[Breton Beats]

The one BIG thing I like about Culinary students is most have the passion. However diva like thier attitudes and goals might be at least they have goals. They go home and read about food, and take in interest in the history and traditions of what is being done. These people are always ready to take on extra responsibility or a special project. When I get bogged down with the running of the business it their enthusiasm that reminds me why I am here.

I guess if had to pick my top three gripes they would be:

1. Students know how to cook but they don't know how to work in industry. How to move FAST,be efficiant, to have restless energy, to work under time preasure, the volume, the hours, the physical aspect of being on your feet, cutting yourself, burning yourself, having a cold, or a headache and still dragging yourself to work another 12 hours on your feet. That holidays and summers are busy for restaurants and I don't care if your freinds are taking a road trip or your mommy and daddy want you to come home for Christmas.

2. Standards. I find so, many students come right out of their small towns and into culinary school. What they do at school is the best food they have ever tasted. On a cooks salary one cannot afford eating in top restaurants. So they have a hard time setting high expectations for taste and flavor. Presentation grows because there are plenty of visual examples. Culinary schools should really find a way to expose students to high level of food as customers. When they experience what customers do they are better able to recreate and top those experiences.

3. Learn how to write a friggin resume, cover letter, and dress for an interview. Ok, I don't like people in suits, (I start to fear they don't know how to get dirty) but some kahkis and nice shirt would hlep,not a T and flip-flops. Honestly don't bulk the resume with your obscure interests (like crop circles and rainbows) or with a job objective from when you were still looking for forestry work. Use spell check.

4. Food Cost! Food Cost! Food Cost!, (Oh yeah and labor cost did I meniton MOVE IT). Please before you pick up a 12" Japanese ceramic knife, learn to use a spatula, or bowl scraper, learn to rotate produce and product before it rots. Use all the vegetable not just the pretty parts.

5. I don't care what your x-box tells you or how many freinds you have on myspace or what the army recruitments ads say -you are not the hero in this kitchen. It takes all of us working together and doing our jobs and showing up on time to make this place run.