tough topic

[kate r]

hi! my name is Kate, I am currently studying Food and Hospitality for my SACE Stage 2. I have been given an essay topic and need some relevent info, if you could PLEASE help me with this it would be appreciated, The topic I have to analyse is;
"A chef must have enthusiasm and a capacity for hard work, rather than food preparation and presentation skills of a high standard."

Thanks heaps, Kate!

[Suzanne]

Oh dear, are you supposed to "prove" or "disprove" that statement, or simply give evidence that both sides of the equation are true? It's the "rather than" that's the problem. Because ALL of that IS true. Of course enthusiasm and hard work are necessary and extremely important -- but if one does not know proper food preparation and presentation, no amount of hard work will make up for the lack. As was stated in a different context: "It's not a religion; devotion is not enough."

[isaac]

kate.. i find this topic interesting. it is very opinionated.

anyway, my two cents:

i think that you have to have enthusiasm and a hard working ethic to achieve the standered that is set. see, if person x is a hard worker and has awesome enthusiasm, then his standered will be higher for himself and since he has enthusiasm and he is a hard worker, he will go into work and challange himself every night versus someone who just comes in and gets the job done. thats what is wrong with this business. a lot of people think there is big money here and a lot of people just go to work and get the job done and go home. look at the people on the cutting edge... they are hard workers and enthusiastic. loo kat the people here on the cheftalk forums... not many people would take them time out of there day to talk about food. i know cooks and chefs who just look for the money and a lot of cooks and chefs just dont care ( for one reason or another), but i know chefs and cooks who strive everyday to get better. they are hitting the library while in cooking school while there peers are drinking and doing drugs. they are watching the cooking channles and cruising the magazines for more and more info and ideas. THOSE are the people who are hard workers and are enthusiastic.

see, school can teach you food preperation and presentation but they cant teach you how to work hard and be enthusiastic. i beleieve that when chefs hire people, they are looking for people who have those ingredents. that is what makes succes. i remember going to culinary school and thinking that if i dont work my butt off on the off hours and hit the library, etc then i will come out of culinary school knowing the same thing that my peers know. that scared me becasue one wants to be diffrent then the majority.

all in all... hard workers and people who are enthused will go farther then those who just know how to prep food and how to present it. i might be in a job that pays more but they are not happy. i always told people that i owuld rather make less and have to work harder and be happy versus being at a job where i get paid more, work less hours, and not happy about being at work.

i hope this helps. feel free to email me with anymore questions at ichefisaac@aol.com

[Athenaeus]

I think you need a lawyer on that.

Just send me by PM or e-mail which one you want to proove because it's not so clear from the statement or not as clear as it appears.

Ohhh I love building arguments!!!!

[chiffonade]

I think you're supposed to prove how the focus of being a chef goes beyond putting food to heat - and also involves acknowledging the incredibly long hours and physical nature of the work.

[Matthew357]

This looks like a fun topic and it actually kind of addresses a question in my mind as well. Lets say for instance we have:

Chef A: Extremely hard working, extremely enthusiastic, but not the best in the world at creating the most stunning looking dishes in the world.

Chef B: The best cook around, knows how to match flavors wonderfully and his food looks stunning but he isn't driven. Clocks in, does the work, clocks out, goes home.

Which one does better in the culinary world?

Matt

[isaac]

well matt, i think that, in my opinion, that you can learn how to match flavors and make stunning dishes howeverm you CANT teach how to be a hard worker or be outgoing and enthusiastic.

[chefboy2160]

Matt Ill be an A - B Positive on this one . First off a chef must know food and how to give the customer what they want .
Of just as much importance is work ethic and business sense .
Having or developing both attributes is a lifelong challenge . I look at being a chef as being the owner and the coach of the team , and I play to win every day ( or game ) . Of course thats just my opinion .....................

[Moxiefan]

This seems like a "nessecary but not sufficient" argument.

It is "nessecary, but not sufficient" to be enthusiastic and able to work hard. The same is true of food prep skills.

Furthermore, how can it be that someone in the food industry could be enthusiastic and hard working without developing food skills? The question doesn't say that hard work is more important than being a supercreative genius. (I think that that argument is clear enough.) It says that enthusiasim and hard work are more important than "food preparation and presentation skills of a high standard." I think the answer you're looking for may be that if one truely is enthusiastic and hard working, one will inevitibaly develop food skills of a high standard. Practice, after all, makes perfect.

Just a thought.
P

[kate r]

I am supposed to say and argue wether this statement is correct or not. Thanks for all of your help so far its been great.