# Biggest Problem Facing Young Chefs



## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

Here's a question for all the chefs out there. What do you think is the biggest problem that young chefs face today. I think that one of the problems is that there is too much available out there. How can any chef become a master at something when we are expected to know a little about everything. To make it in this business now adays a chef must be well versed in all Asian cuisines, latin cuisines, American Regional cuisines, all the classic and European cuisines. Plus he/she must be a master at baking, pastries, administration, and FOH management. Where is the time to immerse yourself in one cuisine or style when the public seems to demand we cater to their every whim. Are we destined to one global fusion cuisine? Is it possible to master all this,or are we destined to produce chefs that are "jacks of all trades and masters of none"?


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## chefron (May 14, 1999)

I think we ourselves are the problem; chefs get bored with "same old" and they get into fusion this and that by their own choice. Hot food, freshly prepared and attractively presented, coupled with great service are the keys to success. "Fusion everything" is like the proverbial dog barking up the wrong tree. Frankly, the bigger issue I see in this country is the deterioration of service standards. Upselling? What is that? When I do go out to eat I often have to raise both my hands like a goalie at a soccer match just to get a dinner fork.


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## theloggg (Sep 28, 1999)

I think the biggest problem facing young chefs would be to have "cheflyone" or "Chef Jerome" as your head chef. It's time to relax just a little bit.









[This message has been edited by Nicko (edited February 04, 2000).]


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

All you young "chefs" need to get over yourselves. I too consider myself to be a young chef. I am 29 and am the PM Sous at a great restaurant in downtown Chicago that has received lots of great reviews both nationaly and locally. I have been in and out of this business since I was 8 and have been pursuing this career professionally for the better part of 10 yrs. One of the greatest lessons I have learned is humility. A lesson I think a few of you need to learn. I've worked under a number of very good chefs and could probably run my own place by now, but I feel I still have lots to learn before I am ready to open up and run a 3 star restaurant. Sorry to ruin your dreams, but cheffing is about much more than cooking. It's about running a successful kitchen and business. It's knowing 1001 things that have nothing to do with cooking, on top of being able to create foods that people will come back for time and again. No school can teach you all these things. It takes years of observing and learning to get it down right. It is also about proving to people that you are ready to take over a business that they have sunk a lot of money into. I know some young chefs who have succeded in doing this, but I know many more who have jumped before they are truly ready and have fallen flat on the faces.
You talk about respect, but you have to show respect to earn respect and the if your attitudes, that you show here, spill over into your work life its no wonder you recieve no respect from your superiors. Over the years I have found that it is the cook (or chef) who quietly goes about his job perfectly gets a lot more praise, responsibility, and offers than one who constantly tells everyone how great he/she is.

[This message has been edited by Pete (edited October 19, 1999).]


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## m brown (May 29, 1999)

Young chefs biggest problem is to wake up and smell the coffee.Don't whine about the kudos and glamour you feel you need, if you deserve it, it will come. Put your head down, shut your mouth and learn.If you think cheffen is cooken read on.......
To be a chef you must be 501 things:
1 Babysitter
2 Drill Sgnt.
3 Maid
4 Artist
5 Plumber
6 Butcher
7 Gardener
8 Accountant
9 Master of scheduals
10 Librarian
11 Pshyco analyst
12 Shop keeper
13 Dishwasher
14 Soda Jerk
15 Phone answering machine
16 Humanitarian
17 Nurse/Doctor
18 Over the age of 30 to have aquired finess on all levels of the above. 
19 Teacher
20 Photographer
21-500 fill in as you go along.

501 Oh yeah, mastering the art of food is a good thing too.

If you want to edit my spelling or grammer, do so on your own time.
Sorry this isn't sweetness and light but art isn't all sweetness and light.

[This message has been edited by m brown (edited October 19, 1999).]


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

ChefTiss then you have to ask yourself, "Is this a place that I want to work?" You got fired because you did your job, did it well, and wasnt a showoff about it? If this is truly the case then you are better off out of that place. Most professional kitchens I know would die for cooks like that.


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## m brown (May 29, 1999)

extra reply, oops.

[This message has been edited by m brown (edited October 21, 1999).]


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## m brown (May 29, 1999)

chefTiss
Don't freak out and don't blame the last place you worked, look for a place better suited to your talents. Ask yourself "What did they do right", hold that and bring it to your next job. (remember what they did wrong and don't do that.)
I have been fired by idiots and gods alike. The best part is I have taken a part of each establishment as I went along. 
The point of working under a chef is to take, assimilate and move on when it's time. Don't jump in try to change things and takeover cause nothing is worse than someone trying to fix something that's not broken. 
*there is more than one way to skin a cat.*

My last post was to no one in particular, just needed to vent and I guess stir things up for a passionate discussion.


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## chefron (May 14, 1999)

Hey, I think some of you guys are taking yourselves way too seriously! The biggest problem facing young chefs? Developing a sense of humor. I mean, ain't nobody getting out of this (life) alive you know!

King Solomon said something in Ecclesiastes (that's in the B-I-B-L-E) I shall never forget: "The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all." 

No matter how hard you work and study, no matter how many sacrifices you make, no matter how earnestly you prepare, your competitior just might be luckier than you. The object here is not to take ourselves so seriously we end up with ulcers.

-Peace :0)


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## fatchef (Oct 28, 2005)

It's an opinion. A "Master Chef" is a title given or self proclaimed title that either comes from tradition or arrogance. I've worked for 5 of the 50 French Masters in the States, all great cooks, managers and bosses. I wouldn't say that the other 45 contain these qualities though. I think a chef is a chef. Some know about cooking, managing, and being a good person to the guys on the line. Most, however contain a combo of the three in a lesser fashion if they're lucky. A "Master" is not one titled by his peers but by the students who hold them on that pedestal.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

I get squeamish when the word "Chef" is bantered about, and downright nasty when the word "Masterchef" is used. Though I am Canadian, I take the European attitude to my profession. I apprenticed in Switzerland, and the apprenticeship was for three years. Upon completion of the apprenticeship, I was allowed to use the title "Cook"--not "Chef". Those who do not complete an apprenticeship, or even start one, can not call themselves "cook", but "hobbycook". After three or four years working as commis and then Chef de partie postions, you might then call yourself a "Chef". The Swiss have their highest degree the Culinary postion allows: Eidgenoische Diplomierte. A Federal Gov't recognized degree that requires 1) the apprenticeship, 2) minimum of 5 years work after the apprenticeship in 4 or 5 star houses, 3) Completed course that enables you to train apprentices, and 4) The Eid. Dip. course itself, which takes two years and has a 50% failure rate. This is the Swiss version of "Masterchef" and most of the Europeans have their versions. 

As you can see, the apprenticeship is the leveler, the benchmark. All Chefs must originate with an apprenticeship, and employers can and will ask you to show this document. Because of this, there is very little abuse to the word "Chef", those who call themselves this usually deserve it, and those who don't are "found out" very quickly. 

N.America IS a breeding ground for cooks who call themselves "Chefs" for the simple fact that there is no Federal Gov't benchmark. One school might pump out cooks every 6 mths, one might do it in two years, but there is no consistancy in the structure of the training, the depth of knowldege imparted, or even that all 14 methods of cooking are fully comprehended. It's wild west here, anything goes, anyone can call themselves "Chef" because there is no Gov't regulated criteria. Now, take other trades, plumbers/gasfitters or electricians. These tradespeople have to take Gov't approved classes and take Gov't approved tests before they get their tickets. A benchmark, a level playing field. If the guy has his electrician's ticket, you'd feel comfortable with him wiring your house. But a cook, just ties on an apron and he's a "cook".

If you have passion in this business, you will find the time to learn. I run my own business, which takes up most of my time, a family, yet I still find time to trot off to the library or bookstores to catch up on new and interesting stuff. But I remain focused in what I do, I don't jump to the next wunder-fad or ingrdient, I stick to what I feel has the maximum amount of flavour, presentation, and from the best ingredients I can afford. I comprehend and execute the 14 methods of cooking and never slouch on technique.


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## spritzer (Oct 30, 2005)

I got shouted at lots, i didnt like it

spritz


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## wyoming (Mar 21, 2004)

I wholeheartedly agree.


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## mikeb (Jun 29, 2004)

I agree with this somewhat. The word 'chef' is definitely abused around here. I disagree however that you need 'official' credentials to be a 'chef'. IMO a chef is someone who is THE boss in a kitchen cooking at a high level. Anything less is just a cook (or apprentices below cooks). I personally don't have any papers, however I have been an apprentice, and a chef de partie at the highest level restaurants around here (even worked for a few French chefs).

BTW, in Canada there 'are' government certifications for the cooking profession, however only hotels seem to care about papers. I've also worked with 'certified' cooks who couldn't make a mayonnaise, and non-certified chefs who are incredibly skilled.


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Mike, at least we're on the same wavelength. Sometimes I'll take a bucket with me when I go over resumes because everyone calls themselves "chef"; sandwich chef, prep chef, day chef, salad chef, and even use the word chef as a verb: "" I've been "Cheffing" for..."

I, too, have worked with "qualified" Chefs who made Hollandaise with a commercial mayo base because they couldn't do it otherwise, who had no idea how to calculate foodcost, couldn't portion a steak to save their lives and as a result got screwed royally by every butcher...I've "trained" red seal Chefs how to put a simple Hobart meat grinder attachment together (and again, and again...) how to make a simple chicken stock with (gasp!) chicken bones, how not to dump raw chicken into a finshed chicken noodle soup just before service.

In order for me to respect my boss, the Chef, he has to know as much or more than I do about cooking. How many times have I walked into a new kitchen to find cooks slapping a raw chix brst into a cold pan, drizzle it with oil, and THEN turn on the flame? The Chef never bothered to instruct, probably because he doesn't know how. This is where I get frustrated, the man is in charge, but doesn't know diddly-squat, and even worse, pretends he does and hates anyone who knows more than he, and will ultimately try to get them out of their kitchen. This is not the usal scene in Europe, for not only do you need money to operate a restaurant, which is the only criteria in N.America, but you also have to have a Restauranteur's license, which is no mean feat. As a result, most kitchens in Europe are professionally run, and not some dream about running a place on a shoe string because you've got a great meatloaf or carrot cake recipie, and with no experience in the hospitality biz.

N.America has no standard for cooking instruction. Some schools offer excellent courses, with great instructors, and some are commercial enterprises, run on a profit basis, with the bulk of their students from foreign countries, offering an easy way to get a student visa with out the hassle of full-time University. Most employers, including myslef, refuse to look at paper credentials for cook applicants, it means nothing. The first 4 hours on the job will tell me everything I need to know.

But an apprenticehip is different, it is a benchmark. If you've passed it, then you know how to make a Bearnaise, a fumet de poission, a decent stew, know how to put a meatgrinder together, know how to walk through the kitchen without causeing a wake of destruction behind you. As an employer in Europe you have a very good chance when hiring an apprenticed cook, that he/she actually knows how to cook, and the rest of the brigade know that too.


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## clark5454 (Oct 27, 2005)

In my oppinion the biggest problem facing young chefs today is in the realization that the money sucks.What i mean by that is being prepared either to hone your craft while being paid little or to jump in when your not ready for a dollar more.


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## clark5454 (Oct 27, 2005)

this isint europe,maybe its time to set our own standards.I believe the ranking of cec has started to be used correctly here.An apprinticeship is f
eudal,you may as well call it free help in a lot of circumstances.What i like to do is not eat at places that are not good,who cares if the guy out back using the microwave calls himself a chef.When you mention plumbers and electricians does this also mean that the pay is going to be structured as so also(you ever hired a plumber and paid the bill?)when you get down to it it is the public,the demand that has been created.the more restaurants that open the more underqualified people you will have in the kitchens.should the government be able to tell me i cant open a restaurant because they think i cant cook.Also look at the scandals that have come out about the michelin guide and the beard house.on hiring someone that has been an apprentice or not,just have them cook something for you,pick up a knife and chop something or actually call a reference,4 hours isnt even needed.Im happy with myself as a chef that really is what being a chef is


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Some good points there. What's that saying?..."The blind leading the blind?"... There are very few THOROUGHLY trained cooks here in N. America that it's downright embarrassing. You can get your training through the school of hard knocks, but it will be 5 or 10 times longer than a proper apprenticeship, with no guarantees that the education will be complete. So if the Chef isn't throughly trained, he can't possibly thoroughly train his cooks. Which is how you get the cold chicken breast in a cold pan and then turn on the heat scenerio, or removing a baron of beef from a roasting pan and throwing out the drippings because the chef has absolutely no idea how to convert those drippings into a decent sauce, or throwing dry pasta into tepid water, turning on the heat, and as an afterthought, throwing in some salt. This problem is intesified by suppliers who supply ready made sauces, entrees, etc, so that very little skill is needed to open a package and heat it.

Think of an apprenticeship as a boot camp for the army. Almost every army in the world demands that EVERYONE goes through the bootcamp, future officers, I-corp, etc, are then later creamed off after completion. It is a common leveler, everyone starts off knowing the same thing, and then it's up to their own ambition to learn more, but if they've gone through the course, you're guaranteed that they know the minimum. My point is that if a Chef finaly gets his CEC/ Red Seal/ ACF/whatever "papers", how many cooks has he improperly trained before he realises that his knowlege on the subject is incomplete and needs more work? Most of these "papers" require the Chef to be in a supervisory postion BEFORE he applies to write them, and now they test him after he's (improperly) trained X amount of cooks?! The damage is done.

Restaurants in N.America have a bad failure rate. No knowledge or experience is needed to run one, and as a result they are poorly run. Since the 1800's, immigrants have come to this country, and not being able to find work in their field, scraped cash together to open up a restaurant. This is as true today as it was 150 years ago. By looking at the small businesses for sale website in this city, I cans see no fewer than 11 places up for sale, all with ethnic cooking, and most shut down due to poor management, or health, WCB, or Fire code violations. Yet these places operate, and they need staff. When the owner, who has forked out $60 for a S/S pot, burns it dry, and then freaks out and rushes to fill it with cold water, it warps and ruins it, but since it costs $60 the owner insists that the staff continue using it. So either you learn that cold water in a dry burned pot ruins it, or you learn that its allright to use a warped rock & roll pot to cook with. No teacher there to tell you what's right or wrong. Same with applying vegetable oil to the meat slicer. Owner/Chef doesn't know any better and is confused when the slicer is so gummed up that you can't move the carriage. Or how to properly clean out a deep fryer, how to poach an egg properly, how to braise, how to roast.

Alot of the smaller places, especially those with immigrant owners know nothing about heath codes, WCB or fire codes. For most, their line of logic is that these inspectors are looking for bribes or out to make their lives miserable. I've worked at one place where the hood was so choked with grease, that the owner would put a 1/4 bolt through the fire extinguisher on the suppresion system and use a small cheap portable extinguisher to put the fire out that would appear regularly every week. Simply refused to get the hood cleaned because it " Cost so much moneys!" 

Ditto for payrolling. "I 'll pay you when I have the money, maybe next week" Heard that one before? How are you supposed to pay your rent or gas? And then the owner gets ready to kill when someone calls the labour board when he/she hasn't been paid in almost 6 weeks .

Ditto for health codes too. A Restauranteurs course would ensure that owners are at least AWARE of the codes and laws in place, how to use them to their advantage. And maybe so many mistakes wouldn't happen due to ignorance, and these mistakes not be perpetuated because they were allowed to happen in the first place.


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## kitcook (Nov 2, 2005)

I attempted to read between the lines of verbal posturing and still I didnt read one actual problem facing a young chef. Although I do think its an oxymoron to say young chef, like jumbo shrimp. As things stand now, the title chef is just the guy in charge, now can he cook? that's the real question. 

How amazing to be only 23 and be exec chef! holy cow! you lucky dog. Why the whining? Respect is earned and here it was handed to you. Now you have this tool you can use, that's wonderful. Its not a problem, its a blessing. I wish I was so lucky.


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## 100folds (Apr 9, 2005)

amen!
Reading all of this it sounds not just like a young boy pissing contest but a pissing contest of all ages. Why are you people in this industry? Do you love the kitchen? Do you love food? Do you love the history, the culture the science of food? If not then maybe you should re - exam your priorities. That's why we have so many arses out there, running kitchens and they don't have a clue what they are doing. They are young, they are old, they are skinny and they are fat!!! What we should really be talking about is what is required as a chef. We can't put a formula to that, meaning you can't say 3 years at garde manager, another 2 at entremet and hold a sous position for another 5. We all work at different speeds. What we need to look at is what is the attitude, where is the passion and what has the person done to fill that passion. 
I've worked for young and old chefs. They both had positive and negitive points. I never worked for a chef that I felt I knew more than because that would be a waste of my time! I still have a tremendous amount to learn and will not take a chef position until I have fulfilled all that I have set out for myself. Trust me, the goals will keep me going for a long time. 
Who wants to be a chef before they are ready anyways. I watch my chef now, work 12 hour days 6 days a week. Always screaming and viens popping out of his neck. I don't want that right now and probably don't want to be like that when I get there. I couldn't do his job right now. That's that.


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## stephanie brim (Aug 30, 2005)

Bringing this up again, I do have something to add.

Working at a truck stop can build character, even if it is only for one day. Here's the story.

I was kind of thinking of going to culinary school and I really, really needed a job quickly. I had bills to pay and I couldn't afford to be dilly-dallying around looking for the perfect job. I settled on working for a Country Kitchen. I worked on the grill/griddle. Lots of eggs, waffles, pancakes, sausage, and bacon went through me before it got to the customer. The guy who was training me, the manager for the morning crew, did something that I'm never, ever going to forget and it's probably one of the reasons that I want to go into food service. I dropped a sausage on the floor. He picked it up, put it back on the grill, proceeded to tell me that the 'dirt will cook off', and put it on a customer's plate. I worked the rest of my shift that day (which mainly consisted of prepping and breading chicken for frying), got home, slept very little that night, and quit the next day. I haven't eaten there since.

Why does this make me want to go into the food industry? So that I can eventually get high enough to prevent this from happening again. Not only did it turn me off of that restaurant, but the entire chain. I don't want to eat somewhere that they will hire just anyone. The guy was fired afterward, apparently, but not for some time after I left. It was a horrible experience.

One of the problems that I face every day in my struggle to get into this industry is the lack of good places to eat where I live. In this town we have only two great restaurants: The Emporium, which makes burgers and some more sophisticated dishes, and Leon's, which is the best pizza and fried chicken in town. Of the two, Leon's is where I'd rather work. He makes his own crust, his own sauce, and chops his own toppings. He also makes most of his other menu choices from scratch. It's a family-owned restaurant with a great laid-back atmosphere and friendly, laid-back service. I feel at home there. I would, however, love to see a formal dining restaurant here and would love working there as a prep cook. Even if I didn't get to touch the menu (which of course I wouldn't...lowly servant to the chef that I would be), I'd at least get to prepare or help prepare some of the dishes that are similar to things that I have ideas for. To get fine dining around here, you pretty much have to go all the way to Des Moines (70 miles from where I am) and a lot of the really good places are new. The Bravo Cucina, an Italian restaurant in the new Jordan Creek complex, is the best I've ever eaten in Iowa. I thought about saving up enough money to rent an apartment for a month and beg the chef to let me work in his kitchen as a volunteer, but I doubt it would happen. I'm kind of in debt too much at the moment to think about doing something like that.

Living in a small town is the main thing holding me back from doing any of this professionally. The love of food and cooking and menial things such as chopping up a pepper and making a simple ganache is there, but the ability to do it in a restaurant isn't. I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to get the experience for CIA if I can't even find a suitable place to work around here. Not having a driver's license is holding me back more than anything, really.

As an aspiring chef in a small town, it's the small town itself that's holding me back. Not having access is a big issue. I'm thinking of paying off all my debt, getting some money together by working two jobs, and then going to a bigger city like Chicago or New York and getting a job as a prep cook in a restaurant. I know of a place in Minnesota that I could go to, actually, due to the guy having worked in a town 20 miles away from here: the guy knows my mother. Leaving my life here behind to follow this dream seems to be the only way I'm ever going to make it. Kind of depressing.


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## shahed (Dec 22, 2005)

i agree with jean-baptiste's comments on page 1.

I am 23 and after working in a family business i decided to go to catering school and it really is scary how true he is on this one. I see it everyday in the kitchen, people just dont have patience anymore. They want to reach their goals over night and if they dont, they quit or have a negative attitude. Ironicly look at the lenghts of scenes in new movie releases, well at this rate will all be watching cartoons again.

Personally i feel lucky to be getting involved with the industry at the present time. There is a wealth of information around me and plenty of jobs to choose from. The industry is far more advanced and very giving to low skilled professionals.

As far as goals and future plans go, i think people get far too confused. Young chefs in my eyes should just be listning, cooking and tasting, soaking everything up like a sponge.

Personally i want to be the best chef i can be, so the only thing i care about is the food. Yeah you can brag about how many people youve managed and how many places youve worked in. But to me that should all come much later. 

Put your heart and soul into finding your style, take as long as it takes and enjoy it. But whatever you do, do the best you can. 

Oh and remember somewhere out there, theres someone doing that little bit more than you.

regards,

shahed


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## david chenelle (Nov 1, 2004)

Think of an apprenticeship as a boot camp for the army. Almost every army in the world demands that EVERYONE goes through the bootcamp, future officers, I-corp, etc, are then later creamed off after completion. It is a common leveler, everyone starts off knowing the same thing, and then it's up to their own ambition to learn more, but if they've gone through the course, you're guaranteed that they know the minimum. My point is that if a Chef finaly gets his CEC/ Red Seal/ ACF/whatever "papers", how many cooks has he improperly trained before he realises that his knowlege on the subject is incomplete and needs more work? Most of these "papers" require the Chef to be in a supervisory postion BEFORE he applies to write them, and now they test him after he's (improperly) trained X amount of cooks?! The damage is done.

Great topics and points folks. Foodpump, I agree wholeheartedly about apprenticeship. I graduated in '85, in San Diego. 3 year course and I graduated as a journeyman cook NOT as a chef. I was far more educated then anybody I had met from the CIA or any culinary schools for that matter. The one exception were people that had practical experience before hand. 
Back to the original question. Young Chefs are only a reality in America. They don't exist beyond our borders. The title of Chef is incredibly abused in America. Too many graduates think that they will be a "chef" when they get out of school. At best you are nothing more then a prep cook. Unless you have any practical experience before going to school then all you can hope for is being a prep cook. Secondly the money sucks. Period. My Chef that I apprenticed under told me that you spend twenty years paying your dues to the industry before it starts to pay you. This is how long it takes to become truly established in this industry. Thirdly; our industry changes all of the time. It was changing last week, 1, 5, 10, 20 years ago ad infinitum. Don't think that you are on the brink of making history. You are NOT. You are just another flash in the pan so to speak. There has always been the basics of continental cuisine; 14 methods of cooking, 5 mother sauces, etc. All people have done is to twist them around. Asian cooking also has its disciplines, but once you are familiarized with it you can become efficient with practicing that cuisine. The same goes for others as well. 
To all young Chefs all I have to say is this. You need to learn patience. This industry is slowly changing as far as work environment. Office workers learn a lot less then we do but are greatly accomodated for what little effort they put forth. We are in the opposite side of the spectrum. We must continue to learn our whole life and have very little to show for it. If we compared what we need to know as compared to a doctor it would be just about equal. The Doctor only has to know about the human body and it's functions. We must know just about every edible animal on earth. How to prepare it, cook it, serve, sauce, etc. However the Doctor will get paid 4 to 20 times the amount then a Chef. We need to know how to break down carcasses, pull the primal cuts of meat out, cut the secondary out and portion the steaks, filets, etc. I am sure most of you young chefs don't have a clue as to what I am talking about or have never seen and worked with whole animal carcasses as I have or as if I read foodpump right, as he has also. This is a tough business. There is very little glory unless you simply enjoy working with food as I have. That is about the only glory you will have. None or very few will pat you on the back. The only reward you may see is the guests keep coming back for more. Then you know that you have done a good job. 
I can keep going on but I have to stop. I'll start to look like this smiley here :talk: 
David


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## josh (Dec 30, 2005)

In this work one must be humble.
That's the biggest problem for young chef.
whe are here to serve people, and the bigest payment is a SMILE.
NOT MONEY
NOT TV SHOWS
That comes with the LOVE you have for your work (Food).


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## campchef (Jan 5, 2001)

I agree that the most important thing a young culinarian (the term the ACF uses and I agree with) can have is humility. I have worked in this industry for over 20 years, and now teach, and one thing that always burned me was some young gun coming in to MY kitchen and trying to change the worls. Guess what, it's all been done before, you are *not* inventing anything new. Learn as much as you can, then go somewhere else and learn some more. Even after 20 years, I don't pretend to know a portion of all there is to know, I still seek out other professionals to learn more, as do professionals aks my advice.
As for apprenticeship, the US does have a system of apprenticeship available through the ACF, but most young people do not want to put the time or effort necessary to complete it. A Master Chef in the US must complete the ACF CMC exam, 10 days of very difficult testing and cooking. An earlier post said some other countries have a failure rate of 50%, the CMC has a failure rate of 80%+. There are currently about 58 CMCs in the US, and all are true masters of the craft. There is a huge difference between being an Exec and having CEC on your chest.


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## lukeygina (Mar 28, 2005)

I'm a very young chef! At 19, I consider myself to be one of the most talented but very raw up and coming chefs. I absolutely have the love for the industry and making great tasting/looking food. For example, New Year's Eve I volunteered to work at my restaurant for a couple hours early for free just so that the night/parties/banquets would go smoothly. My Kitchen Manager and I have not always seen eye to eye though and he often tries to hide my enthusiasm/knowledge from my owner (who absolutely is amazed at what a 19 year old can cook) due for him being scared of me taking his job away. Rightfully so though because I would be worried if I was a 10 year veteran of Diner Jobs and being basically a monkey off of an owner with his own system not really making anything of his own. I however, like to try to make things better/more current and my manager def sees that I have the potential but he always tells me that (if I don't make things taste the same (aka like crap) as his that we won't have consistantcy. He's def right but I keep thinking "Well if the waitstaff/owner/customers all say that my way tastes better, than why not change it?"

My uncle tells me that I should come forward to my owner and manager and say that basically I want the Kitchen Manager/Exec Chef job from my manager but I think that's a little harsh. I am just trying to make enough money to support my fun life/ student loans from the failed attempt at Computer Science degree.

Basically some of you guys/gals have read my posts before and they all have the same theme: I'm young, and love cooking but I want to learn to be great and not just settle for mediocre food.

My times to shine are basically Mon and Tues when I work from 9 AM until 10:30 PM by myself with just a runner and a dishwasher for help. Both are not skilled in any means at cooking and are more harm than help when on the line. My only real fault is that I get really nervous when I get about 8+ orders and when I have a large party 8+ I tend to forget the small little things like side items.

I'm basically asking the pros if they've ever had that jittery/nervous feeling and what they did to get rid of it... I really think it's my only pitfall and if I can eliminate it, I think I could be the best cook in my restaurant... lol although that's out of three: Kitchen Manager, *** Kitch Manager (ME), and the other *** Kitchen Manager but below me who is kinda the same breed as my manager (learns from the system and follows it religiously not bringing any fresh ideas into it.

I don't know if I want to / am able to take on a managerial position because A> I think I'd like to try my hand at college once more
B> My owner doesn't really like change unless he's positive it will work...
C> There's really a pretty limited ability to change the menu... It's kinda an old fashioned italian steakhouse with a large banquet area... We serve usually about 300 per busy night with a 150+ banquet per Fri/Sat night...


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## lukeygina (Mar 28, 2005)

Oh and one other problem I face is managerial tasks... I'm the youngest in the kitchen and when my manager leaves at his usaul 6/7ish I'm supposed to be in charge. However, the waitstaff and even my runners often do not give me the proper respect/title in often the servers will go to my under cook with problems instead of me (expediator/main cook)

How should I command the respect?


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## mikeb (Jun 29, 2004)

Hate to disappoint, but theres alot of talented chefs out there. At 19 years old I was a sous-chef at a golf course, then later that year I was a Chef de Partie in one of the top fine dining restaurants in my city (awards from several magazines and other media for several years now). Now at 20 I'm working in the #1 restaurant (based on awards), and if I can find the money will be competing soon. The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know. 'Talent' is nice, but you've got to turn it into knowledge, experience and get results. 'Potential' is never bad, but nothing is worse than wasting it. 

That could be a problem. You can't get nervous ever, otherwise you start making mistakes. You need to learn to organise, prioritize based on cook times, as well as the whims of the guests (do they need to leave quick, are they here to stay, etc...), and when you're in the @#$%, just put your head down and get the job done. I'm very glad I've worked in busy chain restaurants before fine dining, it helped me alot with my production speed (doing several hundred dinners per hour for five strait will do that to you). 

You get respect by being the best cook in the kitchen, by being approachable, and by getting things done.


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## laprise (Jan 4, 2006)

Hey,

I just published a book about becoming a chef call "My Daughter wants to be a chef! www.thechefinstead.ca/beachef.html

I am not THE expert in this world, but I have 20 years behind me and I can easily say, most young cooks want to become CHEF way to fast... Like any trades, cooking at a top level takes time, and skills. It's not for everybody, and it is sure not supposed to be easy!

To improve our trade, COOKS need to work at 3 to 5 places before being put in charge of a kitchen. In our day, cooks get way too much responsability way to fast. The old day was simplier, you don't get to touch the stove until you have mastered cold food first.

Anyway, that's my opinion...

Laprise


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## culinary merc (Oct 17, 2005)

I pride my self on knowing as much as i can in the restuant bis. im always looking for new things to do. yes i have my stregths in some areas and dont like doing some too, but i know how to do them. Evrey chef should know how everything runs. Although i have never been to cooking school i have met people who have, and most of them dont have half of the teachings that i do. it seems that they are lucky to hold a knife the correct way, or how the foh is needed to make the boh run smoothly. Yes we need to evolve and know and learn as much as possible about every aspect about the bis it will make you better and indespensable assate to any place.


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## campchef (Jan 5, 2001)

lukeygina, 
In every kitchen I have worked in, I have never "commanded" respect, I have EARNED it. After 25+ years, my name and reputation have earned the respect I am due. I never called myself "chef" until it was bestowed upon me by someine I respected. I still consider myself a cook and a teacher of food, but after many years of hard work, have earned the title "chef". 

I agree too many young culinaruians are pushed too fast into upper positions, and never learn to respect those that came before. Look at all the Food Channel cooks (no I cannot call them chefs), they put out classic dishes as if they just invented something new! No respect for the CHEFS who actually did the work. I think every cook should spend some time in the dishroom, as a busser in the dining room, and most assuredly work their way through the kitchen. Then they are ready to suggest possible menu items to a manger for consideration as a weeknight special.

Keep your head and learn from the people you work for!


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## laprise (Jan 4, 2006)

yes, you are right,

Cooks that go up too fast, usually lack of proper judgement in harsh situation they can't deliver!!

Amen!


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## foodpump (Oct 10, 2005)

Totally agree with the statement about earning respect. You can't make someone like you, and you can't make someone respect you. You have to respect them first, reciprocation comes afterwards...


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## david chenelle (Nov 1, 2004)

CampChef said:


> lukeygina,
> 
> In every kitchen I have worked in, I have never "commanded" respect, I have EARNED it. After 25+ years, my name and reputation have earned the respect I am due. I never called myself "chef" until it was bestowed upon me by someine I respected. I still consider myself a cook and a teacher of food, but after many years of hard work, have earned the title "chef". QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## l0bst3r (Sep 11, 2015)

Just to add to the original question, what about the professional tasks that Chefs face that aren't actually to do with food prep?

Things like:

• creating invoices

• writing menus

• grammar and punctuation

• finding clients and venues for private dining functions

• going solo (as opposed to being employed by a kitchen)

• finding work

• being let down by suppliers at the last minute

• staff not turning up for work

• PR on social media

• Advertising

Do problem solving these tasks come naturally to a Chef - or are they a total pain.

they I'm interested to learn about the Chef 'mind'....

Many thanks in advance for any replies


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## grande (May 14, 2014)

Hey man, this thread is ten years old. You might want to start a new one if you have a question you want to ask


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## l0bst3r (Sep 11, 2015)

Ha! i guess i will


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