The Demise of Culinary Art?

[ChefRon]

I have a question for other chefs. Speaking for myself, I never attended culinary school; I worked to gain an education and traveled all over the USA to study under some of the nation's best chefs. For 12 years I always worked as "tourant" as I wanted to learn every station there was. It was not until then that I applied for a Sous position. The Executive slot came 5 years later. What gets me is the huge number of culinary school graduates who want to be executives as soon as they graduate! It seems to me there is a huge difference between the theory of cooking (as taught in two years) and the practice of dealing with three rails of tickets on a Saturday night when four cooks have called off.

Moreover, so many chains employ concessionary cuisine that I have met cooks with 5 or more years experience that can't make soup without base and water. Between the arrogance of new culinary graduates and the ineptitude of cooks from chain restaurant backgrounds I find myself eternally behind the "training eight ball". I am often troubled with what I want my menu to offer versus what my cook's talents will actually permit. Am I alone in this?

[This message has been edited by ChefRon (edited May 22, 1999).]

[m brown]

I have a theory, I went to cul school, I came out and became the executive position in a hotel pastry shop(hired by another student who knew nothing) and fell flat on my face. that was 11 years ago. I am now pastry chef in a fab kitchen and an instructor at a cul school.
my theory is this, go to school or don't, but it takes 10 years at least, to teach or be a chef. that is if you have the good fortune to train under talent.
trust me, I am not tatooed or pearced enough to be as cocky as I have seen the youth chefs of today.
In the mean time, you youth chefs reading this, read, write, listen, smell, taste, question, volunteer, work, work, work, keep your mind open and wait until the passion and knowledge and maturity mesh.
peace.

ps chefron, i can relate.

mbrown... I could not have said it better myself. Great insightful advice.

These are some great comments!! Culinary school is valuable from the postion of getting some of the basic knowledge and skills which will be necessary to a successful career in the culinary arts. But it is only the beginning. No one graduates culinary school with the speed necessary to make it through a slam on Sat. night! That as well as becoming proficient in the kitchen requires nothing but time and lots of sweat and hard work. There is no room for the big headed arrogance displayed by some chefs and especially by the naive people just entering the field!

[Pete]

I can really relate to the subject at hand right now. As a favor for a friend, who is opening a restaurant on the West Coast, we are attempting to give his future Exec. a crash course in being a chef. She is straight out of school and thinks she knows it all. She constantly talks about everything she can do and never listens to our instructions. I have yet to see her with her notebook taking down notes about what is going on, she would rather write poetry about the kitchen and what it's like to be a chef. Luckily she is leaving in a few weeks and I have warned her employer, but hey he got an Exec. for next to nothing.
What makes people think they can be Execs. right out of school? And who are these fools who hire them thinking they are getting a deal?

[This message has been edited by Pete (edited May 30, 1999).]

Unfortunatelly alot of culinary school graduates think that their schooling makes them better than a cook who has been doing it for ten years. The reason? Alot of chef instructors pump them up with that hot headed arrogance. They are told that they are superior because they are in school. School is great, you are exposed to alot of things much quicker than you would be out in the real world. But like everyone has said, that is not a substitute for real life experience. What do you do when its Saturday night, reservations are at 200+ and your pantry cook calls in sick? Does school teach you that? No, it won't. When you need to make a stock and everyone else wants to through everything into the pot and boil it for eight hours, will school teach you why you don't do that? Yes, it will. School has its benefits, but school and real life work are a much better combination.

[m brown]

I have students for 3-4 weeks(out of 2 years) and I have to teach them tart dough to pulled sugar. I do not expect them to go out and open a patisserie but, they should be able to say "Yes Chef" when questioned about a technique. and I do tell them this is not going to make them a chef. School is technique training.

Althought it was the old old topic in last year, but when i read these articles, i was very agree with what you all have said... I was also a graduate from skol who think that know all... but now, i have learnt a lesson, when i came out to open my own small restaurant in my country..... it end up to get me back to my own family business, an old coffee shop where sells chinese daily food. i am now working there for nothing to learn but just repeating.. my wish is just travel abroad , to learn more to see more . and i have learn my lesson , " never say I know it all" , just think that " there is still a taller hill besides where I am standing.....

Experience Rules !!!!! Everyone who has been
in this biz knows that one of the biggest factors of being a professional chef are being able to perform miracles in the face of insurmountable odds . Do you call on some young person fresh out of school for this or
do you look for a mature experienced pro ?
I look at being a professional chef as being the coach of a sports team . You should know how all the positions should be played, which players should play them and how to get the very best out of each member of the team . Remember you rarely see a young coach who is successful or a young executive chef who is also . Good luck and keep cookin .