Why We Cook...

Lou Trope Founder|President LJ Trope & Co. LLC

There are many reasons why people pursue a career in culinary. Some do it because they just need a job, some because they think there is a path to quick fame and then there are those that had no choice, it was just some motivating desire within us that we couldn’t escape. It was a calling, an invincible force that called us to the kitchens.?

We didn’t mind the long hours, they were part of the journey. We didn’t mind the intense pressure, this was making us better. We didn’t mind the constant criticism, this was making us sharper. We didn’t mind staying longer to pull someone out of the weeds, we are a team. We didn’t mind missing the holidays and events, this was part of the job.?

So why cook?

In its purest form cooking for someone whether a family member, close friends or complete strangers is form of personal expression and caring. We are not only providing nourishment but in some cases becoming the stimulus for personal and family memories. We cook for weddings, engagement dinners, awards dinners, special occasions, we give guests their first taste of their next favorite item, we give someone that amazing burger that turns a bad day into good, the perfect apple crisp that brings someone back to autumn days with their grandparents, we are part of the unwritten narrative of life.?

We chose to selflessly spend the countless hours to hone our craft, work the stoves, study cuisines of the world, experiment with new ideas and make countless mistakes, and master knife skills so in the end we can share a piece of ourselves with those we serve.

As a chef, our reward is when someone tries our food and smiles. They appreciate the time we took to think about the recipe development, find the right ingredients, the blending and bending of flavors, the application of well practiced technical skills, the years of knowledge and the artistry on the plate and the palette. Our incentive is to make others happy, even for just a moment, and to share our passion.?

Food is a catalyst for connections. It can bring a set of strangers together to form new friendships over sharing a meal. The sharing of food can fortify family traditions, build bonds amongst friends and impart lasting memories. As a chef this magic, this gift we are given should never be taken for granted.

In our purest we support local and regional growers, suppliers, artisans, ranchers and fisherman. We involve ourselves in our local communities and the larger industry. We collaborate and share with colleagues, students, guests and suppliers. We provide support for local philanthropic organizations. We give, we support and we share.?

There is no doubt that this is a very difficult and sometimes brutal industry. We have all done our share of twenty hour shifts, because the work needs to get done, the show must go on, it's not about us, it's about the food, it's about our guests.

It is easy for someone to become disillusioned. Sometimes cooking just becomes another task to get closer to punching out. The food doesn’t matter, short cuts are taken and poor quality becomes the accepted norm, the guest isn’t a person anymore they are just a dupe hanging in the window that is in the way of knocking off.?

If this feeling of malaise starts to creep in it is time to take a step back.

Ask yourself how did we get here??

When did this become ok?

In many cases standards have just slowly eroded over time in the pursuit of lower food cost, limited labor, inferior products and increased profit pressure. But there is a way back.?

Think about those people that took time to share with you their passion from knife skills to sauce making and beyond, that taught you along your journey. This could be as far back as? going to the local farm stand with your family to get the freshest peaches of the season or reminiscing about that special family recipe that was taught to you as a child. There is always a starting point that got you inspired to take this path. Try to reach back to rekindle the fire that brought you here. Beat back the cynicism and reawaken your voice.?

Start to talk to your team. There is nothing more inspiring that showing a young chef a new recipe or technique then seeing the spark in their eye as they begin to master it. Look at the operation “eyes wide open”, see for the first time those issues that were always there but you chose not to see. Ask yourself how you would feel if this was served to your family or close friends. Start to see the preverbal “hole in the wall” and take action.?

Once you can step back and start to challenge yourself to find your mojo the path becomes clear. Rally the team around the common pursuit of cooking with purpose to create great food for guests. Stop thinking about the dupes as an impairment but as an opportunity. The guest made a choice to try your food, your restaurant, they want to like it, they want to tell friends, they want to see your business be successful. The guests are not an impairment they are your biggest promoter and can make your restaurant a success or failure.?

Making great food is not about expensive ingredients. It’s about technique and finesse. If you ask any acclaimed chef what is their favorite restaurant odds are they will talk about their favorite burger joint, taco shop or late night pizza place. Because they recognize and appreciate the brilliance and determination driving the concept. A perfectly cooked hot French Fry that is crisp with just the right amount of salt can be equally as satisfying as the most elusive exotic ingredient.?

Food isn’t a “widget” (a hypothetical and nondescript product) and our guests aren’t merely data points on a graph. Food is personal, it shows care, it shows thoughtfulness and it shows passion. No matter if you are serving guests in a huge destination resort, fine dine restaurant, food truck or concession, food needs to be made with care. Once the food becomes a “widget” it will never be more than a necessary function of a business, the team will know it and most importantly the guest will know it. Guest satisfaction will be trumped by food cost reductions and margin pressure. Once this happens not only will the guest know it but so will any potential employee.?

So, why do we cook?

We cook because we are passionate professionals on an endless journey in pursuit of knowledge, camaraderie? and enlightenment. We cook with pride of the techniques and knowledge we have gained. We cook because we genuinely care about those around us and those we serve. We cook to help people make meaningful connections with each other over a great meal. We want to share our passion with our guests, to provide an experience that tells a little story about ourselves but more importantly creates an emotional connection for you.?

We cook because we have been drawn to the kitchens of the world by some invisible force and we would not have it any other way.?

LJ Trope& Co. LLC