Posts by trk

I would add that today's accomplished chefs are expected to do much more than just cook. While you will learn much from each chef for whom you work, there is just as much that you will not learn because your chef is too busy to teach...

It seems to me that you already are a food writer. Or do you mean a food critic? Either way, in today's restaurant culture, blogging and food websites are, IMO, more influential than any print media (save books). If you look at...

Hi there! I've used the Cake Bible but I never follow her processes. Rose has a unique method for mixing cakes that, she claims, will guarantee against overmixing. However, if you are just starting out and trying to learn basic...

Seattle. There are a few exceptions wherein high-end dining might discourage having tattooed forces in the FOH but this city doesn't have many "dress code, valet-parking" establishments. Even our finest, most highly...

I'm about to turn 49 this week and the level of pain I experience every day just from AGE is staggering! I am in no way equating creaky joints and arthritic bones with your challenges, but, to some extent, if you work in a kitchen long...

In this city, tats are mandatory in the kitchen and the FOH. Throw in some serious body piercing, and you're golden. In many restaurants, hipster body art appears to be the number one requirement of food service workers. Personally, I...

Hi Ed! This is true. My first foray into the world of the private chef was with a gentleman who had inherited all his wealth, did not work a day in his life, and allowed the interest on his millions to pay for his in house staffing...

Since the thread title asks "how is the economy affecting YOU", I'll answer more personally. I had a great gig as a private chef for a lovely couple who owned a MORTGAGE COMPANY. Needless to say, I was laid off February of...

I know this is a slightly older thread but I wanted to chime in anyway since the economy has worsened and I have definitely been affected. The sweetest gig in the WORLD came to an abrupt end when my employer died very suddenly in 2006. ...

Deliriously happy to report that I got the job! The pay is significantly less BUT the opportunity is the stuff of dreams. I am enormously relieved to be set free from the **** I was in. Thanks again for all the support and advice. ...