Jakea222

We have a board in the kitchen so the many FoH staff see the new specials. We had Sea Bass and "somebody" maybe me, erased the B and you had never seen the double take looks from the staff and teh European servers were confused....

I would also expect any culinary program graduate to do the basics. Every single chef I have worked for have all done or added a spin to the basics. Repetition is the key. IF you hire someone that has been on the line since they were 12 nad then maybe stack them against someone who is a fresh grad, you probably will be able to see that the kids working since he was 12 will have an edge - it is what they do down the road that counts. Most gradautes have seen, or done or have a little more fire in the belly for exciting things or they would not have forked over the cash to get that piece of paper. I will say right now I am a humbel chef - I have a guy right now that can cook circles around me AFTER he sees me do it - or I order the stuff for him to cook or schedule him to work or sign the pay checks - so down the road is what you have to TRY to foresee - not just in the food business, but the business world where I came from. Who is serious, who has the desire, who is going to show up when I need them???

That drug test is huge. Especially in court - in many industries especially the trucking industry right now many drivers are being shown as being on drugs to stay awake etc and being involved in wrecks and are losing because of it - I am not familiar enough with any cases of "trail" employees in a kticehn getting hurt - but think it would be expensive.

It all depends on what you want to do. The life goal question comes to mind here - 5-10 yrs down the raod

if you are a grad you can have access - it is part of the advantages of the school. The digital library is good, but more of a training for staff than pro chefs - as far as reaching out to the industry - it is all about money - not just the food biz - my wifes medical online stuff is a heck of a lot more than that.

I am a chef alum - I think the LCB books are very good - I am a food geek so what one book does not show or have the others have. for what the CIA and LCB books don't have my amny other books do! The CIA books are a standard methodology and the way that most judging is done in competitions - by the book. But I like my Williams Sonoma, southern living and many others too!

I changed shoes until I found a good light fit - I used danskos and birks and my back, legs and everything hurt I finally found a non kitchen pair that made me feel good lower back pain sucks! the rest is the way it is!

Well - in the non food world hiring someone and have them not work is just part of it - the food biz is harder in the fact that so many places for different personalities. I would never work for someone longer than a shift - as an exec sous and knowing the business world I can tell you - it opens up a huge liability to the business as well, having a non paid, non employee hurt in the kitchen while working for you - don't tell the injury lawyers or you are screwed - might as well hand the the keys to your house!

First off the degree for Cornell is huge and several of my class mates were going on from the CIA to Cornell for that degree. As far as Culinary degree the CIA is Ivy League as well as NECI, JW and FCI. So to say that the CIA is not Ivy League for what they do is nuts. Also the program is a co-op between cornell and the cia - call the adm office and they can send you info on that program.

I love all of that. Try a new recipe your first day on the job! I tried to do something as simple as passion fruit creme brulee - some how the acid did something strange to the method and they broke while cooking - needed them for a dinner that night and well - I had try them again and she helped - I thought I was going to leave a job after a couple days - but the chef was cool and laughed and still does -

you guys are freaks - I cook all day long - took a 15 min break the other day to check in an order for a 10 hr shift. 108 outside - 115 on the line - enough that the maintenance man felt sorry opened the door to the main dining room and turned the supply air off - I usually am too hot to cook, but sandwich and a margarita with some advil and a ceiling fan in my 68 degree AC'd house.

As a CIA chef it is nto hard for me to say that they BOTH are good. I think they both have great takes on things and I own all of the CIA Textbook books - not so much the home cook books. LCB are very good too they offer lots of pics and techniques. But if you look a the methods they very simalar. ACF certs are all very much by the CIA black and white ways though.

Take your time. While I jumped into a Sous job right out of CIA it was a battle. I have a bachelors degree in business and worked for 10 yrs in the business world and then went to culinary school. So I have a little more leaning to the business aspect. My food trials have all been fine though and met with the high standards of everywhere I have cooked. BUT forget about the top 5 places in whatever city. I think as the guy above said - you need to think about your strengths and where it is you want to go. I moved around some and now sous at a country club which is fine, but not what I thought - after lots of research into the many things that chefs can go into - lots of things can pop. A small place with the title the large place with the title - hey before I was salaried and by the hour - made tons - now I am a Sous - lots of stress and lower pay than I was making so that is another factor...good luck - be careful with moving becasue of your girlfriend - my head bartender bought a house 6 months ago with his girl and she moved out last week!

I really enjoy working for a woman exec and I really enjoy the female line cook we have. We have more fun than the other places I have been, but that being said. I would stack my exec boss up against anyone. I mean I think she could beat up most people I know! She is scandanvian and has 25 yrs in the business and is very smart and level headed and can run the line with ease. But I have never had trouble other than one time in the non food business and the woman boss I worked with was very intimidated by my common sense. After getting a terrible performance review from her - HER boss hired me and Communications Director and Special Assistant making her report to me. I never thought a thing about it because I am not that kind of guy, but looking back now I really had her over a barrel.

Mystery basket cooking is what I was always hit with. While I think that 3 days is a bit much - a shift should be a good look at someone. Every single one I did was non paid - 3 days worth of free work??? - unless you are a huge name or 5 star give me a break. I can say this, it also gave me a look at the places close up too. EXAMPLE I was asked to meet the exec chef at his club on a closed day. He was an hour late which pissed me off to start. The interview was fine, but then he showed me his kitchen. The entrance from his office was off the dish tank. It was stacked up with dirty dishes and the sinks full of nasty filth from the night before. The stations were clean, but not to my standard. He showed me the walk ins and it was something out a freak show. Stuff uncovered and undated, speed racks full of unwrapped meats and pans with no description of the contents. Fish sitting in water, evidently being iced down a couple days before and forgotten. The Veg cooler was in just as bad a shape but not nearly as gross. The dairy walk in I could not even get to because of the dirty floor mats stacked in front. I made everything from scratch in 3 hours. From my own quick stock for the soup (which I felt that if I made the chef sick by using his stock, no chance at a job) Half way through I got bored and pissed. I could not find anything where it should have been. I used my own hand blender, tongs, etc because it was filthy. I had to clean cutting boards and pans to use! I was no more interested in them that the man in the moon. I gave him and the pastry chef 4 courses and ended up handing them the food and cleaning where I worked and my stuff and packed my bags. At the end he started in with what sounded like a reality show. Play acting Iron Chef I guess - pathetic. I said thanks but no thanks - enjoy and good luck. So it can help you too. A shift is common. I was asked to trail for a full day at a very upscale - but did not feel the love in the place. Many other countless lunch rush or dinner service. I have been asked to prep things from veg to fab meats. Fabricating a couple things I had no idea even how to do - Osterich blades! I am now Exec Sous and ended up cooking a Valentines dinner for the members with the Exec and Exec Sous at the time. I took very good care of the menu that they had, plating with precision, keeping clean, being very friendly (as is typical for me) and made sure that everything I did was "ok'd" before I did THEIR food even doing a few things on my own to make it look better than they expected... Work a shift - if they ask you to work more be careful - don't get hurt before you get on payroll.

The CIA has a new Garde Manager book that I got as I was graduating - it is blue - the old one is still available and the one that they gave us in class - the new one is better.

it is what you made it - if you soaked in lots of info - now go out and work your way up the ladder. I was a career changer - I needed a resume standout and could afford the CIA. But I looked at NECI, JW and LCB and they were all great. Community Colleges were not in my mix becasue I needed a standout on my resume. If you are young and have the "time" to work your way through and up it is a great thing. It is what you make it. Standout and shine...do more - ask more - and like the reply said above - cut chop flip and do everything so you standout.

that is a great suggestion to look at what you have before you start. As a former caterer - I remember one of the first couple of parties I did in someones home to find out that commercial sheet tray sometimes don't fit in home ovens! Great suggestion to see what you have

It is all what you make of it - I am a CIA grad and I got offers everywhere I applied but one and it was mutual at the end of the interview. Anyone that tells you not to go to school be it a community college or whatever is nuts. Yes - lots of great cooks come out of the ladder - but I don't care what type of school - everyone should look into education and further themselves. Business, medical, law whatever - I have a bachelors degree in business - worked 10 yrs in the non food world before going to the CIA for a 2 yr AOS and let me tell you that piece of paper is huge and with my business degree - that is why I was offered everywhere education. Look at the salry information posted every year in Forbes. People with degrees after 5-8 yrs make more than people with no degrees. If you have a chance or the opportunity go to school.

Cancer can hit the people that ahve terrible lifestyles or people that have a clean life. My father in law was 52 with glioblastoma or brain cancer - non smoker - drank with me on the wine experimental nights - other than that no real reason. A wonderful mother 34 yrs old 2 kids and great life, daughter of one of them most prominent well known physicians where I grew up, was having dinner with his entire fmily and noticed a discoloration on her cheek of his daughter - she lived 3 months - died of oral cancer that spread like a wild fire - do certain exposures increase risk yep - but then you have the George Burns and the people of the birth date of 1900 and do everything and anything and they lived to 90 or 100 - one of the dishwashers uncles is 103 - so you never know I wish him the power to not overextend during this very difficult time = as all of you know chefs don't tend to sit down very well and do nothing and the mental toll will be as bad as the rest of the treatments - he will be in my thoughts and prayers ---

The food reps can be helpful - BUT BE CAREFUL they do want to sell and some of them have no idea about how much is needed for certain things and you could get stuck with product after your week -

Yes - a piece of paper is important and while some may not want to fork over money to go to school whether culinary or otherwise - pay does change over time with both cooks up until a point and then the piece of paper means a lot. I have a bachelors degree in businees and a culinary degree and while I am doing ok money wise - my degrees have set me above the typical cooks we have in and out the door all day looking for 10$ hr. I am Exec Sous of a Country Club and can tell you the Sous Chefs before me was degreed and went on to bigger things the ones before that were just real good/some bad cooks - are still working lines and are not Sous chefs anymore...

I think they all have the same end results it just depends on how much you want to spend - I have seen Sysco, US Foods, PFG and they all have goods and bads. Prices are important and I think they all have good stuff - but like the post said - where is the love in the food - no one knows how to use knife skills. cut it out of a bag is avai;lable at all of them. I hated PFG in VA - Sysco was great - here in GA PFG screws up some by not having what I need but not as bad as in VA - US foods has whatever I need - the rep is great - we don't use sysco becasue the Exec hates them - no real reasons given to me...

Listen. You have to listen to people. It could be your chef, the servers, the orders coming in. Don't say anything - listening and observing is more important to a new chef than anything. Your opinion means squat at this level - but down the road, you heard something the chef said he wanted to happen - take care of it, do what you remembered later and earn respect of everyone.

I am a career change chef - now exec sous and work for a woman exec chef- was in the Business world for 10 yrs - my exec chef can out cook lots of people - she is funny and great and a good person - does she tell raunchy jokes - yep and I just shake my head and blush becasue I wrote a sexual harassment manual in the business world and it breaks all of my personal rules....but I have no trouble - lots do though. I worked as a sous for a chef in VA and he looked down on women unless they were drop dead gorgeous and then when it came to skill - looks did not matter he was tougher on them than me....I enjoy women in the kitchen nice looking or not - they bring a lot to the kitchen. Right now I am helping a 24 yr old new female cook that wants to learn culinary skills - she is great and I think it is a great thing - just like physicians - nurses don't have to be female they can be doctors too in a very male dominated occupation - so you go girl and figure out a great place that you fit in and if you have to job jump to find it - do it.