Harvest America CUES BLOG

This the time of year to pause and reflect, to push past the challenges, the less than stellar moments, the times we would just as soon forget, and the scars from an industry that passes them out freely and give thanks for what we have. Yes, we do have loads to give thanks for and the good really does far out-weigh the bad if we just take the time to reflect and look in a mirror.

My time working in a demanding kitchen, dealing with the daily curve balls, the physical and mental roadblocks, and the stress of a clock with never enough time left are over. So, maybe it’s easier for me to relish the good or maybe, just maybe, like many of you – I just failed to take enough time to enjoy the positive when I lived in the heat of the moment. In any case, now I give thanks every day for the people I met and worked with, the mentors who gave me their time and wisdom, the providers who painstakingly worked to bring great ingredients to my kitchens, the owners who provided the environments to work in, fellow teachers and students with whom I spent so much time growing together, and the tens of thousands of guests who enjoyed the food we prepared from the heart.

Where we all are right now is a result of so many great people who pushed us, critiqued us, patted us on the back at times, and other times told us we weren’t giving enough. We are where we are because of the great people who stood beside us in the heat, on damaged knees and swollen feet, with the relentless ticking of the printer spitting out dupes, the barking of expeditors, sous chefs, and service staff, and because of the skills that we developed through time and repetition. Those days and nights when our mise en place wasn’t where it should have been made us stronger. Those occasional shifts when the chaos overtook our planning and systems, were part of our education. The dishwashers who failed to show up, the fellow cooks who called out at the last minute, and the host who didn’t understand the importance of managing the door were part of a master plan that helped us to learn how to survive in adverse conditions. Yes, I am grateful for all of this.

As I look back on the days that turned into 14-hour shifts, the deliveries that didn’t make it on time, the coolers that broke down at 6pm on a Saturday night or the dish machine that decided to blow a gasket right in the middle of the busiest night of the year, I now see that it was all part of some grand scheme. The owner who thought that being on salary meant I should work 80 hours a week and the guest who didn’t care that I did when his dinner was 10 minutes later than he expected made me stronger and will do the same for you. We are where we are today because we learned something important from all of this and we should be grateful.

As I look back, and I encourage all of you to do the same, I know that my value as a chef is a result of the limitless experiences that made me stronger along the way. For that I am eternally grateful.

Those months when food cost percentages were out of whack, and labor cost efficiency was 10 percent higher than budget helped me to know where to look for problems in the future. Sunday nights taking inventory in the freezer and coolers until I couldn’t feel my fingertips anymore helped me to understand what everything costs and how impactful waste, theft, spoilage, and inaccurate counts can be. Whenever someone tells me that they don’t take regular inventories in their kitchen I cringe and know they have little idea about how a restaurant makes money. I am grateful for those frozen fingers because I know how fragile financial success in a restaurant is.

I am even grateful for all the cuts, stitches, burns, sore backs, and knees from bending and lifting inappropriately, headaches from poor hydration, and slips on poorly maintained floors – each experience made me more aware of the “right” way to do things and how to prevent accidents.

I am especially grateful for the attention paid to sanitation, food safety, and organization. Setting up your station for efficiency is a life skill. Sanitizing your tools and work area is a life skill. Properly handling, refrigerating, and rapidly cooling foods to a safe temperature and keeping food related illnesses in check is a life skill. For all of these, I am grateful.

Most of all, despite the scabs that cover up the challenges that are ever-present in the business of food, despite some of the inequities and the few people whose actions give the industry a bad name, I am grateful for the chance I had and most of you have, to work with some of the finest, most generous, down-to-earth, talented people to be found anywhere. For this I will be eternally grateful and in awe.

Been there, seen that, faced that challenge, made that mistake before, DONE THAT is the most important course you will ever subscribe to and earn credit by experience.

Happy holidays and positive vibes for an even better 2024.

PLAN BETTER – TRAIN HARDER

Harvest America Ventures, LLC

Restaurant Consulting

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