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"Chef" -- Who is? Who ain't?

Stone

By Stone
in Restaurant Life

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Peter B Wolf

Peter B Wolf

Posted
Posted
Are we at a point where we might say that whomever chooses to call themselves a chef is a chef?

And if you disagree with the above, please explain the actual effects that would be had from this.

Don't quite agree.

Reason: The term "Chef" (as explained by Bux, and I agree) has entered the vocabulary of 'John Doe' during the late fifties and early sixties, as perceived being the doyen of the place (restaurant) where 'John' took 'Jane' on Sunday to 'dine'.

Then, later 'John' started taking 'Jane' to the McDs and other places where 'food' was served. And whoever cooked it was the "Chef". Now that's all we got, no more 'cooks'. Both, John and Jane had no idea where the word came from, what it meant in culinary terms (or other - not only), but knowing that the "chef" had to be good, since the sprig of Parsley as garnish, or the frozen dinner rolls were served 'hot', all gave them pleasure. So, why not give the "Chef" credit.

The penetration of the word "Chef" into our daily parlance aspired just like "Shrimp Scampi" and "Coquilles Saint Jacques" did.

I truly respect Bux's and Steve Klc's comments and explanations, especially as both of them are well equipped to write eloquently and understandable.

Peter
Bux

Bux

Posted
Posted
On the other hand it's not a protected term and we're all free to use it as we may if we can't agree on a common meaning.

Of course that leads to the uselessness of language to communicate.

Robert Buxbaum

WorldTable

Recent WorldTable posts include: comments about reporting on Michelin stars in The NY Times, the NJ proposal to ban foie gras, Michael Ruhlman's comments in blogs about the NJ proposal and Bill Buford's New Yorker article on the Food Network.

My mailbox is full. You may contact me via worldtable.com.

Jinmyo

Jinmyo

Posted
Posted
invento, where did you obtain that figure?

The soul of a chef book.

Okay.

/I wonder who has my copy now...

"I've caught you Richardson, stuffing spit-backs in your vile maw. 'Let tomorrow's omelets go empty,' is that your fucking attitude?" -E. B. Farnum

"Behold, I teach you the ubermunch. The ubermunch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: the ubermunch shall be the meaning of the earth!" -Fritzy N.

"It's okay to like celery more than yogurt, but it's not okay to think that batter is yogurt."

Serving fine and fresh gratuitous comments since Oct 5 2001, 09:53 PM

MatthewB

MatthewB

Posted
Posted
The distinction here is that whoever chooses to call themselves a chef, may call themselves a chef, but that calling yourself a chef doesn't make you a chef.

Word.

slkinsey

slkinsey

Posted
Posted
So if the local TV channel wants to dress some idiot up in a white hat and jacket, have him give cooking tips for the sponsor's products and call him chef, they can and we may refer to him by his TV name, but he's not a chef.

At long last I think we have a definitive answer here: it's the silly-looking hat! Put one on, and you're a chef.

--

Bux

Bux

Posted
Posted
Where were we?

Answer my question.

Im not sure I understand the question.

Im not sure I'll understand the answer anyway. I'm relying on Jinmyo to explain it to me.

Robert Buxbaum

WorldTable

Recent WorldTable posts include: comments about reporting on Michelin stars in The NY Times, the NJ proposal to ban foie gras, Michael Ruhlman's comments in blogs about the NJ proposal and Bill Buford's New Yorker article on the Food Network.

My mailbox is full. You may contact me via worldtable.com.

Bux

Bux

Posted
Posted
So if the local TV channel wants to dress some idiot up in a white hat and jacket, have him give cooking tips for the sponsor's products and call him chef, they can and we may refer to him by his TV name, but he's not a chef.

At long last I think we have a definitive answer here: it's the silly-looking hat! Put one on, and you're a chef.

I believe it's the shoes. As I've heard it expressed, "If he had the balls to fill a chef's shoes, he'd be a muff magnet."

Robert Buxbaum

WorldTable

Recent WorldTable posts include: comments about reporting on Michelin stars in The NY Times, the NJ proposal to ban foie gras, Michael Ruhlman's comments in blogs about the NJ proposal and Bill Buford's New Yorker article on the Food Network.

My mailbox is full. You may contact me via worldtable.com.

slkinsey

slkinsey

Posted
Posted
So if the local TV channel wants to dress some idiot up in a white hat and jacket, have him give cooking tips for the sponsor's products and call him chef, they can and we may refer to him by his TV name, but he's not a chef.

At long last I think we have a definitive answer here: it's the silly-looking hat! Put one on, and you're a chef.

I believe it's the shoes. As I've heard it expressed, "If he had the balls to fill a chef's shoes, he'd be a muff magnet."

I believe anyone with balls big enough to fill a pair of shoes has an entirely different career waiting for him...

--

slkinsey

slkinsey

Posted
Posted
Not sure about the big balls thing.

Maybe we're looking at this wrong and it's a small shoes thing...

--

malachi

malachi

Posted
Posted

Perhaps a simple answer?

No... calling yourself "Chef" does not make you a Chef -- but if those who work for you call you "Chef" you are, in fact, a Chef.

Shrug -- might work for me. Inclusive, implies respect and skill as well as management and responsibility. What do y'all think? Too simple?

fanatic...

MatthewB

MatthewB

Posted
Posted
Perhaps a simple answer?

No... calling yourself "Chef" does not make you a Chef -- but if those who work for you call you "Chef" you are, in fact, a Chef.

Shrug -- might work for me. Inclusive, implies respect and skill as well as management and responsibility. What do y'all think? Too simple?

Too simple. No. More like Ockham's razor.

inventolux

inventolux

Posted
Posted
Perhaps a simple answer?

No... calling yourself "Chef" does not make you a Chef -- but if those who work for you call you "Chef" you are, in fact, a Chef.

Shrug -- might work for me. Inclusive, implies respect and skill as well as management and responsibility. What do y'all think? Too simple?

Too simple. No. More like Ockham's razor.

Ockhams razor?

Future Food - our new television show airing 3/30 @ 9pm cst:

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tv/future-food/

Hope you enjoy the show! Homaro Cantu

Chef/Owner of Moto Restaurant

www.motorestaurant.com

MatthewB

MatthewB

Posted
Posted
Perhaps a simple answer?

No... calling yourself "Chef" does not make you a Chef -- but if those who work for you call you "Chef" you are, in fact, a Chef.

Shrug -- might work for me. Inclusive, implies respect and skill as well as management and responsibility. What do y'all think? Too simple?

Too simple. No. More like Ockham's razor.

Ockhams razor?

Yup. "Pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate.'' ("Entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily.'')

The common understanding is "keep it simple."

malachi

malachi

Posted
Posted

And usually expanded (when discussing possible options) to mean "the simplest explanation is most often the correct one."

fanatic...

hollywood

hollywood

Posted
Posted
So if the local TV channel wants to dress some idiot up in a white hat and jacket, have him give cooking tips for the sponsor's products and call him chef, they can and we may refer to him by his TV name, but he's not a chef.

At long last I think we have a definitive answer here: it's the silly-looking hat! Put one on, and you're a chef.

Are you referring to the asshat?

I'm hollywood and I approve this message.

  • 7 months later...
bottomlesspit

bottomlesspit

Posted
Posted
So if the local TV channel wants to dress some idiot up in a white hat and jacket, have him give cooking tips for the sponsor's products and call him chef, they can and we may refer to him by his TV name, but he's not a chef.

At long last I think we have a definitive answer here: it's the silly-looking hat! Put one on, and you're a chef.

I believe it's the shoes. As I've heard it expressed, "If he had the balls to fill a chef's shoes, he'd be a muff magnet."

I believe anyone with balls big enough to fill a pair of shoes has an entirely different career waiting for him...

I think part of the balls that were supposed to be in the shoes worked their way up to Bobby Flay's chest, thus giving him those little man titties you always see poking out of his Merino wool sweaters.

(Sorry. Was that off topic? What the hell was the topic, anyway?)

sg

alanamoana

alanamoana

Posted
Posted

how can you say that he paid his dues? isn't his family very wealthy and that's how he could afford ct in the first place? i guess being behind the stoves all day counts, but some great chefs took a lot longer to open their first eponymous restaurants because they didn't have daddy financing the venture.

but i could be wrong.

tommy

tommy

Posted
Posted
how can you say that he paid his dues? isn't his family very wealthy and that's how he could afford ct in the first place? i guess being behind the stoves all day counts, but some great chefs took a lot longer to open their first eponymous restaurants because they didn't have daddy financing the venture.

but i could be wrong.

does it really matter who backs the chef? someone has got to. very few people open a restaurant with cash.

tommy:eats.com
Mayhaw Man

Mayhaw Man

Posted
Posted

What about Chef Tony? THe guy who sells the knives on infomercials. If this guy can call himself a chef, I say anybody can. :wink::laugh:

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

Mayhaw Man

Mayhaw Man

Posted
Posted
What about Chef Tony? THe guy who sells the knives on infomercials. If this guy can call himself a chef, I say anybody can. :wink:  :laugh:

he's got some decent knife skills.

I love that guy.

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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