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Toque Question for Culinary Students

post #1 of 16
11/1/03 at 12:15pm
Thread Starter 
Currently, I'm in the middle of my first term of culinary school at Robert Morris College (new culinary program). So far, it's going well. I've been very busy and it's going pretty well for the most part!

We were told last night (they're still ironing out the kinks of the program) that it will be necessary to wear our full uniform (whites, checks, shoes, neckerchief, etc.) to all our classes (gen eds and all) which is fine with me, though we've been told that we need to also wear our toques to class in order to be in full regalia as well. Is this normal for other culinary schools? I'll wear it without a fight anyhow, but I'm just thinking that it's not exactly practical to be sitting at tables in non-production classes with our hats bumping constantly :)

By the way, the reason I'm asking is because RMC is mostly a business school, so I know for a fact that in one of my classes I'll be the only one in cook's whites amongst business majors in jeans (not exactly going to make me feel 'confident' and 'unified' in my Environmental Science class as described in the policy, but whatever!)

Just curious, thanks in advance for any help! - Kim
:chef:
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post #2 of 16
11/1/03 at 3:27pm
At Johnson and Wales we only have little skullcap-type hats and we are not required to wear them during academics. Maybe your individual instructors will have a say one way or the other. Even if one instructor says not to wear it, bring it to each different class until each instructor has told you what they want.
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post #3 of 16
11/1/03 at 7:55pm
Thread Starter 

Skullcaps sounds cool :)

Hi Kate,

Thank you for your post! It's good to know that J&W isn't making students go everywhere with their toques on :) I'm hoping RMC will relax this policy just a little bit when they realize that no one in the back of the class can see the chef/instructors through the foot-tall toques everyone will have to wear in classes!!
:rolleyes:

I hope all is well with you! I was following some of your earlier postings when you were just starting school - how's it going for you there?

Thanks again! - Kim :)
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post #4 of 16
11/2/03 at 3:50am
The last thing you need is a big old toque in front of you. It's not necessary, tell your instructors. We don't even wear toques at conventions unless we're cooking.
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post #5 of 16
11/2/03 at 3:14pm
Thread Starter 

Invisible, and toques for all!

Thanks Kuan!

I must be getting brave - I'm thinking I will mention this to them (Albeit anonymously? We'll see!) Aside from me, there must be others in my classes that will say something too.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that it's just a teensy bit overkill. I'll comply with the rule for now, but it just doesn't make sense to me.

Thanks again for fueling my will to fight "against the machine" (it's a great school, but this is a ludicrous rule!)

Yours, in food - Kim :chef: <----- Ha!
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post #6 of 16
11/2/03 at 7:43pm
Classes are good. I've had advanced desserts (learning about plate presentation, and 'fancy' desserts such as creme brulee, mousse, bavarian creme, ice cream, and other members of the creme anglaise family), garde manger and international cooking, and got B+'s in all of them...currently in Classical French cooking, and I hope it is going as well or better. I've done well on the quizzes and in general knowledge but I keep screwing up stupid things because this chef breathes down your neck and I second guess myself all the time. I really like the guy though and I want to impress him and it's kind of stressing me out. But we'll just have to see.
Good luck with your issue :D
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post #7 of 16
11/3/03 at 5:37pm
Hey Kidaly,
I just graduated from the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. I can give you a first hand assessment of their dress code. Obviously when we were cooking, chef whites were mandatory. Jacket, Checks, Apron, Black shoes, and headwear. The neckerchief was an option to us. The headwear was either a floppy toque, or a baker's skull cap.

Our cooking and baking classes were 5 hours each, and broken down in any of three formats.
  • 3 hours kitchen / 2 hours classroom ~ (7 am start time only)
    1 hour classroom / 3 hours kitchen / 1 hour classroom
    2 hours classroom / 3 hours kitchen

Whenever we were in the classroom (not in the kitchen) we could take our headwear off. Our jackets had to remain buttoned, and there were always a few people who had to be reminded.

As far as academic classes, there was not any sort of dress code. If you had Laminated Doughs before you had Hospitality Supervision, chances were that you went to Supervision class in your chef whites while the person next to you was wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. That's the way it was.

Good luck with your schooling. If ever I can be of any assistance to you in any way, feel free to give me a holler. We are practically neighbors as it is!!!

Take care,
RJ
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post #8 of 16
11/3/03 at 6:54pm
Thread Starter 

Toques Off! :)

Hi All!

I checked in to 'lodge a complaint' with regards to the toque issue and it sounds like now we don't have to wear our toques in classes that aren't held in the kitchens! (Yay!) Thanks to everyone who particpated in answering my question in this thread! :)

Kate: I'm totally looking forward to desserts, though I think I'm a ways off from reaching that point yet. :) Tonight (I attend night classes only) Chef did some starch demos and included was a demo of piped Duchesse Potatoes - it was divine - and I can't wait to use those pastry bags again (I used to decorate cakes at Baskin-Robbins a decade ago! :lips: )

Kuan: Thanks for giving me the strength to want to make RMC a better place to see our instructors :) I'm glad someone else beat me to the punch though!! :)

RJ: Congratulations on your recent graduation!! Chic was another option I was looking into - though I ran into some snags since it since my hubby works during the day and he would have to be home to watch our 2 sons before I could leave for school (RMC is 10 minutes away :) How did you like the program? I'd be interested to hear about your experience out there! What do you plan to do now that you're out?

Thanks again everybody for your help with this!! - Kim

:D
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post #9 of 16
11/3/03 at 11:49pm
I feel as a johnson and wales university student that the only reason for toques or any hat is for sanitation and is not necessary for class unless you are in a kitchen so it is really up to your instructors just ask them hopefully they will feel the same

yours truly

Michael :chef:
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post #10 of 16
11/20/03 at 8:04pm
i am curently attending the culinary and hospitality mgmt school at j sergeant reynolds in VA. i recomend getting a bakers cap also known as a skull cap. i find that the touqe just gets in the way. i have even had them get caught on hood vents. the bakers cap is short and i think it is a more professional look. you should ask if you can wear them in your class. good luck with your classes. i hope i have been of some help and i look forward to reading more questions from you.
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post #11 of 16
11/21/03 at 7:07am
Yeah, the baker's cap sounds like the ones we use at JWU. Please update us! :D
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post #12 of 16
11/21/03 at 5:47pm
chefwear.com is the most comfortable bakers caps i have found, they are under $15 if you go in with some freinds or classmates and get a higher number of caps they are cheaper. here is a link to their site. www.chefwear.com
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post #13 of 16
11/21/03 at 8:43pm
Thread Starter 

Toques - To be or not to be?!?

Hi Everybody!

I'm in the middle of finishing my finals for my first term at RMC - it's going really well so far!! It's a lot of work, but I'm really loving it. In fact, I just did a 'Health Department Inspection' presentation in class this evening!

:bounce:

As for our hats, I spoke with someone in our admissions office who hinted that there had been other complaints about our toques (paper, disposable ones that have pretend creases printed in the top) and that they were looking into other options :) I love the idea of wearing those skullcaps instead - I just sent an e-mail to the same representative in the admissions department that I'd originally spoken to about this with the Chefwear link :) Thanks for that! The 'European Houndstooth' would match our pants perfectly - we could be totally 'coordinated'! :)

Thanks again! Have a lovely Turkey Holiday! - Kim

:chef:
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post #14 of 16
11/22/03 at 12:15pm
hope it works out the way you want it to! have a happy thanksgiving! :D
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post #15 of 16
12/17/03 at 8:02pm
Thread Starter 

RMC has new standard toques!

For all of you who may have been following my 'toque soap saga' - the newest chapter. . . RMC has a new standard (still disposable) toque for students to wear. I have to swing by the book store and pick one up to try it out. These are still paper, but they actually have real folds and not just fakey painted on ones, but these aren't adjustable - a one size fits all thing. . . we'll see how that works :)

So far, second term in Culinary is going well (except for Culinary math - I'm having a hard time. . . tonight we were doing Compound Interest. . . yuck.

:confused: )

Anyhay, I hope all of you ChefTalkers have a lovely holiday season! (and maybe a respite from culinary school to get reacquainted with your family for a few days?)


:bounce: - Kim :)
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post #16 of 16
12/19/03 at 5:15am
Ugh..we took all that interest stuff last year...this year it's cost control and I'm so tired of everyone talking about how easy it is, because I just can't grasp it.
Break started last night for me, and I believe we get back on the 5th of January.
My mother scared me by saying my aunt wanted me to cook everything for Christmas this year. So I called to confirm and my uncle said they had just been kidding! They said I could bring something, but I'm not sure what I'll do. Perhaps some canapes or something.
I hope you have a nice break too.
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