Things needed to be a good chef..

[Baka`]

sorry if this has been discussed before... and sorry for my english
You can say im a a 17 years old chef-wannabe (so young compared to ppl around here no?)
i'm not a cooking freak, im just really happy if someone said that my food is delicious and i heard that the $$$ is good
but.. is that reason is enough to be a chef? do i have what it takes to be a good chef?
what is needed to be a good chef?
like a sense of taste ? or a strong hand
thx

[Headless Chicken]

#1 requirement to be a good chef and any other job in this world is passion.
Chefs must be able to take a lot of crap;criticism and long hours (mainly standing) to name a couple. To be able to take all this, you really have to love your job. If you don't, you jobs is nothing more then a means to a pay cheque.
And no, money isn't as much as you'd expect unless you have a big name like Susur Lee, Micheal Stadlander, Jaimie Kennedy (note, all Canadians, only big names I know who don't show up on TV much).

read this thread http://cheftalkcafe.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11695 for a better perspective.

[Suzanne]

Yes, we've talked about this before, but it can always be talked about more.

Many of us here prefer to make a distinction between being a chef and being a cook. There are many, many cooks around, even famous ones you might see on television, who are called chefs. But Headless Chicken is right: being a chef is a calling, like being a priest or an artist -- you must feel that there is nothing else in life for you to do, nothing else that can satisfy you. Being a chef is about what you can give to other people, not how much praise or money you can make (and for most, the money is terrible ).

Without that passion, you can still become a very good cook, and even a good administrator, which is what people in the job of "chef" really have to be. Remember that chef means head or leader: the person who runs the kitchen. For that, you need skills in managing people (psychology), language skills, business skills, mathematics, some science, and a lot of curiosity about the world. A good sense of taste is necessary, and a spirit of adventure.

[Roelof]

As in money, what would you consider terrible? It all depends on ones perspective....

[coolJ]

Trust, you have to be able to trust your crew. If your going to be worrying about people getting their work done, you are going to wind up with an ulcer. You have to be able to delegate. You also need to know how to prepare everything on your menu. It also comes in handy to be able to calculate costs on the fly, without a calculator.
That's about as much as I can add right now, Suzanne and Headless chicken made some great points.
Roeloff, as for the money thing, some folks in this industry get pittance compared to others, I'm making almost $10 an hour (with trade papers), and my dishboys are making $8 and they work just as hard as I do. Mind you BC has the highest minimum wage in the country.

[chrose]

Along with what everyone else said (which by the way is all good advice) I would add this. Change the word Chef to adult. You may not always be a Chef, so what do you need to be a good adult. An even temperment, humility, the ability to learn from those around you as well as from your own mistakes. The desire to always learn and grow. Be empathetic. Whatever you do in life, do what you enjoy, enjoy what you do. Always be yourself and climb the ladder of success on your own merits not on the backs of others.
Good luck!

[tcapper]

Hey come on guys, im getting really fed up with this passion stuff. Yes I love food and cooking but I have still got to pay the mortgage and give the best I can for my daughter, so for me its about the money.

I am a freelance chef in the UK, I basically get called into kitchens when the **** has really hit the fan. I charge a minimum of £15 per hour thats about 25 dollars an hour.

from chefsworld.net

[foodpump]

'nuff said. If it's about the money and you like cooking but think passion is for wussies, or starving young artists, well, then you'll always be on call. Working short temps at places that are a nightmare, cleaning up the last Chef's mess (OR F & B's OR previous owner's mess for that matter...) and when you've cleaned up: food looks good, cooks know what they're doing, no funny business going on in the walk-ins, health/ fire inspector hasn't been around in almost 3 months, deliveries don't need C.O.D.'s, sales reps actually smile at you... Well, then the powers that be find you're too expensive to keep on, so they find/promote an eejit in a poofy white hat, boot you out, and then call you back in in few months, to clean up THAT mess... Gotta love it. I did, for a while...

True. you can make alot of coin this way, and you don't have to be passionate, just good at what you do, but after a few years of cleaning up other people's messes you start to wonder...

Who, me? On a rant? You're right, who needs passion?

[oldschool1982]

Originally Posted by tcapper

Hey come on guys, im getting really fed up with this passion stuff.

IMHPO That's a shame tcapper. I guess if you don't need it then that's great for you. But personally the passion (or drive which is another word with equal meaning) is what made it possible to work all those hours day in and day out for months and years at a time (just an example but close to 8 months without a day off more than once and add in the fact that I held 2-3 jobs while in culinary school). The passion/drive is what made me try harder to provide the ultimate experience to my "guests". The passion/drive is what made it possible for me to strive to be better than I was and become what chrose calls a "good adult".

Not to mix words but without the passion/drive, the position is nothing more than a cook as Suzanne said!

Yeah the money keeps us and provides for us. There is no disputing the fact that we have bills of all sorts to pay. But personally I have taken the job that didn't pay as much over the one that did just to gain that opportunity or experience. Maybe it was more creative freedom or I saw the potential in the opportunity but....for me the passion/drive is what made my whole career possible. And what foodpump said too. (I was preparing dinner while typing)

[cooking4life]

Hello, I'm new to this and well all this talk about passion and money has me a little confused because like any other future chef I've done my research on the career ahead of me, and some say the money is not that good and the hrs. are long and very harsh. other sites say that chefs make good money and the job market it booming. I know I have the passion that is why I'm choosing my career as a chef but all the conflicting information has my head spinning.

[Sebie]

MY Idea of a great chef is one that has earned his merrits by working himself up the ranks, and truly values the hard work of his brothers in the kitchen evrything else is secondary.

[foodpump]

I'd like to illustrate something in regards to money, or how much a Chef earns.

Q) Who earns more, the guy who designs and cuts the diamond and sets it in 22 kt gold, or the guy who sells the ring to a customer?

People who work with other people will always be top earners. This category includes all sales people, doctors lawyers, and agents. The Chef who commands a brigade of 20 will earn more than a Chef who commands a brigade of 5, simply because he has more people-related issues to deal with.

If you want to earn big bucks as a Chef, be prepared to deal more with people and less with food.

[Tango]

Hello, I'm new to this forum, and I thought this was an interesting conversation. I am certainly not one to offer advice on being a chef, yet I can understand his doubt about being a good one.

Artists work tirelessly their whole lives for the persuit of perfection. What makes a person truly great is always found in their heart. If you think you can do something, and you are willing to put forth the effort, then you are off to a good start. The drive to succeed is always necessary.

If you would like to try your hand with desserts, go to my website listed below and pick up a free Classic Desserts cook book. You might find it very useful for practicing preparing pies. There are recipes for all the common pies.

Talk later. Tango

[MISNO]

I've learned the CRUCIAL ideals a chef must embrace are:

1. You have to have the fire under your a** to WANT to be there (do what you have to do to get the job done -- 'balls to the wall' so to speak)
2. You have to WANT to be better than you are (constant learning -- nobody knows everything!)
3. You MUST WANT to make a difference!! (in your own life, and the direction you point your employees and apprentices--LEAD BY EXAMPLE!!)

My $0.02

[aguynamedrobert]

There are a few things a chef needs...

1) focus - you must be ready to do your best everytime you walk into that kitchen or else you will get eatin alive.
2) Kindness - if you can't learn to help others and not get angry then you will always be misserable.
3) passion - passion for creating great meals/desserts. You must like doing it so that you can do you best in all that you do.
4) purpose - if you do not know your purpose in life then you will never be happy no matter what you do. You could make great dishes your whole life and get lots of praise but if you don't know your purpose for being on this earth it all come up short and you will never be satisfied...

To God Be the Glory,
Robert
www.chocolateguild.com