Culinary Cues

JUNE 22, 2020

Every chef has experienced it and as a result he or she will relate to the content of this article. There are times, possibly many times, when you question your own skill – whether in cooking or presenting food, or even with the operation of a kitchen. They were one with what they played and sang. All in all – I can do the job.

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Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 30, 2022

Okay, so there are certainly employers out there who probably don’t deserve good employees, and, in those situations, I can understand some level of discontent, but not to the extreme of stating that being a cook is a dead end. Invest, push yourself, learn, grow, and take a chance – this is the formula on which great careers are built.

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Culinary Cues

JANUARY 29, 2024

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. It is human nature to try and push those out of our minds, but given a moments pause, it’s easy to remember them. But here’s the thing – change can happen while we protect what is truly important.

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Culinary Cues

APRIL 1, 2024

Outside people went about their day, never giving mind to the effort, dichotomy of characters, hustle, stress, and complexity of what takes place in the “back of the house” at a twelve hundred room hotel. As I tied on my apron and pulled out my knife kit ready to dive in, the executive chef called me into his office.

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Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 10, 2023

When we sign our work, we take full responsibility for it. “I 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? Make excellence the rule and send mediocrity out the back door. I did this, this is my work”!

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7 Shifts

APRIL 9, 2020

Whether you have been offering delivery and takeout for years, or have had to make a recent pivot during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to know which food travels best for delivery—and how to change up your menu to stay profitable while dine-in isn't an option. There are plenty of options out there (i.e.

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Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 21, 2023

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. Those days and nights when our mise en place wasn’t where it should have been made us stronger.

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Modern Restaurant Management

JUNE 23, 2022

Consumers visit a fast food or quick serve restaurant (QSR) with a goal in mind: secure a tasty meal incredibly quickly. Once upon a time, a frontline employee at a fast food restaurant did not necessarily need technological skills to apply for the job. Who makes the magic happen? Cashiers, cooks, and other QSR crew members.

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Culinary Cues

DECEMBER 15, 2023

Those of us who fit this description should take the time to think about those who are not so fortunate. When you see a doctor or nurse walking towards your local hospital for another 12-hour shift, stop and say: “thanks for taking care of all who are in need”, it costs you nothing and means a great deal.

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Culinary Cues

APRIL 29, 2024

At a time when the desire and need for dining out has returned to 2019 levels, this seems like a counter-productive formula. While all of this “reaction” is taking place, the root cause continues to be ignored. There is a noble side to preparing and serving food. We mustn’t forget how important these aspects of the business are.

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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. You can see it moving in and taking up lodging in our social media streams, in books that are published, articles in the news, music that is written, and a change in what we find on our televisions.

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Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 10, 2024

The tables are full, and he is having a difficult time keeping up but makes a mental note to address that once the dining room clears out. Suddenly, he remembers the cobwebs and thinks: “I’ll take care of that in the morning”. Seek out the details and then prioritize corrective action. It’s never too small to worry about.

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Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 11, 2022

If you are a cook who is happy working just for a paycheck – more power to you, but you can probably save some time and not read this article. Maybe this is who you already are, but if not, then view these as some “food for thought” that can turn your professional life around. [] BE POSITIVE: Simple, right?

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Culinary Cues

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

Anything worth doing is worth doing world-class whether washing dishes, organizing a cooler or workstation, dicing vegetables, finishing a plate of Kobe beef, taking inventory, or mopping a floor – it’s all important. [] CREATIVITY: Respect means everyone (cooks in particular) has a desire to create something worthy of carrying their signature.

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Culinary Cues

OCTOBER 30, 2023

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. It will take super-human effort, ample amounts of time, arduous training, and boat loads of cash.

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Culinary Cues

AUGUST 21, 2023

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 socio-economic backgrounds.

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Culinary Cues

JUNE 13, 2023

I need a job” however becomes a sense of urgency that steps away from the negative and shouts out how important a job is to your survival. They work me to the bone”, must mean that a person feels like an indentured servant with no way out. I got the job!” Of course, I could go on and on.

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Culinary Cues

JULY 31, 2023

A few years back, I posted an article about the UNWRITTEN RULES of the kitchen. 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. If your direction is planned out then work can be, and will be, enjoyable and rewarding.

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Culinary Cues

JULY 23, 2023

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 be.

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Restaurant Engine

NOVEMBER 24, 2021

Manage your food costs and watch your restaurant grow and thrive. Food prices are rising across the board, and this affects restaurants just like yours. As a food service entrepreneur, you want to control your costs as much as possible, so you don’t have to drastically increase menu prices and pass them on to your customers.

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Culinary Cues

APRIL 9, 2024

Look out chef – I’m coming for your job! The sous chef takes you around and introduces you to the team – a team of very serious cooks with blazing fast and accurate knife skills, immaculate workstations, impeccable organization, and a look of complete control. “We Day one, you walk through those kitchen doors with a bit of swagger.

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Culinary Cues

APRIL 10, 2023

If I were the outlier who simply was fortunate (or plain lucky) then I would be remiss in writing this article. I could have spent time pointing out the negative attributes of a less than stellar operation and an operator who didn’t “get it”, but as my brother-in-law told me many times: “A leopard doesn’t change its spots.”

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7 Shifts

APRIL 29, 2021

The application will remain open until funding runs out. Take a look at the program guide (in English and Spanish ) and the sample application. Any establishment that serves food or beverages to guests is eligible. Food trucks, carts, or stands. Food and beverage inventory. How do I apply? Bars and lounges.

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Restaurant Engine

MARCH 13, 2024

Incorporating food service trends brings in returning customers to see what’s new. In this article, we take a broad look at food service trends to know in 2024. In this article, we take a broad look at food service trends to know in 2024. Restaurant Web Design, Made Easy.

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Culinary Cues

NOVEMBER 20, 2023

The stores were empty, and restaurant service staff were staring out windows from the vantage of unfilled seats. Every restaurant knows that once a customer walks through the door a sale of food and beverage will likely result. Going out to a restaurant for lunch or dinner must be more than filling the void in our stomachs.

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Culinary Cues

AUGUST 28, 2023

I am tired of the media focusing on the stories of exception, drooling about zealous articles that point to unacceptable kitchen environments, glamorizing the negative through their “reality” shows and movies, and then following up with dramatic writing about how hard it is for restaurants to find help and survive in such a fragile marketplace.

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Culinary Cues

JULY 2, 2023

Of course, there are different qualities of beans, different levels of roast, and even different qualities of water, but mastering the simple process of proper brewing can take a very long time, a great deal of consistent effort, and a passion for the process and the product. What do we (chefs and cooks) want anyway?

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Culinary Cues

JUNE 7, 2023

If you’re reading this article, it’s because you have suffered from the ill effects of stress on the job. Take some of the weight off your shoulders, this is the sign of an effective leader and manager. [] MANAGE YOUR OWN SCHEDULE I have yet to meet an owner or upper-level manager who demands that a chef work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Cheetah

NOVEMBER 17, 2021

Pinching pennies might have worked pre-Covid, but to survive today’s increased wages and higher food costs restaurants will have to find new ways to increase profits. Taking advantage of the growing trend of reducing food waste is a great way to achieve both. The Food Waste Pandemic.

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Culinary Cues

AUGUST 7, 2021

If we see the challenge as something that has an answer if we take the time to really push our problem-solving skills, then a solution will eventually present itself. Let’s take one possible cause that is not on everyone’s radar: nurturing real interest in a restaurant career early on. Challenges solved. We can do this.

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Culinary Cues

JULY 14, 2023

Interestingly, it goes even further because if you take this approach, you quickly understand you can always do that task better tomorrow. If you are just starting out as a dishwasher, then seek to become a world-class dishwasher. So, the mantra sets the stage for the drive to constantly improve. People will notice.

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Culinary Cues

MAY 27, 2023

Try “FOOD” on for size. Encourage talk about food while on the job, take the time as a chef or manager to make “FOOD FACT” teaching moments throughout the day. When you find a great book (especially one that focuses on food or the life of a cook, chef, farmer, fisherman, rancher, cheesemaker, etc.)

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Culinary Cues

JANUARY 15, 2024

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. I just shake my head and wave him out. We can play it safe and get the s**t kicked out of us, or we can fight our way into the light.

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Culinary Cues

JULY 25, 2023

I remember returning to my office, closing the door, and taking the time to collect my thoughts before calling him in. Now, I want you to listen closely, I want you to take this in and store it in a place that can be easily accessed in the future. There are few foods more comforting than a ripe tomato from the vine.

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Aaron Allen & Associates

AUGUST 23, 2019

Some might console themselves with the thought that it’s not all bad but, for those ready to face the facts of negative sales — and work to overcome them — there are a few steps to take before heading in the right direction. More questions to help optimize food costs here. Here’s what to do when restaurant sales are down.

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Cheetah

APRIL 26, 2021

In 2019, we published The Beginner’s Guide to Opening a Food Truck Business , where we covered the basics of buying a food truck, choosing the right location, working with suppliers, and more. Which brings us to the question: Is starting a food truck in 2021 still a good idea? Food Truck Industry Outlook after Covid-19.

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Culinary Cues

MARCH 22, 2023

When offered, it quickly sells out because people are always drawn to perfection. It is that carrot just a bit too far out of reach that it can’t be grabbed, but in the process of pursuit we push ourselves as far as possible with that goal in mind. It’s only food to some, it is a focus on purpose for chefs.

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