Harvest America CUES BLOG

culinary

  • WHAT MAKES A CHEF’S JOB SO CHALLENGING

    If you cook in a serious way, if you have defined the process of cooking as something that you want to invest in, if you find that the passion of working in a professional kitchen is something that inspires you,… Continue reading

  • 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

  • I REMEMBER – A CHEF’S REFLECTIONS ON TIME

    It was 1964 when Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones sang: “Time is on my side, yes it is.” I wonder now if there is any truth to that statement. When you are 14 years old, as I was, time… Continue reading

  • I LOVE BEING A CHEF BUT I’M MAD AS HELL

    From that first moment when I held a spatula in my hand at the age of 15 and was shown how to flip a pancake and how the flick of my wrist could coax an egg to gently change sides… Continue reading

  • THE RECIPE IS A BOOK WORTH READING AND HOLDING CLOSE TO YOUR HEART

    There has rarely been a better time for a book like this. I don’t normally use my blog to talk about books that you really should read. My focus is to pay respect to cooks and chefs, restaurateurs and servers,… Continue reading

  • 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

  • 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

  • ON THE THRESHOLD OF A DREAM – A CHEF’S LAMENT

    (So You Want to Own a Restaurant – PART II) Deep in every chef’s heart is/was a desire to open and own a restaurant. I think that I can say this unequivocally even though many chefs may choose to deny… Continue reading

  • WHAT LINE COOKS BELIEVE – FACTS AND ALTERNATIVE FACTS

    At the core of every person is a foundation of beliefs. Some of those beliefs are based on facts and experience while others are somewhat hollow beliefs that are loosely based on perceptions rather than a deeper understanding. Perceptions left… Continue reading

  • THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL IN A PROFESSIONAL KITCHEN – A COOK’S HANDS

    Cut, stitched, bruised, burnt, swollen and callused – a cook’s hands are a testament to the torturous work that they endure and the symbol of an incredible work ethic that they represent. It is not uncommon for people to take… Continue reading

  • THE WELL-SEASONED COOK

    What is it about food that stops people in their tracks? What single characteristic about the food that we consume is literally addictive? What is the most important part of the formula for a successful restaurant that attracts return customers… Continue reading

  • A LINE COOK’S LIFE DIRECTION

    “There’s nothing worse than a feeling of being lost.” -Chef Daniel Boulud These are such important words from a chef and restaurateur whom many consider one of the worlds finest at his craft. They gave me a moment of pause… Continue reading

  • LOSING OUR GRAND HOTELS – THE END TO AN ERA

    There was a bittersweet moment last week when I learned that the Waldorf Astoria would be closing as it transitioned into condo units in New York City. The Waldorf was always that grand old lady that everyone held as a… Continue reading

  • CHEFS – LET’S KEEP INTEGRITY AT THE TOP OF OUR LIST

    One of the most distressing things to watch is a person sacrificing his or her integrity for the sake of a paycheck. I get it – survival is an instinct that is difficult to put aside, but when we set… Continue reading

  • 24 HOURS IN A PROFESSIONAL LINE COOK’S LIFE

    Yes, the life of a cook is based on routine – a routine that may be different, but a routine never the less. What differs is the amount if time dedicated daily to the environment of the kitchen and the… Continue reading

  • DISHWASHER TO CHEF – THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS

    The kitchen is one of those few remaining places where the entry-level employee can aspire to become the chef and even restaurateur. The school of hard knocks is alive and well in kitchens all over the country. “The School of… Continue reading

  • SALUTE TO THE DISHWASHER

    Typically discounted, often maligned, frequently abused, and rarely appreciated (until he or she doesn’t show up) – the dishwasher is actually the most important employee in the kitchen. Cooks may scoff, chefs will dismiss, and owners have no opinion whatsoever,… Continue reading

  • KITCHEN FRIENDS

    It is disheartening to occasionally hear of cooks, chefs, and service staff who dislike their jobs, find the work less than rewarding, and most discouraging – fail to feel a unique connection to the people who they share a kitchen… Continue reading

  • PROFILE OF A MODERN LINE COOK

    It might be time to retire the concept of a job description. For all intents and purposes a job description is limiting and fails to address the unique characteristics of individuals and those intangibles that separate an average line warrior… Continue reading

  • A COOK’S FLAVOR MEMORY

    I imagine everyone would agree that the most important part of a restaurant dish is taste and flavor. This, of course, encompasses texture, aroma, and appearance, but to most – the intriguing part of enjoyable food revolves around what is… Continue reading

  • GAME DAY IN THE KITCHEN

    Life happens whether we plan or not, whether we have a strategy or shoot from the hip, whether we think through the process of reaching outcomes or if we simply cross our fingers and hope for the best. Looking at… Continue reading

  • YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TRUE LINE COOK IF………

    There comes a point in time on most people’s lives when they finally realize that what they do for a living is what they are meant to do. It is this “aha” moment that can either serve as a breath… Continue reading

  • WHAT “HARVEST” MEANS TO A COOK

    Summer is typically not a line cook’s favorite season. Sure, kitchens are always hot, but nothing compares to summer on the line. A cook comes from the heat of outside to the heat of the kitchen. The make-up air system… Continue reading

  • A LINE COOK – THE INTELLIGENCE CONNECTION

    In terms of human intellect, we evolved much faster than one might expect. The information storage and potential of the human brain is almost limitless – in fact, we use a very small portion of its capacity. How could we… Continue reading

  • A COOK’S PRIDE

    Pride is defined in both a positive and a negative manner. To some, pride is something to avoid: “An irrationally corrupt sense of ones personal value, status or accomplishments.” – Wikipedia – Or as some would label it: “ego”. On… Continue reading

  • THE WELL-SEASONED COOK

    In cooking – when you get it right – the right ingredients, the well executed cooking method, the caring attitude of the cook, and the seasoning based on a cook’s palate that has been refined over time – the end… Continue reading

  • LINE COOKS – 90 MPH HEADED FOR THE WALL

    Line cooks know that there is only one speed – pedal to the metal, full-speed ahead, take no prisoners along the way. It is, after all, the nature of the beast when you work in a busy kitchen. There is… Continue reading

  • THE STORY IN A COOK’S HANDS

    Your hands are incredible tools. Think about these hand facts for a moment: There are: 27 bones in the hand 17 muscles in the palm alone and 34 others that control the fingers and thumb 123 ligaments in each hand… Continue reading

  • WHAT COULD COOKS AND CHEFS TEACH THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES

    The other day I jokingly said that the presidential candidates should work a few shifts in a busy kitchen to learn valuable lessons about America. The more I think about it this seems like a pretty good idea. I am… Continue reading

  • WINDS OF CHANGE FOR COOKS AND CHEFS

    The media has conveniently forgot the most significant challenges faced by the restaurant industry. Yes, it was the news flash for a few months, but now it is old news – old news that continues to haunt restaurants from coast… Continue reading