OT: Any cooks or chefs out there?

I figured there might be, since that profession lends itself well to gaining weight!

I really want to enter the profession, but I'm not sure how to go about doing so.

Right now, I work in business, with a mortgage to match, and a husband (also in business) who doesn't really want to change our lifestyle in an extreme way. This means I cannot go be a line cook for some period of time at $8/hr.

There are a few certificate programs in my area that can be done at night; are they worthwhile? I've read that associates degrees are better, but I don't have the option of leaving work to go back to school full-time. The certificate programs are intensive (i.e. 6pm - 11pm, 3 nights a week, for a year) when combined with full-time work. They're not un-doable, but if having a certificate isn't overly useful, then it's a waste of time and money.

My goal is to someday own a small cafe or wine bar, with organic foods and lots of cheese and wine. I'm just not sure how to get there!! I know I need some industry experience and some formalized training first, and some capital!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thu. Jan 10, 12:42pm

IANAC (I am not a chef), but my sis-in-law is. She graduated from Le Cordon Bleu (not the one in Paris, but still not shabby) and believe me if you ain't out there hustling, it don't matter where you went. It's still more about who you know although a big name on the resume always helps.

Be prepared to work crazy (odd) hours and just about every weekend and holiday. Be prepared to work with lots of strong egos, regulations, suppliers that may deliver bad produce the day you want to use it, people who don't care about their jobs, bad managers. Be prepared to work frantically to get everything orchestrated and out to the floor with little recognition or praise. Be prepared to fight with the waitstaff or have them come rushing back in a panic with food that the customer isn't happy with. Be prepared to pay painstaking attention to detail. You have to get it right - on time, every time or it throws a monkey wrench into the rest of the party's meal (ever had your food come out and everyone's is cold except for one person?).

Now be creative and create a magical experience for your customers in the above environment while you're surrounded by food, noise, and have constant demands on your time.

My SIL works as a sous chef at a swanky country club and still needs a second job to make ends meet if that's any indication of what the pay is like for just about everyone except the head chef.

Being a chef is for the insane, but she loves it so I'm glad there's folks out there with that kind of insanity. The burn out rate is high though.

Thursday, January 10, 2008, 1:24 PM

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