How to develop a career in culinary arts?
February 24, 2011
Im about to start studying to become a chef but what direction should i take?
Next week i’m going to tack a one day course in Thai cuisine( they teach you 6 dishes), then next month a short course in french cuisine (10 dishes). I*’m half asian and half caucasian and i grew up in asia. So I do see the difference in different cuisines, for example i know in chinese cuisine it takes a lot of technich and in thai it’s more simple techinch but more on prep? i think..that’s as much as i know, and i do plan on making this a career but how do i choose. I’m joining this short course to get a feel in different cuisines, yet of course nothing beats experience. Please share.
Any advice and experience will be much much appreciated.
p.s. aside from the two short courses i’ve mentioned, i’m also planning to enroll in a Certificate in Hotel Culinary( one year part time, while i work as well.) this is the course details:
1. Catering Theory
2. Catering Equipment, Resources & Energy
3. Kitchen Management
4. Gastronomy
5. Menu Studies & Briefing
6. Food Hygiene, Health and Safety
7. Food Cost, Storage & Quality Control
8. Beverage Studies – Cocktail
9. Beverage Studies – Wset Level 1 Foundation Certificate
10. Food Preparation Theory^
11. Kitchen Practice – Starter, Soup & Main Course^
12. Kitchen Practice – Cakes, Dessert & Chocolate^
13. Kitchen Practice – Bakery, Pastry & Cookies^
14. Kitchen Practice –Basic Butchery, Fish Preparation^
15. Food & Beverage Service Operations I ^
Is this any good? Am i on the right path? please please adivce.
Thank you so much!
This is a hard question to answer. I took a Culinary Skills Diploma college course (it took me a year to complete because of finances at an accredited college) and really all it says is that I have the basic skills required to work in a kitchen. One word to the wise is to make sure whatever school you go to get your Servsafe Certification (this is a definite plus). Experience is necessary to barter for better wages. This field has become so popular that it is becoming saturated with culinary graduates and is very competitive. I would make sure that the school you are planning on attending is an accredited school and try (or be sure they can lead you in the right direction for internships). This is very expensive to get into and short courses are not always recognized. Just remember whatever school you go to when you graduate you will still start at the bottom and have to work your way up. Nothing is easy!
In answer to part of your question, you will want a thorough course on Classical French Techniques, regional cuisines, nutrition, and introduction to baking and pastries. Good luck but research your schools so you get the most for your money.
Find some training agency about culinary arts to let you rise the technical ability .
I don’t know what school you’re going to but here are some of Culinary Schools around the country.. Le Cordon Bleu, Kendall College, Johnson & Whales, The Art Institute and some universities also offer courses but I can’t speak from experience. I went to Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago, IL. It was a very good school. I was trained classically and learned the French way. I don’t know if it’s possible but the classes you listed; take all of them. If you can’t take all of them then take the every business class you can. Cost control, safety & sanitation, nutrition, etc. Take all the Kitchen Practice courses. It’s hard to pick out which ones you should take because I had to take all of the classes you listed.
Becoming a chef mean you need to have ‘the bug’ for cooking. A school can’t give you ‘the bug’.
As an accomplished home cook, prize winning BBQ queen, etc the course work sounds intriguing, but will not make you a ‘chef”.
A school will not make you a chef. – sorry – you will become a decent line cook paying a big student loan at minimum wage.
Would love to take these classes for reference, although I have studied food and cooking on my own that I would probably cook you under a bridge.
1. Get work in a busy kitchen. The busier the better. After 2 weeks working there, ask yourself if it is the kind of work you like. If so, take up your culinary diploma and then go back to the kitchen again. The diploma just guarantees you higher wages and probably you know enough basics so the chefs won’t be screaming at you all the time.