Harvest America CUES BLOG

restaurants

  • COOKS – BLUE COLLAR AND PROUD OF IT

    There is something inherently gratifying about making things with your hands. Developing and fine-tuning a set of skills that have been passed down for generations help to build pride in a profession that is timeless. In my mind there is… Continue reading

  • CHEFS- KEEP IT SIMPLE, DO IT BETTER

    We (myself included) have become so obsessed with complex, challenging, unique preparations and presentations of restaurant food that, in many cases, we lost sight of the real enjoyment of food – flavor. Perfection may mean incredibly unique, beautiful, and in… Continue reading

  • COOKS and SERVERS BUILD A RESTAURANT ONE PLATE AT A TIME

    Many people think of a restaurant as the physical property, the décor and ambience of the dining room, and the space or location that the place occupies. In truth, the restaurant is much more ethereal. It is the food and… Continue reading

  • HOW IT FEELS TO BE A LINE COOK IN AMERICA

      This is not a scientific study based on polling a cross-section of cooks from coast to coast, but rather an observation from experience working with and managing cooks whom I have a great deal of respect for. First some… Continue reading

  • A COOK’S WEEK IN TUSCANY

    The morning air is crisp, the aroma of olives, and ripe grapes bearing the weight of sugar and juice pull the vines toward the earth, and the must of stone buildings that are hundreds of years old greet me each… 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

  • REFLECTING ON A DAY THAT CHANGED OUR LIVES

    I was in a routine meeting when I heard the news of the first plane crashing into the Twin Towers. Maybe it was a freak accident. Was it a small private plane – oh well, what an awful accident. When… Continue reading

  • THE FOUR TYPES OF COOKS – WHERE DO YOU FIT?

    We work – this is what people were meant to do, this is what helps to give us purpose, this is what shapes, to a large degree, the person that we are. How we approach this work, the type of… 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 HEAT OF THE KITCHEN

    It’s August and the latest data points to July (last month) as the hottest on record for the United States. Think about that – it has never been hotter than this since records have been kept! While others may think… Continue reading

  • COOKS – DEFINED, RUGGED, AND READY – IS THIS FOR YOU?

    Even though there are certainly aspects of the job of “cook” that can and should change, there are others that truly define what it means to hold that title. Do you have what it takes? Do you really know what… 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

  • FOLLOW UP TO “WINDS OF CHANGE FOR COOKS AND CHEFS”

    Thank you to all who have read this article and the more than 300 others that have been posted to Harvest America Cues since 2012. The response to this recent article has been overwhelming and very encouraging. With almost no… 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

  • 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

  • SERIOUS COOKS AND CHEFS ARE THE WHOLE PACKAGE

    I was giving thought the other day to how I might describe the qualities of a serious cook or chef and how this description might change an outsider’s image of what makes these individuals so unique. As I wrestled with… Continue reading

  • ADRENALINE IS A COOK’S WORST ENEMY

    It’s now day nine of eleven straight ten hour days in the kitchen, and Jake find’s it increasingly hard to get up and get his act together before heading off to work. He makes a mental note to turn off… Continue reading

  • LINE COOKS SAY – “BRING IT ON!”

    It’s 5:00 on a Thursday night and in many restaurants across the country line cooks are starting to feel their adrenaline spike. Tickets are beginning to fall from the POS and each station is kicking in, building an early rhythm… Continue reading

  • THE WORLD OF DISCONTENT SERVICE

    As I walked around O’Hare Airport waiting for my flight I became acutely aware of a serious problem that exists in our country. I have seen this problem elsewhere before, experienced it first hand in some of the places where… Continue reading

  • TASTE and FLAVOR

    There seems to be an unwritten rule when it comes to eating in America – “If something is good then more of it will be even better.” A classic American hamburger becomes better if it is twice as large as… Continue reading

  • LINE COOKS ARE THE STUDIO MUSICIANS OF THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS

      “WANTED – LINE COOKS”. How often have you seen this headline in the help wanted ads, on Craig’s List, or in pleading posts on Facebook? It seems that every restaurant is perpetually looking for line cooks – the beasts… 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

  • THE CHEF IS RESPONSIBLE

    Restaurants succeed when the system is firing on all cylinders. There is ample chatter today about creating the total dining experience, chatter that I am a strong advocate for. But, it is important to know that if this is the… Continue reading

  • LINE COOKS ARE AS CRUSTY AS A PIRATE

    It has been said that you can’t judge a book by looking at the cover – yet we do. This may never be more truthful than when you observe a crew of line cooks ready for battle. Well seasoned, hardened… Continue reading

  • THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSONS IN LIFE ARE MASTERED IN THE KITCHEN

    It’s quite fascinating to think about the level of interest that people have with the life of a professional cook or chef and what it is like to work in the kitchen. If you perform a quick Google search “Books… Continue reading

  • THE PROBLEM WITH TREATING COOKING TOO MUCH LIKE A SCIENCE

    I know the legitimate response to this title is – “cooking is a science.” There is a chemical and physical change that takes place during the application of heat or the process of fermentation that scientifically transitions food from one… Continue reading