Just a quick Hello!

Welcome Katrina, we’re sure glad that you’re here at Chef Talk. 

As you may have notice, this is a very diverse membership from all around the world. 

I hope that you’ve had a chance to check out some of the forums. 

As for you and I, who do not work in the industry, the Pro forums are read only for us, but it’s kinda’ interesting to see what they are talking about. 

The galleries are very cool, feel free to add to it. 

You might want to use the search bar at the top of the page to look for some past postings on topics that interest you. 

The articles are quite thought provoking as well.

As for me, I know that I have learned a lot here, so enjoy and

Aloha, Welcome once again.

This website can be a great tool for someone like yourself.  Utilize the search bar and you can often find answers to questions you may have before writing out a long entry.  I've found that most topics have already been discussed or are currently being discussed on other threads. 

As for culinary school, I'm not saying don't do it, but before you do, practice cooking!  There's so much to learn from cook books like you said, forums like this one and even television like Food Network.  All those chefs paid thousands of dollars to learn to cook, and then teach you for free on TV.  I mean whats not to like?  Utilize what tools are available, and happy cooking!

Also, don't get too involved in peoples criticisms on line - I find that people know a lot more than they actually do when they're behind a keyboard!  So keep that in mind.  Best of luck!

Welcome Katrina glad to have you. We have a pretty active culinary student forum so if you have questions drop by there and ask away.