I have worked in as a Chef for 30 + years, it is hard on the family, and your social life, for the last 5 years I have taught as a Culinary Instructor.
If you know and are into the job, you see that you have to produce under harsh circumstances, when every one else plays, you work, the thanks are far and few. But you are creating and are doing something that you love, (hopefully).
We have to follow standard recipes, so we have the same quality, and portion size on each and every dish (Portion), our customers demand and deserve this, but at the same time we can create, a new dish, present it in a new way, and have the ability to be a creative artist!
The job is hard, it needs dedicated people who love to cook, and give up their life, so others may enjoy a good meal, ( hopefully a great meal)
Not everyone can be a chef, you have to be a great cook, a good leader, and most important a good manager. Knowing how to make money....$!
Brian McCormick
of TX
@
Oct 02, 2009 17:59:32 PM
BECOMING A DIETARY AT YOUR PLACE OF BUISNESS
I WOULD LOVE TO WORK FOR YOU, BECAUSE YOU TREAT YOUR CLIENTS WITH THE SAME AMOUTH OF CARE.I ALSO LIKE HOW YOU MAKE SURE THAT TE FOOD IS HOW THEY WAT IT SO THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT WHY THE FOOD IS TO HOT OR TO COLD, OR MAYBE EVEN TO DRY;OR NOT ENOUGH SALT OR PEPPER.
DELISASHA McCRALEY
of IL
@
Jun 11, 2009 13:06:49 PM
multi chefs
Thanks for the article but it is simplistic.
As a chef you have many choices in relation to hours of work , type of food you cook and in what type of establihment.
It could be a lunch cafe, a hospital, a wealthy home, an elite restaurant, a caffetaria,a social institution or any where food is needed to be prepared, like the armed forces....
This flexibility creates a balanced and knowledgable person who is well equipped to help people all through life.
The profession is a calling, beyond the criticisms of intellectuals, because of its'intrinsic deep relationship with the act of feeding a child from birth.
Chefs ultimately care about people,
Ricky
@
Feb 27, 2009 13:49:50 PM
Chefs
Obviously, whoever wrote this article did no research. I've been a chef for a number of years, and you do get some room for creativity (even the line cooks do on occasion). But mostly it is toil, hard work and sweat, with little to no thanks. The comraderie of the kitchen is all the thanks I've gotten at many of the establishments I've worked in. People look at the food network, or travel channel, and think,"That doesn't look too hard, I bet I could do it." It IS hard work, in a hot environment for long hours. This is not a job for the weak. Many times I've had to be counselor, negotiator and middle man. They don't teach you any of these skills in culinary school, and most of the kids coming out of culinary school have the same idea of being a chef as the folks watching the food shows. Many of the people working in kitchens are anti-social, outcasts, or have drinking or drug habits. Not to say they're bad people, just a different kind than you're used to.
Murdok
of TX
@
Jan 12, 2009 11:48:51 AM
Are you just trying to fill space?
If your idea of a chef is Food TV inspired then yeah you'll be let down. But as with any career there're niches that actually are entire industries. I went to one of the big culinary schools as well as a traditional four year university. After earning a BBA & AAS Culinary Arts I now find myself working as a hospital food & nutrition director. Did I mention I work Monday through Friday about 8AM - 5PM?
Your article isn't completely inacurate. The article is however misleading. People coming into the industry without the addictions don't usually pick them up from the crack smoking dishwasher as if it were avian flu.
So to summarize, do your home work next time because it sounds to me like your research was conducted during a lunch break at Applebees.
Respectfully,
Tom Maslowski
Thomas Maslowski
of GA
@
Dec 30, 2008 10:40:37 AM
Chefs
Your knowledge of what chefs do is lacking. Line cooks and executive chefs are completely different jobs. The executive chef creates new dishes and performs quality control, she assistant chefs run the line, and the line cooks cook the food. This varies depending on the restaurant. You will work into the wee hours, but you don't have to be at work until 3. You won't make much money unless you are an executive chef who learns to market yourself, but if you like to party or are nursing an alcohol or hard core drug addiction, you will be among friends, and at least you won't starve.
Brian McCormick of TX @ Oct 02, 2009 17:59:32 PM
DELISASHA McCRALEY of IL @ Jun 11, 2009 13:06:49 PM
Ricky @ Feb 27, 2009 13:49:50 PM
Murdok of TX @ Jan 12, 2009 11:48:51 AM
Thomas Maslowski of GA @ Dec 30, 2008 10:40:37 AM
of CA @ Dec 12, 2008 20:40:00 PM
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