Chef 2 Chef
Chefs across foodservice-industry segments share how they're directly applying lessons learned from the Culinary Institute of America's new Culinary Enrichment and Innovation Program (CEIP) in their kitchens. The CEIP is designed to prepare the commercial and noncommercial foodservice industry's best and brightest for future leadership in the field. Over the course of 18 months, participants attend four intense, three-day sessions that incorporate lectures from certified master chefs, roundtable discussions, homework assignments, field trips and in-kitchen work. Tuition for the program is sponsored by Hormel Foods. For more information, visit www.ceipinfo.com.
Variety Doesn’t Make It Taste Good
We all know what variety, is right? Lots of different things and many kinds of each. Or as Webster puts it, “a number or collection of different things.” Sounds simple enough, right? Every year on the college campus where I work, we send out a customer-satisfaction survey to the campus community. And year after year, we hear the same thing: “We want more variety.” ...... Read More
Comments (0)Do Student Chefs Really Know What They’re Getting Into?
In addition to my job as executive chef at the hotel, I’m also an adjunct professor at a local community college teaching culinary school in a really great program. This semester, I have the privilege of teaching the “Intro to Culinary” class to all the brand-new students. Over the past few years, the faces I see are not the fresh young students I expected, but rather a more-e ...... Read More
Comments (12)Freshly Squeezed Juice, Anyone?
As I am currently enjoying the view of a freshwater lake lined by orange groves in Central Florida, I realize how good freshly squeezed anything makes the world a better place. I think sometimes we move too quickly in our daily lives to enjoy the essence of the simpler things. Your customers would appreciate the focus on fresh food. At the university, we celebrate each month with a favorite fruit. ...... Read More
Comments (0)No Such Thing as Kitchen 'Scraps'
What do you do with the lobster bodies after a delicious lobster bake? How about when your bananas are getting soft and brown, or your used coffee granules or cracked egg shells from the morning’s breakfast? I feel that the tradition of cooking in the home with your family and passing down recipes and knowledge is a thing of the past for newer American generations. We are missing out on val ...... Read More
Comments (2)Define Your Kitchen Culture
Finish this sentence: The greatest place I ever worked was _____. Now take a moment and list five things that made that place so great. Odds are that your list includes the great chef, the kind of food, the pay, schedule, innovation, etc. Ultimately, these combined and created a culture that aligned with your goals and values. Looking back on my career in the kitchen, I remember many times workin ...... Read More
Comments (0)Chefs Always Make It In!
Okay, so I meant to post this on Friday, but as the snow started here in D.C., I changed my mind and set about re-writing this week’s entry. You see, we just got hit with 6 inches of snow, and the whole area is in a panic. I know, I know—6 inches is nothing to many of you. In fact, I grew up in Chicago, and not only would we still have school, but we would go outside for recess. But ...... Read More
Comments (3)Bring on the Finger Limes and Mandarinquats!
More so today than ever before, the population is discovering a wide array of cultures and with it, the essential part: global foods and flavors. America has always had a collection of various recipes throughout the land, but not until recently have we started to see a change in the outlook. Sure, there are many of us who are willing to try anything once and know different foodstuffs from another. ...... Read More
Comments (0)Making Guests Eat Their (Seasonal) Vegetables
I agree with the philosophy of eating seasonal foods and practice that in my home. My customers at the university are a different ballgame. They’re not real hip on Brussels sprouts or cabbage quite yet. There are many reasons for this, but No. 1 seems to be lack of exposure to the vegetable in a fresh state. This lack of knowing how good seasonal vegetables can be became apparent when I s ...... Read More
Comments (0)Will Diners Resolve to Eat Healthier in the New Year?
Yes, the New Year has arrived, and at the end of every year, there is always speculation of what’s to come. What will be the next menu trend? Food trend? Beverage trend? Is the economy going to work with us or against us? Are there going to be any new allergies discovered? Along with these end-of-year speculations are always - yes, you guessed it — resolutions. Did you make any resol ...... Read More
Comments (1)Were the 'Good Old Days' Really So Good?
I don’t know about you, but there hasn’t been a week that has gone by when I didn’t say to myself something about missing “the old days” or refer to the time “back when I was just a cook.” I guess it really shows my age, especially when my young cooks and sous chefs hear me and start to tune out. I imagine every generation says the same thing. Afte ...... Read More
Comments (5)Why "You Are Not My Boss" is Never the Right Answer
Teamwork is defined as work done by several associates, with each doing a part but all subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole. Now, in order to survive life in the kitchen, everyone must be a team player. This also applies to those in the front of the house. BOH & FOH maybe considered different departments, but we are all after the same goal: Bring in the customer and ...... Read More
Comments (1)Why Training Your Successor is a Good Idea
Have you ever worked for someone who was at the top of the food chain within an organization and thought, “Wow, that person really energizes me. I want to better myself so I can take their job”? Or have you thought, “How is that person in a leadership role when they can’t make a simple decision to save their life?” What is a leader? Are leaders born, or can they ...... Read More
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