Schools For Me» Culinary Arts

Life as a Chef

admin — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:42:04 +0000

Most people would sum up a chef’s job by saying that they cook food. End of story. But it’s nowhere near that straightforward. And there are so many types of chefs and so many types of food service establishments — restaurants, cafeterias, banquet halls, hotels, cruise ships, resorts — that describing a day in the life of a typical chef is practically impossible. Instead, we can cover some of the fundamental aspects of a chef’s job and then you can figure out which culinary careers and settings spur you towards further investigation.

In a big nutshell, chefs measure, mix, and cook ingredients to prepare food according to recipes. In the process, they use a variety of pots, pans, cutlery, and other equipment, including ovens, broilers, grills, slicers, grinders, and blenders. During life as a chef, some chefs are responsible for managing other kitchen workers (including teaching them new techniques), planning menus, estimating food requirements, handling food budgets, and ordering food supplies. That’s a lot more than just cooking!

While smaller restaurants may consist of one chef and only a couple of assistants, larger restaurants tend to have much bigger menus and staffs that include several chefs and cooks, as well as assistant or apprentice chefs and cooks, in addition to other kitchen workers (busboys, dishwashers, etc.).

Executive chefs and sous-chefs coordinate the work of the rest of the kitchen staff, who are often assigned specific jobs and tasks — for instance, sauces or pastries or garde manger. The title “chef” and “cook” are often used interchangeably, but chefs tend to be more highly skilled and professionally trained than cooks.

Keep in mind, though, that many positions are often used as stepping stones in a culinary career; you might make your way from pantry cook to line cook to sous-chef over the course of time, depending on your goals, aspirations, and work environment.

All told, being a chef is a tough job. It’s more than just cooking — it’s also planning and managing, accommodating the needs of co-workers and patrons, and making the best of things when your pantry contains only a stick of butter, two sausages, three carrots, and a tub of lard. But it’s also an immensely rewarding career, filled with challenges and opportunities that you won’t find elsewhere. Now get out there and start cooking and enjoy your life as a chef.

Life in the Culinary Trade

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:26:11 +0000

There are as many job opportunities in the professional kitchen as there are flavours. Once you’ve completed the program, you’ll be well on your way to a great and challenging career. This is a career that can take you around the world. As a professional cook, you can find work in a variety of locations; anywhere from cruise ships to private yachts, from oil drilling platforms in the North Sea to diamond mining operations in the Yukon to logging camps.

Your options will also include the many restaurants and hotels around the world. Would you like to cook for a cattle drive or perhaps be a safari cook in the wilds of Africa? Or perhaps you’d like being a private chef for the rich and famous or a government official. If you want to stay closer to home, you’ll be trained to work in all styles of kitchens ranging from a small family-style restaurant, to large multinational hotels, and health care institutions.

Be prepared for your life in the culinary trade. As America’s fascination with food finds it’s way into the mainstream, it provides a view of the culinary world that most people had never seen before. With the rise of The Food Network, and shows like Iron Chef and Hell’s Kitchen, more and more people are entertaining the notion of taking up cooking themselves. They see a celebrity chef like Emeril Lagasse, or Bobby Flay, whipping up all sorts of fantastic creations, and think to themselves, “Hey, that looks like fun! Maybe I should be doing that too!”

What they don’t see on The Naked Chef are the years of training, hard work, and dedication that are involved to get to that point in one’s career. In a fashion similar to that of most other aspects in our society, these celebrity Chef Icons are shown as role models to the world of food, and too many people believe they’ll be on their own cooking show after a few short years in culinary school. However, this is not the case. No one stops to think that those folks you see on T.V. are only a tiny fraction of everyone who works in the foodservice industry.

Of the hundreds of thousands of people who toil endlessly, day after day, in kitchens across the country, only a handful are given a shot at the limelight, to “magic up” Ham Hocks and Shrimp Creole on national television. However you slice, dice, broil or bake it…life in the culinary trade can and will be fun and rewarding.

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Life as a Caterer

admin — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:23:41 +0000

A caterer works closely with clients to design, prepare, and serve menus for events, including wedding dinners, charity balls, holiday brunches, office lunches, and any other occasion where people gather and consume food. A caterer must understand how certain dishes work together, have strong interpersonal, particularly listening, skills, and the ability to manage a cooking and serving staff. Over 70 percent of all catering services are owner-run, so many caterers must also have sharp business acumen. Most people are drawn to the industry because of their love of cooking or preparing elegant meals for special events. In their first few years in catering many find that talent only gets you so far. “You can have dozens of clients, great reviews, and the best products–and you can still lose money hand over fist,” said one ten-year veteran.

Management and organizational skills are critical for those who wish to keep their catering concerns solvent. Caterers spend considerable time developing menus, a unique style, and a business plan. “You have to oversee everything,” one caterer mentioned to us, “that’s why catering services never get too large.” While some catering services do employ hundreds of full- and part-time staff, the large majority have fewer than six full-time employees, and hire temporary staff for the rest.

Business is driven by season. During a day in the life as a caterer, you may have three to five meetings with prospective clients to work out details of the event. The caterer provides menus and the clients choose their favorite dishes and work with the caterer to assemble a meal where each dish compliments the others. Successful caterers are able to gently guide people to decisions that will benefit the event. There are no educational requirements for becoming a caterer, though many choose to attend a culinary academy to learn the basics of certain schools of cooking. Others attend restaurant management school, or at least take coursework in schools that reflect some of the concerns of the business, such as finance, management, and organization.

Those who do not attend any special schools should have some type of professional food preparation experience; cooking food for large numbers of people in a limited time frame is a skill to be learned. Caterers are chefs of a sort, and many become chefs when catering concerns fold (and they do at a significant rate). Others become involved in the service end of the industry, and become event coordinators, party planners, and waiting staff managers. A small number go into the mass-produced food industry, but many view that life as “selling out.” Most frequently, caterers who leave the industry take some time away, review their situations, then enter the field again with a little more knowledge and a little more experience.

Enjoy your life as a caterer.

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Life as a Bartender

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:55:42 +0000

In establishments where cocktails are served, bartenders are expected to be able to properly mix hundreds to thousands of different drinks. A mixologist is a term for a bartender who specializes in the creation of cocktail recipes; the term usually implies special expertise and professionalism. Bartenders also usually serve as the public image of the bar they tend, contributing to as well as reflecting the atmosphere of the bar. In some establishments focused strictly on the food, this can mean the bartender is all but invisible. On the other extreme, some establishments make the bartender part of the entertainment, expected perhaps to engage in flair bartending or other forms of entertainment, such as those exemplified in the films Cocktail and Coyote Ugly.

Some bars might be known for bartenders who serve the drinks and otherwise leave a patron alone, while others want their bartenders to be good listeners and offer counseling (or a “shoulder to cry on”) as required. Good bartenders help provide a steady clientele by remembering the favored drinks of regulars, having recommendations on hand for local nightlife beyond the bar, or other unofficial duties during life as a bartender. They are sometimes called upon for answers to a wide variety of questions on topics such as sports trivia, directions, or the marital status of other patrons

The majority of bartenders directly serve and interact with patrons. Bartenders should be friendly and enjoy talking with customers. Bartenders at service bars, on the other hand, have less contact with customers. They work in small bars often located off the kitchen in restaurants, hotels, and clubs where only waiters and waitresses place drink orders. Some establishments, especially larger, higher volume ones, use equipment that automatically measures, pours and mixes drinks at the push of a button. Bartenders who use this equipment, however, still must work quickly to handle a large volume of drink orders and be familiar with the ingredients for special drink requests. Much of a bartender’s work still must be done by hand to fill each individual order.

Bartenders check identification of customers seated at the bar, to ensure they meet the minimum age requirement for the purchase of alcohol. They prepare mixed drinks, serve bottled or draught beer, and pour wine or other beverages. Bartenders must know a wide range of drink recipes and be able to mix drinks accurately, quickly, and without waste. Besides mixing and serving drinks, bartenders stock and prepare garnishes for drinks; maintain an adequate supply of ice, glasses, and other bar supplies; and keep the bar area clean for customers. They also may collect payment, operate the cash register, wash glassware and utensils, and serve food to customers seated at the bar. Bartenders usually are responsible for ordering and maintaining an inventory of liquor, mixes, and other bar supplies. Bartenders have the right to “card” or see if you have ID.

Drink up and enjoy your life as a bartender.

Culinary School

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:13:00 +0000

Do you find the prospect of 4-year college uninspiring? Do you love food and thrive while working in the kitchen? Are you interested in a good career that allows you to work where you want? Then it’s possible that attending culinary school may be the right choice for you.

Culinary school can be an excellent option for anyone who wishes to pursue a career in the culinary arts. Working as a chef can afford one the option of living and working practically anywhere.

Graduates from good culinary schools go on to find work in hotels, fine restaurants, resorts, and even on cruise ships. And while the work is demanding, the pay can be good. In fact often times, it can be very good.

Many chefs go on to open their own restaurants or restaurant chains. Many write cookbooks and go on talk shows. A select few, Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, to name some, even become celebrities in their own right.

However there are others who attend culinary school merely because they love to cook. They may be parents or have other careers. For them culinary school is a chance to take their talents in the kitchen to the next level. And while they may never wind up in the kitchen at Spago’s or write a best-selling cookbook, making a 3-course gourmet meal for their family is simply it’s own reward.

What sort of culinary school you will attend, will largely depend on what you’re motivation is for attending.

Community colleges and local parks and recreation often offer simple cooking classes. For the gourmet hobbyist these can be great opportunities to broaden one’s culinary skills.

However for those who wish to pursue a career in the culinary arts, these sorts of classes are really only a good place to start. Those who wish to pursue careers as chefs would do best to attend a proper culinary school.

Good culinary schools can be found in most major U.S. cities. Some of the very best are in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Many others can be found overseas. Using the Internet can be an excellent way to research culinary schools in your area.

If you have dreams of becoming the next celebrity chef, opening your own restaurant, or working in the kitchen of a gourmet eatery in Manhattan, than attending culinary school can be a great place for you to start.

Careers in the Culinary Trade

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:01:07 +0000

The culinary arts or culinary trade refers to all aspects of food production and preparation. There are many different job descriptions and titles within the culinary arts which include: chefs, pastry chefs, cooks, production coordinators, caterers and many others. Although a degree or school certificate is not required to enter this field, when you have formal training, acquiring a position in an establishment is much easier and with a better pay scale.

Within the walls of a culinary arts school, the student will learn many aspects of nutrition as well as the chemistry and science of food. The student will spend much time learning the chemical reactions between different types of foods as well the outcome of certain foods that are boiled, frozen, heated, fried and broiled. As the student is investigating the science of foods, they are deciding which of the careers in the culinary trade they are most attracted to. Many students want to become chefs, but others prefer working toward being a pastry chef and still others would rather manage an establishment in the front than being part of the preparation in the kitchen.

Being a chef is what many culinary students aspire to and it is a fine profession to desire but also very demanding. A chef definitely faces many challenges every day. In the average kitchen, they are the General who coordinates all kitchen and cooking duties as well as being responsible for menu choices and recipes.

Some students will want to pursue specialized training in eclectic, French, Italian or some other specific cuisine. Others will want to understand about cooking with organic foods or even a vegetarian menu. Whichever area is chosen is totally up to the future chef. All that is expected is that the food is delicious which builds a solid, returning clientele that spreads the word about the restaurant or banquet facility.

There are many types of chefs; one of which is the pastry chef. If you love the science involved with the interaction of chemicals with foods, then you might really enjoy this culinary trade career. Because of what is involved in making pastry, the understanding of foods at a deeper level is required which might be too difficult for some, but very exciting for others.

Days as a pastry chef are long and most of the time is spent in constant preparation of desserts and various pastries. Many times the pastry chef is the first one in the kitchen in the morning, preparing for the desserts for that day. Because of the demands of this career in the culinary arts, this might not be the ideal position for some.

Although there are many other careers in the culinary trade, there are those that do not involve working in the kitchen but are more involved with management and the front of the restaurant. For those that love sales and food, becoming a catering sales manager would be ideal. There is also the position of restaurant manager who takes care of the front of the establishment working in coordination with the chef who controls the kitchen. Whether as a manager in the front or chef in the back, careers in the culinary trade are exciting and rewarding.