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Ok I got Some questions for yall!!!!

post #1 of 8
2/4/09 at 8:39pm
Thread Starter 
OK well I'm 16 and i just read the book Becoming A Chef and well i got more of the feel for thing and i know tine bet more then what i did OK SO what I'm asking is I'm 16 right now and there whole big thing as if should go to culinary school are not to and just start working and work your way up learning to me if I was to go to school it would be to learn well the way I'm think is that i got 2 or 3 years be for i can go to college so i mean that give me allot of time to read books a learn and watch and cook more and around here i can work are whatever after school and on the week ends and learn more there to SO all this time to me I'm learn hands on and if i don't go to school that mean i wont have to pay all the money back that i need to pay for school!!!
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post #2 of 8
2/5/09 at 8:31am
whoa.. well holy run on sentence batman.. lol..

well seeing your that your only 16, your first job will be as a dishwasher most likely. Unless you find something under the table making salads and cold foods. You will have to look and ask around a bit, but some people will take you under their wing. One of the things thats going to stop you from doing certain prep work and such is your age. You cant legally use a meat slicer when your 16.. at least not in NY. Culinary Schools are going to be expensive regardless of where you go. Learning through experience is what a lot of chefs ive worked with have done. They end up working in the industry for a good 5-7 years then they take up going to culinary schools, either take classes that will hone their skills that they have gained working already or just to broaden their horizons.

either way they are both different monsters... as long as you got the passion for food and are willing to work hard the sky is the limit.. good luck
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post #3 of 8
2/5/09 at 8:43am
This read like a Bret Easton Ellis paragraph but with grammatical errors!

Joking aside, if this post is similar to your normal writing style, then you may have a tough time being admitted to a college that has admissions standards. You may only have the choice of working in the industry unless you want to attend an LCB or AI college.

In the end, you can find examples of those that went to culinary school and those that did not. By having a college education, it generally allows you more opportunity for advancement. However, you can work in the food industry without a culinary degree. It all depends on what your goals are in life.

What I would recommend immediately is for you to work in a restaurant while you are in high school. I think you stated that as well in your post. Work as a dishwasher and work your way up.

Good luck to you.
See the truth about the culinary education industry at www.culinaryschooladviser.com 
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post #4 of 8
2/5/09 at 8:44am
If you keep writing like that, you will not get into any school?
CHEFED
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post #5 of 8
2/5/09 at 6:58pm
Thread Starter 
Well....stop hating...:(
No but really I am working on it, I work on a computer all day for school so I never write at all so yeah I'm working on that and back to the subject, to me it would be smarter for me just to start work and learn everything I can and work my way up. In stead of going to school with money I don't have.
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post #6 of 8
2/5/09 at 9:31pm
nobody is hating on you... they are just giving you the reality of what your getting into. you will definitely need to learn how to construct sentences properly if you are going to even think about writing down menu specials.... but thats quite a bit down the road for you anyways.

as for spending money you dont have on education... ahem.. thousands of kids/adults get into debt for taking out loans and such for education. people have had and always will have the choice to be one of the fellow civilians who want to strangle debt collectors or just avoid them by not getting in debt in the first place.
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post #7 of 8
2/6/09 at 2:57pm
There are community colleges that have great culinary programs. And it won't cost much. Maybe even free if you get student aid of some sort. Check them out now and try to plan ahead.

There are apprenticeships for when you are older, offered by the american culinary federation. You get paid to learn on the job.

I think the best thing for right now is to get a few great books that teach techniques and study them. And practice at home. Buy carrots, onions, cucumbers, herbs, etc; and develop your knife skills. Then use those ingredients in recipes. You have to be as hands on as possible to be good in this profession.

Look into culinary textbooks like 'On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals.' The newest edition is the 4th. But that will set you back at least $80. The 3rd edition is much cheaper.

And speaking of books...

Grammatically Correct by Anne Stilman
Painless Grammar by Rebecca Elliott Ph.D.

I am not making fun, or hating. These are great books! I am MUCH older than you and I own these books.
Painless Grammar looks a bit childish, but don't pass it up. It's good!!
"To be a good chef all you got to do is lots of little things well" -Marco Pierre

"As far as cuisine is concerned, one must read everything, see everything, hear everything, try everything, observe everything, in order to retain in the end, just a little bit." -Fernand Point
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post #8 of 8
2/6/09 at 3:19pm
Over the nine years I have been on chef talk I have been ribbed about my spelling, but for those of members that know me I am a serious chef.:cool: In fact I have been teaching for 5 years and currently am the department head of an ACF accredited program. I always recommend that perspective students spend some time in the industry to get a better feel for the field. It is a benefit. The school of hard knocks is also invaluable, if you are able to fuse the two you will be better of IMHO. A benefit of a quality culinary program is you have the opportunity to work with many different chefs during your studies which may take you a # of years to accomplish without formal training.The fact that you are 16 years old and asking the pertinent questions on chef talk is a very good start.

In the end, follow your dreams.
Baruch ben Rueven / Chanaבראד, ילד של ריימונד והאלאן
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