# Soon-to-be student needs advice!



## dekatsu (Jul 25, 2008)

Well, my lifelong dream to become a chef is about to take its next major step! I just got accepted to Le Cordon Bleu of Atlanta and will start August 18th. I am 20 years old and have a little experience working the line at a high-end restaurant. My question is simple, what resource could I use to sort of "fill in" any basic knowledge I may lack before entering. While I know they dont expect you to know what the name of every knife in a kitchen is upon starting, I would like to have a "head start", if you will. I would like to be able to separate what I know, from what I THINK I know, from what I have no clue on. Can anybody provide me with a link that has resources for student chefs? The basics such as mother sauces, the proper way to cook steak and chicken, the different types of knives. Simple stuff that I would like to have under my belt upon starting my training.Any help provided would be EXTREMELY appreciated! Thanks in advance!


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## quinn01 (Apr 22, 2006)

To be honist with you, i would look around here. Everything is here. Use us as your resouce. 

Another thing is I started at the CIA this past august, finished my first year a few months ago, They did seemt o think we should know our knives atleast but everything else isnt that big of a dael youll pick it up. 

Mother sauces are easy once you get them down same with knives and rouxs and all that jazz. 

So what im saying is dont worry, but if you do post it up here youll get the right anwser very very quick. 

HOPE I HELPED!


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Good for you!

Here is as good a place as any. E-gullet, too. Your problem is going to be that you don't know enough to really have the questions. But, that's why you're going to school.

As I said.

Peterson or Larousse are very good on the mothers. But first lesson: Don't overrate the mothers. Other than their utility there's nothing that special about most of them. Furthermore, besides Escoffier's five mothers (_espagnole_, _bechamel, veloute, hollandaise, tomate_) there are several others just as useful -- mayonnaise for instance. Remember also, there are a number of "right" ways to make most of the mothers. Keep some perspective. A kitchen is a place where you go to cook, not to receive the word of God.

Depends on thickness mostly. Fo 1-1/4" or less: Simple seasoning; no protracted or overly spicy marinade. Direct heat and plenty of it. Turn when the meat releases. If cooking on a grate, rotate for cross-hatching tatoo. Time the first turn for the tatoo. (Learn to) Press with the fingers to determine doneness. Allo the meat to rest. Second lesson: Respect your ingredients. Don't try to make them something they're not.

What is it with everyone and roast chicken? See the "Perfectly Wonderful Roast Chicken" thread in the recipe section. In terms of classic technique -- what I wrote about brining is probably not CIA applicable. The "truss and turn" method is otherwise classic, professional, French technique. Julia Child's method, described in "Mastering the Art ..." is another. Look around the web and see if you can't learn to truss a chicken. Learn to tie knots. That will save you some time.

Learn to free hand sharpen a knife very well. I mean very well. Invest in a good set of stones appropriate for the knives you'll be using at school. Don't spend hundreds of dollars on a knife "set" Yet. Learn to use a sharpening steel -- even if you think you know how to use one. For instance, steeling a knife does NOT include banging the blade against the steel.

Here's an off the top of my head list of _*most*_ of the major culinary knives: Chef d'chef (big, heavy chef's knife aka "lobster cracker) Chef's or cooks; Slicer; Boning (_desosser_); Swedish Fillet (same shape as the boning knife, but flexible); Cimiter; Butcher's; Fillet (flexible utility); Utility; regular Paring (_couteau office_); Sheeps foot paring (_pied mouton_); Bird's beak aka turning aka _bec d'oiseau _aka _tourne_; Salmon slicer; Sole slicer; Ham slicer; gyuto; deba; Western deba; petty (really just a paring knife); yanigaba, sujibiki; nakiri; usuba; santoku; etc. Oh, there's the _garde manger_ knives too. Homie don't do _garde manger_.

FWIW, the little dimples on a "Granton Edge" are called _kullenschiff_ or simply kullens.

Try and stay simple minded, it works for me.

BDL


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## dekatsu (Jul 25, 2008)

Wonderful! These are excellent responses. Thank you so much for the E-Gullet link. Sites like that are what I am looking for. It's good to know that the chefs here are so helpful. I will be sure to stick around these forms as I start school, having the support of so many will be invaluable.


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## rika (Jul 22, 2008)

I'm a student myself; I knew many things about food and techniques before I joined but nothing hits you like realizing all the basics you're lacking. For instance, you should know your primal cuts of beef, veal, lamb and pork- the cuts that come from them as well as the method of cooking that is required for said cuts. It's useless to know how to cool something if you don't know what cut your cooling or the method it took to get it too that point. Along those lines, it's also best to know the different ways of cooking under the dry-heat and moist-heat methods. 

Being able to identify products is also very important. Knowing your fishes and mollusks, the different varieties of greens and fruits are always helpful. 

Techniques and the like are best learned through your teachers, otherwise you might learn something incorrectly and develop some bad habits. You'd never think cutting something correctly was so complicated until a chef corrects your posture.

My biggest advice to you though, is to work at being the top of your class; participate in any/everything your school has to offer from the very beginning. There are tons of people receiving the same education that you will be and graduating every month, make sure to stand out above them whenever you can.


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## dekatsu (Jul 25, 2008)

Thanks, thats great advice. Being above average was allready what I had planned, I take pride in what I do and what I create, and my creed is to either be the best at something, or work hard till I am. Are there any other websites out there that have a sort of "list" of the basics? A list of techniques and procedures that I can run down and check off, and if not have access to the answer or examples? I dont want to be at a disadvantage when I begin, I want to have an edge so that I can start off ahead, and graduate ahead, instead of playing "catch up".


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## rika (Jul 22, 2008)

Playing catch up in class is never fun but I tutor a lot of students who grew up with limited palates so it's not always about bookwork; one can't describe the texture and taste of a mango if they've never tried it. 

Look through askthemeatman.com, it has a lot of information on proteins.
Go to wikipedia to find Beef Primal Cut charts.
I recommend using google to learn about moist and dry heat cooking methods as there are numerous sites for it. 

For product identifying, visit different grocery stores. Organic, Asian, Russian, any and all have something new. Look for stuff you don't know about or how to cook, write it down then look it up when you get home. 

Hope this helps!

-Rika


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