Harvest America CUES BLOG

cooks

  • CHEF – DOES YOUR RESTAURANT TELL A STORY?

    There are over 980,000 freestanding restaurants in the United States. This does not include business and industry operations that service offices, plants, hospitals and schools. Do the math: that’s one restaurant for every 300 people in the United States. While… Continue reading

  • WITH COOKS, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FIRE

    There is a unique bond between the Zen of fire and the character of a cook. We have had a fascination with controlling fire both literally and conceptually ever since the first human rubbed two sticks together. Some archeologists claim… Continue reading

  • WHY DON’T RESTAURANTS GET IT?

    There is no question that the restaurant business is challenging, very hard work, and plagued with low profitability.   Those of us who have made this our life understand all of this quite well. What really makes me scratch my head… Continue reading

  • THAT FORK IN THE ROAD – TO BE A COOK OR WHAT?

    I have quite a network of cook and chef friends. All of them are part of that special club of people who have been there and truly know what it means to be a kitchen warrior. Everyone is unique, yet… Continue reading

  • BEING A COOK IS SUCH AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT JOB

    I often times give thought to the significance of cooking. Although I may invest the majority of time on a portrayal of professional cooks and the kitchen environment of restaurants, cooking is far more important than simply referencing the dining… Continue reading

  • IS THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS JUST AS GOOD AS A CULINARY DEGREE?

    This is a question that weighs heavy on the minds of many who are contemplating a career in the food business. With the requirement of time without pay, and the high cost of tuition, many people have mixed feelings about… Continue reading

  • ARE MOST GOOD COOKS INSECURE?

    I remember reading a story about Eric Clapton who in the late sixties was referred to as a “guitar god”. With all the accolades being tossed his way, you could understand how he might be pretty strong willed and confidant.… Continue reading

  • IS IT TIME TO PUT AN END TO MEDIOCRE FOOD?

    There are many encouraging signs. Things are beginning to change. Are we in the midst of a real paradigm shift in eating, both at home and in restaurants? Whenever I become encouraged, I run into far too many examples of… Continue reading

  • COOKS, CHEFS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUST

    “We need people in our lives with whom we can be as open as possible. To have real conversations with people may seem like such a simple, obvious suggestion, but it involves courage and risk.”  Thomas Moore When a cook… Continue reading

  • WORKING IN KITCHENS – THE WAY IT WAS, THE WAY IT IS

    Nostalgia is an interesting phenomenon. When we reflect back, the tendency is to somehow ignore the ugly and focus on the good. Basic Training in the military, ah…what a great time that was. Tradition, physical conditioning, new friends, common goals,… Continue reading

  • GREAT COOKS SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

    There is rarely a day goes by that I don’t think about how nice it would be to eliminate much of the stress in life. Of course those visions of sitting on the beach, cocktail in hand, shades in place,… Continue reading

  • BUILDING A COOKS PALATE

    Setting aside the role that a restaurants ambience plays in the dining experience, minimizing the significance of plate presentation, and even disregarding the value of exceptional service, the core reason that guests flock to a great restaurant is the flavor… Continue reading

  • WHY DO WE COOK – CHEFS WITH INTEGRITY

    I know that there are some who cook just for the paycheck. There are plenty of opportunities for cooks without that life-commitment to the craft, and in many cases they are pretty good at what they do. There are, however,… Continue reading

  • MEMORIES OF A LINE COOK – YOU HAD ME AT EGGS OVER EASY

    The older you get, the more time you invest in thinking back. Recently, I have been thinking about those first moments working in a kitchen when I was 15. Yes, I was washing dishes, and yes it was originally just… Continue reading

  • LINE COOK QUESTIONS WITHOUT ANSWERS

    There are numerous questions that every line cook would like to ask, but since they know that answers will never be forthcoming, they simply wind up stored on that subconscious shelf. Many of these questions can be categorized as “ironic”… Continue reading

  • THERE ARE REALLY ONLY THREE TYPES OF RESTAURANTS

    Certainly there are numerous permeations of restaurants from food trucks to quick service brick and mortar operations, family style to fine dining, thematic operations to various ethnic concepts, and business and industry cafeterias to catering operations, but in reality all… Continue reading

  • CRACKING THE CODE OF THE COOK

    So what makes a cook tick? What environmental factors, personal history, social interactions (or lack there of), or critical life experiences need to be in place for a person to rise up one day as a cook? Are certain individuals… Continue reading

  • COMING OF AGE IN A RESTAURANT KITCHEN

    Where and when were you first introduced to the world of work and a snapshot of what your future might bring? Well, if you are like one-third of the American population, then this start was in some type of restaurant.… Continue reading

  • CAN A RESTAURANT BE EXTRAORDINARY AND AFFORDABLE?

    I really do love the restaurant business. As a cook and chef I thoroughly relished walking into the kitchen early in the morning to the smell of fresh coffee, bacon being pulled from the oven, fresh pastries still hot from… Continue reading

  • SHOULD RESTAURANTS OFFER COOKS MERIT PAY?

    Compensation is not the only motivator, but it is pretty close to the top of the motivational food chain. Turnover of employees in restaurants of all types is much higher than the norm. Although there are many reasons for turnover,… Continue reading

  • WHY CHEFS AND COOKS SHOULD CARE ABOUT GMO’S

    I know, this is a hot topic with rabid support on both sides of the issue, but regardless of your opinion, here are some reasons why it is important to be informed and take a stand. Actually, the more appropriate… Continue reading

  • STOCK IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF A KITCHEN

    There is something about a simmering stock that sets the tone for a professional kitchen. It is more than the basis for so many products and preparations; stock is the symbol of your commitment on so many levels and the… Continue reading

  • THE FORMULA FOR A GREAT LINE COOK

    The visionary for a great restaurant may very well be the chef, but the body and soul of that operation is the cadre of line cooks who make it all happen. What distinguishes an average line cook from a great… Continue reading

  • AS A COOK, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO SIGN YOUR WORK?

    This may seem like a strange question, but, having worked in, managed, and patronized many restaurants, I sometimes wonder if signing our work would make a difference. Signing what you do sends a very powerful message, “I made this, it… Continue reading

  • THAT ONE INCREDIBLE MEAL

    What was the moment, the event, the restaurant, the dish, that changed your life? Can a meal or a restaurant experience really change a person’s life? Maybe it wasn’t in a restaurant after all, maybe it was a memorable experience… Continue reading

  • CHRISTMAS FOR RESTAURANT STAFF

    This was Jake’s 20th year in restaurants, and the 20th straight Christmas that he would be working. As the restaurant’s Executive Chef he knew how hard today would be for everyone in the kitchen and the dining room, but the… Continue reading

  • WHY ANTHONY BOURDAIN IS IMPORTANT

    Sure, he wrote Kitchen Confidential, and exposed stories of life in the kitchen that do not exist at the same level today than in the 70’s and 80’s, and his persona is pretty much take it or leave it, but… Continue reading

  • DISGUISED AS COOKS

    Professional cooking is serious business. This statement sums up a pet peeve of mine, something that really grates at my nerves, and I think does the same for many chefs and serious cooks. The title of cook is given out… Continue reading

  • RESTAURANT FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE CRITICAL

    Running a restaurant is hard, but it is not difficult. This may seem to be a contradiction, but I can assure you, it is not. Many restaurateurs will struggle with trying to develop that perfect formula for success while it… Continue reading

  • A COOK’S TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS

    The original lyrics to the English holiday carol: The Twelve Days of Christmas fail to recognize that life has changed and that this list may not be relevant to everyone. I was never sure what Lord’s a Leaping might entail,… Continue reading