Another career change... and needing help

Chefs, I need your help,

I've started cooking at home when I was finishing college. Back then it was all about having you belly stuffed, so you could drink more and not get too drunk, and since no one cared for making the food, I stepped up to the job. I began liking it, though, and things started to become a bit more serious: I bought books, watched tv shows, researched on the internet... Nowadays, more than 10 years later, I still cook for friends, I'm still passionate about food and cooking, and sadly, still not working with it.

So, my first question was if I am too old to start cooking professionally (I'm 33 now), but I read some threads in this forum, like "Am I too old?" and "How old is too old?", and felt encouraged.

My second question now is: How do I do this? I'm living in Belgium now, with a scholarship for my PhD in literature, and so far I could only find two kinds of courses here: one day home cooking courses, that teach you a menu a day, and culinary schools, that take only kids up to 21yo. The first doesn't suit me, and the second doesn't accept me. What should I do?

Please, I feel this is my greatest opportunity to become a chef, and I don't want to miss it (again). Help me.

Thanks for the answer. No, I have never worked with food before, and yes, that would be interesting to get a job in a small restaurant first, ans see how things develop. The problem is, even though I've been cooking at home for a long time, I have no professional training. Would anyone hire an amateur cook? I was thinking of studying first, but I can't seem to find a cokking school here in Belgium...
 

Hi Tranquillo,

It wouldn't be a bad idea to go to a cooking school in Australia, but for me now it's just a dream. I live here in Belgium with my scholarship (and it's already hard enought to support me and my girlfriend with it!). First of all I'd need to find a job to pay not only my studies, but also the cost of living there. But anyway, like I said, it's nice to dream about it. I think for me now, the only way in this apprenticeship thing. I'm already looking for something, while managing my PhD and reading cook books.

Speaking of which, my PhD is in literature. I've concluded masters is communication in Brazil, and about a year later, I was invited to come here. It's been almost two years now, and I have a total of four to finish it. I don't have classes, but I have an office I can go whenever I feel like, and besides the thesis, I have to publish some papers, and go to conferences. How would you classify that? I take it as a full time job, also because any other income I get from other works would automatically cancel my scholarship. So, I'll have to finish it first, or drop it definitely before stepping into the kitchen. Let's see what happens.

Thanks for your answer, and good luck to us!