Tricks of the Trade

I love these type of sites.

Here is a sample:

When interrogating someone, first ask questions you already know the answers to and observe their behavior as they reply. Specifically look at the eyes when they are recalling factual information, such as birth date, previous address, etc. Ask enough of these questions to establish a behavioral norm.

Then move into unknown areas. Look for contrasts in the subject's behavior, especially the eyes. If the eyes move to the opposite side of the head, this indicates the subject is creating an answer for you.

It doesn't mean it's a lie though - it could just be an opinion. Choose your questions carefully.

As a chef, you can always tell the person at a table who are more adept at picking their teeth with the steak knife than enjoying said steak: they are the ones who order any cut of meat "well done" or order it medium then send it back repeatedly.

So if a "connoisseur" would like his beef BBR (Burnt Beyond Recognition), there are two ways to deal with this problem in your busy kitchen. First, you can cut the diner a steak which is thinner - but barely perceptively so - than the others and place a heavy metal object such as a metal hot plate on top of it to speed the cooking process. Option number two is to be used in emergency situations only - such as if someone orders his $29 ribeye "well done". If this occurs, "butterfly" the meat by cutting about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way down into the center of the steak, then outwards towards the edges, creating two flaps or "butterfly wings". This will greatly reduce the cooking time, and anyone who orders a well-done ribeye won't notice this indiscretion anyway.