cooks
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PROFILE OF A LINE COOK
Is it part of a person’s DNA? Is it a result of the environment where a person grows up? Is it due to unique social interactions or inspiration from role models? What is it that sets the stage for a… Continue reading
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I COOK, THEREFORE I AM.
Everyone, at some point in time during his or her life, is in search of purpose. “What is it that I was meant to do? What contribution can I make with the natural tools I was given? What will make… Continue reading
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COOKS AND MUSICIANS ARE CUT FROM THE SAME MOLD
A common thread, a core philosophy on life, and a shared heartbeat can make you believe that cooks and musicians may be twins from different mothers. The similarities of their craft, the dedication required, and the innate talent that must… Continue reading
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COOKS AND CHEFS KNOW THAT CONFUCIUS WAS WRONG
“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” We have all heard this statement many times and have inadvertently made a mental note to assess what we do for a living… Continue reading
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ATTENTION COOKS: APPRECIATE FARM TO GLASS
Allow me to paraphrase from a really great documentary I just viewed: “Whenever you open a bottle of wine you are introduced to a year of weather, generations of history, and thousands of years of biology and geology.” With all… Continue reading
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A CULINARY EPIPHANY
Most professional cooks will tell you that part of their reason for doing what they do stems from an “a ha” moment; a particular dish, ingredient, or drink that set their mind abuzz with enthusiasm, wonder, and undeniable electricity. If… Continue reading
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COOKS – IN SERVICE OF THE POTATO
It is very easy to take for granted the raw materials that we (cooks) work with on a daily basis. We are so removed from the source, that many of the incredible items we use in kitchens have become simple… Continue reading
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ANOTHER KITCHEN ADRENALINE RUSH
A common response to the question: “Why do you work in a busy kitchen”, is, “I love the rush.” Those of us who have spent many hours, days and years behind the line have certainly experienced this, but few really… Continue reading
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HOW A LINE COOK CREATES A NEW DISH
It is certainly true that the heart of a new menu in a restaurant rests in the hands of the chef. He or she has the ultimate responsibility for designing and creating the menu items that reflect the image of… Continue reading
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SEEING THE WORLD THROUGH THE KITCHEN LENS
One of the worst mistakes anyone can make each day is to turn on the news. If there were good news in the world, you would be hard put to notice through the media. If there were a rise in… Continue reading
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WHY LET RESTAURANT CRITICS DEFINE US?
There was a point in time when people relinquished their decision making to outside services and individuals. Deciding on a movie, automobile, record, school, bank or restaurant suddenly became someone else’s responsibility. Siskel and Ebert told us what movies to… Continue reading
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WHAT IS A GOOD LINE COOK WORTH?
The ongoing success of a restaurant depends on two factors: great food and great service. It really is that simple. Of course, the chef, manager, and owner play an important role in selecting the right location and concept, building the… Continue reading
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KITCHEN LIFE- HEY, IT’S HARD WORK!
From the outside looking in, things always seem different than they are. This has always been one of my major concerns with young people anxiously applying to culinary school, believing only the fun and creative part of the job and… Continue reading
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OPEN YOUR EYES
Well, I am in New York City for two days, my very infrequent taste of everything overload. This jaunt happens less frequently as I age, compared to a week or more every year from 1979-2005. I thought, as I was… Continue reading
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HELP TO SUPPORT THE RELEASE OF “THE EVENT THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING”.
My second book, a work of fiction, entitled: The Event That Changed Everything” is currently with the publisher. After edits I anticipate a release some time later this fall (2014). There are advantages and disadvantages to self-publishing, even with an… Continue reading
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IS COOKING YOUR CALLING?
I have often stated that people don’t choose a career in the kitchen; it chooses them. Those who currently work in restaurant kitchens need only look around the space they call home for 60 plus hours a week to see… Continue reading
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ARE SERVERS AND COOKS LIKE OIL AND VINEGAR?
There are many examples of love/hate relationships or classic feuds that are difficult to rationalize: the Hatfield’s and the McCoy’s, Alexander Hamilton and Raymond Burr; Neil Young and Lynard Skynard, the Beatles and Yoko Ono, Democrats and Republicans, and, of… Continue reading
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SOME SAY, “IT’S ONLY FOOD.”
I remember reading a post from a well-know chef who proclaimed that cooking is not a life or death trade, it is, after all, only food. I am sure that his point was to remove some of the “holier than… Continue reading
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“I’M NOT READY”, A LINE COOKS GREATEST FEAR
It’s 20 minutes before the first reservation arrives and John the line cook knows that his mise en place is not tight. In a few minutes the chef will be walking the line checking to see that everything is in… Continue reading
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THE CULINARY COUNTER-CULTURE IS ALIVE AND WELL
Some may believe that the culinary evolution in America began with Wavy Gravy at Woodstock in 1969. As the chief of the Pleasure Force and front man for the commune “The Hog Farm”, Wavy Gravy helped to orchestrate a… Continue reading
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ALL HAIL COOK’S APPRENTICESHIP
John was 16 and a junior in high school. He came from a family of modest means; dad was a carpenter, a pretty good one too; mom had her hands full taking care of John’s three sisters, his younger brother… Continue reading
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CELEBRATE CHEFS TODAY AND EVERY DAY
Today, August 16, is National Chef Appreciation Day, a perfect time to reflect on the importance of cooks and chefs to everyone. If you are a chef or cook, then hug your coworkers today, if you are not, then find… Continue reading
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COOKING IS THE ULTIMATE SENSUAL EXPERIENCE
It’s 7 a.m. as the chef walks into the kitchen. He grabs a cup of freshly brewed coffee even before opening the door to the office. Nodding to the breakfast cook who has been there since 5, the chef enters… Continue reading
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LIFE IN A BOTTLE – DON THE BANQUET CHEF
It is a story, too often in the making. A person, too young dies from self-abuse. It happens frequently in kitchens, the question is why? Now Don, the banquet chef at a hotel where I worked in the early 70’s,… Continue reading
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CHEF ESCOFFIER STILL INSPIRES AFTER 160 YEARS
This framed picture has been hanging on the wall of my office through much of my career. It is a beacon of inspiration that requires me to self-assess and always ask, “Is what I’m doing right now, good enough for… Continue reading
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CAN CHEFS GET OLD AND STAY RELEVANT?
I have often caught myself saying that cooking in a professional kitchen is a young persons game. Having left the kitchen for education and then returned at the age of 55, it was obvious to me that certain jobs… Continue reading
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DO YOU COOK TO LIVE OR LIVE TO COOK?
My son, a technical education teacher once said, “There are two types of workers in the world; those who shower before work and those who shower after.” I thought this was quite profound and a way to categorize the type… Continue reading
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TO BE A COOK – AN HONORABLE PROFESSION
Walking down the street in my hometown back in the late-1960’s; an old acquaintance stopped me to say hello; “So, what are you doing with yourself?” My response, “I’m a cook in a restaurant.” Uncomfortable pause: “Oh, so what are… Continue reading
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