Chef.... why? its not worth it!

[Isa]

Why is he call the naked chef?

On the cover of his book he does wear clothes. Not really nice one but clothes none the less.

[Live_to_cook]

Before the TV masterminds worry over getting Jamie Oliver an assistant, they should get him a speech therapist.

cooking should in my humble opinion should be fun.what imea is the hours are long and often stressfull,but how do we become involved in the first place.YES WE ENJOY OUR FOOD both creating and eating.it is very hard but a highly rewarding carear? well i did say it was my opinion. so long

[chefjohnpaul]

I believe he is called the Naked Chef because his creations are bare bones, not very difficult and accessible to the average home cook. How does a guy like that get a TV show at 20 sumthin?

[Kimmie]

Great contacts!

[msc]

Hi all you doubtful people out there.

I read all this about not reccomending our trade and such , but really don´t agree with any of the disconcrning things said .
I´ve been a chef nigh on 20 years and like all of you was well warned of the hours , wages and personal hardships involved .
Did it hold me back NO
As it didn´t you lot , this trade although both mentally and physically hard makes us either pessimists or optimists , it´s up to yourselves to change your daily grind for the better .
Me , i love my trade , love cooking , love the people i meet in the kitchens i´ve been in and the tight knit community being a chef opens .
I woulden´t change a thing , to be able to do something very creative everyday of my working life WOW.
Think of all those pen pushers who never get to feel the adrenelin pumping though thier viens when you´ve got a so many á la carte you think your about to go under , you survive because your a proffesional .........
Would you really give it up I DON´T THINK SO

[SlaveGirl]

As a mostly outsider starting to see the inside, I'm just amazed that cooks don't make more.


I spent a couple hours yesterday, for fun, looking through all the pastry equipment through links I found in the spun sugar thread over in the pastry forum. I read up on how to make poured sugar, spun sugar, the colors, the molds, how you glue pieces together.

I looked at all the different kinds of chocolate, tools, techniques, temperatures, timing, and just couldn't believe that they don't make as much as so many others in the world with jobs that require skills. There is a LOT needed by cooks, be they pastry chefs or food chefs, whatever. Science, math, creativity, patience, knowledge, knowledge, knowlege. I am humbled by what the people on this board and in my restaurant can do. As some of you know, I am a full time web programmer as my day job. From there I go to the restaurant, where education and experience is my payment. I pay my own insurance in order to be there. I know a lot of things, and maybe from a standpoint of a non-programmer, I know a LOT of stuff. It's always different outside looking in. But I am simply AWED by what an experienced cook can do, and knows, and creates. The amount of effort that goes into what they do, vs. me sitting at a computer for eight hours is drastically different. Cooks use brain and body power. I just don't understand why they don't make more. What I mean is, I don't understand how the world came to be that this is not recognized and appreciated. Following your bliss is supposed to equal success. Follow your heart and the money will follow. But it doesn't. I just don't understand how this ocurred, you know?

Not a very helpful post, but I did want to state how amazing I think professionals are in this industry. It's baffling how somehow the working world is missing out on this, at the detriment of the chefs, who love it so much they just keep doing it anyway.

SlaveGirl
http://www.restaurantslave.com

[chadwic]

here i have sat for about 45 minutes reading all this replies....i couldnt help but to be thankful i like many of you get paid whats seems to be poorly... right now wheni pick up the paper it seems all i read about is layoffs now if i had my choice between being laid off of getting paid $15 dollars an hour i would have to choose the 15 dollars...i know the stats but i still have to wonder...it seems many of you have years and years of experiance running restaurants for other people, so why dont you take the risk and open one up.. many of the reasons i hear are, the owner works 7 days a week he/she is always her, well its seems to me many of you do that already, second i hear i dont have enough money...well if you have been working for 10 years and put away or better yet invested $100, $75 or even $50 dollars a week you would be off to a great start..
i also dont understand these statements, "if i had to do it all over again i would choose a different path" or "my advise to young people it to getout while you still can" If it is that bad than why are you still in it?? and by saying get out while you still can, what does that do?? im sure you have all seen it. once one person in the kitchen had a negative attitude it spreads like wild fire and is almost impossible to stop!! so why say it??
AFRA if you enjoy cooking and kitchen life..do it..and instead of picking up a second job with computers i would suggest learning about investing and making your money work for you!!

[Greg]

SlaveGirl, following your bliss or your heart means happiness for your soul, not always your pocketbook. Unless, of course you equate how much you make in dollars with happiness. Personally, I would not trade the amount of fun we had on the line tonight for any amount of money.

[chefboy2160]

I must say I dissagree with the negative aspects of this thread .
And a global union with strikes ????? Give me a break ! We have an old saying in the culinary Biz , " IF YOU CANT TAKE THE HEAT THAN GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN " . I enjoy what I do and as far as I'm concerned if you are not happy in this Biz than you should take a hike ! Of course thats just my opinion.........................

[marzipan]

Maybe it's just my socialist tendancies and my strong belief in human rights, but I think the macho "if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen" attitudes are very detrimental to the profession.

Sure, we love the work. But loving what you do for a living does NOT negate your right to decent pay and safe working conditions.

[chefboy2160]

Once again I will restate my opinion . . . .
There are so many forms of the food biz , small owner operated
places , large fine dinning estabs , country clubs , hotels , catering,
private chefs , cruise ships , resorts , hospitals , schools , jails ,
and the list can go on for ever . I myself do not want to work with people in this biz who are whiners . If you do not like it then change professions and do not be detrimental to our jobs . We
who do this for a living allready know the aspects of this work , and we have chosen to do somthing that we love . When I work with someone who is more concerned with thereselves than with the customer it just drives me nuts . This is a customer service biz so if you want a perfect world than open your own restaurant and
rule it under your ideas and philosophy . See how much money you make going Wa Wa Wa . Once again this is just my opinion................... But I realy do like what I do!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Wambly]

"When I work with someone who is more concerned with thereselves than with the customer it just drives me nuts . "

Sounds like 99% of the owners and 50% of the managers I have worked with/for.

The hours with no pay was fine for a while. Didn't mind it at all when I was learning (not that I ever stopped) but when busboys make more per hour than the exec chef, things are just flat wrong.

Part of the problem I see is lack of immigration controls along with a lack of Federal action to inforce labor laws. The other part is greedy or just plain silly owners, may they be private or corporate.

I was asked to help get a kitchen in Wichita Kansas back on its feet. The owner had the place for 5 years and never turned a profit. First thing he cut was the cooks wages (but still spent over 10k a year on flowers and candle wax). It was impossible to get cooks for the money he offered. They could go push a broom in a factory for more money. As a side note, they were being offerd all of a dollar more an hour than I was making in 1976 as a line cook.

The last job I had in a 'regular' kitchen was as night sous responsible for two hotel outlets. First week of work I had two cooks. After that I was alone doing 50 to 75 covers a night of supposed fine dinning while the single line cook was dishing out bugers and fries to the grill.
The stress and lack of compensation sent me packing.

I now work as a personal chef.

[Peachcreek]

A few of the reasons we do what we do.

10. Tired of waiting for that Supreme Court Appointment.
9. Get to act like a bigshot at family cookouts.
8. Babes really dig that greasy french fry smell.
7. Makes me think my life is longer than it is.
6. Everybody knows the REAL party is in the kitchen.
5. The warm, moist air around dish machine is good for asthma.
4. Don't see enough cockroaches at home.
3. Low pay and long hours make me think I'm in the Peace Corps.
2. My cats and dogs love me when I get home.
1. Like any other junkie, WE'RE HOOKED!

[Suzanne]

Part of the problem I see is lack of immigration controls along with a lack of Federal action to inforce labor laws. The other part is greedy or just plain silly owners, may they be private or corporate.

I wish you would explain what you mean by the first sentence of this statement. If you mean what I think you mean, then my initial reaction of pure rage is right. But now I've calmed down, and suggest you read the applicable parts of Tony Bourdain's books, regarding the origins and value of the people who work the line.

As for the second sentence, amen.