# i have some questions...



## cooki (Feb 10, 2006)

Hi, I am researching the career of a pastry chef for my chemistry class project, so I was hoping that some of my interview questions could be answered here. 

1. please give me an outline of the typical day of a pastry chef. (specifically)
2. in your opinion, what is being a pastry chef?
3.how does your job affect your lifestyle?
4.how does your job utilize chemistry?
5. Is there a certain schooling that every pastry chef needs?
6. how does your knowledge of chemistry help you when you are making pastries?
7. what other subjects and other areas of science does this job use other than chemistry?
8. can you name any edible "chemicals" used in pastries?
9. what does your daily job tasks include?
10. do you think that more scientific discoveries in the area of chemistry can help or influence your job? If so, how?
11. are there different types of pastries that certain pastry chefs specialize in? if so, what are they?
12. do you think that you use chemistry directly in your job? Why or why not?.
13. what basic things/skills do you need to learn to be a pastry chef?
14. what difficulties/problems do you face at work as a pastry chef?
15. what advice would you give to people who are learning to be pastry chefs?
16. does your job require you to learn specific areas of chemistry, or just general? If it requires specific areas, what are they?
17.does your job require you to work at home as well? If so, what?


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

cooki
Welcome to Chef Talk. You will find endless education and experience here.
As for you questions. It would probably take a Pastry or Baking person hours to answer. 
I'm pretty sure no one wants to do your assignment for you. Take it slow and go back through older posts using the search function and you will find most of your answers.
Chemistry is absolutely a part of baking. It's mainly the formulation that produces a reaction. For instance, yeast is living, add sugar, and the yeast will feed off it. add salt, and sadly your yeast will die.
again,
welcome
pan


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## cakerookie (Sep 10, 2005)

Hi cooki, and welcome to cheftalk. I am no chef.But from the research I have done on pastry chefs pan is right you are better off with the search function. I maybe outta line here if I am I am sure nicko will get me for this. But you can try also www.pastrychef.info the site is ran by Martin Chiffers a lot of great info there. You might also try Association of Pastry Chefs sorry don't remember the url for it. Hope this helps...

PS: There is an article at the pastrychef info site called "What is a Pastry Chef" check it out it may help answer some of your questions too...


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## jessiquina (Nov 4, 2005)

as much as i'd love to answer all these questions :crazy: i cant really consider myself a "pastry chef" i dont make salary and i am not the "head" of my department.


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## aprilb (Feb 4, 2006)

1. please give me an outline of the typical day of a pastry chef. (specifically)
>My day at "The Resort":
Wake up really really early. Way before dawn. Do the typical morning stuff and drive to work. Grab my chef attire, wash up
and study the numbers for the anticipated guests for the dinner reservations. Take inventory of pastries we have to determine
what we have to make to have adequate deserts for that day. Take inventory of products to see what we can make use of...rotate 
inventory. Make notes of any special 
functions and add to 'to do' list in addition to making notes about delivery time. Determine how many batches of bread to 
make. Decide on the specialty desserts for the evening. Start mixing the bread dough then proof for at least an hour. 
Based on what was was decided for the evenings menu and what you had to add to the existing inventory, you measure, mix, chop,
grind, fill, bake... In and out of the freezer and walk-in, making models of the desserts 
for the dessert cart consisting of part real and part fake so it doesn't disolve during the course of dinner. (Like fake ice cream..crisco and flour and coloring)
When the bread is proofed I would cut, roll and pan it to re-proof it again before baking. 
All of this is actually a big juggling act. 
I always lose track of time while I'm working and usually missed breakfast and lunch. 

2. in your opinion, what is being a pastry chef?
>Following a recipe with artistic passion. Making it up as you go along using your skills and artistic sense. 
3.how does your job affect your lifestyle?
>I'm not sure if you could say 'it' affects my lifestyle rather than it being my life. I would come home from "work" 
(although I have a hard time calling it work since it's something I love to do.)
and ...Turn on Food TV and cook. I plow through magazines, the internet and books for recipes that I can use or modify. 
I'm guessing this isn't exactly the answer to your question but it's just me. 

4.how does your job utilize chemistry?
>Food IS all about chemistry and Physics. (besides art) You should
watch Alton Brown on Food Channel. You want a lesson in food chemistry. HE'S the man! I would however like to add that it's 
not something that I am actually conscious of, as I'm guessing applies to most other chefs. It's like painting a picture without directly
knowing what the paint is made out of. 
5. Is there a certain schooling that every pastry chef needs?
>Math. Reading. You need to be able to instinctively modify amounts in recipes and be able to understand the recipe in the
first place. Some people do well by going to culinary school. I'm an artist and have been cooking since I was 17. I just transposed my artistic skills to culinary arts. The things that a great chef needs isn't learned. It's instinct and imagination and passion. 

6. how does your knowledge of chemistry help you when you are making pastries?
Beats me. 
7. what other subjects and other areas of science does this job use other than chemistry?
>See #4. Laws of Physics. Things take as long to cook as they...well...take as long to cook. You can't rush or change that.
8. can you name any edible “chemicals” used in pastries?
>Chemicals? Define "chemicals". Alcohol, inert metals, ...biological essence like vanilla...got to be specific Bob. Elemental
chemicals or...? Theoretically EVERYTHING is made out of chemicals.
9. what does your daily job tasks include?
>See #1
10. do you think that more scientific discoveries in the area of chemistry can help or influence your job? If so, how? 
>No
11. are there different types of pastries that certain pastry chefs specialize in? if so, what are they? 
>Not that I'm aware of.
While I don't pretend to know everyone in the industry (or even a small portion) it's my impression that a pastry chef has
a wide gamut of culinary artistic interest and experience. 
12. do you think that you use chemistry directly in your job? Why or why not?. 
>See #4. 
13. what basic things/skills do you need to learn to be a pastry chef?
>Eye/hand coordination. Intense artistic skills. An insane imagination. The ability to envision taste/texture/and 
presentation of a dish.
14. what difficulties/problems do you face at work as a pastry chef?
>Not having enough hours in the day.
15. what advice would you give to people who are learning to be pastry chefs?
>Follow your heart and instinct.
16. does your job require you to learn specific areas of chemistry, or just general? If it requires specific areas, what are they?
>you're repeating yourself. No, learning chemistry isn't required, it's just buried in the art.
17.does your job require you to work at home as well? If so, what?
>No, it doesn't require it, but I can't leave it in the kitchen. It's me. I would go home from work and scour magazines, books, the internet...
"Required" implies that you are driven by outside influences. How would you 'insist' that Da Vinci create art as part of a job description?
Does that help?
April:chef:


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