What Makes A Chef

[Voleo]

What makes a Chef Someone who goes to school gets a Degree an finds a vacant job bounces around from job to job Then finally finds one that they dont get fired from. Or someone that never went to School but get promoted by a Chef thats a Master of his Craft.thats known all over the Country & World

[Edgar Jacobs]

I disagree. I think one needs to learn the basics of the craft before you can move on to creating. A painter needs to learn how to hold and care for his brush and mix his paints, a carpenter must learn the qualities and properties of the many types of wood and how to use his tools properly. A welder has to practice his bead and learn to understand how heat and metal react in every circumstance. A butcher needs to learn about muscle and fiber and bone and how they seperate. A cook must also learn his craft, when a "craft" is defined as a collection of skill sets that have been passed on from one student of the craft to the next.

It must include a shared language to define the experiences that the old student has had and the new student will have. If I ask you to braise a leg joint of lamb and you roast it because you never took the time to learn the difference, then we have failed to advance our craft. It doesn't matter where you learn the skills, but you absolutely must learn them.

You must learn to crawl before you can walk and you must learn how to small dice an onion before moving on to more advanced techiques, because what really sets a good cook apart from a poor one is their mastery of excellent techniques that with provide excellent results. A technique is a procedure used to accomplish a specific activity or task and as chefs we strive to learn the best one for each food application right?

I've seem to have rambled a bit, but my point is that cooking was, is and ever will be a craft!

[Paul Thomas]

I agree Edgar, but for many who spend 2 years in school to learn their craft, the term "cook" just doesn't cut it. It's sort of a demeaning term. Kind of like the guy who might work for Denny's or McDonalds. Like someone said, once out of school, you are more of an apprentice rather than a journeyman or master chef. But, you are still considered a chef in my book. Yes, you must learn your craft just like any other profession. Or the guy who has trained under a Master Chef, he/she may not have had all the culinary, hospitality, restaurant management, or nutrition classes I had to take, but he knows technique and he/she worked hard to improve and expand it. Now, with that said, I once worked with a person who called themselves a "chef" and when I told them to get their mise en place ready, they promptly asked me why they need to put their "feet in sauce".... Now, we might have a problem.. :-)

[Daniel Kangiser]

Chef Paul,
It is inappropriote to mention specific names of establishments. I worked for Denny's 2 different times throughout my 35 year career, and many professionals started out at McDonalds when they were in High School.

Just to let you know the Corporate Chef of McDonald's probably exceeds the income of 90 percent or more of the Chef's on this site, I am just guessing, but probably right.

I love food just as much as the next guy, and at times I love a Big Mack, or a Grand Slam breakfast. That doesn't mean I don't have an appreciation of good food.

As for the word mise en place, I didn't hear the word until I had 15 years experience cooking in some of the best establishments in the area.

As a Chef we must realize that some of our subordinates have not had some of the formal education we have been fortunate to have, and your "feet in sauce" comment is hard to believe, but maybe it happened.

I know when I went to Culinary School I struggled more then anything with all the French/Classical terms. What I knew as a brown gravy became an Espanole Sauce, what I knew as a white sauce became a Bechamel. Everything I learned was renamed. When I sat in Garde Manger class I was overwelmed with the foriegn language terms. Why do we speak English then try to teach in French? This is a major failing of our culinary educational system here in the USA. We do not teach our children in French, why do we teach our culinary students this way? Everything is based on a classical educational system, and we forgo the Asian, Middle Eastern, American, etc, etc terms.

It is time that we break away from the norms of the European world. We stand alone!!! Our best Chefs can compete with anyone in the world, yet they speak a foriegn language when they try to communicate with their personnel. " Mise en Place" say it in English, are you ready, everything in place!!!

When we use these terms with our personnel we set a divide between us. Our personnel are our most valuable asset, and we must always remember that. You owe alot of you success to the people that served under you.

Now from a former Denny's employee that could probably cook you under the table any day, don't judge me, nor should you judge the establishment that is a multi-million dollar operation!!!

Chef Daniel

[Paul Thomas]

Chef Daniel,

I must have struck a nerve with you and that was not my intent. I was simply stating "my opinion" on the difference between being called a cook and a chef and how one would feel after working for a Master Chef for years or those who have done their time in culinary school, and are still being considered a "cook". There is nothing wrong with being a cook at a fast food establishment, and I didn't mean to demean the job. I too started out working at various fast food places and burger joints as a cook. I think most of us here did as well. I think that's where we developed the need for something more. But, at that time in my life, I certainly wouldn't call myself a chef. It certainly was the catalyst for me to move on to something else though.

Why do we use French terms you ask.... Let me ask you this; Why does the medical profession use Latin terms? Why do emergency services use 10 codes when talking on the radio? I believe it is the nature of the beast. It's what sets us apart from the fast food cooks. It's what makes us realize that we have that desire to be something other than a cook throwing out burgers or pancakes. Don't get me wrong again Chef, I am not putting those jobs down at all, they can work just as hard as a chef working a line in fine dining.

And as far as you being able to cook me under the table, you probably can. I'm not here to compete with or challenge you or any chef on my ability to cook. We all have our own individual strengths and weaknesses and I certainly know when to check my ego speaking or cooking with other chef's.

So, with that said, I apologize if I have offended you, any fast food or franchise establishment, or any cooks on this website.

[Edgar Jacobs]

I like your interpretation of "What makes a Chef" I think we all must remember that being a chef is much more of a "journey" than a "destination". Accepting the title of "Chef" means you have stepped on to the culinary road that leads to a lifetime of learning and adventure. Being a "good" chef vs a "bad" chef is really, after all, only in the eyes of the beholder.

[Daniel Kangiser]

Hi Rose,
The statement about not making suppliers compete against one another is totally false. Where you got this from is beyond me!!! If you have a single supplier for any product without competition you can bet they will take advantage of you.

[Michael Szczepanski]

I am 45, recently unemployed engineer, finishing my 2 year culinary degree, and hoping I have the energy to "bust my ass". I work part time for a Eve (was on top chef) also, but since I'm so green to the industry, I do prep and clean out the walk-in to start. Big shift from 110k/yr to 9/hr. I will be 50 when I finally have only 5 years experience.
The degree will help me, no doubt. I have to prove myself over others that are under 30, yet have 10 yrs experience already.
I must be tireless in school AND in the field to get anywhere.
That will be how I become chef.

[Mark Webster, CEC, CCE]

From what I have encountered in my career is that completing a culinary school may get you in the door for a job, but keeping the job comes from your knowledge, giving 110% and trying to learn everything you can. In the same way a person doesn't have to attend a culinary school to become a Chef, but it certainly seems to speed up the process. If you are an avid reader and you can retain what you read (reading books like The New Professional Chef or similar text books), you are working under an excellent Chef and are learning everything they have to offer, you can become a Chef as well. I added the last caviats to the equation, because if you are just picking up tricks and shortcuts from a line cook, you might not be learning the proper procedures and techniques which can be the base from which we all build on. Such as stocks, sauces, dry heat, moist heat and many more building blocks. Becoming a Chef no matter how you get there takes time, education, motivation and passion that we need to get through a 14 hour day, on our feet, in a 90 degree kitchen, where we are up against a deadline with each guest we serve. I would not trade it for anything.

[Eduardo Navarro]

i think that school is important because it will make you get to the top easier because you would have the management knowledge required before someone that has only been in a kitchen but hands on and experience in the industry is equally important because like michael said "you have to bust your ass in the kitchen ". and in my personal opinion a Chef is that who can work in the kitchen but at the same time is able to manage a whole kitchen doing all the administrative work required to run the kitchen in the way to success.

[stephe]

As a chef I order & monitor stock, design menus - costing & pricing, hire/fire staff, rostering, interact with suppliers and a hell of a lot more as well as cook. There is also the lingo of being a chef which makes working in the kitchen easier as we all know what our precision cuts are for example. Daniel I currently have an American & Kiwi (new zealander) working in my kitchen in Australia and we went to culinary school over a 17 year period yet we all speak the same langauge in a kitchen. We all know what a laksa, mole & bechemal is. simple. Its not exclusionary - its kitchen lingo that get the job done. Mise en place has meaning to a chef and those who understand it mor than its literal interpretation which makes no sense.

I spent more than a decade as an unqualified cook before taking the time & money to be qualafied which brings more responsibility & a much higher pay. Down under you earn around 25-30% more as a chef than a cook on award (min base pay). It also allows me a take on apprentices to train which is quite a responsibility and the college knows they will learn (hopefully) correct terms & procedures. Going to school ensures a level of knowledge & skill.

Paul accept the challenge. Afterall its takes skill to develop tastes and mix of ingredient, costings & presentation to sell a $22 Kobe burger (40 + / wk) than it does to sell a 99 cent burger.

[Mark Webster, CEC, CCE]

Chef,
Excellent reply. The kitchen lingo is important, like most of us we have very diverse kitchens and regardless of our background being kitchen professionals we all understand. I have worked in kitchen arounds the world and regardless of the language barrier's we always can communicate which allows us to serve our guests.
Great point where your wrote "yet we all speak the same langauge in a kitchen. We all know what a laksa, mole & bechemal is. simple. Its not exclusionary - its kitchen lingo that get the job done".
Hopefully some day I will have the chance to visit Australia I have been to both the North and South islands in New Zealand spening several months in Christchurch. Have a great day ô¿~