cooks
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THE SLOW, PAINFUL DEATH OF A RESTAURANT
The other day I witnessed, once again, one of the most gut wrenching events that may go un-noticed to others. I watched as a restaurant closed its doors for the last time, the “for lease” sign take the place of… Continue reading
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MacGyver SURVIVAL SKILLS FOR LINE COOKS
Many of us remember the original MacGyver series in the 80’s where Angus MacGyver, a rogue scientist who worked for a fictitious government agency, used his uncanny problem solving skills to get him out of some pretty hairy situations. Sometimes… Continue reading
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COOKS AND CHEFS – WHO WE ARE – WHO WE COULD BE
There are many questions today when individuals involved in a work culture try to define and justify who they are. Times have changed, expectations have evolved, and what was once assumed acceptable has come into question. Not to make excuses,… Continue reading
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A CHEF’S WISH LIST FOR CHRISTMAS
Well, it’s Black Friday – some unfortunately believe that this is a national holiday in America. For those in the restaurant business this is a day to recover from Thanksgiving service when we serve hundreds of guests who chose not… Continue reading
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THE OFTEN FORGOTTEN WORKHORSE OF THE KITCHEN
Put aside all of the excitement and glamor of working in a fine dining restaurant, the “art on the plate” image, the unusual ingredients and groundbreaking new techniques, and of course the image of sophisticated food and simply ask yourself… Continue reading
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A CHEF’S ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS – #4 THIS IS AN EGG
One of my favorite movies is the 1954 original version of Sabrina staring Audrey Hepburn. In the context of the story she winds up in Paris at the renowned Cordon Bleu cooking school. Trying to learn to become a more… Continue reading
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A CHEF’S ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS – #3 – SALT AND PEPPER
As cook’s we may not give much thought to how important salt and pepper are to our craft. Walking from one end of the kitchen to another it is likely that there will be a few containers of kosher or… Continue reading
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WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO COOK IN THE 60’S AND 70’S – THE THINGS I LEARNED
Looking back is not always the best rule of thumb – it is much more realistic to be in the moment and look toward the future. There are always lessons to be learned from the way it was, but we… Continue reading
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WORKING IN KITCHENS DURING THE 60’S AND 70’S – PART III
Frenchie the Butcher and Lloyd our Jamaican Sous Chef – 1971 During my three years as an apprentice at the Buffalo Statler Hilton Hotel I worked for two different executive chefs and three sous chefs. I had the opportunity to… Continue reading
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WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE A LINE COOK IN THE 60’S AND 70’S – PART II
Frenchie – The Statler Hilton butcher – 1970 Don the banquet chef had his full crew in place by 10 a.m. – the work in front of them was daunting. With 12 events scheduled for the day culminating in the… Continue reading
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BEING A LINE COOK IN THE 60’S – WHAT IT WAS LIKE
The kitchen in the Buffalo Statler Hilton Hotel was in the sub-basement of this 1,200 room property. There were 18 banquet rooms with the largest, the Grand Ballroom, capable of seating 2,000 people and the smallest – an intimate… Continue reading
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WHY COOKS HANG OUT WITH COOKS
In the era of social media the term “friend” has been misconstrued. A Facebook friend is likely distant from the true definition that has been an essential part of a full life since the beginning of time. A social media… Continue reading
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WHEN LINE COOKS CONNECT WITH THE FOOD
It’s the chef’s cuisine after all – right? The role of the cook is to prepare what the chef tells him or her to prepare in the manner prescribed, because that’s what the cook is paid to do – right?… Continue reading
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CHEFS AND COOKS – KEEPING IT REAL
I thought that it would be interesting to talk menu for a change. What we relish most is the opportunity to create dishes and cook in a manner that pays justice to the ingredients and the heritage of a dish.… Continue reading
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CHEFS – HOW STABLE ARE WE – REALLY?
If you are a chef I know that you have experienced it many times – people around you who shake their heads and wonder what’s wrong with you. They are astonished at the hours you work, the physical and mental… Continue reading
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A ROADMAP TO SUCCESS FOR COOKS AND CHEFS
Although some my choose to turn down an unknown road to see where it leads – most of us would prefer to predetermine a destination and plug in our GPS. There are those who would state that the best way… Continue reading
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COOKS – LEARNING HOW TO FIT IN
There is a definitive culture in a professional kitchen – a culture that requires certain attributes of members. Membership is not automatic – far from it. It is this culture that attracts many to the profession – it is this… Continue reading
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WE CAN NEVER FORGET – A CHEF’S PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON 9/11
Monday is the 16th anniversary of one of the darkest days in American history. This was truly the day that changed the world, impacted each of our lives, and bore witness to the worst and the best of mankind. The… Continue reading
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COOKING AND ALL THAT JAZZ
I have often compared serious cooking to the free-form interpretations of jazz musicians. Since at the core of jazz you can always find the foundations of a melody there is a baseline of discipline that allows the improvisation of jazz… Continue reading
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THINK ABOUT WHY YOU WANT TO BECOME A CHEF
In another week or so the hundreds of culinary schools across the country will welcome a new class of freshmen with visions of becoming a chef. It is interesting to note that many if not most of these aspiring cooks… Continue reading
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COOKS FINDING THEIR PURPOSE
When all is said and done, when we push aside the challenges that face us as career cooks, when you take the time to brush aside those things that can be pointed to as “negative”, there is a common bond… Continue reading
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IS THE RESTAURANT BUBBLE ABOUT TO BURST?
It could be very easy to state that the restaurant industry has never been stronger, never more robust, and never more promising. There are, according to the National Restaurant Association, more than 1 million freestanding restaurants in the U.S., generating… Continue reading
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CHEFS – 22 MORE SUREFIRE WAYS TO FAIL AT YOUR JOB
What makes a chef successful at his or her job? It certainly takes many years for an accomplished cook to rise to the position of chef, but what should they have learned along the way? Just as with restaurant owners… Continue reading
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LINE COOKS – TOUGH AS NAILS – USED AND ABUSED, DRIVEN AND CONTENTIOUS
We are who we are or – are we defined by what we do and the environment that we function in? Look into a person’s eyes and you can determine quite a bit. A cook’s eyes are focused, tired, often… Continue reading
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COOKS WITH DRAGONS IN THEIR CLOSET
Make no mistake, the most enjoyable part of working in a kitchen will always be the interesting people who man that station or cutting board next to you. Of course we have a passion for the food – this is,… Continue reading
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WHY COOKS APPRENTICESHIP MAY BE THE ANSWER
What goes around does come around. For the past forty years the restaurant industry has relinquished its responsibility for serious training to culinary schools across the country. From the days of Careme, Pointe, and Escoffier till the early 1960’s the… Continue reading
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CHEFS HAVE BEEN ALCHEMISTS FOR GENERATIONS
With all of the more recent attention paid to the science of cooking, I find it important to note that chefs and cooks have been unwitting practitioners of food science since the first stove was created. Take a look at… Continue reading
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A COOK DEEP IN THOUGHT
If you are a restaurant cook – how often have you paused to think: “Why am I doing this”? Every cook understands that there is a balance of good, bad, and ugly with most careers, but at times it does… Continue reading
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WHAT DRIVES A LINE COOK CRAZY
Recently, I pointed to the things that drive a chef crazy, but line cooks share a list of actions or lack thereof that push their buttons as well. Some of these actions are real and correctable while others are simply… Continue reading
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