culinary
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THE PLATE AND THE PASS
I am the canvas on which the cook paints, the frame that draws the viewers eye to the image drawn. I am the plate – too often disregarded except by those who understand the importance of the canvas and the frame. The right plate makes all the difference in how the menu item is perceived… Continue reading
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COOKS – CLAIM YOUR OWN PATH TO SUCCESS
If you’re a chef from my generation then you likely have concerns over the changing landscape in the kitchen. I hear, nearly every day, “things are not what they use to be.” Chefs lament over a time when cooking was a giving craft, not one focus on what the cook received in return. We speak… Continue reading
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THE PATH TO EXCELLENCE – SO INSPIRING
What term or phrase best describes those who are on the path of excellence: unrelenting, finesse, culinary pride, make a dent in the universe, pursuit of perfection, make a difference, total commitment, or focused drive? Some portray the result while others – the process, but in all cases, they embrace individuals or teams in pursuit… Continue reading
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THE EVOLUTION OF THE AMERICAN RESTAURANT
PART TWO: The Era of the Chef: Ah, now things really changed. The once restaurateur-centric restaurant was about to become chef-centric. Seemingly happening overnight – the chef went from a behind the scenes after-thought to a celebrity. Beginning with a few flamboyant artisans like Jeremiah Tower, Paul Prudhomme, Wolfgang Puck, and Alice Waters – the… Continue reading
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AMERICAN RESTAURANTS – AN INTERESTING EVOLUTION
PART ONE: An Immigrant Nation Melting Pot: America was the land of opportunity and tens of thousands came to our shores, through Ellis Island, and stood at the gates of New York ready to become American and bring their ethnic influence the country’s profile. Italians, French, Irish, Greeks, Germans, Chinese, Japanese, and every other nationality… Continue reading
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WHY CULINARY PROGRAMS FAIL
There has never been a more important time for culinary schools than right now. Sure, I know how much the restaurant/foodservice industry is suffering and how many operations are shutting their doors as a result of avoiding decades of challenges brought to a head by the pandemic, but believe me when I say that this… Continue reading
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CHEF OF THE COLD KITCHEN
We have all heard the phrase: “If you can’t stand the heat – get out of the kitchen”. To many it defines what it is like to work in a restaurant kitchen – toiling over cherry red hot flat tops and char broiler flames that rise up to surround steaks and chops seeking those perfect… Continue reading
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A CHEF’S MANIFESTO – 2021
An exercise that I have found to be really helpful is to occasionally state/re-state what you believe in as a chef. Every now and then this can serve as a “checks and balance” activity to keep you on the right path and assess where and why you might have strayed from those “stakes in the… Continue reading
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CHEFS – VALUE and the TOP LINE DRIVE the BOTTOM LINE
In the restaurant business there are really only two ways to view profit: a very small amount of profit balanced by very significant volume, or a significant amount of profit on far less volume. How you approach the design of your restaurant in this regard will determine nearly everything else. How you approach profit will… Continue reading
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THE 2021 CHEF SKILL SET
It is always safe to say: “things change”. Change is an inevitable part of life and as we all know if we fail to recognize that and adapt – we can become obsolete. Throughout history there are countless examples of those who ignore or seem paralyzed by the need to change as their industries or… Continue reading
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WHAT CUSTOMERS DON’T KNOW ABOUT RESTAURANT WORK
More difficult than you may have thought, more chaotic than you might expect, more poetic than you realize, and more fulfilling than you would understand: this, to me, describes the environment of the professional kitchen that few customers are able to view or experience. It is this dichotomy of experiences that draws people into a… Continue reading
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IT’S ONLY FOOD
You know I have occasionally heard this statement, or at least felt that it was implied: “Don’t get so wrapped up in it – it’s only food.” Well, I am here to state unequivocally that this just isn’t so. Of course, there are restaurants and home cooks who seem to view it as such –… Continue reading
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WHAT RESTAURANTS HAVE LEARNED DURING THE PANDEMIC
As restaurants rally to try and meet the requirements of the new protocol for operation – distancing tables, reducing customer volume, enforcing mask wearing, deep sanitizing of surfaces, moving to on-line menus or single use documents, removing anything from table tops that could carry the virus, and trying to calm the fear that both customers… Continue reading
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KITCHENS CELEBRATE DIFFERENCE
It has always been my experience that kitchens are the great equalizer. Sure, I know that the environment of a kitchen can sometimes be tough and abrasive, it’s hot, humid, noisy, stressful, fast paced, and somewhat unforgiving, but…..all that being said – the kitchen is a place where who you are and what you believe… Continue reading
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EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP WHEN IT SEEMS TO BE IN SHORT SUPPLY
I am a concerned spectator at a time when everything seems to be in question and every one of us lives on the edge. We fear, we adjust, we cope, and then there comes a time when our coping mechanism comes into real question. This is when leadership is most needed. Leadership is always important,… Continue reading
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COOKS: A CALL TO ARMS – DON’T SETTLE!
There exists a real dichotomy of enthusiasm towards working in the restaurant business. I realize that this may have always been present at some level, but in today’s kitchens there appears to be a polarization of those who love the business and those who are angry at their state of affairs. In the middle are… Continue reading
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COOKS – THE COMFORT OF HEAT, SWEAT, AND HARD-WORK
Staring at the POS printer, waiting for those orders to start their tap dance building to a crescendo in an hour or so, clicking a pair of tongs by your side, shifting weight from one foot to the other, and beads of sweat beginning to roll down your back and collect under that scull cap… Continue reading
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A CHEF WHO GETS THE MESSAGE RIGHT
Two of the most significant issues facing businesses today are RETAINING good employees who are so difficult to find and MAXIMIZING the productivity and efficiency of those same employees. Ample research has been done pointing to the most significant culprit behind these issues – POOR COMMUNICATION! According to Big Picture Learning – “A 2014 survey… Continue reading
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A COOK’S NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS
Yep – another year, another moment in time to reflect on where you are and where you might be going. To many people a resolution is a futile attempt at changing poor behavior, lost opportunity, broken promises, and failed attempts at positive change. Making a resolution is often a noble attempt at making corrections, while… Continue reading
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A CHEF’S LIFE – IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE
In the Blink of an Eye “Looking forward has no limits Looking back reels you in Thinking about what could be Gives pause to what might have been Vision is energy for an active mind while Reflection is food for the soul In the blink of an eye our vision and Reflections intersect as What… Continue reading
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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 operation as a “sandwich artist” or grill person for that hamburger chain; or maybe it’s… Continue reading
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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 through a cook’s veins, fingers are tingling in anticipation, knees are a little weak, and… Continue reading
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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 at least their inspiration from playing with or listening to Miles – he was, to… Continue reading
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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 steps towards anything that resembled significant change. Today, change happens quickly, and those operators who… Continue reading
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CHEFS CHASING THE OWNERSHIP THING
I don’t believe that I know a single professional chef who doesn’t have a deep seeded desire to own a restaurant. Some are more obvious about the desire then others, some hide it pretty well, but underneath the façade of contentment with their current situation – every chef craves the chance to put their name… Continue reading
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LINE COOKS WHO TAKE THE LEAP
At some point, fairly early on, restaurant cooks make a decision to either view what they do as a transitional job while they look for something that they really want to do, or decide that cooking is their life calling and they intend to become exceptional at the craft. This is true for nearly any… Continue reading
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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 work, or they fell into the kitchen out of necessity and grew to love it.… Continue reading
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INNOVATE AND CHANGE OR GET OUT OF THE WAY
Take a deep breath, sit down, grab a couple Ibuprofen, tighten your belt and pay attention. EVERYTHING IS CHANGING AND THERE IS NO TURNING BACK. If you think that you can simply continue to do business the way you have, cook the same type of food as in the past, live with the level of… Continue reading
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THE INFLUENCE OF WOMEN CHEFS
On this International Women’s Day I am enthusiastic about supporting this years theme of “Balance for Better”. Specifically, I want to point to the numerous accomplishments of women chefs who are making a difference in the restaurant business. It seems senseless to categorize chefs as male or female, in fact that distinction helps to… Continue reading
About Me
PAUL SORGULE is a seasoned chef, culinary educator, established author, and industry consultant. These are his stories of cooks, chefs, and the environment of the professional kitchen.