Cooking again after a long hiatus.

[ygoloneo]

Hi.  Been a long time since I've posted here.  It's good to be back

I'm a culinary professional who has been out of the biz for a long while and I'm here to get anyone's input on re-entry.  I'm trying to realistically assess all of the pros and cons of the transition.  Here's a short version of my story so far.

I "burned out" of the kitchen after 10 years and I've been doing various jobs and studying since then without much progress.  Food and beverage arts are the only things I've been passionate about for the duration.  I now have an offer from a friend to work with his burgeoning restaurant group in NYC which means leaving California and a cushy (but dead-end) office job.  It means leaving the 9-5 lifestyle for the grueling schedule of a cook.  It means taking a pay cut since I can't jump into a sous position and I'll be in an expensive city.  Basically, it means starting my career over.  Exciting, right?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

 

[chefbillyb]

How old are you ???

Kids at home ???

wife ???

Money saved ??? house in Cali ??

 

[gypsy2727]

How old are you ???

Kids at home ???

wife ???

Money saved ??? house in Cali ??

Cheers to you  Chef Billy....yes some serious questions need to be answered before a life altering decision is made.

ygoloneo....

 

[kuan]

Dude!  This is your second post here.  You basically posted the same thing in 2006 wondering if you should get back in the kitchen.  /img/vbsmilies/smilies/lol.gif   You wait another 10 years and by then you'll have forgotten how to peel a potato.

http://www.cheftalk.com/forum/thread/19942/great-to-be-here

Anyway welcome back to cheftalk.  Stay a little longer this time.

 

[chefbillyb]

I forgot how to peel potatoes when I became a Chef, it was one of the perks I gave myself...Chef BillyB

 

[ygoloneo]

Thanks for the insights, and the snark

In response: 32, no, not anymore, see previous answer, and no.

The first post was after I had just followed my ex to CA for her job and was looking for work. Now I'm free and ready to start over.

Cheers.

 

[chefbillyb]

32 years old, if you have the passion, you could save a 3000 mile trip and cook in California......Chef Billyb

 

[leeniek]

I'm with Bill.. if you want to get back into the kitchen do it in Cali.. if you can manage it you can keep your office job and cook in the evenings for dinner service.  A few months of doing that and you'll know whether you want to return to the business or not

 

[titomike]

Good advice above...

Our job is about the skills so it should be more about  where you want to practise them.

Definitely keep them up as they travel internationally as well...

 

[ygoloneo]

Great tips all around.

To help me figure things out, I'm trying out for a part-time associate instructor position at a local culinary school.  I'll be doing an instructional demo of hollandaise for the dept. heads tonight.  I know it's not the same pace/setting as dinner service at a restaurant but it might help to give me an idea of the direction I want to move.

Titomike: About the international aspects... my sincerest goal, whatever I do, is to eventually get out of the States for a good, long while.  I did a student exchange, my externship and further work in Spain, cooked in S. France, etc.  Unforeseen events made me come back to the US but I've never lost the bug to live elsewhere again