Can you answer Yvelise’s question about Culinary?:

I had read about a cooking ‘class’ where you can meet with other people, you all cook lots of food in one evening (enough to last a month or a week) and you take home your food and freeze it and then use it for the next month or so. What is the name of this? Has anyone actually done this?

Culinary Arts Cooking Schools

Can you answer arko_a_m_a’s question about Culinary?:

I have seen many job sites having chef jobs,but I am not satisfied by those,so if you know some good sites,which can find me best chef jobs available,then please give me the link,or tell me about that site.I am looking forward to your answer.

Gourmet Food Gift Basket

Hotel jobs are very stressful and can be extremely tiring as you will work long days preparing and making food for guests as well as catering for functions that the hotel might be hosting like a wedding, party or corporate event. Qualified chefs are in short supply leaving many jobs unfilled longer than hotels would like. Some of the chef hotel jobs are the chef de partie or the sous chef, the demi chef, hotel cook, head cook, pastry chef, kitchen manager, master chef, sommelier, or the director of food. You also get the food preparers and other kitchen staff as well as the hotel management checking in every so often or liaising with you about events that are happening.

The hotel cook is usually called the head chef, master chef, or executive chef. If you are the head chef in a hotel, you will be responsible for the running of the entire kitchen as well as the creation of the menu and recipes for the other chefs to prepare and make. You will oversee the reparation of the food, check the making of all the dishes that leave each chef station, help train the new apprentice chefs and assistant chefs, and you will also encourage and lead your team of chefs. The head chef will also manage the banqueting hall and other food related facilities in the hotel like the bars and cafes, the hotel restaurant and any other food areas. As the head chef it is your duty to produce stunning menus and make the recipes that are used each day, so that uniformity is maintained in the food service along with consistent high standards. You are also the kitchen manager in a hotel and you will also have the tasks of handling the monetary issues of the hotel kitchen, ordering supplies and ingredients, and providing estimated consumption cost to the hotel management.

The chef de partie is the second in command in the kitchen and also known as the sous chef. If you have this hotel chef job, you are very busy and are basically the middle man between the head chef and the rest of the kitchen chefs and staff. You will be responsible for the running of the kitchen, for the organization of the menu, kitchen staff and recipes, of the food preparation, and ensuring that the food is up to the correct standards, as well as maintaining the hygiene and health regulations in the hotel kitchen. The chef de partie must know everything about the food that is being made, and works very closely with the head chef. You must know how to make all the different types of dishes on the menu.

The demi chef is also known as the demi chef de partie. You will work directly under the chef de partie and your job is to ensure that all the food going out of the kitchen is of the highest standards for each section. You will have different sections to control such as meat, vegetables, pasta, etc, and it is your job to facilitate the smooth running of your particular section. The demi chef also needs to keep in mind minimum wastage, correct hygiene and cleanliness, adhere to safety regulations, and take stock counts.

The commis chef is the next hotel chef in line under the demi chef and your job is to help the demi chef prepare the mis en place and ensure minimum wastage at all times. The commis chef will provide an accurate inventory of the ingredients used and clean and prepare the stations for cooking each shift. The commis chef has to be efficient and organized.

One of the sections of the hotel kitchen will be reserved for the pastry chefs. If you are a pastry chef, you are on a slightly different level to the other chefs and will be solely responsible for making and creating the delicious pastries for desert. The pastry chef will also organize and oversee the preparation and making of all the pastries, desserts, and ice creams. The pastry chef is basically the master chef of the confectionary department. You must bake cakes, desserts, make pastry, icings, and sugar decorations, and convey your tips and methods to the other pastry workers in your team. You will have to help train new chefs in the pastry department and give tips and advice.

The sommelier has the hotel job that involves all the drinks ordered by the guests. You must ensure that they are all prepared and served perfectly. You are also responsible for the correct pouring of wine and other beverages and have intricate knowledge of wines and how they complement the food on the menu.



Thanks to Lisa Jenkins for contributing this article to our Culinary blog:

Culinary Gift Ideas

If you are one of the many people who are intrigued by the design and delicacy of food then perhaps you have considered becoming a pastry chef. Being a pastry chef allows you to impress your clientele while always remaining new and innovative in your work.

If this type of career excites you, then perhaps you should look into one of the many pastry chef schools. This is the perfect way to hone your existing skills while improving on others. You will be able to learn from qualified chefs who have worked in the very same kitchens that you aspire to work in.

A good school will have you working directly in the classroom as much as possible. Therefore, that is something that you need to look into before making the ultimate decision. Baking isn’t something you learn in a textbook; it’s something you learn by experience.

A lot of people who have already worked in the field are deciding to come back to pastry chef schools. One of the main reasons for this is that pastry chefs are always in high demand and can attract very persuasive salaries.

The field attracts males and females from any age bracket so there are certainly no social requirements. If you have been baking for thirty years or only a few months, you can achieve a rewarding career with the help of a pastry chef school.

Although it is not necessary, a certain amount of personal creativity is helpful in the field. Anyone can learn how to make something exactly the same but only true bakers can create their own masterpieces. Some of the best bakers in the world have achieved their recipes by exploring and trying new things.

When checking out different schools, you should examine their instructors. You will certainly want someone with experience working in the field and who also deals well with students. Also you will want an instructor who is open to new ideas. If you are simply taught the same things that every other student already knows, it will be difficult to advance. But if your instructor encourages baking outside the box, then you will have a much brighter career.

Another advantage is that the school year is typically much shorter. Many people can graduate and start working in the field in under a year. This of course depends on how much experience you have coming in as well as where you wish to work. However anyone can get a job in the industry after completing the course.

Just as anything else in life, you will get back what you put in. And those who have immersed themselves in the class have gone on to have very rewarding careers.

If you are interested in travel, this could also be a wonderful career choice. Every country in the world has different delicacies and different menus. So if you get the proper training, you will be able to work in a variety of different cultures.

A proper pastry chef school is only an investment of a few months but its benefits last a lifetime. You could spend the rest of your days baking exotic desserts in different countries and getting paid good money to do so. All it takes is dedication, passion and a good school.



Thanks to Andy West for contributing this article to our Culinary blog:

Texas Culinary Schools

There are a myriad of career paths to consider if you are interested in working in the restaurant field. Such careers include: Chef, Pastry Chef, Baker, Sous Chef, Executive Sous Chef and many, many more! If you are looking for fast paced, challenging and extremely rewarding employment, look no further!

Working as a professional Chef puts you in complete control of your career direction! You may be supervising over a team of other chefs and cooks or working solitarily as a personal chef for a private citizen. Either way, it is vital to be upbeat and determined if you choose to become a chef. Industry recruits need to become knowledgeable about the business, and should start networking and building associates as early on as they can. With long-term growth anticipated, the rewards and prospects for new chefs will definitely continue. Commercial cookery requires growing numbers of dedicated and passionate individuals to make the most of the reputation that has been attained in modern decades.

There are two paths that can lead you to becoming a chef, one is to become an apprentice. Apprenticeships are the conventional pathway, 72% of employers favor apprentice instruction. Apprentices are employed and salaried; they learn their skills by performing their work under supervision, and they receive time off for additional education.

Institutional training is the alternate way to become a chef. 69% of employers claim that institutionally trained chefs can be as just as high-quality as apprentices. This path involves learning the skills through a learning curriculum, which includes practical education at a TAFE or other education establishment.

Both of these exciting pathways will enable you to obtain AQF Qualification - ‘Certificate III in Hospitality (Commercial Cookery)’ it’s your decision on which path to choose.

Commercial restaurant work is becoming more refined & proficient these days. Chefs are always learning new things about the food they prepare for their customers and clients, and they know the importance of good training. Chefs need to have innovative cooking skills when it comes to selecting, preparing and displaying their cuisine. Chefs also need to posses good communication skills, organization skills, business skills, problem solving skills, and economic skills. The chef’s job presents real-world challenges. They have to be swift and proficient, and know how to multi-task, since they often have many tasks going on at once. The job requires potency, good cleanliness ethics, and many, many hours of hard work.

Chefs can qualify for many types of employment - from being an exclusive chef in a small bistro to working in high class, five-star restaurants with 50 more workers in the kitchen. Chefs can specialize in singular categories of fare, like Asian cuisine. The liveliness and energy of the restaurant industry, combined with patrons desiring innovative dining choices, make a chef’s job continuously appealing.

Not into the idea of being a chef and having to make all types of dishes? Why not become a pastry chef and dedicate your career to making delicious desserts? If you plan on becoming a Pastry Chef, you will require appropriate training. An associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Baking and Pastry Arts will prepare you for this amazing career and will instruct you on everything you need to know to begin in a thriving vocation in this discipline. Courses that lead to obtaining these credentials are accessible by attending specialized pastry schools that are located all around the nation.

As an aspirant pastry chef, you can pick from several different degree curriculums, but a specialized baking and pastry arts degree would be the most appropriate for your potential occupation. a lot of pastry schools offer 2 or 4 year programs intended to train the new pastry chef on everything he or she requires to get started on their pasty chef career as soon after graduation as possible.

The associate’s degree program is for approximately two years and is meant to get the apprentice pastry chef ready for his or her very first job.

The bachelor’s lasts approximately for 3-4 years. It involves the identical subject matter as the associate’s degree but also contain others that are meant to ready the undergraduate pastry chef for a management role in their upcoming career. These extra courses include: management theory, marketing, computing, and finance. The precise details of the curriculum differ among different pastry schools.

As for either type of degree you pursue, you should be able to locate a extensive variety of pastry schools around the nation to pick from.

There are thirteen important criterions that can facilitate your assessment of the value of different institutions and settle on which college curriculum is appropriate for you:

1. Choose an institution that will present you with the best potential likelihood for success.

2. Decide on schools with the highest commencement and employment rates.

3. Search for prospects for long-term profession achievements along with appealing wages.

4. Be on the lookout for well established, thriving alumni associations that offer mentoring and assistance for vocation development.

5. Look for nationally renowned, highly regarded colleges that will be able to supply you with contact to nationwide and international job openings. Regional institutions do not present these benefits.

6. Select a college that places high importance on direct, in-kitchen education and real workplace experiences.

7. Look for a large number of teaching kitchens and in-kitchen teaching hours.

8. Seek out colleges that posses different kinds of first-class eating establishments on-campus for professional instruction.

9. Choose programs that offer their students internships at popular restaurants, hotels, and resorts for real-world experience and industry networking.

10. Try to select a school that has a large teaching staff comprised of experienced, varied, and accomplished chefs:

11. Make sure you find out how many of the teaching staff are Master Chefs or Master Bakers.

12. Be sure you know if the faculty includes Certified Hospitality Educators (C.H.E.s) a certification that indicates good teachers.

13. Search out diverse faculty that comes from a variety of cultures, countries and culinary experiences. This will definitely enrich your education and give you a more well rounded experience.



Thanks to Josh Stone for contributing this article to our Culinary blog:

Requirements To Become A Chef