Harvest America CUES BLOG

cooks

  • DOES MUSIC BELONG IN THE KITCHEN?

    It was inevitable. As cooks and chefs grew into the role of artist so too did they join the ranks of talented expressionists who use a multitude of mediums. If the chef is truly an artist, then it would make… Continue reading

  • RESTAURANT STAFF MEAL – THE IMPORTANCE OF BREAKING BREAD

    There are very few, if any other businesses that view a staff meal as not just a benefit, but rather a necessity. Labor laws do not mandate that a restaurant provide a meal for its staff, only that time for… Continue reading

  • RESTAURANT FRIENDS ARE UNIQUE

    Allow me to begin with a generalization: most restaurant cooks are introverts, viewed as different, sometimes odd and often times lacking in self-confidence. Now you might disagree from your experiences in the kitchen, but it is my theory that “the… Continue reading

  • LET THE GAMES BEGIN – A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CHEF – Part Three

    As the first tickets started to arrive from the dining room – Jake gave some fleeting thought to the time. It was 5:30, he had already been here for nearly 11 hours and the night had just begun. What was… Continue reading

  • MID-DAY IN THE CHEF’S LIFE – Part Two

    Chef Jake moved beyond the fresh (or lack there of) fish issue and adjusted his mind-set to the other tasks at hand. It was too late to return to the sales meeting – he would catch up with the department… Continue reading

  • A CHEF’S DAY IN THE LIFE – Part One

    “Woke up, fell out of bed, dragged the comb across my head. Made my way downstairs and drank a cup and looking up I noticed I was late.” We all remember these lines from the Beatles storyline in: “A Day… Continue reading

  • THE IMPORTANCE OF DOING THINGS WELL

    Years ago, a friend offered a statement, maybe even a mantra that has echoed within me ever since. It is one of those over-riding beacons of light that sets a course for how you live and how the world views… Continue reading

  • WANTED: SUCCESSFUL RESTAURANT OPERATOR

    Here it is – the formula for a successful restaurant – almost a guarantee. There still are many people, for some strange reason, who continue to dust off their entrepreneurial suit and turn to restaurant ownership as a way to… Continue reading

  • THINGS THAT EVERY CULINARY SCHOOL GRADUATE MUST REMEMBER

    This is the time of the year when culinary schools pass out diplomas and send their graduates out into the world of professional cooking. These young culinarians are eager, full of energy and loaded with ambitious ideas about who they… Continue reading

  • LINE COOKS ARE THE ENGINE THAT DRIVE A RESTAURANT

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

  • WHY DO PEOPLE OWN RESTAURANTS

    Having worked in the restaurant field for more than four decades, I have often wondered why it is that people take the leap into restaurant ownership. There are numerous documented reasons why this is not a good idea, yet thousands… Continue reading

  • SO GOD MADE A CHEF

    A Most Noble Profession © Copyright 2014 This article was written in recognition of the wonderful piece that was done by Paul Harvey paying homage to American farmers. This version is a tribute to chefs and cooks who care for… Continue reading

  • FOOD IS THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE

    Once you brush away all of the superficial things that we accumulate in life and begin to prioritize those that are important it is remarkable to see that everyone shares the same list. It all boils down to family, faith,… Continue reading

  • COOKS IN THE WEEDS – GASPING FOR AIR

    There are times in a restaurant kitchen when things go terribly wrong. Every cook, every chef faces those moments that can only be described as desperate and out of control. There is so much truth to the theory of Murphy’s… Continue reading

  • IN THE KITCHEN – HIRE PASSION, TEACH DISCIPLINE

    Chefs seem to always lament about the difficult task of finding the right staff to fulfill the mission of their kitchen. “Where can I find good cooks who will show up to work prepared, who have a strong foundational knowledge… Continue reading

  • FOOD ART – LOOK TO NATURE

    There is no question that people eat with their eyes. Chefs are, for the most part, tuned into this reality and oftentimes invest countless hours developing and defining their signature presentations for various dishes. To some it may be creating… Continue reading

  • LIFE LESSONS FROM A LINE COOK

    I may be a showing a bit of bias, but I do believe that there are many lessons that anyone can learn from observing the daily activities and mindset of a typical restaurant line cook. These seasoned disciples of the… Continue reading

  • THE SOCIETAL IMPORTANCE OF COOKS AND COOKING

    I believe it was Julia Child who pointed out that every significant change in society has always been accompanied by a change in how we grow, select, distribute, prepare, serve and consume food. Whether food drove societal change or if… Continue reading

  • ENOUGH WITH INACCURATE TV FOOD SHOWS

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

  • WHY DEMOCRACY DOESN’T WORK VERY WELL IN A KITCHEN

    The foundations of our country stem from the concept of democracy or as clearly stated by Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address: “a government of the people, by the people and for the people…” a bold, and noble statement that… Continue reading

  • FIND A MENTOR, BE A MENTOR

    For those seeking to define their place in the world-whether it be professionally or personally, the one piece to the puzzle that allows this to truly happen is the mentor relationships that a person takes part in. The mentor is… Continue reading

  • THE FOUNDATIONS OF COOKING WILL ALWAYS SERVE YOU WELL

    There is no question that dining is a sensual experience. A perfect meal will always address the full gamut of senses as it is prepared and presented: sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. Chefs who focus on just a few… Continue reading

  • COOKING LESSON FROM ERIC CLAPTON

    At the age of 63 I decided to finally take guitar lessons. I have owned a beautiful Fender Stratocaster for years as well as an Epiphone Les Paul without really deserving either. For quite some time I have dabbled in… Continue reading

  • CHEF’S NEED TO SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF

    In 1996, Richard Carlson wrote a very successful book on stress relief entitled: Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. His approach was to de-emphasize those tasks and issues in our lives that drive us crazy and are, from his perspective, not… Continue reading

  • AN UNLIKELY BUT PERFECT MARKET SEGMENT FOR GREAT CHEFS AND RESTAURATEURS AWAITS YOU!

    We all realize how important restaurants are to those who have a need to celebrate. Anniversaries, weddings, birthdays, and holidays or simply because it is Friday: our guests are looking for a reason to celebrate in restaurants of all types.… Continue reading

  • Looking for a Holiday Gift?

    This is an admitted, somewhat shameful self-promotion, but “tis the season”. If you are looking for one of those last minute gifts, a light read that is focused on sharing some stories associated with the first four decades of my… Continue reading

  • Chef Jody Winfield – THE CHEF FOUND HIS CALLING

    I can’t remember who said it originally, however I have stated for years that individuals do not find a career in the kitchen, it finds them. There are hundreds of examples of chefs who when asked about how they decided… Continue reading

  • SETTING THE HOLIDAY TABLE – A New Role for Restaurants

    Good, bad or indifferent, the reality for the holidays is that they mark some of the busiest days of the year for restaurants. To our guests it may simply reflect their desire to truly relax and avoid the hustle of… Continue reading

  • RESTAURANTS CAN and DO PLAY a LARGER ROLE in IMPROVING LIVES

    Restaurant people are, by and large, some of the most generous, giving people that I know. In many cases, whether they think this way or not, restaurant families make a difference in people’s lives on a daily basis. Yes, our… Continue reading

  • RESTAURANT FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE LASTING ONES

    How important are the details? Make no mistake the “small stuff” does add up when building an experience for your guests. First impressions help to draw people into your business, set the tone for the experience, build guest expectations, define… Continue reading