Eye To Eye With Katie Couric: Want To Be A Chef?
July 10, 2008
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Think you want to be a chef? CBS’ Rita Braver spoke to some industry insiders about what it takes to make it in the kitchen. (CBSNews.com)
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Susan Spicer on Becoming a Chef
April 6, 2008
Susan Spicer, of Bayona Restaurant, shares her thoughts on what it takes to 
become a chef.
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Let’s Explore a Culinary Career!
April 3, 2008
Let’s Explore a Culinary Career!
By Fei Lim
Restaurant Manager
It takes a lot of patience to oversee the general operations of a restaurant, which may involve guiding the staff, evaluating inventory, buying equipment and supplies, as well as making sure customer service is top-notch. Knowledge of food and beverage regulations is a must within this business field. At times, the restaurant manager will also hire, train, and schedule other employees. A high school diploma or its equivalent is acceptable with about four to six years of related experience. The typical salary for this job is seen between $28,767 and $61,490.
Line Cook
Whenever you visit Applebee’s or the International House of Pancakes, there is someone behind the scenes preparing the dishes offered on the menu. A line cook will prepare all the meats, soups, vegetables and other foods needed to fulfill the orders of patrons. Some places accept a high school diploma or its equivalent, but experience is certainly needed in this field (usually at least four years). Depending on the restaurant, a line cook is sometimes asked to lead and direct the progress of others. The average salary runs between $17,092 and $28,683.
Regional Chef
Have you ever possessed a flair for experimenting with food or truly enjoy simmering a meal over a hot stove for hours? All of this passion could serve as the spark needed to ignite a career in cooking. A regional chef is in charge of planning and creating new menus for more than one eatery found in a particular region. Many duties are associated with this sort of job, as a regional chef also trains unit chefs in the art of meal preparation techniques, portion size, and nutritional value. A bachelor’s degree in an area of specialty and at least ten years of experience in the field is usually required. Yearly salaries are seen (on the average) between $69,929 and $137,665.
Restaurant Greeter
Making patrons feel welcome is the duty of a restaurant greeter, who is usually the first face seen when one enters an eatery. A greeter escorts guests to their tables and keeps an eye out to make sure their needs are being met. Greeters are also in charge of the reservation book and will take phone calls regarding the availability of a table within the restaurant. A high school diploma is usually needed (or its equivalent). Little to no experience is required for this position, which generally earns between $13,244 and $22,712.
Food Services Manager
A food services manager, who also watches over inventory levels, is in charge of overseeing the daily operations of the food services related to a specific organization (company, school, etc). When the purchase of food, kitchen supplies, or equipment is needed, it is the manager’s job to comply. A familiarity with standards and cleanliness within a facility is a must, as failing to follow state or local regulations can result in the shutting down of a kitchen. An associate’s degree or its equivalent with four to six years of experience in the field is recommended. The typical yearly salary runs between $39,846 and $95,036.
Possible Education for Restaurant and Food Services
The type of work you seek dictates the kind of education or training required for the restaurant and food services field. Chefs and cooks must attend cooking classes and train in the culinary arts. Diplomas and certificates are usually required to show experience and merit. Those interested in running a restaurant must possess a degree in business. Associate’s degrees in management are attractive to businesses looking to hire. Some businesses will hire employees with only a high school diploma, where a degree in a specific field is required for others.
To begin a search for a suitable school regarding food services, consider the Culinary Institute of America; Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts; and The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes.
Best Places to Work in Food Services
When looking for a company within the food services industry that offers the best benefits, work hours, salaries, and extra perks - the following businesses have earned a reputation for nurturing their employees: Starbucks, Wegmans Food Markets, Whole Foods Market, McDonalds, and General Mills.
Search, post, and find online jobs, federal jobs, canada jobs, at Seek4Jobs.net.
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Culinary Arts Career
April 3, 2008
Culinary Arts Career
By Milos Pesic
The field of 
culinary arts is a rapidly growing industry. More and more people are entering the field, holding certain degrees and titles that determine which part of the industry they belong to. And with the ever growing demands for the culinary professionals in today’s tough and competitive job market, more and more culinary arts careers were designed and introduced to the public for people wanting to make a difference in the culinary industry to consider.
There are four common areas of culinary arts career. The first has something to do with restaurant related jobs. At this area, food service operations are the most common and it is nice to know that there is a wide selection of positions available to choose from. These positions, however, vary according to how stable and how big the restaurants are. Yes, the restaurants are not created equal. Some are small and individually run, while others are big and owned by professional chefs. There are also much larger operations, including those with multiple outlets, and there are some that offer a corporate setting and service. Well, whatever situation you may be attracted to, the culinary arts career you may find interesting can vary, mostly from chefs to restaurant managers.
Culinary arts careers in hotel and resorts are also available today. The hotel and resort industry is even rapidly growing, and the culinary arts career in this area are continually growing with more and more people entering into the industry. However, with several areas of focus involved in hotels and resorts, the culinary arts career opportunities then differ depending on the specialized service areas and facilities involved. The most common culinary arts careers in this field are butcher and bakeshop attendant or manager.
Third, this is the area for catering and institutional. Many of the establishments that cater into this kind of service tend to offer culinary arts career positions that are full time. They too differ in terms of sizes, but most of the catering and institutional companies are great enough for temporary employment, in case you don’t want full time positions. Although these areas are not always on the cutting edge of culinary, a culinary arts career in this field can still yield great hours and benefits.
Finally, most people find their culinary arts career as a personal chef. This area is in the first place one of the largest components of the foodservice industry, and it’s worth noting that unlike the early days, the personal chef career is not only unlimited to being the chef for a person or family. It is becoming a much complicated culinary arts career now with involvement of everything from shopping to preparing the meals, and even traveling with the client and extending hours of downtime in case the client is away.
Whatever career you may be interested in, it is important to remember that a successful career in culinary arts can’t easily be attained without proper training. It is for this reason that culinary arts schools were established to give people the chance to learn everything about the field and build a career that will prepare them for their life in the future.
Milos Pesic is a successful webmaster and owner of popular and comprehensive Culinary Arts information site. For more articles and resources on Cooking and Culinary Arts related topics, visit his site at:
=>http://culinary.need-to-know.net
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Should You Become A Chef?
April 3, 2008
Becoming a chef is not a walk in the park. It is a challenging road and may not be for everyone. You should therefore have a basic understanding of what it takes to become a chef before you invest in an expensive education at top culinary arts schools. You should learn more about the requirements and process involved to become a chef.Do your friends and family compliment you on all of your creative dishes? Do people around you tell you that you should become a chef? Do you spend a lot of time in front of the TV watching cooking shows? When your co-workers ask you to make your famous chicken wings for the holiday party, do you jump at the chance? Well if this sounds like you, then you are certainly on your way, but becoming a chef is not always fun and games. You need to understand what a career in the hot kitchens is really like.
THE BENEFITS OF BEING A CHEF
You Are In The Spotlight
You Found a Career You Are Passionate About
What is better in life than being able to work at a career that you truly love? If you want to be a chef, you have to love what you do. You have to truly enjoy cooking and baking, if not, those long hours in the restaurant kitchens are going to seem like days. If cooking feels like a chore then it may not be the right career for you.
THE STRESSES OF BECOMING A CHEF
It’s Hard Work
Being a chef is a difficult job. You are standing on your feet for hours every day. There is no time to sit and rest, its too busy for that. You will develop all sorts of new aches and pains from lifting heavy bags and boxes.
You Will Have To Deal With an Unpleasant Working Environment
Be prepared to sweat. Working in a kitchen has been compared to working outside all day under a hot sun in 90 degree weather. You will constantly be working over an open flame and reaching into hot ovens.
Kitchens can be rather dirty. You will eventually have to deal with garbage and grease that accumulates in many kitchens.
Being a chef can be dangerous. You will probably be burned a number of times from the hot ovens, pots and pans, boiling liquids and hot oil. You will get cut. When things get busy and you have to work faster, your concentration diminishes and a sharp knife, food processor blade, blender, or broken glass can be lethal weapons.
Everyone Can’t Be Emeril
Just because you got your degree at The Culinary Institute of America doesn’t mean you are going to land your own spot on the Food Network or get your own line of custom made cooking products and make millions of dollars. I am not trying to belittle that dream. If that is what you are shooting for, then by all means go for it, but in most cases cooks do not make a ton of money. So try not to get discouraged if you don’t make it big. The food industry is a busy world and is always in need of good chefs that love what they do and are willing to go the extra mile to prove it. Make that your number one goal above all things.
The Hours Aren’t Great
When you become a chef, be prepared to work very long hours, holidays and weekends. Many new chefs have abandoned their careers because they could not cope with spending so much time away from family and friends.
Final Words
I truly hope this article has helped you make a decision as to whether or not you want to become a chef. This article is not meant to discourage you. Many new chefs spend thousands of dollars on Culinary School, and when they finally get out into the real world, they realize they can’t stand the heat, and wind up quitting. That is an awful lot of time and money wasted, so make certain you are sure a chef is the right career for you. All the best and good luck.
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How To Become A Chef
April 3, 2008
How To Become A Chef
By Alyssa Bentley
Good 
Culinary schools focus their students on learning through interaction with food. The best way to learn how to prepare food is to practice, hands on. After a student has completed their in-school training, they will move on to an apprenticeship, spending time in a kitchen doing the lower skilled kitchen duties. Culinary Students will need to learn under several different chefs to find what class of food they want to specialize in. In their classes, they should learn how to plan menus, determine serving and portion sizes, how to manage the cost of foods in quantity and reduction of food waste. Students must also learn restaurant sanitation and public health rules for proper handling of food.
A beginning chef can expect to make it to head chef position in 10 years, provided they are able to withstand the high stress and pressure that comes with the job.
Executive chefs often have restaurateur partners for financial reasons, but it’s good to take a few business courses if you intend to run your own restaurant. Executive chefs often spend more time with patrons and investors than in the kitchen.
There are many different job descriptions that must be filled in restaurant situations.
When entering the chef industry, you may end up as one of many line cooks in a kitchen. The different positions you could be expected to fill include a pastry chef, in charge of pastries and desserts, the pantry chef, in charge of cold-prepared foods such as salads, dressings, buffet items and sandwiches. Roast cooks handle roasted meats and gravies, as well as broiled meats or other items to order. He may also handle fried meat and fish.
The vegetable cook prepares vegetables, soups, starches and eggs, while the fish cook handles dishes involving fish and seafood. The sauce chef may handle the fish as well as sauces in some kitchens, as well as stews, hot hors d’oeuvres and sauteeing.
Other chefs you will need to be aware of include the Sous chef, or assistant to the executive chef. The person in this position is in charge of many of the organizational tasks involved in keeping a kitchen running smoothly. They keep records of purchases, needs and losses. They are often the organizers, making sure that food is crafted and sent out to the tables in a timely fashion so that all patrons get to eat at the same time.
The executive chef is in charge of everything that involves the kitchen, which includes the menu, personnel management and other business management aspects. There is also the Chef De Cuisine, who, depending on the kitchen, is sometimes in charge of the executive chef, sometimes equal to him, and sometimes directly under his authority, equivalent to a sous chef.
Things to remember
A few things to do to prepare yourself for entering the world of culinary excellence include taking a job in a restaurant, any job, even if it’s busing tables or washing dishes, just to give yourself experience and to help you get a feel for the physical needs of a career in the food industry. Holding a position in a restaurant will also give you a foot in the door. As you gain in experience and education, you can begin to work your way up the culinary ladder in a restaurant, starting with line chef, and working your way up to master chef.
Remember to research the culinary schools in your area and abroad, select your school and pursue it. If you are in high school still, speak with your guidance councilor about schools and careers in the culinary profession.
Alyssa is a creative writer for Mobile Penguins, http://www.mobilepenguins.com - a Website Advertising company out of Seattle. This article is researched and written for The Chef’s Emporium, chefsemporium.com. The Chef’s Emporium is a fantastic resource for culinary uniforms from the traditional white chef’s jacket and slacks to the more contemporary styles and colors.
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Cooking School - Things To Know Before You Go
April 2, 2008
Cooking School - Things To Know Before You Go
By Andy West
If you are attracted to the thought of pursuing a culinary career, you may be interested in attending cooking school. Although it is not strictly necessary, a culinary arts degree is a major asset to those interested in pursuing cooking as a career. The degree will show potential employers that you are serious about your career. Even more importantly, your education will prepare you for the real-world challenges that you will face in a professional kitchen. If your goal is restaurant management or ownership, look for a program that combines classroom instruction in the business aspects of running a restaurant with hands-on experience in the kitchen. If your desired career is within the kitchen, consider a cooking school that offers a shorter program with an intensive focus on the practical skills necessary to become a chef.
Kitchen Facilities: It is critical that the 
cooking school you select offers kitchen facilities that mirror what you are likely to encounter in a professional kitchen. During training, you should use the equipment that is generally used by professional chefs. Every piece of equipment you use, from knives to blenders, will have an effect on the final product that you are able to prepare. Be sure to tour the kitchen before deciding on a cooking school.
Accreditation: It is very important that the school you select is properly accredited. This will ensure that your training follows generally accepted guidelines, as well as provide you eligibility for federal financial aid programs. Additionally, certifications from accredited schools carry much more weight in the competitive job market.
Degree Programs: Culinary schools may offer any or all of three types of programs: Associate’s Degree, Bachelors Degree, and Certification. Of these, the Bachelor’s Degree is considered the highest ranked, and is roughly equivalent to any other four year Bachelor’s Degree. A certification program is generally shorter and holds less weight than an Associate’s Degree. Look for a school that offers all three types of programs for maximum flexibility, or seek out the shortest program if your goal is to get out into the real world as quickly as possible. Either way, you will need to pay your dues in the kitchen, so it is really up to you whether you would rather do so on a campus. Pastry chefs generally follow a separate track from other types of chefs so if your interest is in baking, look for a school that offers a pastry chef track.
Externship: One of your basic criteria for selecting a cooking school should be the externship program. An externship will give you real-world experience working in an off-campus restaurant. Some externships have even led to job offers.
Getting Accepted Into a Program: This is dependent on the cooking school that you select. Many schools are willing to admit anyone who has a passion for cooking and a desire to pursue a career in the field. Others are much more competitive. You may need to pass an interview, submit proof of prior restaurant work experience, or meet other requirements. Be sure to check into admissions requirements for any school that you are considering.
Cooking school is a very rewarding experience for those who have a passion for food. While a degree may not be required for those who are willing to put in time working their way up in a restaurant, it is important to remember that the field is competitive. A degree will demonstrate to potential employers that you have both the passion and the skill set required to be successful. Take the time to research several schools to find the one that will best meet your needs.
Andy West is a freelance writer for The Culinary Institute of Virginia College. Culinard offers two outstanding culinary programs. For information on cooking schools, please visit http://www.culinard.com
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