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Tag Archives: serious cooks

SERIOUS COOKING / COOKING SERIOUSLY

08 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by culinarycuesblog in Uncategorized

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Tags

chefs, culinary, restaurants, serious cooks

Joe

There are cooks and there are cooks – such a profound statement. My experience has shown me that there is a place for numerous levels of skill and commitment in our profession. People do need to eat, and in this regard all restaurant cooks provide a valuable and important service. On the other hand, there are some cooks who view their position as something all together more significant.

I have always admired that fast, efficient, consistent breakfast or short order cook who can multi-task and address a relentless stream of orders, flipping perfect eggs over easy, golden brown pancakes, crispy and salty home fries, perfectly cooked hamburgers and grilled sandwiches, and crisp luncheon salads without even breaking a sweat. Their skill level is impressive and sometimes even surpasses the ability of the chef. They fill a real need in our business and are uniquely qualified to hold their title – but there is still a level of dedication that goes beyond this.

I am in awe of line cooks who are methodical and predictable. You know, the cooks that complete a massive list of mise en place before service are as organized as a general, as consistent and fast as Speedy Gonzalez, and gifted with a palate that would marvel the most dedicated sommelier. But, there is a level of dedication that even surpasses these highly accomplished line pirates.

There are restaurants and there are restaurants – this reality provides those opportunities for cooks at various levels to contribute and find a home. I have always enjoyed those breakfast joints with the full array of traditional morning dishes that fly off the griddle or from egg pans without a hitch. There is a restaurant called the Evergreen in NYC – somewhere around 45th and 7th (Greek, of course) where you can be seated, order eggs over easy with home fries and bacon, coffee and juice and find the plate dropped in front of you only seconds after the waiter dots the I’s. I remember the breakfast selling for $6 and just how excellent the simple order was made and presented. I also relish those opportunities that I have had to enjoy a 7 course meal at one of the country’s most admired restaurants where dinner would take 3-4 hours, the wines were paired with exceptional thought, and each bite made me pause and give thanks for the skill of the cook. There are restaurants and there are restaurants. They are all important, and they all have a place in the eco-system of the food business.

What is most interesting is the approach that cooks take with the cards they are dealt, the position they hold, the responsibilities on their shoulders, and the expectations that others have with regard to their performance. It is this approach that truly defines whether or not they are serious about cooking.

What does a serious cook look like?

frank

[]         TOTALLY COMMITTED TO SELF-IMPROVEMENT

Serious cooks understand that their most valuable asset is the level of unique skill brought to their restaurant. It is the responsibility of the individual to work consistently at bringing those skills to the next level. To this end, the serious cook is focused on finding ways to improve through work with other accomplished cooks, attending workshops and classes, reading cookbooks and articles by accomplished chefs, and constantly practicing. Confidence comes from competence – competence comes from commitment.

[]         A SERIOUS COOK IS HIS/HER OWN WORST CRITIC

Critique of a cook’s work is constant. The chef, the owner, the guest, and fellow cooks are generally willing to freely offer their criticism and occasionally – productive critique. But, it is the standard that a cook sets for him or herself that carries the most weight. Serious cooks end each shift with a simple question: “How can I be better at the job tomorrow?”

[]         THEY SEEK OUT EXPERIENCES TO IMPROVE THEIR BASELINE

A serious cook needs to establish a baseline of excellence to aspire to. Benchmarks of excellence are all around us and the serious cook seeks out opportunities to experience those benchmarks and adopt what is possible into his or her own repertoire. This may involve volunteering to work with accomplished individuals, participating in competitions designed to push individuals forward, signing up for a stagiere opportunity on a day off, or simply saving the funds to dine out at a restaurant of renown as part of research and development.

[]         THEY ARE PROFESSIONAL – ALWAYS

You can pick out serious cooks from the crowd. Serious cooks look and act the part – always. Serious cooks boast pristine uniforms, proper grooming, professional interactions with others, possess good listening skills, are methodical and organized at work, exude efficiency and remain zeroed in on excellence regardless of the task. They tend to always build people up and not tear them down; offering advice and critique with the addition of coaching and demonstration that leads to better results in the future.

[]         THEY INVEST THE TIME

Serous cooks know that nothing worthwhile comes easy and that skill building requires a real investment of time. As is the case with a professional musician or athlete, the greatest tool for reaching a level of excellence is that investment of time. There is no real shortcut to becoming a serious cook.

[]         THEY ARE ALWAYS READY FOR MORE – WHAT’S NEXT?

Serous cooks are hungry to learn and excited to contribute. They understand that the way to advance their career is to be an aggressive learner and give more than they receive.

[]         THEY ARE THE EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS

Serious cooks become the example in a restaurant that others seek to emulate. The way they carry themselves, how they interact with others, the seriousness with which they handle and respect food, their unwillingness to accept mediocrity, and their commitment to constant improvement sets the tone for the entire operation. Serious cooks perform this way because they don’t know any other acceptable approach towards the profession.

[]         THEY TAKE THEIR MISTAKES HARD, BUT LEARN FROM THEM

You will note that serious cooks can be very hard on themselves. A mistake that was a result of their lack of focus or under-developed skill set will haunt them, but they will quickly throw back their shoulders and figure out the right way to ensure that that mistake doesn’t happen again. A plate of food that is returned from the dining room will keep the serious cook up for many nights.

[]         THEY STUDY THE CRAFT

The serious cook is certainly focused on building skills, but he or she also understands that great cooking must go beyond the physical act. The way to move from acceptable to good, and good to great is to “know” cooking and “know” the dish in question. The serious cook studies the dish, the ingredients, and the traditions behind the way a dish is prepared. He or she works at building a palate for the way a dish was meant to taste, and an eye for how it was meant to look. The serious cook will practice, practice, and practice even more until the preparation of a cuisine or particular dish is deemed “proper”.

Painted in Waterlogue

[]         THEY CHOOSE TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS WHO HELP TO MOVE THEM FORWARD

You will also recognize the serious cook as someone who spends time with other serious cooks and avoids building counter-productive friendships that might get in the way of a commitment to excellence. Ask a serious cook who his or her friends are and he or she will count through a list of others with the same level of passion.

Serious cooks cook seriously. This is not a job, not a series of tasks that must simply be finished – this is a lifetime commitment to a craft that is or will be an extension of who they are. Whether an artisan bread baker, cake decorator, line cook, savory chef, garde manger, chef competitor, ice carver, fishmonger or butcher – the serious cook is easy to spot. Whether a short order cook at a local diner or a chef de partie at a 3-star Michelin restaurant – the serious cook can find a home.

Do you fit the mold?

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting and Training

www.harvestamericaventures.com

PHOTOS:

  1. Chef Joe Bonaparte from the Myrtle Beach Culinary Institute
  2. Chef Frank Costantino from Monro College
  3. US Coast Guard Chefs in Training at New England Culinary Institute

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WHY SERIOUS COOKS WILL ALWAYS BE MY FAVORITE PEOPLE

29 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by culinarycuesblog in Uncategorized

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Tags

chefs, cooks, kitchen, restaurants, serious cooks

IMG_2925

I hope that this article is not viewed as just another stab at nostalgia, but rather a testament to what made and will continue to make the environment of the kitchen so special. Some will say that kitchens are changing; many will continue to refer to the challenges of attracting cooks to work in an environment that may be slow to change and others will probably write this off as a place where they have never worked – one that doesn’t reflect their experience working behind a stove. Fine, but this is my experience and I know one that a significant number of chefs and cooks still share.

With all of the challenges that face restaurants, all of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles to success, and all of the definitive negatives that can be attached to working in a kitchen, it is still the most exciting, dynamic, and fulfilling career that I know. Although there are indications that the tide is changing, there are still significant numbers of young people who gravitate towards the kitchen for a variety of reasons. People still marvel at the skills of an accomplished cook, and an ever-increasing number of people are happy to count themselves as customers of the restaurant experience.

Behind the façade of the restaurant, the investment in dining room ambience, and behind the glitz of television glamorization of the restaurant environment, stand the people who I consider my friends. At times, these friends may have looked like quite the motley crew to those on the outside, but to me they have always been solid. This is a deep feeling that many chefs and cooks share. So what makes these people so special? Here are my thoughts:

[]         EVERYONE STARTS OFF EQUAL IN THE KITCHEN

I would parallel the experience of walking into a new kitchen as a fresh employee to that of a new recruit beginning basic training in the military. It makes no difference if you have a baccalaureate or associate degree, a high school diploma or GED, or no academic credentials at all – when you walk in that kitchen for the first time, everyone is equal until you prove what you are capable of doing. It makes no difference if you are young or old, tall or short, male or female, from the U.S., France, Spain, Africa, Mexico or South America – you are equal until you can prove what you are capable of doing. Once the proof is there, this equality still remains. The difference is that now you have become part of the team, a team with a common goal.

[]         COOKS ARE FOCUSED ON AND PROUD OF THEIR SKILLS

Every day in the kitchen is an opportunity for cooks to refine, present, and defend their skills. Learning how to accomplish a certain task is a badge of honor for the serious cook. Mastering a skill, no matter how small, allows a cook to build confidence and allows his or her teammates to build trust in that individual.

[]         SERIOUS COOKS LIKE TO WIN

I tend to quote Vince Lombardi quite often, but it was his leadership direction that allowed a group of individuals to transition into a team with a common goal, a team that realized success through discipline, practice, and positive attitude. He once stated that “Winning isn’t everything – it is the only thing.” Although taken literally some might criticize this attitude and misinterpret it to mean that winning at all costs is the standard. What Lombardi meant is that everyone should approach their job with the attitude that they will perform to the absolute best of their ability and do so with the intent of achieving their goals. Serious cooks share this same belief as evidenced by their desire to reach a certain number of guests served, ensuring that every plate of food meets the cook’s and the chef’s expectations, and that the restaurant succeeds as a result of his or her effort.

[]         SERIOUS COOKS BELIEVE IN THE THREE MUSKATEERS PHILOSOPHY OF ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL

Once cooks are embraced as part of the team, they will always support and defend each and everyone who wears that jersey. Cooks may critique each other, point out areas where each member is not performing at an acceptable level, prod and joke, and even face off at times, but when it comes to support – the attitude is: “Don’t mess with my teammates.” This again, parallels what you might find with successful sporting teams, or the military.

[]         SERIOUS COOKS ARE CLOSET ARTISTS

Behind the sometimes-crusty façade, serious cooks are frustrated artists who spent many years trying to find an outlet for their innate artistic ability. When they entered the kitchen, they found a home. Each cook may not be a successful musician, painter, sculptor, or writer, but in the kitchen they get a chance to present their art and appeal to every human sense.

[]         SERIOUS COOKS OWN THEIR AREA

All serious cooks are intrapreneurs; they take full ownership for their area as if it were their own business. Whether it is prep, sauté, grill, garde manger, or even the dishpit – where they are assigned becomes theirs – they own it.

[]         COOKS RESPECT THEIR TOOLS

Any dedicated craftsperson will tell you that the sign of a serious artisan is how well they respect and care for their tools. Cooks embrace this and as a result would prefer to own their own knives, and care for them and treat them as an all-important extension of their physical being. It is not at all uncommon to hear cooks talking about their knives, drooling over the latest catalog from Henkel, Mercer, or Shun, and spending unheard of time each day honing the edge on their French knife, boning knife, or slicer.

[]         SERIOUS COOKS ARE THEIR OWN WORST CRITIC

In a professional kitchen it bothers me to see a chef berate a cook for making a mistake. If the cook is serious about his or her trade, then that criticism will come from within. Cooks are proud individuals who want to be excellent at what they do. These cooks take tremendous pride in a well-executed dish and take to heart the mistakes that they make. Serious cooks are harder on themselves that any chef might be. The role of the chef should be to recognize this and help the cook to get through their mistakes and learn from them.

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[]         COOKS ARE PREDICTABLE

Once a chef gets to know a cook who has become part of the team, it is very easy to understand how he or she will act or react. This predictability allows the chef to anticipate and prepare for the management of that individual.

[]         WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET

Cooks are very transparent and rarely waiver from their true self once they have become part of the team. Serious cooks tend to either speak their mind or offer signs of acceptance or disagreement. Cooks tend to let it all out there so that teammates need not spend time trying to sift through held in emotions, or other issues that might impact on a cook’s performance.

[]         SERIOUS COOKS LEARN TO ACCEPT THE CHAIN OF COMMAND

Do not confuse this with agreement. In the time of action, cooks understand that “Yes chef” is the most appropriate means to an end. There is a time-tested hierarchy in the kitchen that was developed out of necessity. There are far too many factors that play into an in-the-moment decision for anyone to challenge the command structure. Good chefs appreciate this, but know that unless they provide a forum for those cooks to say what they really feel (after a shift) then the best cooks will eventually leave. A fifteen-minute “post mortem” wrap up to a shift will usually suffice to relieve any tension.

I hope that the newer generations of cooks never lose sight of how important these traits are. This is what makes a kitchen work and why so many cooks and chefs before are or were passionate about their career choice. This is my experience.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

www.harvestamericaventures.com

BLOG – http://www.harvestamericacues.com

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