Chefs are acutely aware of the importance of their line crew and care is typically taken to hire those who have a complementary chemistry and skill set – team is critical to success. But, how much similar effort is placed on defining the role, and investing the time to hire right, and support the efforts…
Tag: restaurants
RESTAURANTS ARE A MICROCOSM OF ISSUES FACING THE COUNTRY TODAY
This article is inspired by a story related to the youngest freshman U.S. representative Alexandria Ocasio – Cortez. Putting aside your individual political bent – she comes to the House of Representatives from a history of positions working in the restaurant business – so she automatically has street cred in my book. From her vantage…
THE COOK NEXT TO ME
I thought I would chime in with all of the recent talk about immigrant workers in the U.S. One of the most significant reasons why I have always loved working in the restaurant business is the diversity of people with whom I have had the opportunity to stand next to at the range. The is…
THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN COOKING AND MUSIC ARE UNDENIABLE
The two things in life that we have an instant connection with are food and music. In both cases we learn, through our associations and connection to knowledge, that we are more inclined toward certain foods and certain styles of music, but that initial desire to enjoy eating and listening is apparent from the moment…
A BAKER’S DOZEN LIFE LESSONS FROM A DISHWASHER
Yes, I have talked about the importance of dishwashers before and I stand by my statement that they are the most important people in your kitchen. Just think about the state of your operation any time that the dishwasher doesn’t show up. How often do you (chef, cook, manager, owner, server, bartender) think about the…
A CHEF’S ROADMAP FOR SUCCESS
What does success mean to you? Is success measured in professional position, status of the operation where you work, public recognition, accolades, money, lifestyle, or family? Maybe, it’s a combination of all of these factors and some level of balance between them. However you measure success there is a way to get there if you…
CHEFS – THINGS JUST AREN’T WHAT THEY USE TO BE
Looking back over the past 18-months it is hard to grasp just how much things have changed in the restaurant world. It made me wonder if all of this change (some planned, some unexpected) is good for the culinary world or not. Having long been an advocate for the importance of change, I find myself,…
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 variances in the quality of raw materials based on freshness, maturity, the impact of soil…
GETTING INSIDE THE CHEF’S HEAD
Worldwide there are hundreds of thousands of individuals who hold the title of chef. It is a title that seems well defined, yet each individual portrays it differently and fits the position with a unique set of qualifications. It would be somewhat naïve to try and classify all of these chefs into specific silos, but…
MAKE NO APOLOGIES FOR BEING A CULINARY TRADITIONALIST
It seems that too often, in conversations with those younger cooks who have some level of serious interest in a kitchen career, that food talk is all about experimentation. I have lost track of the number of culinary students who (and I paraphrase here) state: “When are we going to move on from the basics…
