Become A Chef

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Cook or Chef - What is the difference?
Chefs are more highly trained and skilled than cooks.
Chefs usulally hold degrees in the culinary arts.

Eduction
Culinary education is available from a wide number of institutions offering diploma, associate, and bachelor degree programs in culinary arts. Depending on the level of education, this can take one to four years. An internship is often part of the curriculum. Regardless of the education received, most professional kitchens follow the apprenticeship system, and most new cooks will start at a lower-level chef de partie position and work their way up. (source: Wikipedia)

Skills Needed
Good Management Skills
Good orgainizational Sills

Job Description
Supervises the whole kitchen
Orders supplies
Menu Creation & Pricing

Special Abilities
Refined Sense of taste
Expert multi-tasker
Ability to work on your feet for long periods
Love food and love to cook
Artistic - arranging food in an artistic way

Job Hazards
Cuts
Burns
Exposure to fumes and smoke

Types of chefs
sauté chef - Responsible for all sautéed items and their sauce. This is usually the highest stratified position of all the stations
.
fish chef - Prepares fish dishes and often does all fish butchering as well as appropriate sauces. This station may be combined with the saucier position.

roast chef - Prepares roasted and braised meats and their appropriate sauce.

grill chef - Prepares all grilled foods; this position may be combined with the rotisseur.

fry chef - Prepares all fried items; this position may be combined with the rotisseur position.

vegetable chef - Prepares hot appetizers and often prepares the soups, vegetables, pastas and starches. In a full brigade system a potager would prepare soups and a legumier would prepare vegetables.

roundsman - Also referred to as a swing cook, fills in as needed on stations in the kitchen.

pantry chef - Responsible for preparing cold foods, including salads, cold appetizers, pâtés and other charcuterie items.

butcher - Butchers meats, poultry and sometimes fish. May also be responsible for breading meats and fish.

pastry chef - Prepares baked goods, pastries and desserts. In larger establishments, the pastry chef often supervises a separate team in their own kitchen or separate shop.

Books to read

Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential", "The Professional Chef" from the Culinary Institute of America, and "Becoming a Chef" by Dorenburg and Page.

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