Culinary School gives you the "basic" knowledge to succeed...

Is it really necessary to go to Culinary School in order to work as a Chef? Yes and No is my answer. Culinary School does give you the basic knowledge that you will need in order to work in the Food Service Industry. Culinary School will teach you basic cooking techniques, terminology and safety concerns. Just because a person is "book smart" and can memorize what the ratio is to make a basic vinaigrette, doesnt neccessarily mean they can actually make one. They can recite proper temperatures for meat, but can they cook a medium rare steak just by feeling it? A lot of what chefs do is learned by actually doing it. Each restaurant has their own special way of doing things. What might be correct at one place, might not be at another. A smart person off the street (without a culinary degree) can most of the time get a job just as easily as anyone else. As long as they are a fast learner they should be able to be a cook, and gain experience. Cooking isn't easy and is not a job for just anyone. It takes a special kind of person to be able to be able to take the heat and physical demands of working in a kitchen. Most of the time the hours are long and very often the pay might not always be so grand. Chefs love to make people happy, that is why they do what they do. Do you need to go to Culinary School in order to succeed? Maybe not. There is so much to be learned while you are working under a really great chef. On the other hand, Culinary School can give you that extra edge that you need. Maybe even get you a job over someone else. Ultimately, the more experience you gain, the better.

Line Cook vs. Banquet Cook

There are two basic choices as a new chef in the industry, a Line Cook or a Banquet Cook. Each individual has their own preference. A Line Cook usually works in a fast paced environment. As a Line Cook you are responsible for cooking food items to order, also known as 'A la carte.' Customers order their food from a menu and tickets come in accordingly. Some guests like to alter their orders, so a Line Cook must be prepared to please their customers. Depending on the time of day and the restaurants popularity, this can be a very busy time. I personally love the rush I get from being on a line and putting out food as fast as possible. Every day is different and you never know what the next ticket will say. Line Cooks sometime make daily specials to offer to their customers. They will do this to utilize leftovers or showcase a particular item. Some people handle the rush of the line differently than others. It can be difficult for some people to juggle many tasks at the same time. They may be better suited for a job as a Banquet Cook. Banquet Cooks usually work for large corporations or hotels. As a Banquet Cook you are responsible for prepping large quantities of food. Banquet events can be for hundreds of people eating a meal at the same time, either a buffet or a plated meal. This job can be tedious at times, although some people like this as it is more structured. You could spend your days peeling 200 lbs of potatoes, grilling hundreds of steaks or making many gallons of soups and stocks. This is by no means any easier than being a line cook. As a Banquet Cook you must know how to manage your time wisely and delegate tasks as necessary. It is amazing to see as few as maybe 3 chefs prepare and execute a meal for 700 people. Every person is different and enjoys doing certain things. These are not the only two options for chefs by any means, just two main areas.

Can you take the heat?

For some people cooking is their life. They dedicate most of their lives to making other people happy with the food that they cook. Some Chefs work their entire lives just to be able to take the Master Chef Exam. The book "The Soul of a Chef - The Journey Towards perfection" by Michael Ruhlman is a great book to read. He follows the lives of a few chefs from various areas of the industry, as they take the master chef exam. The test is beyond nerve racking to say the least. Very few people pass it each year. For some, after they pass the test, they don't know where to go from there. Their entire lives they worked to get this "title" and then what? Most of them worked so long and so hard for their careers their personal lives are non existent. The long hours and constant work days can take a strain on some families. Now, not every chef out there strives to go take the master chef exam. In fact, not very many at all. Even still, they work long, grueling hours. I knew a chef who worked from 7am - 10pm pretty much every day. He had a wife and 5 children. Now when did he have time to spend with them? Cooking professionally is definitely not a 9-5 job. That is something you need to consider before applying. There might be a select few jobs that you can get cooking where your hours are decent, they aren't all sweat shops. Like a breakfast cook for example. You could work early mornings and have the afternoons and evenings free. But on the other hand, did you pay $50,000 or more to flip omelets? If you plan to cook 'gourmet food' more than likely you will be cooking dinners. If your partner also works night, that could also be a good fit. There are so many things to consider before you apply to Culinary School. It can be a wonderful experience, but is it worth it?

Should you go to Culinary School?

My name is Daizy, and I'm not here to bad mouth or run down any ones decision to go to Culinary Arts school. I just want to simply give you pros and cons of both. I have an associates degree from a very respectable school, whose name I will not mention. For the next 20 years I will be paying back student loans for my wonderful education.
The recruiters for all Culinary Arts schools paint such a beautiful picture for you. You are going to travel the world making amazing food and you will make so much money you won't know what to do with it. Yeah right. I really wish I would have explored my options before I went to Culinary Arts School.
The main "Pro" of cooking is, well, people will always be eating. No matter what city, state or country you are in. But, that could also be its downfall. You, as a cook, will be working nights, weekends and holidays. All the times when the rest of the world wants to go out and enjoy themselves, you will be ensuring that they do.

I will be posting more on this topic shortly.....