Harvest America CUES BLOG

cooks

  • ADRENALINE IS A COOK’S WORST ENEMY

    It’s now day nine of eleven straight ten hour days in the kitchen, and Jake find’s it increasingly hard to get up and get his act together before heading off to work. He makes a mental note to turn off… Continue reading

  • LINE COOKS SAY – “BRING IT ON!”

    It’s 5:00 on a Thursday night and in many restaurants across the country line cooks are starting to feel their adrenaline spike. Tickets are beginning to fall from the POS and each station is kicking in, building an early rhythm… Continue reading

  • TASTE and FLAVOR

    There seems to be an unwritten rule when it comes to eating in America – “If something is good then more of it will be even better.” A classic American hamburger becomes better if it is twice as large as… Continue reading

  • LINE COOKS ARE THE STUDIO MUSICIANS OF THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS

      “WANTED – LINE COOKS”. How often have you seen this headline in the help wanted ads, on Craig’s List, or in pleading posts on Facebook? It seems that every restaurant is perpetually looking for line cooks – the beasts… Continue reading

  • COOKS- REACH FOR THE PRIZE

    “If you want a lot – give a lot.” -Charlie Trotter Most people who have reached a high level of success in the restaurant business know that there is no such thing as a shortcut. Yes, prep and line cooks… Continue reading

  • THE CHEF IS RESPONSIBLE

    Restaurants succeed when the system is firing on all cylinders. There is ample chatter today about creating the total dining experience, chatter that I am a strong advocate for. But, it is important to know that if this is the… Continue reading

  • LINE COOKS ARE AS CRUSTY AS A PIRATE

    It has been said that you can’t judge a book by looking at the cover – yet we do. This may never be more truthful than when you observe a crew of line cooks ready for battle. Well seasoned, hardened… Continue reading

  • THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS IN LIFE ARE MASTERED IN THE KITCHEN

    It’s quite fascinating to think about the level of interest that people have with the life of a professional cook or chef and what it is like to work in the kitchen. If you perform a quick Google search “Books… Continue reading

  • COOKS ARE THE ANSWER – NOW, WHAT’S THE PROBLEM

    It certainly appears that the world is a mess. Our differences seem to far outweigh what we have in common. The number of significant conflicts throughout the world has never been greater. According to the Council on Foreign Relations –… Continue reading

  • THE PROBLEM WITH TREATING COOKING TOO MUCH LIKE A SCIENCE

    I know the legitimate response to this title is – “cooking is a science.” There is a chemical and physical change that takes place during the application of heat or the process of fermentation that scientifically transitions food from one… Continue reading

  • A ROADMAP TO BECOMING AN EXCEPTIONAL CHEF

    In just a few weeks thousands of graduates from culinary schools across the country will begin their real education. Others who were not as fortunate to attend a school for this trade will continue on that same arduous journey from… Continue reading

  • THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO GREAT COOKING

    Cooks may not understand the depth of truth to the title of this article – unless they have experienced the pleasure and the pain of working for a restaurant without compromise. What some may believe is only relevant in fine… Continue reading

  • A TALE OF TWO KITCHENS

    “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” -Charles Dickens- from a Tale of Two Cities It was Charles Dickens’ – A Tale of Two Cities that portrayed life in London and Paris during the times… Continue reading

  • CHEFS – DON’T LET SUCCESS GET IN THE WAY OF SUCCEEDING

    There is an old adage that many have relied on for generations: “If it isn’t broke – don’t fix it.” Of course, this does seem quite logical and applicable to business and many things in life, but something has changed… Continue reading

  • LINE COOKS – START YOUR ENGINES

    It’s Easter Sunday – yet another “holiday” that isn’t a holiday for restaurant workers. That’s OK – we’re use to it. Working when others celebrate goes with the turf, this is what we do. Don’t feel sorry for us, this… Continue reading

  • THE EVOLUTION OF A COOK

    “It has taken nearly 15 years, but here I am – Executive Chef of a busy, quality restaurant in the middle of downtown Manhattan. Not too shabby, but maybe I could take a few moments to reflect back on what… Continue reading

  • A COOK’S LIFE IS A LONELY LIFE

    They are crusty, full of energy when it is needed, sometimes antagonistic, committed, good at what they do, big-hearted, and oftentimes lonely as hell. This is a side of far too many line cooks and chefs that never really makes… Continue reading

  • CONNECTING WITH THE SPIRIT OF ESCOFFIER

    Long before David Chang, Grant Achatz, Ferran Adria, Alice Waters, and Nancy Silverton; ages before molecular gastronomy, convenience foods, tapas menus, and contemporary tasting menus; and ages before restaurants became entertainment and chefs were viewed as celebrities – there was… Continue reading

  • IN THE WEEDS

    We have all been there – that moment when it all falls apart. The cold sweats while standing over an intensely hot range or char grill with flames lapping six inches above the grates. An uncharacteristic grab for a red-hot… Continue reading

  • LINE WARRIORS NEED TO PUT SOUL INTO THEIR COOKING

    Beyond the presentation, far removed from the quality of the china, distanced from the appointments on the tabletop, a great restaurant presents food that has soul. It is very easy to separate restaurants that have it from those who clearly… Continue reading

  • LINE COOKS – THE KITCHEN WARRIORS

      Every day, every night in the kitchen is the culmination of hours of preparation for battle. Similar to any pre-determined military skirmish or battle on the athletic field – preparing for service requires a definitive strategy, detailed organization, respect… Continue reading

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

    Progress is important and as we all know, sometimes progress cannot be stopped – it has an energy and mind of its own. In my lifetime the amount of change described as “progress” has been and continues to be staggering.… Continue reading

  • THE SELF-MOTIVATED COOK – A TIMELESS MODEL

    In 1943 – Abraham Maslow published his theory of self-motivation in the form of a hierarchy of needs. Self-motivation is always the goal since no one else can do the job for you. Maslow’s theory focused on five sequential steps… Continue reading

  • DOES THE CHEF HAVE RESTAURANT EYES?

    At some point we tend to stop seeing those things right in front of us, those things that can lead to success or failure. More often than not, those things may seem insignificant, but they add up. “Sweat the details”… Continue reading

  • A COOK’S CHOICE – EXCELLENCE OR MEDIOCRITY

        Every cook and chef has been there – it’s a Saturday night from hell. The reservations book is full with 75% of guests arriving between 7 and 8:30 p.m. – crunch time. Yes, you knew it was coming… Continue reading

  • THE COOK’S OBSESSION

    Walking through the back door of the kitchen the cook transitions from a street civilian to a professional cook the moment he or she changes into those crisp, clean chef whites and hounds tooth pants. The smell of maple bacon… Continue reading

  • RESTAURATEURS LINING UP TO FAIL

    There may be conflicting figures about the success/failure rate of restaurants, but the fact remains that it is a fragile business and more operations fail than succeed. So, why is it that there is never a shortage of people lining… Continue reading

  • COOKS SIGN THEIR WORK EVERY DAY

      It was quite a few years ago that I walked down the hall of an office building in Buffalo, New York and stopped to read a faded poster with dog eared corners that seemed out of place on a… Continue reading

  • IS THE KITCHEN A LIFELINE FOR SOME COOKS?

    If you work or have worked in a restaurant kitchen you have seen it before, probably many times before. The line cook who is troubled for one of many reasons – it might be serious debt, a failed relationship, no… Continue reading

  • A COOK’S REFLECTIONS – 2016

    This is my 295th article (story) for Harvest America Cues. When I hit 100 I was certain that I would run out of topics and things to say, but so far that has not been the case. Some articles strike… Continue reading