Becoming a Chef - The Pros and Cons
October 14, 2008
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We are immersed in the cachet of Chefdom.
I noticed that there are ads for various culinary academies everywhere on television, but what nobody wants to talk about is the real Pros and Cons of working in a honest-to-goodness-professional kitchen.
Pros:
1. It’s fun! Why? Because adrenalin is pouring through your system as you work, the same way as when you play sports or perform on the stage. Adrenalin is Nature’s own high!
From the minute your shift begins you are racing to get the job done. If you begin at 7:00am for an 11:00am opening, then the preparation has to be finished before the doors open. Once the orders start coming in, the race is on to get every order out within the time allotted. All good restaurants these days have computerized systems to measure your productivity, and racing the clock is fun.
2. It allows us to fulfill our innate need to nurture others, to show our love by feeding them.
Some of us just love to cook for others. I’m one of those people. I get such pleasure from preparing something, serving it, and watching the faces of the diners to see their appreciation. Just LOVE it!
3. There is usually work to be found in a commercial kitchen.
No matter how small the town, you can usually find work, thus, you will always have a livelihood.
Cons:
1. It’s the hardest job around.
Working in a professional kitchen is not for the weak of body or mind. The labor is intense and no matter what, you have to be able to lift and stretch, mop and clean. “CLEAN AS YOU GO” is the motto of all trained Culinarians, and that means every minute of every shift, every surface in your station.
At the end of the shift, a deep fat fryer full of hot oil has to be transported and dumped in the appropriate place, and YOU have to do it. The walls behind the fryers have to sparkle, as do the floors and counter tops.
Let’s say, for example, that you’re working the Pantry Station. All of the greens must be washed and prepared, along with all the dressings. If you’re lucky, your kitchen has a prep cook to help you. If you’re not, then it’s all up to you.
All of your garnishes have to be cut to spec, as well as all tomatoes, avocados, carrots and any other vegetables or meats that go on your salads. If you also handle desserts, then those have to be prepped as well.
And on top of everything else, productivity is measured. When the ticket comes out of the machine at your station, the clock starts ticking. When you place the order on the pass-through, you stamp the ticket. It is somebody’s job to take all the tickets and grade you on your times. The next day before your shift begins, there will be a meeting to reveal whether or not you came up to par on your speed. Whew!
2. You can cut and burn almost any part of your body.
No worries. The tips of your fingers you slice off grow back and your knees only get stronger from having to bend down to get things out of the reach-in refrigerators, and all burns heal.
3. The pay is universally LOW.
I worked at a wonderful, popular white-tablecloth restaurant in downtown Los Angeles for a year earning $8.00 an hour, but paying for parking, tools, and uniforms ate up most of my wages. I also worked at a famous boutique restaurant in Mendocino, CA for $7.50 and hour.
Bobby Flay, Emeril Lagasse, Rachael Ray: these are the stars in culinary spectrum, but the rest of us can never expect earnings like that, no matter how good we are at what we do. If you don’t write a cookbook or get on television, there is very little chance of your earning anything other than minimum wage, for all your skills.
Bottom line:
Being a chef is hard work, the hardest; but it was the most fun I ever had offstage. I still miss it.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Glenda_Glayzer
http://EzineArticles.com/?Becoming-a-Chef—The-Pros-and-Cons&id=1460241
Culinary Arts Salaries
October 8, 2008
By Thomas Morva
Chef, caterer, pastry chef and restaurant cook are some of the most familiar options, amongst the many jobs available for someone who specializes in the culinary arts. There are also management positions such as executive chef, food and beverage manager, sales director and housekeeper.
The salaries of chefs and cooks vary greatly according to the region and type of establishment. Wages are usually the highest in elegant restaurants and hotels, in major metropolitan areas, where many chefs are employed to head the food production of each type of cuisine. Culinary arts professionals who decide to work outside of big cities could earn between $8-$14 an hour. On the other hand, a line cook in San Francisco can earn $10 to $22 per hour. A chef in a fine dining restaurant or hotel can earn in excess of $100,000 per year.
According to the U.S. department of Labor and Statistics, 2002, Chefs and Head Cooks had an hourly salary ranging from of $7.66 to $25.86, restaurant cooks from $6.58 to $13.21, institution and cafeteria workers from $6.10 to $13.34 and fast-food cooks from $5.68 to $9.13.
Culinary art is a field highly in demand because it is considered as highly fulfilling in terms of job satisfaction and professionals in the field are well rewarded. Typically, as in any other industry, the salary levels increased with educational qualifications, experience and career advancement.
Culinary Arts provides detailed information on Culinary Arts, Culinary Arts Schools, Culinary Arts Colleges, Culinary Arts Education and more. Culinary Arts is affiliated with Online Culinary Schools.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Morva
http://EzineArticles.com/?Culinary-Arts-Salaries&id=429094
Finding the Right Culinary School for You
October 5, 2008
culinary school to become a professional chef or start a new career in hospitality management? Maybe you want to go to school just to be a better cook at home? The good news is there are a lot of great schools and colleges in every state to help you accomplish your goals.
Based upon the number of cooking schools opening each year, there must be a lot of folks interested in getting into the culinary world. I recently read an article in our local newspaper about the growth in local culinary schools, and the numbers surprised me. It appears that supermarkets, gourmet stores, local restaurants, colleges, ex-chefs, and just about anyone else who has the room and expertise is putting on an apron and opening a school.
Many of these schools are there for absolute beginners who just want to learn how to boil water and get around in the kitchen without hurting themselves. These classes tend to be more fun where you watch a professional chef prepare a meal and then you get to share it with the rest of the class. It’s a good way to meet some interesting people, learn a few culinary tricks, and taste some delicious food.
And then there are schools for home cooks who have some experience but want to build upon their skills and learn some new techniques. These schools tend to have classrooms with individual stations where the students learn by doing. Often these classes will specialize in one particular technique or cooking style.
But what about the individuals who wants to make cooking their career and go back to school for a degree in culinary education? They may want to learn about hospitality management to master the skills needed to run a resort, restaurant, or theme park. Or they may want to become professional chefs and cook in some of the best restaurants in the country.
Lucky for them, there are now more than 500 vocational, college, and university programs scattered around the country with more schools opening each year that offer first-rate educational degrees in this field. The bigger question is: how do you choose the best culinary school for you?
Here are a few steps to help you narrow down the field and simplify your decision:
Step 1 - Figure out what you want to do after you graduate.
Do you want to start a catering company, make pastries and fancy desserts, or how about manage a restaurant? Once you have an idea of what it is that you would like to specialize in, you can limit your search to only those schools that offer the necessary classes.
If you have no idea what you would like to do in the culinary field, be sure to go to a school that offers a number of choices in every field of the industry- sort of like taking a liberal arts’ approach.
Step 2 - Determine what’s most important to you in a school. Some topics you may want to think about before choosing a school are:
Location
Entry requirements
Length of program and class schedule
Costs and financial aid
Class size and student-to-faculty ratio
Classroom facilities
Class schedules
The school’s faculty and reputation
Degrees and accreditations
Externship opportunities
Location and housing
Schools contacts, job placement, and/or internships
Step 3 - Create a list of schools to contact for more information.
You can start with your local yellow pages but if you don’t find a school close enough, or one that strikes your fancy, try doing a search on the Internet. Just type in “cooking schools in [your state]”, or “culinary schools [your state]”, and you will find hundreds of leads to schools worldwide. Type in culinary schools with a city and it will narrow down the field even more.
There is also a listing of top schools listed by state at The Reluctant Gourmet web site. Go to http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/cooking_schools.htm and click on the state of your choice and pick a city of interest.
Once you find a few schools that look promising, read a little about them to see what they have to offer. Most sites will provide a short form that you can fill out for more information. Once you fill out the form and send it back to the school, someone will call you within a day or two to answer your questions, provide you with additional information, and offer to send you some brochures and an application.
Be sure to have a list of questions you want answered when you speak with a school’s representative. You might also ask for a list of current students and graduates to contact for their assessment of the school.
This is also a good time to ask about scholarships and what the school has to offer. If financing is going to be an issue, it’s better to find out alternatives now rather than wait until you have been accepted. Remember, the school representatives are there to help and most, I’ve found, don’t push too hard–although it is their job to sell you on the school.
Step 4 - Narrow down the field.
Once you look over what the schools have to offer and have spoken with the representatives, start eliminating those that just don’t fit in with your needs. Maybe a school is too far, too costly, or just doesn’t offer the courses you are interested in taking.
Step 5 - Visit the schools that fit best.
In my opinion, this is one of the most important steps you can do to make sure that you are going to be happy at any cooking school. You want to see the actual classrooms you will be attending, see some of the teachers and students in action, and get a feel for the surroundings to make sure you will fit in.
I once made the mistake of taking a new job on Wall Street with a competitor without ever seeing the offices I’d be working in. Sure the money was better and I thought I would make faster advancement, but when I arrived for my first day of work, I couldn’t believe the conditions they wanted me to work in. The office space was old, dirty, and outdated compared to where I was working. I was horrified and only lasted about four months!
So, make sure that the school in which you are thinking of investing your time and money is as good, if not better, than the brochure they send to you.
Step 6 - Apply to your top picks.
After you make your visits, narrow down the field to your top choices and prepare the applications you were sent. Be sure to be neat and complete, and provide the schools with everything they ask you for. If you have any questions about the application, pick up the phone right away and get answers. You don’t want to be sending in incomplete forms.
Step 7 - Choose your school.
Once notified by the schools of your acceptance, you can decide which school works best for you. Because you did your homework and followed the steps above, this final choice should be easy.
Be sure to inform the school of your choice that you will be attending, and find out what steps are required to get you enrolled and what you will need to start school.
Although this article was written for those of you interested in going to culinary school, you can follow these same procedures when choosing any continuing education degree. If you think about it, it’s just like getting everything prepped and ready to go (mise en place) before starting to prepare a meal.
Copyright © 2005 G. Stephen Jones, The Reluctant Gourmet
G. Stephen Jones created the Reluctant Gourmet back in 1997 as a hobby to assist other novice cooks who may find the art of cooking a little daunting. As an ex-Wall Street broker and Stay-at-Home Dad, he tries to explore cooking from a different perspective.
Visit http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/ for more tips, techniques, recipes and a great listing of culinary schools
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=G._Stephen_Jones
http://EzineArticles.com/?Finding-the-Right-Culinary-School-for-You&id=76564
Eye To Eye With Katie Couric: Want To Be A Chef?
July 10, 2008
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)
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.
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.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alyssa_Bentley
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Become-A-Chef&id=1044461
