line cooks
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THAT FIRST NIGHT ON THE LINE ALL OVER AGAIN
One thing is for sure – we will be back. We don’t know exactly when, or what it might look like, but we will be back. A year has gone by and most cooks have now forgotten what it was like to have a full dining room, to feel the anxiety of the wait for… Continue reading
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COOKS – GETTING BACK INTO THE ZONE
Take a deep breath as you walk through those back doors, back into the kitchen that was so familiar, back to a place that you have missed for the past three months. Somehow you are nervous – why is that? You’re not as nervous about the virus as you are being able to hit the… Continue reading
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OUR DAILY BREATH: TAKING THE KITCHEN OUT OF THE COOK IS PROBLEMATIC
We have all heard the phrase: “You can take the cook out of the kitchen, but you can’t take the kitchen out of the cook.” While there is certainly some merit to this statement, the current isolation is pushing the envelope in that regard. Why is it so hard to take the kitchen out of… 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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WHEN A COOK IS TRULY IN THE ZONE
In the zone is a phrase commonly used to describe a musician, athlete, or even a cook who experiences an “everything going right” situation, and when the person, or persons, involved are totally focused on the task at hand– but, being fully in the zone is really so much more. When a musician is in… Continue reading
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HERDING CATS – THE MAKEUP OF A KITCHEN LINE
Chemistry is by far, the most important ingredient in building a successful kitchen team. When a chef is able to bring a group of seemingly opposing forces together into a functional, well-orchestrated team then great things happen. This, however, is no easy task given the different dynamics that exist among the players. Kitchens tend to… 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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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. Purdie, a studio musician, was responsible for the Purdie shuffle that made hits of dozens… 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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WALK A MILE IN A RESTAURANT WORKER’S SHOES – PART ONE
Sure – every person’s job can be challenging at times and the good, the bad, and the ugly is a fair way to describe nearly every career choice, but looking in from the outside rarely gives and outsider a realistic view of another person’s challenges. As a whole – restaurant work is difficult. At times… Continue reading
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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 to the cook’s forehead. Ah…the start of another summer day. The primary role of the… Continue reading
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WHEN LINE COOKS ARE IN THE ZONE
On November 16, 1962 Wilt Chamberlain – center for the Warriors, scored 73 points against the New York Knicks and 78 points in 1961 against the Lakers. But, it was the Warriors game against the Knicks earlier in 1962 that stands out above all others. Chamberlain scored 100 individual points cementing a win – he… Continue reading
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THE LINE COOK COUNTERCULTURE
From that first job as a dishwasher in 1966 when I was 16 years old – I knew I was part of something interesting. Who knows what struck a chord – it might have been the pace, the banter between employees, the time spent helping out the breakfast cook during a rush, or even the… Continue reading
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DAY ONE IN THE KITCHEN – WHAT TO EXPECT
Starting a new job is always un-nerving – even more so in a kitchen where production is expected, even on day one. Whether you are totally green and walking into a kitchen environment for the first time, transitioning from culinary school to a live kitchen environment, or simply moving as a cook from one restaurant… Continue reading
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CHEFS PLANTING SEEDS – THE RETURN OF TRAINING ON THE JOB
Here we are – seven or eight years into a steady economic recovery in the U.S. leading to the admirable statistic of a 3.9% unemployment rate (granted this is not qualified with regard to those who have stopped looking or those who are working at less than full time) – a figure that a decade… Continue reading
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THAT’S HOW COOKS ROLL IN THE KITCHEN
Many have written about the make-up of line cooks– what makes them tick? What is evident is that the best cooks are complicated characters, yet fairly easy to generalize. Having worked with a wide array of individuals filling the ranks of cooks I feel comfortable making some generalizations. This does not attempt to look at… Continue reading
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LINE COOKS GOING THE DISTANCE
Jake woke up with a pounding headache. It was only 7 a.m. and he was already sweating from the July humidity or maybe it was from those last two shots of tequila just a few hours ago. As was the case on most nights after a busy service – he found his way to the… Continue reading
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OWNERS/OPERATORS – VALUING COOKS AND CHEFS
It is certainly true that those who work in the kitchen are not the only reason why a restaurant may be successful, but it is certain that if the back-of-the-house team is not competent, is unable to function as a cohesive unit, or lacks the passion to take pride in their work then the restaurant… Continue reading
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QUOTES TO LIVE BY FOR LINE COOKS
Well-crafted thoughts and words are, at least to me, fuel for the soul, energy for the body, and thought provoking for the mind. I often find that certain quotes from people who have attained a level of success in life can have meaning for others and as such serve to help “self-motivate”. As 2017 comes… 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 with a paper clip and gum wrapper he was able to disarm nuclear weapons or… Continue reading
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THE LINE COOK’S ADRENALINE RUSH
What is it about working the line in a busy restaurant that is so attractive to cooks? Why, with all of the challenges that a career in the kitchen brings are people, especially those who are younger, willing to set those challenges aside for the experience of standing in front of a battery of full-throttle… 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? Well, this approach omits two very important components of a successful restaurant that serves delicious… 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 bloodshot, determined, aware of what is happening on the periphery, wanting, questioning, confident and a… 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 a result of a lack of understanding. In all cases, if they allow it to,… Continue reading
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Attention Line Cooks: Be Solid, Give it Your All
This is my first commissioned article for San Pellegrino’s blog – finedininglovers.com. I am honored to have this opportunity to share topics with their international base of followers and bring to light some of the challenges and opportunities that face those who chose a life behind the range. For me to continue offering such articles… Continue reading
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ROCK SOLID – A COOK’S PROFILE
A chef posts job openings for a restaurant kitchen “Looking for line cooks – dependable, experienced, strong work ethic”. These three descriptors summarize what most chefs are looking for. The resume is simply an elaboration on the critical traits of good employees – cooks who have the raw materials needed for success. Is this enough… Continue reading
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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 unanswered can become beliefs that are quite rigid and hard to change. So – what… Continue reading
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A COOK IN THE WEEDS
What does it feel like to be part of that downward spiral situation on the line referred to as being in the weeds? This is different, a far cry, from just being buried in orders on a busy night. This is more than a situation – it is a condition, a condition that feels like… Continue reading
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WALKING IN A LINE COOK’S SHOES – The Good, The Challenging, & The Ugly
While television and even some books might portray the life of a line cook as exciting, edgy, competitive, and even dangerously glamorous, few really demonstrate an understanding of what it is like to walk in a line cook’s shoes. Start to finish, if a portrayal is to be realistic it must focus on one very… Continue reading
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KNIVES, FIRE AND ATTITUDE – THE LINE COOK’S ARSENAL
There are certain things that when viewed together just don’t seem to marry well: oil and water, bald tires and icy roads, puddles and live electric wires, and the typical line cooks arsenal of attitude, sharp tools and intense flames. Somehow, in kitchens, we make the latter work, but not without challenge. Professional kitchens are… 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.