Harvest America CUES BLOG

culinary

  • A LINE COOK’S “FOOD FOR THOUGHT”

    With all that is going on in the world it is understandable that people have many unanswered questions. We seek answers to questions from the time we are born – some remain unanswered or poorly addressed for some time and… Continue reading

  • THE PARALLELS BETWEEN COOKS AND MUSICIANS ARE HARD TO DENY

    I was 14 years old when my parents took me to see Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich play at a small club in Buffalo. At that age I was convinced that becoming a drummer could easily be my life’s mission.… Continue reading

  • COOKS- REACH FOR THE PRIZE

    “If you want a lot – give a lot.” -Charlie Trotter Most people who have reached a high level of success in the restaurant business know that there is no such thing as a shortcut. Yes, prep and line cooks… Continue reading

  • A ROADMAP TO BECOMING AN EXCEPTIONAL CHEF

    In just a few weeks thousands of graduates from culinary schools across the country will begin their real education. Others who were not as fortunate to attend a school for this trade will continue on that same arduous journey from… Continue reading

  • CHEFS – DON’T LET SUCCESS GET IN THE WAY OF SUCCEEDING

    There is an old adage that many have relied on for generations: “If it isn’t broke – don’t fix it.” Of course, this does seem quite logical and applicable to business and many things in life, but something has changed… Continue reading

  • LINE COOKS – START YOUR ENGINES

    It’s Easter Sunday – yet another “holiday” that isn’t a holiday for restaurant workers. That’s OK – we’re use to it. Working when others celebrate goes with the turf, this is what we do. Don’t feel sorry for us, this… Continue reading

  • THE SELF-MOTIVATED COOK – A TIMELESS MODEL

    In 1943 – Abraham Maslow published his theory of self-motivation in the form of a hierarchy of needs. Self-motivation is always the goal since no one else can do the job for you. Maslow’s theory focused on five sequential steps… Continue reading

  • THE COOK’S OBSESSION

    Walking through the back door of the kitchen the cook transitions from a street civilian to a professional cook the moment he or she changes into those crisp, clean chef whites and hounds tooth pants. The smell of maple bacon… Continue reading

  • COOKS SIGN THEIR WORK EVERY DAY

      It was quite a few years ago that I walked down the hall of an office building in Buffalo, New York and stopped to read a faded poster with dog eared corners that seemed out of place on a… Continue reading

  • A COOK’S REFLECTIONS – 2016

    This is my 295th article (story) for Harvest America Cues. When I hit 100 I was certain that I would run out of topics and things to say, but so far that has not been the case. Some articles strike… Continue reading

  • FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE CHEF & COOK SHORTAGE

    The articles continue to flow pointing to a real dilemma that is facing the restaurant world. Everyone has an opinion on why this is so and many are free to point fingers at this potential cause or another. So, to… Continue reading

  • GIVING THANKS FOR A LIFE IN THE KITCHEN

    Like many in our industry, my first job was washing dishes at a diner. I was fifteen years old and eager to earn a paycheck, regardless of the job. Fifty years later, I am still actively involved in the food… Continue reading

  • A COOK’S BATTLE SCARS

    WARNING: The mental images portrayed in this article may be offensive to those who have not yet worked in a commercial kitchen and could tend to scare away would-be future cooks. The intent is not to make light of the… Continue reading

  • WHEN COOKING TRANSFORMS FROM A JOB TO A CALLING

    The average worker spends 40 hours per week on the job, that’s 90,000 hours over a 45-year career.   A professional cook who becomes a chef may spend 50-75% more time than that. In some cases that’s more time than a… Continue reading

  • MEMORIES OF A LINE COOK – YOU HAD ME AT EGGS OVER EASY

    The older you get, the more time you invest in thinking back. Recently, I have been thinking about those first moments working in a kitchen when I was 15. Yes, I was washing dishes, and yes it was originally just… 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

  • 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

  • SORRY – THE CHEF CAN’T MOTIVATE YOU

    “The chef really needs to motivate me today”. How often have you heard this type of interplay in the kitchen? People have a tendency to relegate their performance, attitude, and outlook on their job to someone else. A restaurant employee… Continue reading

  • JIRO ONO– THIS CHEF DEFINES PASSION AND COMMITMENT

    I just finished watching an incredible documentary movie for the second time: Jiro – Dreams of Sushi is a story not to be missed by serious cooks, chefs, restaurateurs, artists, musicians, teachers and all who are seeking a calling in… Continue reading

  • THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MINIMUM WAGE DEBATE IN RESTAURANTS

    There are numerous ways to look at the debate over raising the minimum wage in the United States. First, there is no question that low-end wages have not kept up with the cost of living and that, of course, is… Continue reading

  • GREAT FOOTBALL – GREAT RESTAURANTS: ONE & THE SAME

    As we recover from an exciting weekend of playoff football and prepare mentally and emotionally for the biggest sporting event of the year, I began to reflect on the similarities between the game of football and the game of restaurant… Continue reading

  • KEVIN O’DONNELL – “Put me in coach – I’m ready to play”

    Lawrence A. Appley, author of numerous management articles and texts, once stated: “he who can manage, can manage anything”. This statement assumes that management skills are transferrable from business to business and from industry to industry. Through my experience I… Continue reading

  • CHEF TIM MCQUINN – DEDICATED TO HIS CRAFT

    Commitment is an interesting word. How difficult is it to truly understand what is implied by this term? Are there degrees of commitment or is it simply a finite word? We use the term very loosely: chefs are looking for… Continue reading

  • EAMON LEE – A CHEF WHO INFLUENCES HUNDREDS OF OTHERS

    There is a distinct difference between those who work in kitchens and those who choose to pursue a life-long career in food. Chefs tend to move in a variety of directions with their careers but typically all start out with… Continue reading

  • THE COMPLEXITY OF BEING A RESORT CHEF – Chef Phil Flath Interview

    One of the most interesting aspects of analyzing what it takes to be a professional chef lies in the uniqueness of each operation. Each chef has his or her own set of challenges and opportunities that would lead one to… Continue reading

  • THE COMPLETE CHEF

    The restaurant industry in the United States is enormous with 2012 sales in excess of $450 billion. There are, among the 960,000 plus operations, varying degrees of quality and commitment to excellence. There are those that disappoint, many that meet… Continue reading

  • DIGGING DEEP: THE PRESSURE IS ON THE LINE COOK

    Having finished fabricating his fish for Friday prep, Jake moved on to the other proteins on his mise en place list. Venison tenders and Wagyu beef tenders were trimmed of their silver skin and portioned: three-ounce medallions on the venison… Continue reading

  • The Chef’s New Essential Cookbook

    There are hundreds of cookbooks released every year (I know because I am addicted to amazon.com), yet very few can be revered as “essential” A book that will appear on every serious chef’s desk, must be one that defines a… Continue reading

  • IT’S ALL ABOUT CHEW

    “Chew your food!” I am sure we can all remember hearing that from our mother and grandmother along with: “close the door, wipe your feet, wash your hands”. It was part of Parent 101 to state those requirements of existence… Continue reading

  • BUFFALO – MY KIND OF FOOD TOWN

    Yes, in case you have not guessed, I am originally from Buffalo. After you get all of the stinging quips out of your system let me tell you what Buffalo is really like. It is true that the press has… Continue reading