Culinary School/Certifications/Restaurant Industry!

[LegacySleeper]

Who here is in culinary school, plans to attend culinary school, or don't care about the piece of paper that says your certified and cook, or have been cooking at restaurants? What are your life goals for your cooking career?

 

If you used to be, why'd you back out of it?

 

For me personally, I'm enrolled in culinary school at Cincinnati State Technical College. I have been cooking at a retirement home working my way up the ladder from being a prep cook puppet who plated up food, to making it to being lead cook which a CEC (certified executive chef) overlooking my cooking and procedures. I supervise a staff of 12 a dinner service, and am working on getting my CC (Certified Culinarian) and hope to be a CSC (Certified Sous Chef) before i'm 30 to be realistic with how procrastination oriented I am. I know you don't make a whole lot of money in this industry unless your certified in certain ways, or land that one killer job position that pays well but I'm happy with my career path choice because money isn't everything to me.

 

I also have been doing a few personal chef gigs to my parents friends, and close people i know... Technically I'm illegally doing this considering I don't have my "personal chef certification", which i also plan on getting later down the road. I know I'm not a chef yet, but i'll still call it personal chef...

 

Curious to see how many people on LGT.com are actually in the restaurant world or used to be. This thread may fail, but figured it was worth a shot seeing a couple plates a few of you made in the food pron thread that look awesome.

[tocinoman25]

Greetings...I am a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Chicago June 2011. I was a medical assistant for 10 years for a Rheumatologist and Internal Medicine and always worked the restaurant industry as FOH, from server, room service, banquets, bartender, and manager. My passion for becoming a chef finally came true and I said I would go and get my degree. I took the associates program and went to Mallorca for 3 months for my externship to learn Spanish cuisine. Eventually, I would like to open a Filipino/Spanish fusion with some French techniques.

 

Like yourself, I worked at a senior living and wanted to climb the ladder. I started out as a line cook right away. However we prepped, cooked, and served(plated) for 350 residents daily for breakfast and dinner with a staff of only 4. It was slavery, especially the residents having 3 choices of entrees for dinner and a nice selection of desserts. 6 months down the line I realized it would be impossible to climb the ladder with a small staff. I went and applied at the new casino that was just built last summer.

 

I am a line cook here and work 3 of the 5 restaurants and have potential to be promoted to sous chef since I have managerial skills. I tell you 60 hour weeks are not so bad if you love the kitchen. I miss my days at the doctors office and the money along with the patients. The stress was not worth it. Ever since I have been working in the kitchen, I do not consider it work. I am happy with what I do and enjoy going to work even for less pay than my previous career.

 

I am learning all I can and get as much as I can for the next year and I will proceed to open my own business. I also do catering like you, I cater to close friends and family to keep it legal. I will not cater to people I dont know that is illegal. There is lots of money to be made out there. As for CC and other certifications, its really not necessary unless you want to be in the ACF or other culinary committees. If you know how to cook, you cook from your heart and make sure nothing goes to waste. Its all about experimenting in the kitchen. Cover all the techniques, searing, braising, poaching, roasting, frying, baking, grilling and you will be the master of your kitchen!

 

I have no regrets of changing careers, I just wish I did it sooner and not slaving away at a job I didnt want to be at, only cause the money was awesome, but money isnt everything to me...i found my true passion. I started a youtube cooking channel that i must work on, i was featured in the Filipino newspaper several times for making Paella with a Filipino fusion, and doing some cooking demos at Navy Pier and Convention Centers.

 

The program did put me 40 Gs in debt but a good debt...something to be proud of...If I dont climb the ladder in a year...I will open my own right away...I already have a signature dishes that I cater to people and they are hooked. Always have a little notebook and a pen and write all your ideas down, copy all recipes at places you work at too...thats the best tip, see the flaws, the pros and cons and you will see it all....make the kitchen a smooth operation and think quick and compromise or else your ship will sink like the Titanic...if you succeed and make things happen you will make a great Chef!!

 

Do you have any specialties?

[mdzowner]

I can tell you certification isnt everything. i graduated in 96 from an accredited program. At 21 i was offered e.c. at a private 165 member yacht club. after 10 years, i was a personal chef for the vp of icelandic seafood r&d dept. now im 34 and part owner in a washingtonian top 100 operation and am opening another place by end of year. certification although helpful is not neccessary. some of the criteria for those certs simply dont apply. for instance, if i recall for CEC you need to be in charge of more than 35 ee's in more than one outlet. although ive been executing every role as ec i havent met that criteria.

on the other side of that coin, some high end employers will not even consider you if you arent certified.

if you truly enjoy cooking youll find a way certified or not.

[LegacySleeper]

Greetings...I am a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Chicago June 2011. I was a medical assistant for 10 years for a Rheumatologist and Internal Medicine and always worked the restaurant industry as FOH, from server, room service, banquets, bartender, and manager. My passion for becoming a chef finally came true and I said I would go and get my degree. I took the associates program and went to Mallorca for 3 months for my externship to learn Spanish cuisine. Eventually, I would like to open a Filipino/Spanish fusion with some French techniques.

 

Like yourself, I worked at a senior living and wanted to climb the ladder. I started out as a line cook right away. However we prepped, cooked, and served(plated) for 350 residents daily for breakfast and dinner with a staff of only 4. It was slavery, especially the residents having 3 choices of entrees for dinner and a nice selection of desserts. 6 months down the line I realized it would be impossible to climb the ladder with a small staff. I went and applied at the new casino that was just built last summer.

 

I am a line cook here and work 3 of the 5 restaurants and have potential to be promoted to sous chef since I have managerial skills. I tell you 60 hour weeks are not so bad if you love the kitchen. I miss my days at the doctors office and the money along with the patients. The stress was not worth it. Ever since I have been working in the kitchen, I do not consider it work. I am happy with what I do and enjoy going to work even for less pay than my previous career.

 

I am learning all I can and get as much as I can for the next year and I will proceed to open my own business. I also do catering like you, I cater to close friends and family to keep it legal. I will not cater to people I dont know that is illegal. There is lots of money to be made out there. As for CC and other certifications, its really not necessary unless you want to be in the ACF or other culinary committees. If you know how to cook, you cook from your heart and make sure nothing goes to waste. Its all about experimenting in the kitchen. Cover all the techniques, searing, braising, poaching, roasting, frying, baking, grilling and you will be the master of your kitchen!

 

I have no regrets of changing careers, I just wish I did it sooner and not slaving away at a job I didnt want to be at, only cause the money was awesome, but money isnt everything to me...i found my true passion. I started a youtube cooking channel that i must work on, i was featured in the Filipino newspaper several times for making Paella with a Filipino fusion, and doing some cooking demos at Navy Pier and Convention Centers.

 

The program did put me 40 Gs in debt but a good debt...something to be proud of...If I dont climb the ladder in a year...I will open my own right away...I already have a signature dishes that I cater to people and they are hooked. Always have a little notebook and a pen and write all your ideas down, copy all recipes at places you work at too...thats the best tip, see the flaws, the pros and cons and you will see it all....make the kitchen a smooth operation and think quick and compromise or else your ship will sink like the Titanic...if you succeed and make things happen you will make a great Chef!!

 

Do you have any specialties?

 

The first thing i was about to ask you is if you were regretful about the pay decrease, but you answered that... I'm actually surprised you find it almost relaxing to work in your kitchen, i mean, i find it very soothing and enjoyable, unless im right in the middle of service staring down a stack of tickets of 40 a la carte that are expected to be up within 20 minutes tops that include specialty chicken breast from raw, grilled chicken salads, chef salads that require 10 different items julienne, etc. but i still enjoy it, i just get stressed, its quite a bit contradictive to say that you get stressed but still enjoy it, its hard to explain....

 

That's good that you find it that way though, you must really have found a great place of work! I love where I'm at now, but I would love to go somewhere even MORE challenging, to really put myself to the test, I'm only 21, turning 22 in almost exactly 1 month, and I'm happy with where I'm at for probably another year, but would like to go somewhere where I can make just a bit more money... $15 an hour would have me pretty happy for awhile, I could definitely make that work. I know to some people that's freakin close to nothing but like I said, money isn't everything to me.

 

Specialities? Nothing inparticular besides BBQ (which i know isn't true chef worthiness, and not taught in school or anything) but i have nailed using a smoker, we have a home made one at work that works just as well as the commercial ones, and then i can throw down on some fish, but nothing inparticular, I cook a-lot of things at my place of work.

 

 

 

I can tell you certification isnt everything. i graduated in 96 from an accredited program. At 21 i was offered e.c. at a private 165 member yacht club. after 10 years, i was a personal chef for the vp of icelandic seafood r&d dept. now im 34 and part owner in a washingtonian top 100 operation and am opening another place by end of year. certification although helpful is not neccessary. some of the criteria for those certs simply dont apply. for instance, if i recall for CEC you need to be in charge of more than 35 ee's in more than one outlet. although ive been executing every role as ec i havent met that criteria.

on the other side of that coin, some high end employers will not even consider you if you arent certified.

if you truly enjoy cooking youll find a way certified or not.

 

I am highly aware that certification isn't everything what so ever. I know a guy who grew up in cooking and restaurants his whole childhood and teenage years basically without option because they were poor and that's where his dad was at, he was the most badass chef i've ever gotten to work with, addicted to crack/cocaine yes, but holy crap could this guy cook some stuff, he could take a melon and carve it into a swan within 120 seconds, i timed him, not just a simple swan either, extreme detail.

 

None the less, both of you guys have some pretty impressive stories and career paths! I hope for myself to build one similar. I am confident I'll definitely go somewhere with this someday soon enough!