Harvest America CUES BLOG

recipes

  • A COOK’S HOLIDAY

    It’s a common question with an anticipated joyful answer: “So what are your plans for the holidays?” To most, the answer involves gathering with family and friends, long tables with more than ample food, kitchens full of wannabe family cooks… Continue reading

  • IT’S THE KITCHEN PEOPLE I MISS

    Looking back on five decades of kitchen life, what provides the greatest memories, and a feeling of fulfillment are the people I met and those with whom I had the pleasure to work alongside. There is a kitchen culture that… Continue reading

  • GREAT QUOTES FOR CHEFS TO LIVE BY

    Inspiration comes in many forms. It may be from the actions of others, their successes, or even their failures; it may come from the visual arts, or music, science or medicine, or even from the beauty of nature. But few… Continue reading

  • OUR GIVING NATURE

    “Let’s put it all on the table.” This, a phrase commonly used to represent being totally honest and transparent is to some – a last resort, while to others a method of operation that inspires people to action. Quite often,… Continue reading

  • CHEFS STARTING FRESH IN 2025

    No, this is not a list of New Year’s Resolutions since we all know how effective they are. This is a self-assessment of the job of chef, what we have learned in 2024, and how we can apply that “knowledge… Continue reading

  • SO, GOD MADE A CHEF

    Adaption by: Paul Sorgule This article was written in recognition of the wonderful piece that was done by Paul Harvey paying homage to American farmers.  This version is a tribute to chefs and cooks who care for the crops and… Continue reading

  • THE IMPORTANT THINGS I LEARNED IN THE KITCHEN

    Maybe I tend to quote Bourdain too much, but he comes from a real place. Unlike some who may speak of kitchen and restaurant life, he was there and learned about life while standing in front of a range cranked… Continue reading

  • GIVING THANKS

    Taking the time to be grateful is so refreshing. We live in an information overload society where fear of missing something leaves us attached to our phones and televisions seeking the latest catastrophe, political misstep, impending sense of doom, or… Continue reading

  • KITCHEN FOOD FOR THE SOUL

    I came across an old quote from Phylicia Rashad (for those my age – the lead actress in the series “Fame” from many years back) that gave me another opportunity to think about the cooks that I know and have… Continue reading

  • A CHEF’S MOMENT

    It was one of those rare moments at the end of service, nothing pressing on your desk, menus were done, inventories posted, schedules made, and another service in the hopper. This was a moment of peace and relative quiet. The… Continue reading

  • CHEF – SHOULD YOUR BELIEFS COUNT?

    It is an important question that some of us wrestle with while others may simply shrug their shoulders. We are in the business of service and in service to the business. To your employer, the financial success of the business… Continue reading

  • COOK WHO YOU ARE

    Like so many other art forms: painting, photography, music, or writing – cooking is an expression of who you are. In all art we express what we feel, how we think, and what we have experienced. Traditions, ethnicity, deep seated… Continue reading

  • MEASUREMENT BY MISE EN PLACE

    You can assess the quality of an operation and the effectiveness of a chef to lead a team within the first minutes of walking into a kitchen. It can be done without tasting food or even seeing a single plate… Continue reading

  • SUMMER IS PURE TORTURE FOR COOKS

    Since we were able to walk – summer has represented a time of freedom, fun, blue skies, dipping our feet in the ocean or a neighbor’s pool, and great music to sooth the soul. Well, if your career path focused… Continue reading

  • THE LINE COOK’S DANCE

    I vividly remember being 10 years old, standing outside a diner window in downtown Buffalo, New York with my mother as I stared in amazement of the short order cook in full display. I only recall snippets of experiences from… Continue reading

  • THE BREAD BAKER’S LIFE

    It’s 2 a.m. and you’re wide awake knowing that in sixty more minutes your workday begins. It’s been this way, your routine, for more than a dozen years now. The sun won’t even break the horizon for a few more… Continue reading

  • ACCOMPLISHED COOK – WHEN COMPETENCE ECLIPSES A LACK OF CONFIDENCE

    Most of us have been there at some point. You know the feeling and you shake your head thinking back to those moments. You thought you were good, a solid line cook or prep cook, a couple years of experience… Continue reading

  • COOKS GETTING TO CONFIDENCE

    Confidence is vividly apparent with musicians, athletes, actors, carpenters, and other trades, and certainly with cooks and chefs. It’s that point in time when they are comfortable working side by side with their peers and mentors. Confidence is a wonderful… Continue reading

  • THE FALLACY OF RECIPES

    Let me begin by setting the stage for this articles title: I do believe in the importance of recipes, but…. they are not the answer to consistently great cooking. Recipes fail in the following ways: Recipes do not factor in… Continue reading

  • THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COOK AND A CHEF

    A few years back I read of an interview with a prominent chef who was asked: “what is the difference between a chef and the millions of cooks throughout America.” The response, to me, was a perfect definition: “Most reasonably… Continue reading