Harvest America CUES BLOG

cooks

  • WHEN COOKING BECOMES MORE THAN A JOB

    Typically, it starts off that way – old enough to work, they’re hiring, no experience required – it’s a job. Maybe it’s a local diner as a dishwasher or assistant to a short order cook; maybe it’s a fast food… Continue reading

  • RESTAURANT OWNERS – WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?

    The more I travel, experience communities, and try their restaurants – the more I scratch my head and ask the question: “What are they thinking?” The restaurant business is one that is relatively simple in concept, yet enormously complicated to… Continue reading

  • A COOK’S ANXIETY – A MOMENT IN TIME

    It’s 5:15, 120 degrees in front of the battery of ranges, and sweat is pouring down every cook’s back, dripping off their foreheads. This is moment in time, like the starting line for an important race, when adrenaline is pulsing… Continue reading

  • COOKS CHOOSING THEIR PATH

    There is little question that most young cooks who are serious about their craft have a desire to work for the higher end, independent properties with chefs who are committed to building a name for themselves and the restaurant where… Continue reading

  • A RETURN TO KITCHEN WORK ETHIC

    Say what you will about the craziness of kitchen life, the relentless hours that drive people away from the business, the somewhat unorthodox behavior of some who wear the white jacket and tie on an apron; the stress, heat, humidity,… Continue reading

  • PRIDE – COOKS SIGN THEIR WORK

    Pride is both an essential part of self-motivation and an obstacle for those who distance themselves from input and the occasional need to admit mistakes and seek the opportunity to improve. Pride is that driving force that allows cooks to… Continue reading

  • LINE COOKS ARE THE STUDIO MUSICIANS OF THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS

    When we listen to a catchy song by Steely Dan we think of Walter Becker and Donald Fagen – the founding members of this iconic group. Yet, Bernard Purdie probably played that laid-back rhythm that defines their songs on drums.… Continue reading

  • CHEFS- ELEVEN STEPS TO GREATNESS

    There are chefs and there are chefs. Some hold the title while others have earned the title. So what is the difference? I have always been blessed to count a significant number of true chefs as friends. These are people… Continue reading

  • LOOK INTO A RESTAURANT WORKER’S EYES

    I can’t remember where I first saw this picture, but regardless – I found it so telling of the soul of a restaurant worker. Far too often, we assess people based on face value – our first impressions that are… Continue reading

  • CHEFS- WE ARE ALL THE SAME, YET ALL SO DIFFERENT

    I have been privileged to work in kitchens all my life as a prep cook, line cook, and chef. I have built a reasonable set of technical skills along the way, and have learned – through trial and error, how… Continue reading

  • BODY, MIND AND SOUL – COOKS ARE IN IT TO WIN IT

    It was 1959 when the late great Miles Davis released “Kind of Blue” one of the great jazz albums of all time. Over his creative career – many of the most accomplished musicians of a generation got their start or… Continue reading

  • WHEN IT COMES TO MENUS IN 2019 – LESS IS MORE

    So…to fail to change is a surefire way to fail. When everything seems to be against restaurant success – those who strategically stand tall and change direction are the ones who win. Just look at the current picture for restaurants:… Continue reading

  • FINE FOOD WITHOUT FINE DINING AND WITHOUT OBSCENE PRICING

    Sometimes I wonder if we (those of us in the restaurant business) are pricing ourselves out of business. Sometimes I wonder if many chefs and restaurateurs live under the illusion that great food experiences are reserved only for those who… Continue reading

  • WHY I LOVE TO CALL MYSELF A COOK

    I haven’t walked through those professional kitchen doors for quite some time now – my tenure as a chef ended a few years back. Even though I am not clocked in – I still cook every day and still reflect… Continue reading

  • ADDRESSING THE DEVIL THAT PLAGUES COOKS

    When we are young, we are invincible. Very little thought is given to the effort required to prevent aches, pains, and serious health problems in the future. Cooks tend to work hard and play hard – their energy level is… Continue reading

  • THE KITCHEN COMMANDMENTS

    The minute we accept a position in a professional kitchen, we accept the functional rules of operation, the guiding principles that allow every cook, and every chef to be a productive, and trusted member of a team. These rules may… Continue reading

  • A DIFFERENT KIND OF WAKE UP CALL FOR ALL OF US

    Well, people may be on different sides of the “save the planet” discussion, so let’s put aside the debate and just settle in on a few undeniable facts (especially as they pertain to the food business): Recycling has taken a… Continue reading

  • I’VE LOOKED AT PRIDE FROM BOTH SIDES NOW

    Pride is an alluring enigma, an intoxicating challenge to our peace of mind, and a dangerous mistress that can pull us away from good old common sense. At the same time, pride is the fuel of success, the underlying standard… Continue reading

  • HEY CHEF – WHERE DID THE TIME GO?

    It’s hard to believe that time can be such a tease; when looking back is far more consuming than looking forward. Where did the time go? It wasn’t too long ago that the future seemed endless – an exciting enigma… Continue reading

  • CHEFS – IT’S NEVER GOING TO BE THE SAME AS IT WAS

    I was depressed watching the news about the new political climate where the fringe on both sides is slowly chipping away at tradition and accepted norms when it finally dawned on me – this applies to everything – this applies… Continue reading

  • INVENTION, RE-INVENTION, A FRESH LOOK

    There are few examples of businesses that can continue to thrive without change. Not too long ago, the need for change was gradual – giving owners/operators a chance to assess, research, test through trial and error, and slowly take baby… Continue reading

  • CHEF OWNERSHIP – SCENARIO #1

    This is the first of three chef/ownership scenarios drawn from last weeks initial article on that “OWNERSHIP THING”. Jeremy’s Southern Cuisine: Jeremy has paid his dues. He started as a dishwasher, worked his way through prep, breakfast cook, line cook… Continue reading

  • COOKS AND CHEFS – BELIEFS AND INITIATIVES THAT SHOULD UNITE US

    Lately, I have read quite a few posts from angry cooks and chefs as they lament the job requirements, poor wages, lack of life balance, questionable work ethic of young cooks, and demands placed on them by inconsiderate bosses. Like… Continue reading

  • THE CHEF TITLE EARNED – GETTING IT STRAIGHT

    You cannot call yourself a nurse simply because you are generous enough to care for people, nor can you be rightfully called a doctor simply because you work in a healthcare facility. A master plumber is not a self-appointed title,… Continue reading

  • MASLOW’S HIERARCHY STILL APPLIES TO RESTAURANT WORKERS

    I continue to hear the arguments: “Young cooks don’t want to work hard, they aren’t dependable, they lack passion, and they simply don’t have what it takes.” I have been there myself – touting many of the same woes about… Continue reading

  • A LINE COOK’S VIEW OF SUMMER MONTHS

    It’s pushing 10 a.m. when an evening line cook finally rolls out of bed. The July sun is starting to really show its ability to bear down with penetrating heat and the humidity is bringing those first beads of sweat… Continue reading

  • THE IMPORTANCE OF FIRE TO A COOK

    Fire has so many meanings, but to a cook – it is essential. Cook’s exist because of fire; it is the one ingredient that they cannot work without, the critical ingredient that brings everything together, the literal fuel of the… Continue reading

  • HEY CHEFS AND RESTAURATEURS – WE HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT OURSELVES

    Maybe it’s just because I am in the twilight of a career that I am very thankful for, but aware of my own connection to the problems that restaurants face. Maybe it is because now, as a consultant, I see… Continue reading

  • A COOK’S BALANCE – HARD WORK, PASSION, LIVE

    I was listening to some older music the other day and reconnected with a then super group – Blind Faith. When you put Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and Steve Winwood together – great music is bound to happen. One song… Continue reading

  • IS COOKING LOSING ITS COOL IMAGE?

    Maybe, the old adage: “what goes around, comes around” is true in the case of cooks and chefs. There was a time when individuals worked in kitchens for one of two reasons – they were either destined to do this… Continue reading