MORE THAN COOKING

OUR EYES REVEALS THE VERY NATURE OF EACH THING DOWN TO ITS SIMPLEST FORM. IT STARTS OUT AS AN IDEAL AND BECOMES AN EMOTIONAL POWER BALL THAT SOME WILL REMEMBER FOR DAYS AND EVEN YEARS.
OUR MINDS, OUR CREATIVE MINDS UNLOCKS ENDLESS WONDER AND ALL RELEASED, THROUGH OUR HANDS COMES TO LIFE.
THE COOK, DOWN TO HIS SIMPLEST FORM RELEASES AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY. BORN OF THE FIRE , PAIN AND SUFFERING. A STUDENT OF LIFE AND POVERTY, COMPOSER OF HOPE AND ENDLESS DREAM OR POSSIBILITIES; TO SOME HE  IS BRINGER OF JOY AND LAUGHTER AND A MASTER OF PRECISION TO SAY THE LEAST.HOWEVER TO HIMSELF IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER , HE JUST WANTS TO BE AT PEACE AND CONTINUING TO COOK SOME MORE TILL HIS BODY GIVES UP.
HE DOES NOT ASK  FOR ANYTHING , AND CERTAINLY DOES NOT COMPLAIN.
AT THE END OF THE DAY THE ONLY THAT REALLY MATTERS ARE THE  SMILES, THE QUIET SOUND OF EVERYONE ENJOYING THE MEAL, THE SLIGHT NODS AND THE SWEET CLINGS OF WINE GLASSES GOING AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.WHEN ITS ALL SAID  AND DONE UNITING PEOPLE IT WHAT IT ALL ABOUT.
COOKS UNITED ON FOOD BUT MORE THAN COOKING.

CLASSIFIED

            FOR  THE AVERAGE COOK.
           10 THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND.
here are a few steps and tips on being a great cook.
- Always have sharp knives
- always maintain a clean work station
-always have clean uniforms
-keep an cooking journal or note pat with dated pages
-be up to date on the culinary world
- respect the product and tools  you work with
-be a team player
-be on time  or be early
- know your station firsthand
- be sure of yourself

THE EDGE

meaningless steps, the earth get thinner and you path narrows down to a rocky and jaded road. you feel tired and can no longer stay on your feet , nearly collapsing, tried inhaling but you can barely breath,your head hurts but really its your soul. you are demoralized, you have no reinforcement. how much more can you take , you try and yes you try very hard , you're cooking with love but your mind is unclear, therefor  your heart pump poison, so you're cooking with frustrated hand. wait it gets worse, the cold blade of time cuts you ever so deeply, for every single blood drops soaks the earth beneath your feet and turn into quick sand.you sink far into the deep solitude and land in the vicious cycle, the pit, where the your demons leave, the ones that scare you, the ones you have trying to put away for time and eternity. gladly they receive you with open harms, butter you up real good, make you feel at home, feel your head with garbage. don't let them fool you, rise form the snake pit and stand on you feet, walk tall, be good again and again and again. silence the voice and become a natural and you were before, be yourself, and meaningless steps you shall take no more, overcome the pain with your mind and forever it shall be removed from state. replace you fear and worry with the light within you and happiness and friendship and love and your demon shall become graces. when you think you couldn't try and harder, push trough it and the results shall be beathtaking.
 IF YOUARE AFRAID AND FEEL YOU CANNOT DO IT ON YOU OWN THEN ITS TIME FOR YOU TO BECOME A "UNITED"

THE EARLY BIRD RULES OUT THE REST

FIRST TO COME , FIRST TO BE SERVED. LAST TO LEAVE THE KITCHEN AT THE END OF THE SHIT IN THIS CASE , NOT A ROTTEN EGG.
WE SEE THOSE GUYS, LAST TO COME IN FOR A SHIFT , THE ONLY ONE ALWAYS STRUGGLING TO SET UP THEIR STATIONS, AND ARE ALWAYS THE FIRST TO BREAK-DOWN AND LEAVE. ITS QUIET AMAZING ACTUALLY, I HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED HOW THEY DO IT OR WHY, CAUSE WHY COOK IF YOU DON'T CARE, WHY TAKE THE JOB IF YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT THE RESTAURANT. HONESTLY, I HAVE YET TO FIND MYSELF WONDERING MORE THAN TWO WEEKS WITHOUT A COOKING JOB. SO WHAT IS IT?
  LACK OF: RESPECT, MORAL,CARE, JUDGMENT, SELF ESTEEM.
ITS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING BUT WE NEED TO WEED-OUT THE SPACE TAKING  EGOTISTICAL KNOW IT ALL PARASITES OUT THE INDUSTRY. IT TIME TO START COOKING AGAIN, FOR REAL THIS TIME; WITH HONOR, ENVY HUNGER AND MOST IMPORTANTLY YOUR HEART WHERE IT ALL STARTED.
DON'T LEAVE IT UP TO THE CHEFS TO START MAKING THE RIGHT DECISIONS FOR YOU , IF YOU NOTICE THE GUY NEXT TO YOU IS DOING SOMETHING YOU EVEN THINK THAT MIGHT NOT BE RIGHT, TELL YOUR CHEF EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT SURE , AND IF YOU ARE HELP FIX THE PROBLEM. BE RESPONSIBLE FOR EACH OTHER , BECOME A TEAM , BECOME THE HELPING HAND, EYES OR EAR, BECOME ONE.
BE UNITED.
  

COOKS

What differentiate a cook from a chef down to the guys who talks a good game but in reality they can't even execute their own game plans. well a lot of us have experienced it , feeling down and out , can't do anything right.holding on so far in the  dark wishing for the light at the end of the tunnel.Critics left and right until you feel the pressure up your spine , you get upset at everything and everyone around but the source of the problem , which is yourself , everyday you walk-in and the chef(s) tare you a new one for something that is to you as ridiculous as washing your hands.you are tired over-worked and not getting paid a lot, you though about walking-out, the hell with it at this point does matter ? constantly you ask , some of  you may have cried once or twice, it hurts the only thing you thought you were good at , surprisingly you haven't even learned how to cook. however you don't quit , you take it in and overcome the fear that was suppressing you , now you start cooking with passion, care, lust and love , most of all you're not trying to impress anyone you're cooking for you. Now you are well rounded, docile, experienced, wiser and a real COOK, most importantly you are UNITED.

WELCOME AUTUMN

if you look outside, you can already see the leaves starting to turn. Fall, season of food, companionship, and time for families around the country to get together .this season always remind me of the first time i visited the union square farmers market, the smell of hot apple cider , friendly farmer and market manager
and the first timers at the market, who would obnoxiously stand in the way; like myself at the time. although the market reduce in size because of the change in season and temperature, there is a generous amount of farms with great quality of food that still comes around.
but unlike  the farmers market the lucky vendors at Essex market don't have to worry and the change in temperature. filled with ethnic and specialty shops the Essex market is one of my favs in this city;
southend fromaggio; a great specialty cheese shop with a knowledgeable crew that will help you make the right choices .
BOUBOUKI; the absolutely stunning and tiny GREEK sweet and savory vender is a new comer at the Essex , but unlike anything new, this tiny shop is full of history.
RONA ECONOMUS owner, not chef not cook, but a ex-lawyer who just become, very inspiring.
 Like a lot of us in this industry RONA the astoria queens born and raised with the face and inviting smile of a spring flower bud learn for the women in her family. to some of us in might be a delicious butter almond cooky  but to RONA  it may be a family heirloom.
 its always good to see, hear  and talk about great success stories to motivate the body and mind
so if you are a cook chef barista vender wannabe or foodie remember you hard work does pay off.
which by the way i'm very happy with way the STARCHEFS convention turned out, an entire week of hardcore planning and prepping and my reward a sore right hand and one day of. well life's complicated and i'll be just fine. because I'M UNITED.


                                  

COOKS UNITED

this is to the good,bad, wannabes,talented, insecure,creative, inspired, strong,men, girls, fast, brave,slow, women , boys, former cooks and others in the culinary world; yes you are; the best of performers/composer of food,melody art, magic and poetry.

today my fellow cooks and chef i andy alexandre unite all of you 

for the great of good for something bigger than life , for passion and love of our line of duty, be proud, be confident , be you, be faster than ever, transform into a vessel of light and last but not least.

become cooks united