# Mid youth crisis?



## div (Jan 4, 2006)

Howdy. I have a question for those who have a little bit more experience than me. Currently I am pre-enrolled to attend CIA's Baking and Pastry program. However, after getting on the line at work and cooking there I am almost ready to change to follow the ways of the Culinary Arts program. Besides the obvious 'follow your heart' speeches, what things can you do with either degrees? Or what advice is out there?


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## laprise (Jan 4, 2006)

Hi,

the best advice I can give you, is to follow your heart 
NO really,

It's not that simple but I will try to help you...

Pastry:

1- better hours as long as you don't bake breads! Pastry shops tend to do early work then you do home.

2- Less stress, WAY, WAY, WAY less stree in pastry shops.

3- There is a big need for qualified pastry chef, specially in the Sugar art, chocolate art, and all others specialized area.

4- Finally, You will be home with your kids and spouse almost every nights. NO SERVICE BEHIND THE STOVE...

Culinary Art:

1- BIG, BIG, BIG SRESS

2- Hours are sometime burtal, but not always.

3- You will rarely be at home for dinner if you are serious about your career, because good restaurants work NIGHTS.

4- Lots of possibilities to work just about anywhere you wish. The world as a whole as way more restaurant than pastry shops, therefore, way more need of cooks. Each restaurant has many cooks, one chef, and sometimes one pastry chef.

So there you have it!

MONEY is obviously a decision to consider too. Early on in both career, you will make about the same kind of $$. Once you own your skills, the pastry chef will fetch great money, where the chef will be a bit lower.

If you develop a specialty in pastry, you will earn BIG $$$, if you develop a specialty as a chef, you will not earn as much as a pastry chef.

Keep in mind, this is a general view. there is exception of course.

Just read my book to find out more: " My daughter wants to be a chef!"
www.thechefinstead.ca/beachef.html

Stay in touch,

Laprise


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## div (Jan 4, 2006)

Sorry, I've been gone for a while here. But I'm back.:bounce: Thanks Laprise for your reply. Funny thing I actually DO like the stress the cook line generates. I look forward to it every night I work there. But I live in ND so it can't be THAT bad. How are the oppertunites for Chocolateirs by the way? Cause that is goal of mine if I do go thru the baking program? Right now I am kinda leaning towards the Culinary Arts...:beer: :beer: :beer: MMMm....yummy.....


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## laprise (Jan 4, 2006)

Chocolatier would work too as long as you have amazing skills you can make good coins and do nice work.

One of the best Chocolatiers I know: http://www.dcduby.com/

they do really well, but they are AMAZING...

As long as you get to a fairly high level, you will do very well. It really depend what you are into!!

good luck,


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

I thought I would jump in here since I have been on both sides professionally.
As with most education, your major might change.
I have to say no one job is less or more stressful. That will depend on your ability to handle stress.
Chocolatiers, sugar artist, etc. will usually work into those venues after sucessfully mastering the basics of the pastry art in general. 
I never really liked the concept of splitting the education for Baking and Cooking. Having the basic knowledge of what the chef is doing will give the pastry person greater insite to pairing your desserts with his or hers menus among other things.
I made the comment about stress because a lot of situations will have a chef with little or no understanding about baking. This becomes the most stressful thing. and the same is true for the opposite.
Even if your heading down the pastry road, it would definately be a big plus to have the hot background if you can afford it.
Opportunities will only be as good as you promote yourself. Refining your work to the specialty products will usually require that you have a good business background. Probably more important then the hot side, for those venues dictate that you do something on your own.
Please don't plan your future based upon hours, pay, stress etc. Let your talent guide you into your career. In my younger days, I set my goals to become an Exec. Chef. When I got there I found it was not right for me. I then yearned for Exec. Pastry, got there, and thought corp. was what I wanted. It wasn't till 15 yrs ago I found that ownership was what I had the talent for.
I really don't think there is a bigger need for pastry chefs and I'm pretty sure there is not a big search going on for sugar people.
I appologize if I may seem to be contradicting other posts, but I truly believe that these questions are very important when starting out. And understand that this is my opinion, not fact.
The best of luck to you.
pan


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## div (Jan 4, 2006)

Wow, yeah Laprise I checked out the chocolate site, pretty nice things happening there. Hey Pan you said you had a little pastry experience...What is it like?


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Div.
I found a better home on the sweet side. I'm a little OCD and a little anal. I find it more challenging, following exact formulas, having to have an in-depth knowlege of ingredients before formulating or experimenting with something. 
You have all this on the hot side, but I found that you really need to be in touch and focused on every aspect of your surroundings to produce a quality and consistant product especially when multi tasking. Umm, I guess there is less room for error in pastries and baking. Just my opinion though.
As far as having a little pastry experience. I grew up in the hot food side. I've been doing pastries for 23 years. I gotta tell ya, I feel like a newbie almost everyday. I feel my arsenol of ingredients is so large, and formulas less labeled, like Italian,French,Nouvelle etc., that I can't even conceive of it ever getting old or repetetive.
I love to teach. Currently I have co-workers that have been with me for 19+ years, I have an apprentice out of local a culinary program that has consumed about 8 years worth of learning in three.and the rest have joined me with no experience. The pride I have is that any one of these people can leave the shop and go into any shop and preform like an experienced professional with a well rounded education that is not limited to just what we do. I spent sooo many years humping and looking up that I truly try to give each one of these people the things that I thought I lacked coming up.
Anyway, I'm always available for chats, on board ,or off, and I'm sorry I wizzed this out, but I'm sneaking into the shop tonight to play. Got the sattelite tuned into some Fussion and I'm off.
Pan


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## suzanne (May 26, 2001)

In addition to all the great advice Panini gave you: remember that if you want to own your own business as a chocolatier, you can do it almost anywhere. With ordering your supplies over the Internet, and selling your product the same way, you are not limited to a big city. If you like where you are, you could stay there.

Here's another chocolate maker's site you might want to look at: Chocolat Moderne.


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