cause of problems and potential solutions than those people who are closest to the challenge?

[] Your employees know that one confirmed case of Covid stemming from your restaurant will result in temporary or even permanent closure. Any trust that was built will be set aside when fear takes over. Ask your employees about your protocol and how to best protect them, the guest, and the business. Who lives closer to the challenge than employees who are shoulder to shoulder in the operation? What should be done to protect this?

[] Your employees know that typical marketing in the midst of a pandemic is very ineffective. That ad in the local paper or radio commercial that helped to fill a dining room in the past is frivolous at best when fear and uncertainty are the norm. Ask them how to best promote a restaurant experience when so many people are simply saying: “No, I’ll just wait until this whole thing is over?” Ask them about creating word-of-mouth, and a social media buzz that quells fear and builds anticipation for that experience once again. Your employees are more than just a name on the payroll – they are ambassadors and salespersons who, when they trust what you are doing, will invest in creating that buzz. Get them engaged.

Your greatest asset in business will always be the employees’ who clock in to your front or back of the house. All of the investment in décor, menu, tabletop, and marketing are far less significant than the quality of committed staff members. Solicit their ideas and engage them in the process of success. Don’t rely on government to solve our problems and overcome our challenges – rally your troops to rise up and find the opportunities that will always exist even in the most difficult times.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

CHEFS – FINE TUNE THOSE SENSES

15 Tuesday Sep 2020

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chefs, Chefs senses, cooks, craft of cooking, professional kitchen, restaurants

The kitchen sensual army

There are many things that differentiate cooks and chefs, but none more important to the customer experience and the reputation of the restaurant than mastery of the senses. Whether a fine-dining experience or your local taqueria – the cooks that stand out, the ones that are the reason why customers line up to buy their food, are the ones with well developed senses of taste, smell, touch, sight, and sound as they relate to what takes place in the kitchen.

The essential tool in development of these senses is experience. Certain individuals may be born with the capacity to taste and smell, with the innate talent to present beautiful food, and with excellent hearing, but it is what those senses are exposed to that makes a cook – a great cook. Every experience that we have is imbedded in our subconscious mind. When we are exposed to that memory again, it moves quickly to the conscious realm and we say: “a’ha – I remember that”. After frequent exposure to that same memory can even allow an experienced cook or chef to envision what that product will smell, look, sound, and taste like – even before that takes place. This is how experienced chefs are able to plan dishes and menus knowing how ingredients will marry together, what the overall flavor profile will be, and how the final dish will look. It’s an amazing process.

Without the experience associated with the development of this sensual tool, it is like a beautiful knife that never leaves the roll bag, or fine china that never serves as a canvas for a plate of food. Thus, the best cooks and chefs are always seeking out those sensual food experiences so that they can develop their flavor memory.

It is common for people to confuse flavor and taste as being the same, but taste is but a portion of the flavor experience. Flavor is a combination of taste, sight, sound, smell, and texture – all in the right proportions. Try tasting a familiar ingredient while you hold your nose to see how the flavor changes. Close your eyes and taste a raw potato next to a fresh apple and see how similar they are. Think about it: Is a potato chip a potato chip without the sound of the crunch? Is fresh baked apple pie as appealing if it has no smell? Why do green and white asparagus taste so different – does it have anything to do with the color?

An interesting exercise to establish the importance of sense experiences is to ask your cooks some basic questions:

[] WHAT DOES A STRAWBERRY TASTE LIKE?

The majority of time the cook will likely say something like: “It tastes like a strawberry”. Well, if that cook had never tasted a fresh picked, fully mature strawberry before – how would they know what to expect? More importantly, how would they know how to differentiate a great strawberry from an inferior one?

[] DESCRIBE THE FLAVOR OF BAR-B-QUE BRISKET?

Anyone from a southern state will likely win any contest in describing this flavor, and ironically, their response will differ depending on which state they are from. What will be universal are the smokiness, the moisture, the tenderness, and the subsequent mouth feel that comes from a process that goes beyond taste. Unless you have tried a brisket that was smoked and cooked over coals for 12-24 hours then it will be impossible to describe the flavor or know when a properly cooked brisket is just right.

[] WHAT DOES A FRESH TRUFFLE SMELL LIKE?

The truffle is one of the most unique, impossible to describe ingredients unless you have held one up to your nose, shaved it offer soft scrambled eggs or fresh pasta, or buried it in raw Arborio rice to imbed its perfume in a dish of risotto. It is intoxicating and overwhelming to the senses. But without the experiences mentioned, it would be impossible to describe.

[] TELL ME IF THE HOLLANDAISE I JUST PREPARED IS CORRECT?

What is the balance of lemon and heat from Tabasco? What is the right amount of salt? Is the correct balance of egg yolk and clarified butter present? Is the mouth feel correct? A sauce with the simplest of ingredients is so hard to make correctly and to achieve proper balance. Can you imagine being asked to make a hollandaise if you never made one correctly before or had never tasted a perfect example?

[] CAN YOU TELL IF A SAUTE DIVER SCALLOP IS BEING COOKED CORRECTLY IF YOU ARE BLINDFOLDED AND 20 FEET AWAY FROM THE RANGE?

That scallop will only reach it’s perfect state if the pan used to sear it is screaming hot and the portion of clarified butter is just right. The sound of a pan when it sizzles beneath that scallop and the smell of butter before it passes the burn point is a tell- all even if the cook does not see the scallop.

[] ARE YOU ABLE TO DETERMINE THE DEGREE OF DONENESS ON THAT STEAK BY SIMPLY TOUCHING IT?

Of course a cook can always probe that steak with a thermometer to determine degrees of doneness, but a seasoned broiler cook would never be caught doing that. This cook knows the give of the muscle at medium or medium rare. He or she knows the perfect point at which to give the steak a 45 degree turn to imprint those beautiful grill marks, when to flip the steak (just once), and when to pull it from the heat so that it takes advantage of carry over cooking and time to rest so that it doesn’t bleed out when that first cut of the knife opens it up on a plate.

[] CAN YOU TELL IF THOSE ONIONS ARE CARAMELIZING PROPERLY JUST BY SMELLING THEM FROM THE OPPOSITE END OF THE KITCHEN?

The Maillard reaction (reducing sugars and protein through the application of heat) that is the process of caramelization has its own smell and sound. If it is taken too far then the item begins to burn giving off a less than pleasant aroma. When it is done right the sound of the sizzle and the sweet smell of this chemical reaction is one of the most positive of kitchen aromas.

When the chef turns on his sensual radar

A seasoned chef can walk through a kitchen, turn on his or her sensual radar and assess what is going right and what is going wrong. When the radar is tuned in, he sights, smells, sounds, and tastes of the kitchen fill the air and send signals of process and outcome. These are skills that go way beyond a person’s natural ability; it is a culmination of experiences that have changed how the cook views the world around him or her. Without these experiences, this capacity will never be realized.

Cooks who have the desire to master their craft are the ones who seek out food experiences, taste and mentally record those experiences, re-introduce those experiences frequently enough to allow them to become a part of their bag of tricks, and relish the opportunity to share this gift with others. When this happens they are in control of the food that is being prepared, the ingredients that are being purchased, and the success of the team engaged in creating memories for restaurant guests.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Experience is the best educator

Restaurant Consulting

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks podcast

THE BREAKFAST COOK – TOUGH, DEPENDABLE, ORGANIZED, AND FAST

08 Tuesday Sep 2020

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Breakfast Cooks, chefs, cooks

There are cooks and there are cooks – each has his or her list of responsibilities, required skills, and bag of tricks. Just because you are listed on a schedule as a cook does not necessarily mean that you are adept at filling every position under that designation. Grill cooks, sauté, prep, garde manger, bakers and pastry chefs are all very unique. Then there is the breakfast cook – although some cooks use this position as a stepping stone to the evening line – many are comfortable choosing this as their position of choice. If you fit the mold – then you possess a special value reserved for just a few, value that – to the chef goes way beyond the ability to prepare breakfast items.

Unlike other line positions where there is a time allowance for preparation, pacing of courses, and the detail work that equates to a meticulously aligned plate presentation – the breakfast cook must be efficient and fast. When the order is placed the cooking is almost instantaneous.

Finding that perfect person for the job is one of the more important tasks of the chef in a property. Comparable to finding a solid sous chef – this position must, at some point, almost become invisible. The chef wants to know that the cook will be there, will be ready, will be consistent, and will represent the quality that is expected of the operation – without much supervision. When this person is identified then the chef can rest easy.

There can occasionally be room for a creative dish or two, but when it comes to breakfast – most restaurant guests are looking for well-executed familiarity. At the same time, the guest is quite specific about how they like their breakfast items prepared – their expectations are clear. “I want my eggs over-easy but yolks that are not too runny”. “I want my waffles crunchy”. “Make sure that the scrambled eggs are dry”. “I like my bacon well done”. “A five minute egg (not shorter and not longer)”. The list goes on and on. Add this to an onslaught of orders coming in a breakfast crunch time and you can see how easy it would be for a cook to get frazzled.

So what are the unique attributes of this individual?

[] DEPENDABILITY:

The last thing in the world that the chef needs is that 5 a.m. call from the restaurant stating that the breakfast cook called out or didn’t show. The thought of jumping out of bed and rushing to the restaurant, setting up an unfamiliar station and trying to function while behind the eight ball is un-nerving. This is not the best moment in a chef’s day. He or she must be able to depend on the breakfast cook to be there or provide ample warning so that the chef can find a replacement.

[] INDEPENDENCE:

Oftentimes the breakfast cook is an island. It is very common to find, unlike the evening shift where there may be three or four line cooks for a meal period, the breakfast cook may be the one and only. Because of this, his or her planning, prep, organization, and attack are separated from the rest of the kitchen team. The right candidate must be able to function effectively in this manner.

[] EFFICIENCY:

Efficiency is the rule of law for all cooks, but even more so for the breakfast cook. When an order comes in it is immediately cooked, plated, and slid into the pass. This requires that the cook’s system is tight and foolproof. Mise en place has never been more important! The breakfast cook must be able to anticipate business volume, reflect on his or her past experience to assess what items will move, how many eggs to crack, how much batter to make, bacon to cook ahead, and plate garnishes to prepare. Considering the limited time available between orders placed and orders filled – there is no time to return to prep during service.

[] ORGANIZATION:

Pan placement, folded side towels, clarified butter placement, temperature of griddle, poaching water, and plate organization are all crucial, especially during crunch time. All cooks must be organized, but a breakfast cooks station will resemble the cockpit of an airplane – he or she will be able to point to the placement of each ingredient or tool without even thinking. If you want to see impeccable organization turn to chaos in a few seconds – let the chef jump behind the range to “help” a breakfast cook through the rush. Most cooks would rather not have the help. As a chef, whenever I helped I made sure that I stuck to garnishing plates and wiping the edges of china before a plate went into the pass.

Pans lined up waiting for the command.

[] MULTI-TASKER:

Eight pans of eggs cooking simultaneously (some sunny side, others varying degrees of over-easy), four orders of pancakes on the griddle, eggs benedict poaching, waffles in the iron, and a refresh on the oatmeal. This is constant, unrelenting as the dining room moves from a few guests at 6:30 a.m. to a full house by 7:15. Flip the cakes, slide the over easy eggs in a pan, respond to the buzzer on the waffle iron, plate up orders, transfer that rasher of bacon or triple sausage alignment, bark out: “pick up!”, and start all over again. Multi-tasking must be second nature.

[] SPEED:

Guests and in turn – servers have little patience during breakfast. The average dining room guest for breakfast is likely to spend no more than 30 minutes from the time they are seated. They have things to do, places to be, and breakfast is simply a means to an end. A five-minute wait seems like an eternity to a breakfast guest. The pressure is thus on the cook to be fast – lightning fast. To watch an efficient breakfast cook is mesmerizing. This modern version of the short order cook still amazes me.

I remember my first introduction to the cooking profession was watching a short-order cook through a restaurant window. At the age of 9 or 10, it was amazing to watch the efficiency and speed, the focus and the calmness of a person who was able to handle so many orders with grace. It is this experience that years later helped me to decide to become a cook and eventually a chef.

[] DETAIL ORIENTED:

As traditional and seemingly simple as breakfast may be, there is a detail that is expected, a focus on doing the little things right that makes all the difference in the world. If that bacon isn’t exactly how the guest likes it – the meal is substandard. If the oatmeal is not the perfect consistency, then it is pushed aside by a disappointed guest. If those eggs are too runny or not runny at all, then the expectation of a good start to the day is shattered. The details are small, but nevertheless important.

The breakfast cook cannot sacrifice the details for speed, nor speed for the details. It is a delicate balance.

[] ECONOMY OF MOTION:

The best cooks work from the standpoint of the pivot step. Everything must be within that pivot step if the system is to work. One step to the left or right, forward or back – any more and the game plan is in jeopardy. The more steps that a cook takes the greater the opportunity for mistakes. This is why organization and efficiency are so closely tied to how this station is set-up.

Focus, organization, efficiency.

[] FOCUS:

Watch this cook from the moment he or she arrives until everything is packed away for tomorrow. There is a focus that tells a story of oneness with the job. Walking through that back door at 4:30 a.m. – the cook clicks on that focus switch in his or her head and then it takes over. Flip on the lights and the hood fans, fire up the ovens for bacon and sausage, turn on the griddle to warm up, and the flat top that will accommodate those egg pans in a short period of time. Fill the steam table and grab a cup of coffee.

Roll out the cart with mise en place that was prepped at the close of yesterdays business, slide those first pans of bacon and sausage in the oven, set the timer, put on butter to clarify, and oil the flat top to welcome pre-cooked, diced potatoes for home fries. Crack a half case of eggs for scrambled, and finish the pancake and waffle batters that were measured out yesterday. Check plates for chips and cleanliness and restack in their assigned location. Pre-assemble garnishes, transfer eggs to cooler pans for easy access, keep those potatoes moving so that they are crisp on the outside and soft and warm inside, transfer cooked bacon and sausage to the steam table, fold side towels, and align spatulas, tongs, and slotted spoons for service. Pre-heat pans in that lowboy oven, and double-check all of your mise. Set up that pinch pot of salt and pepper, wash and dry berries of pancakes, remove the solids from that clarified butter, and grab another cup of coffee.

Only a few minutes till the dining room opens – time to check in with the dining room manager and walk through your checklist one more time. There will be no rest for the next three hours. Soon the action begins and if all is organized properly it will run like a well-rehearsed orchestra. At the end you will prep for tomorrow, clean your station, and pass on the spatula to the next shift.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

All respect for the breakfast cook

Restaurant Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

A CHEF’S 2020 LAMENT

04 Friday Sep 2020

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chefs, cooks, covid kitchen, kitchens, restaurants

They say that hindsight is 2020 – that being so, there is plenty for us to reflect on and determine how we might have done things differently. The fact is, we can’t go back, but we can look forward. At this point we are all hoping that 2020 will just fade from our memories. In the moment, however, there are loads of things that we miss, things that make us shake our heads in disbelief, things that we long for – a return to a time when our greatest concern as a chef was our reservation list and daily mise en place.

The prudent approach would probably be to put the past behind us and lay a course for the future, but when the future is so uncertain there is some solace in looking backward and reminiscing about those things that had put a smile on our face. There is always a level of comfort in reflection, even if there is “no turning back”. It’s history, as they say, but history is important. History is a great teacher and, if nothing else, we can reflect as a way to learn.

So, what do chefs miss in this crazy environment where employees and guests float around in masks, keeping their distance, and eyeing each other with concern? What do chefs long for in a world where restaurants are closing left and right – even the most established ones? What do chefs crave when protocol becomes far more important that the flavor profile of a dish? Here are a few things on my list:

[] ANTICIPATION

That moment in the early morning when a chef steps out of bed with the knot of mixed emotion in his or her stomach is – yes, something that is missed. There is a bit of fear regarding what might be faced when stepping through that back kitchen door, yet at the same time there is always a twinge of excitement about the same. The minute a chef’s feet hit the floor from a restless nights sleep – adrenaline is pumping. After time, this is a highly anticipated feeling. Chefs miss that in 2020.

[] POSITIVE ANXIETY

Anxiety in small doses can be that spark that starts the human engine. Too much anxiety has just the opposite effect, yet if a chef can control it at some level, then anxiety can be used to fuel the energy needed for the day. Positive anxiety can keep us on our toes, helping us to prepare for the expected and the unexpected. This positive anxiety gives the chef a bounce in his or her step – the bounce of confidence that the kitchen team depends on. Chefs miss that in 2020.

[] THE SPIRIT OF WINNING

It is always more than “how you play the game” – every person ultimately wants to win at whatever they attempt. Some put the time and effort into helping that happen, while others may simply hope that it occurs without their active involvement. Chefs tend to put the effort in. When the chef has the winning spirit then it rubs off on the team, setting the stage for achievement. To a kitchen team it is all about the basics – efficiency, great tasting and looking food, a clean operation, meeting the timing demands of orders, clearing the board of orders, no re-fires, no injuries, and happy guests sending back empty plates. This is what the chef and the team work for; this is what brings about fist bumps, high fives, and a smile at the end of service. Chefs miss that in 2020.

[] APPROPRIATE BANTER

There is certainly no place in today’s kitchen for hurtful or inappropriate banter that demeans or makes people uncomfortable, but that harmless banter that yields a laugh or a re-energized staff is simply a part of the environment that cooks and chefs look forward to. Chefs miss that in 2020.

[] INTERACTION WITH STAFF

Walking through that back kitchen door – the chef grabs a cup of coffee and invests the time to walk the kitchen and connect with prep cooks, breakfast line cooks, bakers and pastry chefs, dishwashers, and service staff. This is the first opportunity to touch base and connect with the people who are at the heart of a restaurants success. Throughout the day it is the sometimes serious, oftentimes light conversation that pulls chefs and cooks alike into the environment of the kitchen. People are interesting, they all have stories to tell, they all bring something special to the team, and they validate why a chef chose to do this work for a living. Chefs miss the level of this interaction in 2020. Instead of a smile and a resounding “yes chef” response from cooks, 2020 brings a look of uncertainty and a less than enthusiastic “yes chef”, wondering what tomorrow may bring.

[] INTERACTION WITH GUESTS

Many chefs look forward to the opportunity to occasionally “ walk the dining room” and interact with guests, engage in short conversations about food and maybe a suggested wine pairing, check for those smiles of satisfaction from diners, and feel the energy of the front of the house. Somehow this just doesn’t work when everyone is wearing a mask and looking over their shoulder for a person walking too close. Chefs miss that in 2020.

[] BEING FOOD CENTRIC

Of course chefs always worry about food cost, training, labor cost, vendor dependability, and the next health inspection, but what brought a person to this position is a love of food and a desire to learn more and create for the plate. When menus become utilitarian out of necessity, when a diminished labor pool is the driving force for menu design, and when survival is the focus – that food centric energy is in short supply. When the focus is not on creative food that is the signature for the restaurant – chefs miss that.

[] A FULL DINING ROOM

One of the measures of success that is most exciting in restaurants is looking through those swinging doors and seeing every table full of happy guests – eating, raising glasses, and laughing with reckless abandon. This is what we strive for in restaurants. When tables are 6 feet apart and capacity is limited due to pandemic protocol – that dining room energy is far less noticeable. It is really difficult to relax, enjoy a dining experience, celebrate, and laugh when the fear associated with Covid is always present. Chefs miss those full dining rooms in 2020.

[] THE ENERGY AND BEING ON THE EDGE

That knot in a chef’s stomach, that nervous energy that a line cook feels just prior to those first orders clicking off the POS, that uneasiness that servers experience just prior to opening the restaurant doors is, when in control, very similar to that anticipation felt before an exciting football game, cross country race, or rush to fill the stands at a rock concert. Sure it is a nervous energy, but it only feels dangerous until the gates open, the kickoff starts the game, the starting gun is fired, or those first orders signal – let the fun begin. Chefs miss this in 2020. It may exist, but at a much more subdued level.

[] THE SMELLS, SOUNDS, AND TASTES OF A KITCHEN ON A PATH TO SUCCESS

As that chef walks through the back kitchen door and grabs a cup of coffee – it is always the familiar sensual experience that reminds him or her that there is no other job more physically and emotionally rewarding than cooking. The smell of breakfast bacon, fresh baked bread, Danish pastries, caramelizing onions, and roasted garlic somehow completes the aroma package with the nutty, deep roasted smell from a cup of coffee. The sounds of sizzling pans, clinking of plates being stacked from the dishwasher, cooks barking out warnings like “behind” or “hot”, and the resounding cadence of the POS printer and expeditor barking “ordering, fire, or pick-up”, are part of the music of the kitchen. When this is muted or felt to be less indicative of a warm kitchen – then- yes, the chef misses that.

[] THE FREEDOM TO CREATE

Menus need to be streamlined, costs need to be watched very closely, limited staff must be considered, and efficiency must rule the day. Creativity takes a back seat during times of crisis and uncertainty. This is what charges up a chef and when it is lacking then chefs truly miss that.

[] KNOWING THAT TOMORROW WILL BE BETTER THAN TODAY

Most significantly, when the restaurant business is healthy then there is little energy invested in worrying about your position or that of your team members. The impact of the pandemic is intense and all consuming. Tomorrow is always a question. Whether it be new protocols, or expenses that can’t be met – when tomorrow is uncertain then the chef certainly misses the comfort of knowing that doing things right will take away that fear.

Yesterday is gone, today is challenging, but tomorrow will come and with it will be a restaurant industry that is different, but robust, challenging, and once again – exciting. Today is tough, but reflection and optimism will help us all to chart a course for success. Chef’s should remember the past, miss what is lacking today, but think about tomorrow with a smile of optimism.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

SUCCESSFUL CHEFS – WHAT CAREER KILLERS TO AVOID

31 Monday Aug 2020

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chef success, chefs, chefs new normal, cooks, Keys to success, kitchens, restaurants

team

Rest assured, at some point restaurants will rise up again, clubs and hotels will measure success based on occupancy and food service activity, and the position of “chef” will be center stage in driving sales and measuring profitability. The opportunities for chefs will be viewed again as instrumental and of significant value to owners, and those who are qualified and prepared will have ample career opportunities in front of them.

This being said, some responsibilities will return to where they were pre-pandemic, yet others will work their way into the chef’s bag of expectations. In all cases, there will be a re-shuffling of priorities driving changes to the profile of the “best candidate” for the leadership position in the kitchen. Some of the previous characteristics of chefs and their role will be viewed as less important and some may even not be tolerated in the “new normal”. Now is the time to self-assess and realign priorities. When those opportunities rise up – you want to be ready. Here is a list of career killers in the new normal – now is the time to make the necessary adjustments.

[] OVER-CONFIDENCE/EGO

“I am the best” is more likely to turn employers and teams off. You should not confuse being humble with being weak or lacking in confidence. Chefs can be very confident without putting on an air of superiority. When chefs are willing to listen to others, admit that they still can learn something new, that others may have the right answer to a problem and that those individuals should receive credit for their ability to bring about resolution is the sign of a strong leader. This is where you need to be.

[] POWER vs. LEADERSHIP

“I am the chef” has oftentimes been a statement that points to his or her authority over others. This is arrogant and rarely sets the stage for teamwork and alignment with a common goal. Leaders don’t boast about their authority and never use it for personal gain over another. The power of leadership comes with tremendous responsibility to listen, treat others with respect, study an issue and avoid making rash decisions, and an understanding that his or her role is that of guide, coach, and mentor – not dictator.

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[] LACK OF EMPATHY

“That’s not my problem” is a statement that demonstrates a callous approach towards other members of the kitchen or restaurant team. This callousness will do very little to create followers, in fact it will contribute to division and angst among those team members. The environment that is a result will surely drive a wedge between management and staff.

[] POOR COMMUNICATION

“I don’t have time to tell you everything” demonstrates a lack of understanding the importance of taking the time to make employees, vendors, and customers comfortable with your style of management and the decisions you make. Share as much as you possibly can, do it in real-time, and do it because it will build understanding and support. Share your financials, share your challenges with product, share your vision moving forward, share your commitment to excellence, share what you know and share what you don’t – it’s all important. This is what brings a team together and firing on all cylinders.

[] LACK OF TRAINING

“You should know how to do that” is an attempt to relinquish responsibility for a team members skills and abilities. When you hire a person you own the responsibility to inform, train, teach, and improve their abilities. The best operators seek to find ways to help employees improve even if it means that they eventually move on to find other opportunities as a result. Training will create a business brand that attracts the very best.

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[] POOR DELEGATION

“I will make those decisions” is a proclamation that only the chef knows how to make the right decision. You are foolish if you think that the hundreds of decisions that are necessary on any given day in the kitchen must rely on your abilities alone. The best chefs train effectively so that others can make solid decisions without the chef’s active involvement. Delegation of responsibility must include the responsibility for decision-making and the authority to make those decisions. This is how a team operates.

[] INADEQUATE FOCUS ON COST

“My responsibility is to produce great food”! Yes, this is true, but it is even truer that a chef’s responsibility is to make great food that yields a profit. The most talented cooks without a focus on financial acumen will not be enough to sustain their position. Chefs must be number crunchers and advocates for analytics that allow them to make the best financial decisions for the restaurant. This is your job!

[] LACK OF TRANSPARENCY

“That’s beyond your pay grade” is a statement that hides something that will make an employee question your actions. If labor cost is too high in comparison to sales – share it with your staff. If food cost is too high, then share it with your staff and talk about possible solutions. If ownership is not satisfied with the product that is leaving the kitchen, then share this with your staff. If your job is becoming overwhelming, then share this with your staff and show how they can help to relieve some of this stress. Trust me when I state that your employees will respect and appreciate this, and will rise to the occasion if they feel that you trust them with business information.

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[] DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO

“I am the chef – just do as I say. My position is different that yours.” This is the most effective way of losing the respect of your employees. You need to set the example for others to follow. Be there, work as hard as they do, demonstrate your passion for excellence, look and act the part of a professional, help others when they need it, and support your staff in the way that you would like to be supported in your role.

[] AVOIDANCE OF SCENARIO PLANNING

“I can’t predict those things” is an admission that you are not prepared. The chef is expected to have answers and solutions. This goes with the turf. The best way to solve problems that arise is to prepare for them. Yes, experience will certainly help – if you have faced a challenge before then you understand how to react, but scenario planning is a more effective way of avoiding those challenges before they arise. Plan for a power outage, plan for that crippling snow storm, plan for the delivery that doesn’t arrive or that missed event that shows up unexpectedly, plan for new competition, plan for sick employees and plan for that new menu that doesn’t hit the mark. How will you respond if any of these realities knock on your door? Planning is the best antidote to chaos.

Take the time NOW to look at yourself and build a portfolio for success in the future. Be the kind of chef that is in demand, a chef that attracts followers, a chef that helps a restaurant succeed, and a chef prepared for the new normal.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

IT’S ONLY FOOD

10 Monday Aug 2020

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Tags

chefs, cooks, culinary, food, food history, restaurants

chef

You know I have occasionally heard this statement, or at least felt that it was implied: “Don’t get so wrapped up in it – it’s only food.” Well, I am here to state unequivocally that this just isn’t so. Of course, there are restaurants and home cooks who seem to view it as such – sustenance, a way to fill an empty stomach, and there are loads of people – both preparers and recipients who are content to define it that way, but their perception is shallow. “It’s only food” discounts all that goes into the understanding of a dish, a process, an ingredient, and the numerous people and systems that sit behind the steps in bringing that food to a plate.

A plate of food is a culmination of so many factors: the farmer and the soil that nurtured a crop, maybe a crop that originated in a country far from our borders and was brought to America during those early days of exploration and expansion; a crop that had been historically integrated into family pantries as a staple in home food preparation, or maybe appeared in those early European taverns as a comfort food for vagabond travelers and then eventually worked it’s way into a traditional preparation that became a signature item defining a culture. Maybe that signature item found its way to the New World and with the addition of some indigenous ingredients in America it morphed into something different and was adopted by those early settlers as something new, but something familiar. Quite possibly this comfort food found its way onto American restaurant menus as a familiar dish that was prepared well and reminded people of their family heritage. As the profession of cooking was raised to a new level – that same dish evolved into something more refined and elegant, paired with great wine and served on fine china, presented with finesse and revealed as something new and fresh.

me at dinner

The chef and the cook who prepared that dish is now representing the farmer who grew the crop, the rancher who raised the animal, the fisherman who spent treacherous hours out at sea trying to bring home a reasonable catch, the history and traditions that went back to those early days in a peasant European home and brought to America for a few generations of transition, and the respect that the chef or cook has for all other cooks who took part in the evolution of that dish. It’s not just food – it is all of this and more.

The cook or chef who stands tall in front of a range, proud in a uniform that draws its energy from hundreds of years of hard work and tradition; the cook or chef who has spent years developing those unique skills that allow he or she to wield a knife with precision, multi-task while keeping the five senses tuned in to a variety of preparations and timings, exercises that database of preparation techniques that result in consistently delicious food, and works in a highly stressful environment that relies of teamwork to bring everything together at the right moment – can’t accept that “it’s just food”.

Think about it for a moment: that bowl of pasta that graces your place setting in a restaurant came about from ancient preparations in Asia that date back thousands of years ago and even though many believe that it was Marco Polo during his world travels who brought noodles from China to Italy, that can be disputed through historical references that show the combination of flour, egg, water, and salt to make pasta was present in Italy before Marco Polo undertook his travels. Noodles, in some form, are present in almost every culture and with its preparation promote tradition and loads of stories to support its importance to a population. In Poland we find pierogi, Germany promotes spaetzle, Orzo in Greece, Dumplings in Vietnam, Wontons in China, and pasta in all its forms is by far one of the most important comfort foods in Italy and the U.S. So, that simple plate of pasta that is rolled and mounted on your restaurant plate is quite historical and as simple as the ingredients are, the perfect preparation through technique and understanding can be quite difficult. It takes skill to make great pasta and it takes understanding to build it into a memorable dish. It is, after all, not just food.

That professional cook or chef is much more than a preparer of food, far more significant than someone who deals with “just food”, he or she is:

A HISTORIAN who has an opportunity to protect and promote the background of a dish or an ingredient
AN AMBASSADOR for the cultural influences that brought a dish to the public
AN ADVOCATE for the farmer, the rancher, the fisherman, and the producer who provides the ingredients that allow a dish to come together
AN ARTIST who views the ingredients and the history behind them as paints to create a feeling or portray that history on the plate – the chef’s canvas
A PROTECTOR of time tested methods that took a simple dish to a new level of excellence
A SCIENTIST who understands the methods used in cooking that extract or change the flavor of an ingredient through the application of chemistry
A CONDUCTOR who orchestrates the symphony of collaboration that takes place on a kitchen line as all of the above factors come together to replicate what a dish means – time and again.

It’s not just food to many and as long as this is true there will be restaurants, there will be chefs and cooks bringing a dish to life, there will be a connection between the consumer and all of those stakeholders in the process, and history and tradition will continue to flourish through the hands of those who know just how important food is and how significant the process of cooking can be.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

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WHAT RESTAURANTS HAVE LEARNED DURING THE PANDEMIC

03 Monday Aug 2020

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Tags

chefs, cooks, culinary, restaurants, restaurants and the pandemic

Painted in Waterlogue

As restaurants rally to try and meet the requirements of the new protocol for operation – distancing tables, reducing customer volume, enforcing mask wearing, deep sanitizing of surfaces, moving to on-line menus or single use documents, removing anything from table tops that could carry the virus, and trying to calm the fear that both customers and employees share – they are even more concerned with the inability to convince employees to return to the job. From coast to coast restaurants that are open at some level are paralyzed by a lack of staff. This might seem counter-intuitive when one considers that unemployment rates have skyrocketed – but it is the reality.

As restaurant owners and chefs scratch their heads trying to figure out what’s going on – it might be helpful to look at the lessons that are before us. Restaurants have been struggling to attract and retain employees for years, but never at this level. Typically, when unemployment is high – people line up to find those open positions, but not now. So here are some thoughts:

TEN LESSONS LEARNED:

[] PASSION FOR COOKING IS FRAGILE: Those of us who cook because of a love of the craft, the pride in the history of the profession, the joy of creating, and the energy derived from working with a team of like-minded people may not fully understand this – but there are many others who enjoy cooking, but discovered that their enjoyment was dampened by the reality that the work conditions, commitment of hours, and meager wages and benefits are hard to ignore. Passion is not blind forever.

[] THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS IS EVEN HARDER THAN WE THOUGHT: The pandemic has demonstrated to owners/operators just how very fragile their business is. Obviously, revenue is critical to any business, but most others have the capacity to ride a storm for a period of time. Restaurants, like the employees who work for them, cannot survive more than a handful of weeks without sufficient revenue. Four months of lockdown is the end of the road for most restaurants, in fact one month was all that it took for the grim reaper to knock on their door.

cooks

[] WE ARE THE POSTER CHILDREN FOR ECONOMIC DISASTER: Take note of the amount of press that restaurants have received as economists point to the devastation caused by the pandemic economic disaster. According to ABC news – more than 16,000 U.S. restaurants have permanently closed as a result of the pandemic and the numbers are growing – thousands more are hanging on by a thread. Yes, other businesses in numerous sectors have closed, but none at this rate. Low profitability, inconsistent business volume, and the inability to create an emergency nest egg have been at the root of this problem.

[] THE SUPPLY CHAIN IS TENUOUS: The domino effect became apparent early on as meat processing plants were impacted by Covid outbreaks, farms found it difficult to attract harvesters, transportation systems were cut back as restaurants closed, and consumer hoarding made it difficult for businesses to keep their stock levels where they should have been. Suddenly, those items that were simply a phone call away from supplier to restaurant are faced with inventory shortages. As a result, normal menus have been challenged and restaurant storerooms are looking pretty challenged. All of this happened within a few weeks of a significant bump in the road.

dumonde

[] COMFORT AND SERVICE RULE THE DAY: Restaurants and chefs have long portrayed the quality of food, uniqueness of menus, and signature of the chef as being the key to success. The pandemic has shown that the fear of exposure has directed consumer attention to a much simpler formula: good tasting, comfortable food, prepared and served safely, and packaged in a convenient manner so that the guest can minimize exposure to others. This may put a different spin on what restaurants look like in the future.

[] TRAINING REALLY IS IMPORTANT: The pandemic has made it acutely obvious that TRUST is at the core of success for restaurants. Trust must be evident to employees and customers and trust during the pandemic is based on training all involved about the necessary protocol to keep people safe. There has never been a more important time for employee (and management) training than right now.

[] GOVERNMENT DOESN’T UNDERSTAND: It has become abundantly clear that federal, and in some cases, state governments do not fully comprehend what the restaurant industry is facing. They seem to waver on unemployment for employees who typically live paycheck to paycheck, fail to understand that if a restaurant is mandated to be closed – they are unable to pay their landlord, fail to understand that PPP to cover labor cost is great, but if it comes with a mandate to keep everyone employed when protocol limits business capacity to 25 or 50%, there is a disconnect, and seem to believe that throwing money at restaurants is the long-term answer, when what small operators need is expertise on how to weather this storm and prepare for the next.

[] THE NATIONAL ECONOMY DEPENDS ON RESTAURANTS: We knew this all along, but now it is vividly apparent that the number two employer in the U.S., even though many of those jobs are close to minimum wage, has a significant impact on the economic health of the country. The restaurant industry needs serious assistance right now if it is to continue helping the national economy equalize.

[] IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE IN RESTAURANTS: OK, we can open (at some level), but the common sense protocols of masks and 6-feet of social distancing are quite impossible to maintain in a restaurant setting. Either we simply can’t open, or we need some very creative thought on how we can keep everyone safe and do it economically.

team

[] WE CAN’T IGNORE THE NEED FOR FAIR PAY: Finally, the pandemic has brought home, even more so, that there needs to be a systemic change in the restaurant business, a change that makes us more efficient, more profitable, and able to pay a fair wage to our employees and offer a basic platform of reasonable benefits that any worker should expect. When the federal government offered expanded unemployment benefits and a $600 per week stipend to all workers – two things occurred: first – these employees were, in some cases for the first time, able to pay their bills and enjoy the comfort that comes from keeping creditors at bay; and these same employees realized that they could make more money not returning to work than if they did in the highly stressful activity of being a restaurant employee. This is a challenging combination for restaurant operators to compete with.

Out of every disaster comes a bit of sunshine, or at least clear vision of what is wrong and what the potential solutions might be. Hopefully this will be the case for restaurants and all of the stakeholders who depend on the restaurant experience.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

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STRENGTH, GRACE, AND DIGNITY

23 Thursday Jul 2020

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chefs, cooks, Dignity, Grace, kitchen leadership, kitchen pride, restaurants, Strength

I am in the process of reading Chef Dominique Crenn’s autobiography: Rebel Chef. I have long been a fan of her style and passion for expressive cooking, but it is these three words that solidified, in my mind, how a chef should run his or her kitchen: Strength, Grace, and Dignity. Those of us who are over the age of 40 – probably worked in a kitchen or two where Strength may have always been at the core of a chef’s style, but Grace and Dignity were not part of the formula. It was the way it was, and few ever questioned the methodology.

The problem is that strength without grace and dignity does not inspire, does not rally support, and will never result in long-term positive action. Let there be no question that strength that also demeans, discounts, segregates, disrespects, and undermines others is actually the definition of underlying weakness. Chefs, by the definition of the role, are leaders of a team, the face of a kitchens integrity, and the role model for others to follow. When strength is practiced without grace and dignity, then leadership is in serious question.

I know, I have been there – there are ample opportunities every day for a chef to sense that the only way to get things done is through promotion of fear of the chef’s wrath – the temptation to move in this direction is always present. Yet, the best chefs ask: “Where does this approach get me?” Employees who are less than dependable, those who fail to understand that sense of urgency that is pervasive in a kitchen, people who are too cavalier with the ingredients they work with, cook’s who are not on top of controlling waste, those who drift away from defined cooking methods, sloppy work stations, failure to take that extra few seconds to make sure a plate presentation meets the standards of the operation, or confrontational disregard for the chain of command will also light the fires of anger in a chef. How the chef approaches these instances has everything to do with whether or not there will be a change in attitude as a result. A demeaning comment, an embarrassing quip, a vile word in view of peers, a violent tirade of expletives along with a few idle threats may have an impact in the moment, but at the same time it creates an environment of discontent, anxiety, and isolation rather than team unity.

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“Dignity is one of the most important things to the human spirit. It means being valued and respected for what you are, what you believe in, and how you live your live. Treating other people with dignity means treating them the way we’d like to be treated ourselves.”

-Family Education

Those who promote the integration of grace and dignity in their style of leadership are also those who understand that many, if not all of those listed examples of operational realities are directly related to how the chef approaches them. The solutions rest on the shoulders of training, setting examples, equitable enforcement of operational standards, provision of the tools for employees to be successful, support of their efforts, honest critique, and all done under the umbrella of strength – a 100 percent commitment to excellence without exception.

“Grace in Business. … The dictionary definition of grace is elegance, and yet to me, in business, it is a combination of many qualities, including valuing people, being gracious and respectful, having gratitude and quiet confidence.”

-Association for Talent Development

Strength in business is a combination of power and trust. The power comes from the position, the title – not always the actions of the person who holds that position. When those around can trust the business leader to be honest, do what is right, represent the best interest of the position, the business, and those who work and support that business – then strength is viewed in a very positive light. When the person “in charge” uses power to demonstrate privilege over someone else, use it as a manipulative tool to push another individual in a direction that is contrary to his or her belief or authority – then strength takes on a whole different, contrary role. Far too many chefs in the past leaned on the power of the title vs. the power drawn from consistency and earned trust.

Painted in Waterlogue

Those who exemplify strength, grace, and dignity in appropriate proportions live by these rules:

[] STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE (strength, dignity)

Everything that the chef and his or her team members engage in: from the simplest tasks (vegetable mise en place, organization of storage, station mise en place, cleaning plates or pots) to the most complex (finishing a delicate sauce, perfect plating of dishes even when it is very busy) is done with a commitment to excellence and constant improvement.

[] TRAINING TO MEET THOSE STANDARDS (strength)

Chefs should never assume that excellence will take place – it must be accompanied by a commitment to training and teaching. Strong chefs take the time to explain, demonstrate, and follow-up with those standards of excellence that are clearly defined for the restaurant.

[] CONSISTENCY (strength)

Chefs who are in control know that the importance of excellence lacks strength unless every task, every process, and every plate of food consistently meets those standards. Thus systems and procedures are expressed and solidified throughout the operation.

[] REAL CRITIQUE (Grace and Dignity)

Strong chefs never criticize – they critique. In critique – the notation is not personal but rather procedural and pointing to what is wrong is viewed as shallow unless it is accompanied by showing the person how to improve and why to improve.

[] PROMOTION OF A TEAM INITIATIVE (Strength, Grace, Dignity)

Strong chefs know that they are never able to accomplish the lofty goals of excellence unless every person on the team understands, appreciates, and becomes passionately involved in meeting those goals with an uncompromised commitment to excellence. It is a team effort that counts and the leaders responsibility is to promote this environment.

[] RECOGNITION AND SUPPORT (Grace and Dignity)

Strong chefs give credit where credit is due. Strong chefs applaud (publically) the good work of others and always recognize their focus on meeting and exceeding standards of excellence. One of the chef’s most rewarding moments is when this happens and support is always given so that team members can feel the gratification that comes from a job well done.

[] ASSESSMENT (Grace, Dignity and Strength)

Strong chefs are always giving feedback to team members as they reinforce those standards, point out where there are needs for improvement and how to achieve that, and celebrate even the smallest win. A simple “thanks for such great work” goes a long way toward building pride and confidence.

[] PRIDE IN THE PROCESS AND RESULTS (Strength, Grace, Dignity)

To a strong chef – the pride that comes from his or her team members reaching or exceeding a particular goal is far more important than personal accomplishments. That five minute wrap-up at the end of service when the chef says: “Well done team – customers were thrilled and I am so proud of how well everyone did their job to the best of their ability and did so while supporting each other” – will inspire those team members to replicate that same effort again, and again.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Do so with Strength, Grace, and Dignity

*Thank you Chef Crenn for the inspiration.

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

CAFÉ Talks Podcast

COOK FOR ME

17 Friday Jul 2020

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chefs, cooking, cooks, restaurateurs, why cook

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 intimate corner bistro that opens its doors to a community. This is a statement that strikes a chord with every grandparent who protects those family recipes, every parent who tries to hang on to family traditions, and every friend who seeks to find the best way to project how much they care for another person. This is a statement that resonates with everyone who seeks to demonstrate who they are and what they care about.

“When someone cooks for you – they are saying something. They are telling you about themselves: where they come from, who they are, what makes them happy.”

-Anthony Bourdain

COOK FOR ME is a request that allows the person who ties on an apron a chance to bare his or her soul, to demonstrate how heritage impacts the plate, to talk about joy and pain, memories and challenges, and the love that they have for those who will share what they present through food. This is a big ask, a personal ask, a request to have the cook reveal everything about him or herself.

Cooks never take this request lightly – it is as if the ask was similar to “tell me everything about yourself”. There are few requests that are more personal, few that are more significant, and few that help to solidify a relationship more than: “cook for me”. To a professional – this is an opportunity to shine, to give his or her all, to stand tall and put everything on the table: “This food is a reflection of me, my history, my skill, what I care about, who has influenced me, and a compilation of those experiences that have brought me to this point”.

I paused this morning when I read Bourdain’s words again because there may have never been more important words to cooks; never more telling of why, deep in their heart, a person decides to become a cook or a chef. Once you peel away the necessary layers of: “I need a career, a paycheck, a marketable skill, a way to support my family, a way to fill up my days, etc.” – underneath all of that is a desire to bare your soul, to define what makes you happy, and a way to express that to others.

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“Why do you want to become a cook”? This is a question that many will pose to you as you contemplate a career in the kitchen. Think about your answer; think seriously about how you will answer this question. If you respond by relating to a career, a paycheck, a marketable skill, a way to support your family without giving due consideration to the deeply personal meaning behind it – then you really should think twice. Yes, all of those factors are important and necessary, but they do not reveal what makes a cook a cook, a chef a chef, a restaurateur a restaurateur.

Those cooks, chefs, or restaurateurs who peer out the front window of that corner bistro – minutes before opening the door, are doing so in anticipation of bearing their heart and soul, representing their history and their experiences on a plate, and welcoming others into their space so that they can share all of this. Cook for me is such a personal request and cooking for you such a form of personal expression.

To prepare a meal for someone else is to share everything, giving the guest a chance to find out what makes you tick – a chance to reveal so much that might be missing in simple conversation.

“You learn a lot about someone when you share a meal together.”

-Anthony Bourdain

Think about those early days of building a new personal relationship. Maybe the first few experiences together were relegated to a third party: a dinner or two at your favorite restaurant, a concert, a movie, or a gathering with friends. One of the best ways to solidify whether or not the relationship has staying power is to invite that person to enjoy a meal that you prepare. This is personal, this is revealing, this is significant. Cook for me is significant.

I have had the pleasure to work with some extraordinary chefs, not always ones with names that roll off the tip of your tongue, but extraordinary all the same. I have shared incredible meals with many exceptional individuals, and I have had the opportunity to experience the work of chefs who take their role seriously and restaurateurs who live to make guests feel at home when they walk through that bistro door. Menus are a fascinating window into the character and skill of a chef, but what is most exciting to me is when I simply say to the server: “Ask the chef if he or she would just cook for me.” Make that dish on the menu that is most inspiring to the kitchen, the dish that resonates to them in the moment, the one that he or she is most proud of – or simply cook whatever you want even if it is not on the menu. I want to connect with the cook, to provide the cook with that opportunity to tell a story and open up a dialogue on the plate. This is exciting for me.

At one point as a chef, I actually put an option on the menu called: Cook for Me. Take a chance and put the entire experience in the hands of the cook and the chef. Give them a chance to be who they are through food. At times it was a diversion from the pace of meeting the demands of a full board of orders, and at other times it caused additional stress – but in all cases, cooks and chefs take the opportunity seriously. Cook for me is significant.

Anthony Bourdain hit the nail on the head when he proclaimed that cooking is a way of telling your story and revealing who you are. What a privilege it is to be a cook, a chef, or a restaurateur. What an opportunity cooking provides to tell your story and share yourself with others. That plate of food is your story, it is a painting that reflects so much about the person that you are.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER
Cooking for others is a privilege

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

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