I am often asked by many aspiring chefs; Should they go to Culinary Arts School?
It is a very good question, and one that will probably receive a different answer from almost every Chef. We all had a different experience on the way to becoming a Chef.
Before getting to the nitty gritty of which way to go and why, lets get a basic definition of what a Chef is, and when I say basic I mean Basic. The sudden rise of so many cooking shows and Celebrity chefs on the Food Network has led some to misinterpret what a chef really is. The word Chef comes from the French and it literally means Chief plain and simple. And so at the end of the day when you become a chef you become the head and or chief of your own Kitchen, bearing all the responsibilities for its operation and the creations that come out of it. I am going to start with the traditional path my path and some of the key things I learned on this path that make it a unique experience and why I would recommend it.
There are many views on what the traditional path is, but for me it remains the same. Traditional means that you probably like to cook and have even learned some things at home and are passionate about food, and as such are curious about the culinary arts. It means that to expand your knowledge and explore your curiosity you go to a nearby kitchen or a favorite place where the things you would like to learn are already being prepared, you practically go in and voluteer to work for the opportunity to learn and hope that the Chef will give you a chance even if it is as a dishwasher or "if you're lucky" as a prep cook.
This was the case for me, I went into an Apprenticeship with North Carolina Executive Mansion Chef David Gaydeski. I already knew some basic things but had no idea of what it took to cook professionally and all the things involved in putting a simple event together. I began as a Dish Washer and when the time allowed, I would help cut vegetables and set up for Banquets. At first I wasn't happy at all with my position as I assumed that I was capable of more than just "washing dishes", It was after about six months in that I realized how important washing dishes was, you see the Dish washer:
As a result of my experience as a dishwasher, I was prepared when Chef David gave me an opportunity to step in and take care of some minor recipes for him that I had seen him cook countless times. I had excellent economy of movement because I knew where everything was and what I needed for each recipe. Soon after that, Chef began to trust me more with other important tasks, Until the day came that he would allow me to take care of entire parties and events for him. All of this culminated when I was made responsible for the First Family's Menu and all visiting delegations into the Mansion, soon before realizing it I had become David's Sou Chef and go to person when he was out of town or simply had different events in different directions; it dawned on me that in David's absence it was my kitchen I was The Chef and it is an incredible feeling, and a very scary one as well.
After two years with Executive Chef David Gaydeski, I was given the opportunity to learn from my culinary idol at the time Iron Chef Walter Royal, it was an incredible opportunity and I didn't know what to expect from an Iron Chef. But as I started to do Prep for him I realized that my time spent with David was the only thing that allowed me to earn Walter's trust. The thing about Chefs Iron or otherwise is that we are a tight knit community, if you walk into my kitchen today looking for a job I am going to ask straight out Who have you cooked for? and if you tell me that you're a chef I am going to ask you SAYS WHO? We know each other or know about each others work, and so If you tell me that Walter or David put you in charge of one of his kitchens or let you prepare something for his guests and lay his reputation on the line for you, then you're practically in as far as skills is concerned. With Iron Chef Walter Royal I was able to refine my knowledge and develop my techniques, working with an Iron Chef gives you a different perspective on things as well and brings home the trust placed in you by that Chef.
I must add here before going forward, that although all kitchens will share similarities pirate ship not all are the same. Just like not all restaurants are the same, and depending who you learn from or what kind of restaurant it is. It will have a huge impact on the things you learn on your traditional path. I cannot deny here that Working with a chef that had an unlimited budget allowed me to play with Ingredients that I would not have been able to touch at an average mom and pops, and working with an Iron Chef allowed me to interact with ingredients that would've probably being impossible to interact with at a lesser kitchen because the customer base there would not have been willing to pay for such.
Working with Iron Chef Walter Royal made me realize what a privilege it is to be able to do what we do, it is stressful as hell and there are so many moving parts. You are constantly aware that your operation does not work if you do not trust the people around you and you are constantly questioning wether or not you have the right guy at the right station, you are always aware that on Stand of hair at the wrong place at the wrong time will forever change someone's wedding and it will be immortalized. You will be the one Chef who ruined her special day.
But with all that also comes the realization that you are given the trust and opportunity to prepare something for someone who is going to sit in your restaurant and put it in their body, trusting that you used the best freshest ingredients, that it's going to be delicious and will nourish them. It is an incredible responsibility and you do not have to wait a month or a cycle to find out how you performed, you prepare it and you send it out and you cross your fingers. You will know shortly what your guests think about your dish.
A lot of the things I've mentioned here are possible through the Culinary Arts School path and there are some who have achieved way more, but they will all probably tell you that they still had to go through this after Culinary Arts School. In the end a lot of them were left wondering why they had spent the money and the time in the first place, but I will leave that for Part 2.
This could go on for ever, but lets conclude here for the traditional path and pick up on the next article for Culinary Arts School path, all Chefs and cooks reading this please share your experiences and definitely add where you think I fell short.
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