Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 6, 2024

I am the canvas on which the cook paints, the frame that draws the viewers eye to the image drawn. I am the plate – too often disregarded except by those who understand the importance of the canvas and the frame. The right plate makes all the difference in how the menu item is perceived and the first impressions of a meal. Should the plate be a work of art unto its own or should it simply be a blank page serving as the accomplice to the painter’s work?

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Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

Yes, I have been preaching the need for change in restaurants. Changing how we view our concepts, menus, pricing structure, our staff, marketing, and the list goes on has never been more critical. Change, however, does not infer that we need to abandon the core principles of our profession and how we view the process of cooking for others. Far too often, in recent years, I have shaken my head and sighed with despair as I watched a haphazard approach to the proud profession that I have been part

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Culinary Cues

JANUARY 29, 2024

If you’re a chef from my generation then you likely have concerns over the changing landscape in the kitchen. I hear, nearly every day, “things are not what they use to be.” Chefs lament over a time when cooking was a giving craft, not one focus on what the cook received in return. We speak of a time of unconditional commitment to the craft and the job – sacrificing all else for the plate of food in the pass.

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Kitchen Safety Guest Recovery Uniforms Food Safety 381

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 24, 2024

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 feeling when it can be backed up with skill and knowledge. You know – that moment when you know it’s possible to “hold your own” with those you respect and admire.

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Culinary Cues

JANUARY 20, 2024

There’s a reactionary movement that I keep seeing in restaurants; a movement that assumes the answer to the restaurant bottom line is to take more and give less or give too much to justify raising prices. Raising prices is inevitable when the supply chain keeps beating restaurants over the head, in some cases simply because they can, but the answer is not as simple as: “pass it on to the guest”.

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Culinary Cues

JANUARY 15, 2024

It’s January in the Northeast – a time when the demands of the kitchen and the excitement of football converge. It’s the lull after the holidays in restaurants and the beginning of the NFL playoffs. As the chef of a busy restaurant, I know emotions in the kitchen will be high and the focus on food will be challenged by the anxiety felt by cooks hoping their team will make it to the next round.

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Culinary Cues

JANUARY 11, 2024

When does cooking really make sense? When do cooks fully understand the process of cooking and the importance of what they do? When do competence and confidence become the benchmarks of a cook’s career? These are honest and important questions with a multitude of answers, but let’s start with ingredients. If you are a property chef, take a moment to pull your cooks into your office – one at a time and ask a simple question: “What do you know about the carrots, tomatoes, fresh fish, or sub primal

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Food Truck Training Presentation Café 356

Culinary Cues

JANUARY 7, 2024

It’s not what you expected, things are different now. What once was dependable is now confusing and unpredictable – what will tomorrow bring? Does this sound familiar? We might like to put a date on the transition to confusion: the day that we determined Covid was a pandemic, the nosedive the stock market took in 2008, or it might even go back to that awful day of September 11, 2001.

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Culinary Cues

JANUARY 2, 2024

Well, 2023 is done – close the books. A new year is upon us and it’s not too early to decide how you’re going to approach it. Will you focus on getting by, sticking to your routines, trying not to rock the boat, and being predictable – OR is it time to shoot for the moon? Regardless of how 2023 turned out for you as a cook, chef, culinary educator, or restaurateur, today is a new day.

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Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 29, 2023

I know, I know – New Year’s Resolutions seem to be a waste of time. We all make them and rarely stick to the plan. But lack of execution should never get in the way of planning, dreaming, and setting goals. As Lewis Carroll proclaimed in Alice in Wonderland: “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” So rather than stepping into 2024 without a roadmap and wandering aimlessly for 12 months – it only makes sense to establish a plan, some goals (a few of them lofty) and m

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2024 Small Business Café Dine-in 411

Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 15, 2023

This is a festive, happy, family-oriented time of the year when we all try to think about everything that we are grateful for. Some of us are fortunate to have the time and the resources to enjoy the best of the season. Gifts, special meals, travel, and most importantly – family time consumes the next few weeks. Those of us who fit this description should take the time to think about those who are not so fortunate.

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Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 11, 2023

Long before the restaurant chains of today, decades prior to the birth of fine dining, experience dining, and molecular gastronomy, there were neighborhood cafes that were part of small communities across the country. These traditional restaurants and diners were closely aligned with the community where they staked claim to a brick and mortar gathering place.

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Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 5, 2023

There are films that become representative of a generation and sometimes of a life lesson – occasionally both. We remember a line or two that is always there to remind us, to give us pause, or inspire us to reconnect with something or someone. Those from my generation will remember lines like: “Who are Those Guys” from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; “You Can’t Handle the Truth” from A Few Good Men; and “Play it Again, Sam” from Casablanca, but it was Mr.

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Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 1, 2023

What term or phrase best describes those who are on the path of excellence: unrelenting, finesse, culinary pride, make a dent in the universe, pursuit of perfection, make a difference, total commitment, or focused drive? Some portray the result while others – the process, but in all cases, they embrace individuals or teams in pursuit of something unique and memorable – a cut above the rest.

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Restaurant Law Education Take-out Café 357

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 20, 2023

Walking down the streets in the once most robust city in proximity to my home, I was deeply concerned at what I saw. This was a tradition of early holiday shopping, hoping to beat the maddening crowds that typically flood shopping districts and restaurants this time of year. The stores were empty, and restaurant service staff were staring out windows from the vantage of unfilled seats.

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Customer Experience Customer Service Food Safety Retail 362

Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 10, 2023

Back in time, I remember a billboard in New York City’s Times Square that asked: “Would You Be Willing To Sign Your Work?” I’m not sure who sponsored the ad, but it left a profound impression on me over the past 50 years. When we sign our work, we take full responsibility for it. “I did this, this is my work”! Think about it for a moment – would you be willing to put yourself out there and take ownership for work that is less than stellar, less than the best you can do?

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Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 30, 2023

Even the Michelin Guide broke the ice of snobbery in recent years. How’s that for an introductory sentence? Yes, it’s true – when the Michelin Guide decided to recognize some exceptional street food vendors with Michelin Stars, they broke the barrier of snobbery noting that excellence can happen outside of traditional fine dining. In Singapore, 2016, Chan Hon Meng of Hawker Chan’s and Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodle both won a Michelin star for their street-food establishments.

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Fine Dining Front of House Dine-in 2016 353

Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 19, 2023

Think back in personal time. Do you remember when you first discovered how to snap your fingers or whistle? What about that moment when the training wheels came off and you were able to balance and ride your bike independently? Throughout life there were extraordinary moments in time when discovery and learning coincided: driving a car, hitting a baseball, throwing a perfect spiral with a football, standing up on skates, or playing your first song on a guitar or piano.

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Training Seasonal Menu Back of House Leadership 367

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

Ahh…the quote we all remember from Charles Dicken’s – A Tale of Two Cities. We may not remember too much from the rest of the story, but we do remember that line. It is, as our English Literature teacher would have said – a tale of two conflicting realities: light and darkness, hope and despair, good and evil, winning and losing, etc. Why do we remember this line and what significance might it imply in relation to work in a kitchen?

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Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

Part Two – The Parable Continues So, here it is – Jack’s first day at the Main Street Grill. He brought his assignment to the chef before suiting up for work. “Chef, I completed your assignment and met with the three chefs.” “So, what did you learn – Jack?” “They were all very nice and took the time to talk with me even though their kitchens looked very busy.

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Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

Some who work in kitchens can distance themselves from the overwhelming responsibility of the cook or chef, but to others it is a heavy weight to carry. There are masters to serve, people who depend on the work of the culinary professional, who trust that their food will be prepared properly, that it will be managed and handled well, and the plate viewed as an important canvas on which the technician and artist paints.

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Employee Relations Training Fine Dining Take-out 382

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 9, 2023

As Summer begins to close its doors and a much cooler Fall and Winter are around the corner – professional cooks and chefs begin to breathe a sigh of relief. What some who are not involved in kitchen life may not realize is just how physical the work is and how draining warmer months can be on those who stand in front of ranges cranked up to “10” and ovens topping off at 500 degrees.

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Article Café Take-out Customer Service 412

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 4, 2023

This may seem like a strange topic for a blog focused on the restaurant industry and the world of food but hear me out. Well, the pandemic is over, wait – no, the pandemic is not over – oh, the pandemic is now an endemic – wait “long-Covid” will be with many of us for some time; and the beat goes on. Long Covid has been used as a term to loosely identify lingering health challenges associated with contracting the virus and are oftentimes quite debilitating to those affected, but could this be al

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Social Media Food Safety Retail Back of House 348

Culinary Cues

SEPTEMBER 1, 2023

For the past six months I have been committed to an exercise regimen thanks to my Apple Watch. Closing the rings of movement, exercise, and standing has been a goal since I first strapped on the watch, a goal that consumes my attention and cannot be broken for fear that I will simply fall off the pattern if the rings fail to close for one day. The commitment has become a habit that I don’t intend to break.

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Fine Dining Dine-in Front of House Design 315

Culinary Cues

AUGUST 28, 2023

The media is in love with the drama, as confessions of abused cooks find ample press time, and despondent cooks who leave the business trash talk their previous employers. It’s all so overdone and not true of the majority. After absorbing all the negative press and glamorized abusive behavior it’s no wonder restaurants are having a tough time recruiting employees.

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Culinary Cues

AUGUST 21, 2023

PART TWO: The Era of the Chef: Ah, now things really changed. The once restaurateur-centric restaurant was about to become chef-centric. Seemingly happening overnight – the chef went from a behind the scenes after-thought to a celebrity. Beginning with a few flamboyant artisans like Jeremiah Tower, Paul Prudhomme, Wolfgang Puck, and Alice Waters – the chef came out from behind the curtain as the star of the show, the person responsible for over-the-top food that wowed and inspired people of all

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Culinary Cues

AUGUST 19, 2023

PART ONE: An Immigrant Nation Melting Pot: America was the land of opportunity and tens of thousands came to our shores, through Ellis Island, and stood at the gates of New York ready to become American and bring their ethnic influence the country’s profile. Italians, French, Irish, Greeks, Germans, Chinese, Japanese, and every other nationality brought their cultural traditions in search of a place in American life.

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Culinary Cues

AUGUST 7, 2023

An addiction leads to a different way of thinking, or sometimes, not thinking at all. Those who have an out-of-control dependence find it difficult to act rationally, to make clear decisions, to think about their own wellbeing or that of others, to become somewhat irresponsible, and push aside logic. This is true with addiction to alcohol, drugs, gambling, eating disorders, and obsessions of all sorts – could it be the case with kitchen workers who are “all-in”?

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Culinary Cues

JULY 31, 2023

A few years back, I posted an article about the UNWRITTEN RULES of the kitchen. It was an attempt to outline those universal guidelines for success in a kitchen, those attributes, and expectations of anyone who ties on an apron. The article was my first to go viral allowing me to realize that so many chefs and cooks were looking for a structure that defines what it means to be a professional.

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Culinary Cues

JULY 23, 2023

Most people don’t get it. Most restaurant owners, managers, family members of cooks, friends of cooks and chefs, those in other professions, service staff, and restaurant patrons, don’t get it. Deep inside that crusty exterior, behind the veil of authority, underneath the hard-nosed, sometimes reactionary body of a chef lies a person who is haunted by an unrelenting need to be expressive, do things exceptionally well, and be more self-critical than any writer for the local food column will ever

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Culinary Cues

JULY 14, 2023

These are the most significant words of advice I ever received. I have carried this mantra with me for more than fifty-years, a roadmap to not just success but a model that allows hard working people to sleep at night. It’s a simple directive – no matter what you do, what task you are required to perform, how much you get paid to do it, or who you do it for – approach every task with the same level of commitment to doing it the best you can.

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Culinary Cues

JULY 12, 2023

Too often we fail to take a breath and really think about what we are doing as cooks. Some outside the profession may ask: “what’s it like to work in a kitchen and cook for a living?” When was the last time you thought about that or expressed your answer out loud? What is it like physically, mentally, emotionally, and yes – spiritually to cook for others and do so hours on end for more people than you care to count?

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Culinary Cues

JULY 5, 2023

The single greatest attribute of a chef is confidence. “I can do this” are the words that rally the team, that instill calm, that pull people together, and attract supporters. This is what draws the very best employees to a restaurant, leads those with the means to invest in the business, and lights up the media who will paint a picture of excellence that builds excitement and anticipation around a dining experience.

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Culinary Cues

JUNE 26, 2023

I find it interesting that in every profession some people are all in and others are barely connected, but room is there for both to co-exist. Recently, a friend and colleague spoke to an audience stating that no one ever asked a world-class musician, professional dancer, actor, athlete, or artist about their work/life balance. His point was that being a chef falls in the same category – if that is what you want then “all in” is the choice you need to make.

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Culinary Cues

JUNE 16, 2023

Think about this typical story. Shawn was 17 years old, an average student in school, no real direction, wanted to have fun, make a difference, do something important, and college was far from his thinking. Last summer he had a job as a dishwasher in a local diner. Too many of his friends took the wrong fork in the road. Dropouts from high school, a few juvenile offenders with eyes on prison in their future.

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Culinary Cues

JUNE 13, 2023

I would hazard a guess that the word “work” is one of the most used in conversation. Like other four-letter words, it can be used as a noun, a verb, adjective, and adverb and just as easily in a negative light as a positive one. In fact, over time, it seems as if people prefer to use it as a negative. Just think for a moment of the context and implications when presented in conversation: “I have so much work to do” generally infers that you are over-burdened and challenged to complete everything

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Culinary Cues

JUNE 4, 2023

I’ve been reading an interesting book of advice from dozens of prominent chefs: “Chef Wise” from Phaidon Books. This is a compendium of quips that are based on experience; snippets of advice that we can all benefit from. It really is a valuable resource, especially for those in the early stages of a career in food. Of particular interest to me was a paragraph from Chef Sean Brock of Audrey Restaurant in Nashville (pages 289-290) that everyone should read.

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