Chef 9781422228869, 142222886X, 9781422228906, 1422228908

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NHMC13_HBK_Earning50-100K_NHMC13_Earning50-100K 5/3/13 4:38 PM Page 1

For many high school graduates, college is a way to get ahead, but going to college is not the only way for young adults to succeed. Many people choose to enter the workforce after high school to start earning money and gaining experience right away. These motivated young workers can have rewarding jobs without ever having to earn a 4-year college degree. If you’re interested in cooking and don’t know that you want to—or can— go to college, a career as a chef may be right for you. Young people need only a high school diploma or equivalent to start work as a chef, and they can eventually earn more than $50,000 a year working in restaurants. In Chef, you’ll learn how to start a career in cooking and what you need to succeed in the field. Find out about the prospects for careers in food preparation in the future, how much chefs can make each year, and whether your path to success includes a career as a chef.

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ISBN 978-1-4222-2890-6 Cover Photo: Shutterstock.com

9 781422 228906

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Earning $50,000–$100,000 with a High School Diploma or Less Announcer Car Mechanic Chef Cosmetologist DJ Dog Groomer Energizing Energy Markets: Clean Coal, Shale, Oil, Wind, and Solar Farming, Ranching, and Agriculture Masseur & Massage Therapist Personal Assistant Presenting Yourself: Business Manners, Personality, and Etiquette Referee The Arts: Dance, Music, Theater, and Fine Art Truck Driver

Earning $50,000–$100,000 with a High School Diploma or Less

Chef

Christie Marlowe

Mason Crest

Mason Crest 450 Parkway Drive, Suite D Broomall, PA 19008 www.masoncrest.com Copyright © 2014 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. First printing 987654321 Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-2886-9 ISBN: 978-1-4222-2890-6 ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-8926-6 The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcopy format(s) as follows: Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Marlowe, Christie. Chef / Christie Marlowe. pages cm. – (Earning $50,000 - $100,000 with a high school diploma or less) Audience: Grade 7 to 8. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4222-2890-6 (hardcover) – ISBN 978-1-4222-2886-9 (series) – ISBN 978-14222-8926-6 (ebook) 1. Cooking–Vocational guidance–Juvenile literature. 2. Cooks–Juvenile literature. I. Title. TX652.4.M27 2014 641.5023–dc23 2013011182

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Contents 1. Careers Without College 7 2. What Do Chefs Do? 17 3. How Can I Become a Chef? 29 4. How Much Can I Make? 45 5. Looking to the Future 55 Find Out More 61 Bibliography 62 Index 63 About the Author & Picture Credits 64

Chapter 1

Careers Without College

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hen young people imagine their futures, they see all different things. Some imagine themselves wearing a business suit, in charge of a company. Others see themselves learning in a college classroom. Still others may picture themselves running down the field on a professional sports team, or cooking in a restaurant. As a young person, you don’t have to know exactly what you want to do after school. It’s okay to explore lots of ideas. Some people, though, seem to know what they want to do from a very early age. Former White House chef Walter Scheib said in an interview, “I think in some ways I was born to be a cook or chef. Many of my earliest memories were coof food or

Chef Trine Hahnemann says, “I dream of a decent meal for everyone in the world.”

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cooking or eating, both in my Looking at the Words home and at friends’ homes and restaurants.” Chef Scheib Passion is an intense love for an knew he wanted to have a caactivity. reer involved in cooking even when he was a young boy, and he made it happen. Other people are a little less sure. Take Chef Trine Hahnemann, a famous chef in Denmark. She said, “I never thought it was going to be my career, [but] it was always my passion to cook. I collected cookbooks and cooked for my family and friends and for parties.” Chef Hahnemann discovered she could turn her passion to cook into a career a little later in life, even though she never imagined she would become a chef when she was younger. Maybe like these two people, you also love to cook. Even if you’ve never thought about becoming a chef, a love of cooking just might be the first step to a rewarding culinary career! However, you’ll need a lot more than just a passion for cooking in order to become a successful chef.

Cooking Up Success

Chefs are a necessary part of any restaurant. They cook up imaginative and tasty food for customers having a night out. Chefs are different from cooks at home because they’ve had training and lots of practice—and they get paid for preparing food. You may not have seen many chefs in your life, because they are usually behind the scenes. You’ll find chefs in the kitchens of many restaurants, at catering companies, and in some cafeterias. Chefs also work

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Rachael Ray is a good example of a celebrity chef who has built herself a huge career based on TV shows and cookbooks.

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in more unusual places, like Looking at the Words on cruise ships, at amusement parks, and in private homes. When you feel fulfillment, you You may have seen a cefeel a great sense of satisfaction lebrity chef on TV or in magaand happiness for doing somezines or online. Celebrity chefs thing worthwhile. are famous people who have made names for themselves through cooking. Maybe your family has a cookbook written by a celebrity chef. Celebrity chefs are a hit these days. Lots of people know who Emeril Lagasse and Rachael Ray are, whether from cooking shows on TV or cookbooks or ads. Successful chefs can become celebrities with a lot of hard work and some luck. Of course, most chefs don’t end up with so much fame, but they do have a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in their jobs. While being a chef isn’t right for everyone, it can be a great choice of job for many people who love to cook already. Chefs don’t generally need to go to a regular four-year college to start working or to be successful. Being a chef is one of the many career choices for young people who may not find that college is right for them.

College or Not

Thinking about college can be stressful. You need to make decisions about where to apply, what programs to consider, and how far from home you want to be. But first, you have to decide whether you even want to go to college! Most high school graduates do end up going to college,

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Chef versus Cook What’s the difference between a chef and a cook? A couple things. If you’re cooking at home for family, friends, and yourself, you’re a cook. Chefs get paid to cook food. Some cooks work in restaurants too, and they do get paid as well. Cooks who work in restaurants generally don’t have to be too creative about their cooking, though. They follow recipes, flip hamburgers, and fry french fries. Chefs usually have more knowledge and more training. Chefs come up with menus, don’t need recipes to make delicious food, and understand the science behind the food they’re making.

but not all. In 2011, a little under 70 percent of high school graduates went on to college. That means 30 percent chose not to go. Most of them went to work instead. College can be a great way to learn new things, become independent, and start a career. But college isn’t for everyone. Some people learn better outside the classroom, and some just can’t afford going to Looking at the Words college. College is very expensive. A year of college can cost Student loans are borrowed anywhere from a few thousand money used to pay for school, dollars to well over $50,000, but which you must pay back afdepending on the school. Huge ter you graduate from college. student loans can be a real

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problem for people who do go to college. A recent report by the Wall Street Journal reported 67 percent of college graduates owe money on student loans. The average amount of debt was $21,500. Some young people just aren’t willing to take that risk. They would rather work and make money than pay for college. Whatever you decide, you should think about your decision long and hard before you make up your mind. Choosing to go to college, or skipping college and going straight to work or other training is an important step. Gather up as much information as you can find, talk to your school guidance counselor and other adults, and check out colleges or potential jobs so you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Options

College is just one choice you have when you’re done with high school. You also have plenty of other options for living a productive and happy life. Many people choose to go to technical schools, also called trade schools. Technical schools train students in a specific skill, such as plumbing, woodworking, or hairdressing. For young people who know exactly what they want to do, technical school can be a great Looking at the Words option. They can finish technical school in a year or two, and Someone who is productive crethen start working. ates something useful. Some recent grads go to their first job straight from colA trade is a skilled job requiring lege. Maybe they can’t afford specific skills and knowledge. college yet, or they don’t want to go to college. Maybe they

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An apprenticeship as a chef can be a great way for a young person to get hands-on training. just want to get some work experience. On-the-job experience can be an eye-opening experience. At your first full-time job, you’ll learn how to be responsible, professional, and knowledgeable about your particular job. You’ll be able to use what you learn for your next job. Another option you’ll have after high school is the military. Some graduates feel the military offers the right training opportunities for

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them. For people who want to serve their country, the military Looking at the Words might be the right choice. Not all members of the military are Professional means taking your sent to fight or are sent to other job seriously and acting mature. countries. Many are trained in office work, as medical workers, in construction work, and more. However, if you join the military, you should be prepared for being called up to active service. Finally, some people end up getting apprenticeships. As an apprentice, you would learn a particular trade. Instead of sitting in a classroom, you learn by doing. People who already know the particular trade act as your teachers, and they teach you skills along the way. Few trades offer apprenticeships these days, although they used to be more popular and common in the past. You can still get apprenticeships as an electrician, farmer, carpenter, and similar occupations. After you finish your apprenticeship, you can start your own company or get hired by someone in your trade. No matter what you choose, you’ll have to work hard and be responsible. Chefs like Walter Scheib and Trine Hahnemann discovered that early on in their careers, and went on to become successful and accomplished creators of food!

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Chapter 2

What Do Chefs Do?

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very chef has a different job to do. Some work as part of a team preparing meals for cafeterias. Some are in charge of restaurants. Some invent and test new recipes for food companies. What they all have in common is cooking. Being a chef is more than just cooking, however. People are often surprised to learn chefs must also do everything from keeping track of money to hiring new workers. A chef is always busy, and no day is ever the same!

Chef Oscar Castro works at a culinary school where he teaches young adults how to follow in his footsteps.

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Types of Chefs

Not all chefs have exactly the same job. Some work in huge kitchens, and some work in tiny ones. Some chefs work mostly by themselves, while others work with several other people. The chefs with white aprons and hats that most people think about are executive chefs. They are in charge of a whole kitchen, and make the most complicated recipes. They might direct other chefs and kitchen workers. Many celebrity chefs are famous because of their jobs as executive chefs. Underneath executive chefs Looking at the Words are sous chefs. A sous chef makes many of the recipes, and Someone in an executive posiknows a lot about cooking and tion is able to make a lot of decifood preparation. They are the sions and manage other people. second-in-command, and can take charge if the executive A full-service restaurant is one chef is gone for a while. Sous that includes table service where chefs may eventually become a waiter or waitress takes customexecutive chefs if they work ers’ orders at the table and brings long enough and are talented the food out. enough. Chefs may work in all sorts of places. Most work in restaurants. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 46 percent of chefs worked in full-service restaurants in 2010. Another 11 percent worked in traveler accommodations, which mostly means hotels and motels. The rest of the chefs in the United States worked in all sorts of places, including private homes, amusement parks, and company cafeterias.

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Dozens of Chefs! Depending on the restaurant, there may be one chef in the kitchen, or dozens. In larger kitchens, every chef has his or her own title. Here are some of them: • • • • • •

Executive chef: in charge of the entire kitchen. Sous chef: second in command, literally “under chef.” Sauté chef: cooks all sautéed foods and their sauces. Fish chef: cooks all fish dishes. Grill chef: cooks all grilled foods. Vegetable chef: cooks appetizers, vegetable side dishes, and vegetable main dishes. • Pantry chef: cooks cold foods like salads and cold appetizers. • Pastry chef: makes baked goods.

Then there are chefs who have completely unique jobs. Chef Scheib, for example, was the executive chef at the White House from 1994 to 2005. He cooked for the president and his family, for visiting leaders, and for parties of a hundred or more. No one else in the world has the exact same job!

More Than Just Cooking

Of course, chefs cook. Although cooking isn’t their only activity, it is the reason why most chefs become chefs. A big part of a chef’s time is spent actually cooking food for a restaurant or other food business.

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Chef Robert Irvine has made a career for himself combining comedy and cooking. Here he is passing judgment on a food made on the TV show Dinner: Impossible. Chefs learn how to cook all sorts of foods, like soups, breads, and meat. A good chef generally doesn’t need a recipe. He works from memory, and knows the ingredients, amounts of ingredients, and the directions. Or she knows lots of cooking techniques. Chefs can whip up a soufflé or make perfect bread without any problem. Most chefs specialize in some sort of cooking. In the past, the most well-known and well-paid chefs cooked French food, but today, you’ll

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Chef Christophe Leroy does far more than cook! He also manages a business that includes thirteen restaurants and hundreds of employees.

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find talented chefs cooking Looking at the Words burgers, vegetarian food, and Asian cuisine. The best chefs Cuisine is a style of cooking that use really good ingredients belongs to a certain country or and know how to come up region, such as Italian cuisine or with mixes of flavors that wow Southern cuisine. customers. Chef Jason Fox, who works at and owns a restaurant in San Francisco, knows what it’s like to cook in the kitchen. He explains that he and his fellow chefs ask themselves, “Where does this come from? How can we tweak this texture? How can we play with flavor? How can we take something familiar and maybe change it a little bit so it’s still comforting but surprising?” The process can be long, but chefs enjoy it because they love cooking so much. Chef Fox says, “We just talk about stuff all the time. It has to be delicious, at least according to us, first. And then we like just when there’s a surprise to it, a twist. I think it seems more interesting. For us, we’re just trying to do the path of it’s delicious, but there’s surprise, there’s a little fun to it.” Chefs are always trying to come up with new and exciting recipes. What you might not realize is chefs spend a lot of time doing things other than cooking. They sit at a desk, planning out meals, and organizing the restaurant. Executive chefs are the most likely to spend a lot of time planning because they’re in charge of the kitchen. Sometimes executive chefs also own the restaurant where they cook, and have to keep track of what is going on in the whole business, not just the kitchen. Here are just some of the things a chef might need to do to plan for the meals ahead:

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These chefs are hard at work. At this Chinese restaurant, the chefs work where the customers can see what they’re doing. • Create new recipes and figure out how to make them in the restaurant. Diners don’t like to eat the same things forever, so chefs are often in charge of figuring out how to change the menu to keep people coming back for more. They collect ideas, try new ingredients, and play with recipes to get them just right. • Order food. Chefs must get the ingredients for the recipes they make and serve. They can’t run out of food in the middle of dinner, and they can’t order too much or it will all go bad before it can be cooked. Chefs figure out where the best places are to order ingredients, and how and when they will be delivered. • Figure out finances. Buying ingredients takes money, and some chefs are in charge of paying for ingredients, paying kitchen work-

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ers, and ordering kitchen equipment. If a chef also owns the restaurant, she has to also keep track of the money spent on decorations, paying waiters, and heating the building. • Keep track of kitchen Looking at the Words equipment. Chefs need to know exactly what’s A license is official permission to going on in the kitchen. do something. Licenses are usually If a piece of equippaper certificates. ment—like a stove or mixer—breaks, the chef needs to know right away, and have a plan to replace or fix it. • Know and follow food safety rules. The kitchen a chef works in must follow food safety laws. Food safety laws protect diners from getting sick from the food they’re eating. If the chef doesn’t know the laws, or doesn’t make sure the kitchen is following them, people could get sick or the kitchen could lose its license to serve food. • Take charge of the kitchen staff. Chefs are often in charge of other people. In large kitchens, many chefs might be working at once. Kitchens also have food preparation workers and dishwashers, and waiters may be in and out. A chef may have to hire these people, train new workers, and make sure everyone is doing his or her job correctly.

Day to Day

Day to day, the work of a chef can be really hard. The hours chefs work are long and often at unusual times. Chefs work in the very early mornings, late at night, on weekends, and on holidays. They might work for

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twelve or more hours at a time. Think about all the times you might go to a restaurant—that’s when chefs have to work. Nights or weekends off are rare. The kitchen can be a stressful and busy place. Multiple chefs are preparing food nonstop. Workers are washing dishes, chopping onions, and whisking plates away to serve to diners. Stoves and ovens are on, making it hot and stuffy. Kitchens are full of smells, some tasty, and some not so great. Raw fish have to be prepared, no matter how smelly they might be! But as Chef Hahnemann says, “I love the atmosphere in the kitchen, I love the business, the timing, and the teamwork! I do not believe you to have to shout or go crazy to run a smooth kitchen with service on time.” While all that is going on in a kitchen might overwhelm some people, Chef Hahnemann finds it to be one of the best parts of her job. Chef Fox also finds the kitchen to be a wonderful place to work. In an interview, he said his favorite part about working in restaurants is “the creativity, the camaraderie. Everyone, Looking at the Words we just talk about food every day, whether it’s stuff Camaraderie means trust and we’re doing, whether it’s friendship while working together the three-star Michelin resat a shared task. taurant someone went to, or the new restaurant someone A Michelin restaurant has been discovered. We create an engiven a high rating by a book vironment where everybody called the Michelin Guide. The thinks about food, everyone best restaurants receive the hightalks about food, and it’s est ratings. pretty open. It’s pretty cool.”

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These two chefs don’t mind the challenges of their jobs. In fact, the challenges are part of the reason they love their jobs so much.

Danger in the Kitchen The kitchen can be a dangerous place! Chefs have to be careful of knives, which they will probably use just about every day. They must also take care around stoves, ovens, and other pieces of kitchen equipment. With training, chefs learn how to use all of these things properly and safely. Chefs work fast, and they work standing up for long hours. Over time, the heat, standing, and quick work can cause health problems like back problems. Finally, chefs have to make sure the food itself is safe. They can’t let meat sit out on the counter for hours, or let food get moldy in the fridge. Food that hasn’t been prepared or cooked right can make customers sick.

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Chapter 3

How Can I Become a Chef?

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retty much every chef started out as a young cook, experimenting in the kitchen at home. Not all chefs journeyed from their home kitchens to restaurant kitchens in the same way, though. Young people who want to become chefs have two paths they can follow: going to culinary school, or working and teaching themselves. Both paths can lead to successful careers in the food industry, as long as young chefs are willing to work hard and stick with their dreams.

Students at this cooking school in Oxford, England, have opportunities to attend short sessions that will give them experience and allow them to learn special techniques. Some people attend just for fun, while others gain great career experience.

Culinary School

Many of the most successful and famous chefs went to culinary school. Culinary schools range from the most famous and expensive to culinary degrees at normal colleges to short culinary programs at technical schools. Looking at the Words If you choose to go to culinary school, you should keep An industry is a specific kind of a few things in mind. One big business that sells a certain prodconsideration is cost. Some of uct, such as the shoe-making inthe more famous schools, while dustry or the fast-food industry. they give you an excellent

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culinary education, are also expensive. Other culinary schools might not give you the big name, but they provide a solid education in cooking and are much more affordable. If you enroll in culinary school, you’ll take many specialized classes. Some of the courses you can choose from will teach you about sauces and soups, pastry, specific cuisines such as Italian, and buffets. Non-cooking classes may include menu design, food safety, and staff management. Be prepared to work hard in culinary school. Chef Scheib describes his culinary school experience: “I entered CIA [the Culinary Institute of America] at twenty-three, several years older than most of my classmates. I had already been working for several years in the ‘real world’ to support myself. So for me taking time out to go to school was a big gamble and one I took very seriously. I had very clear and defined goals for my time at school as I knew firsthand what was waiting on the other side of the

Students at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York. The CIA is one of the most prestigious cooking schools in America.

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Many young people learn to cook from their mother (or father)— and then go on to build a career on what they first learned at home.

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school’s doors. So unlike many Looking at the Words of my classmates, I was a very serious and motivated student. Someone who is aspiring to beI remember having lots of fun, come a chef is trying to reach that but not too many funny experigoal but hasn’t achieved it yet. ences, as I was usually studying or working in my off hours.” Academic has to do with learning Chef Scheib knew exactly at a college or university. what he wanted to do, so he went to one of the best culinary schools around. He took it seriously and worked hard in school. In the end, his hard work paid off, since he became the chef to the president!

Self-Taught

The other option for aspiring chefs is teaching yourself. Instead of culinary school, many chefs learn through work and through experimenting with recipes at home. Chef Hahnemann is one of those chefs. She started cooking at an early age and never stopped. “I have loved food all my life, my grandmother influenced me a lot,” Hahnemann says. Her first experience cooking outside the home convinced her she loved cooking. “I went to boarding school for one year when I was fifteen and cooked for one hundred people every day, and I more or less took over the kitchen on my teacher’s recommendation. I loved it, but at that time it never occurred to me that this should be my profession!” Like many young people, Chef Hahnemann figured she would go to college and learn in a classroom. She explains, “I am from an academic

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family, and everybody goes to university. So did I.” Although she ended up going to college, she later realized she wanted to follow a different path and become a chef. Instead of going back to school, she decided to teach herself and learn through working in kitchens. Chef Hahnemann felt a little pressure to go to culinary school, because many of the top chefs in the world have attended a well-known school. However, she was glad she didn’t. She said, “I would not have learned so much about world cuisine and spices, and you learn so much from your mistakes as you go along, I do not think that mistakes are seen as part of the creative process in culinary school.” More and more people who want to become chefs are choosing this route because culinary school is just too expensive for them. Although learning on your own can be a long and hard process, you’ll learn valuable lessons without the price tag of culinary school. As long as you’re dedicated to learning new things and finding people who will teach you, you can become a great chef.

Passion

Perhaps the most important key to becoming a chef is passion. If you do not truly want to be a chef, it will be very hard to become one. Teachers may yell at you for doing something wrong, customers might tell you your food is tasteless, and you may work twelve or more hours a day. None of that makes any difference, though, if you are really passionate about cooking. Although you’ll have some days that are better than others, you’ll generally be happy and content at your job if you have a passion for what you’re doing. A love of cooking is just a start. You have to want to turn your love of cooking into a job. When you’re a chef, you will be cooking all the time. You’ll be sharing your creations with paying customers, not just friends and family. Being a chef is different than being a cook at home.

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Becoming a chef can be hard work. You need to practice cooking all the time, do homework if you’re in culinary school, and constantly meet new people as you search for jobs. Passion can get you through the most difficult times along the path to becoming a chef. Only the people who really want to become chefs stick with it until they land jobs. Many people discover they love cooking when they are little. If you love to be in the kitchen and enjoy trying out new recipes, becoming a chef might be right for you. Other people realize their passion later on. Chefs have started their careers in their twenties, thirties, and even later!

Skills

Education and passion are important parts of becoming a Looking at the Words chef, but they aren’t the only things you need. The U.S. BuCharacter traits are the behavreau of Labor Statistics lists iors and beliefs that make up a some of the other character person’s personality. Character traits and skills chefs must traits may be either good or bad. have to succeed. Chefs must be creative. They don’t paint pictures or make music, but they do create recipes. They have to imagine what ingredients would taste like with each other, and which would be the best. They can’t be afraid to try unusual ingredients other chefs don’t normally use and that diners aren’t always familiar with. Chefs might also have to be creative on the spot. If a food delivery to the restaurant goes wrong, or a piece of kitchen equipment breaks, the chef will have to come up with a solution right away. Creativity turns a disaster into a new recipe.

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A chef must have a good sense of what flavors go well together. Foods must both look good and taste good.

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Another important skill for chefs is a good sense of taste and smell. Chefs create new recipes by mixing flavors together. You want to have a good handle on which tastes and smells go well together, so that your meals can be the best. Some people are born with a better sense of taste and smell, but it’s also something you can develop as you get older. Practicing cooking and tasting food will help. Chefs must be good leaders. Executive chefs and sous chefs are often in charge of other people in the kitchen. If they are good leaders, other workers will listen to what they have to say and will follow their instructions. If a chef is a bad leader, things can easily go wrong in the kitchen and everyone else will be unhappy. Chefs who order ingredients, plan menus, or even own their own restaurants must be good business people. A good chef will be able to understand the kitchen as a business, and keep things going smoothly. Chefs will have Looking at the Words a hard time if they can’t figure out how to manage the staff, Systems of managing money are keep track of the finances, or called finances. make a profit. Chef Scheib has a few When you make a profit, you things to add. He cites four make more money through a busiother traits and skills that make ness than you spend on it. Profits a chef successful: in a restaurant are the money left over after you pay for ingredients, 1. A deep seated and heartemployees, and the building. felt desire to serve and please the guest above

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all else. This is paramount, no matter what style or level of cuisine you are working on, if the guest isn’t happy and doesn’t want to return, you have failed. 2. Intelligence and intellectual curiosity. I look for people not only with broad culinary knowledge but also with many nonfood interests and expertise. This makes for a more flexible and interested staff as it’s not only or always food being spoken about in the kitchen. 3. Seriousness about the profession. Too many young cooks see culinary work as a big party all the time. Late nights, the camaraderie of battle, cash wages. . . . You have to not get caught up in these distractions as they will get between the cook and the cook’s goal of progressing in their career. The work should be fun, but remember, it’s a profession, not a party. 4. The emotional and physical stamina to deal with the stress and demands of the kitchen and the steady and appropriate manner. For Chef Scheib, a passion for serving other people is important. So is curiosity and a desire to learn, along with being serious about cooking and the strength to keep going even when being a chef is hard. Chef Hahnemann adds her own requirements for being a chef: “Either you start in a Looking at the Words kitchen or at culinary school. But the most important thing Something that is paramount is to becoming a good chef is extremely important. traveling, curiosity, never thinking you know the truth, Stamina is the strength to keep trying to work with a lot of going even though it’s hard. different chefs, learning many

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Chefs have to be able to work well in a team. They also have to be flexible enough to cook in various surroundings. ways of cooking, then finding your own style, but still being open. You will never be done experiencing new ways of cooking.” Open-mindedness and constant learning are both key. Take it from a chef who made it in the cooking world doing exactly that!

Getting There

So how exactly do you move from being a cook at home to being a successful chef? Professional chefs will tell you there isn’t just one answer. Chef Scheib describes his rise to the top: His “first job after the CIA was as the banquet chef at the Capitol Hilton, a 700 room major fullservice hotel in downtown Washington DC. There was lots of work and many challenges offered to a young and fairly inexperienced chef. It was a tremendous opportunity to work hard to learn and to meet the challenges

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Washing dishes isn’t a very glamorous job—but sometimes it can get your foot in the door in a restaurant, opening the way to other opportunites later.

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encountered daily.” Once he had tackled that challenge and his bosses realized he was a good worker and chef, he moved up. “Within two years, I had been promoted to sous chef then to executive sous chef and finally to executive chef at age twenty-seven. Apparently I did manage to meet the challenges in the eyes of my bosses.” Not everyone rises quite so quickly. Most young culinary professionals won’t become executive chefs by the time they’re twenty-seven. But they can move up from their first jobs. Young chefs almost never start out at executive chefs. They have to work their way up. Chef Fox began as a dishwasher when he was just thirteen. He continued cooking, and eventually had enough money and experience to open his own restaurant with a couple partners. He says, “We always talked about the type of restaurant we’d like to have. We decided to pool our resources and found some other people who would help us out and were able to open it.” If you go to culinary school, you can expect a more challenging job right out of school. You’ve learned a lot and can step into the kitchen with some experience. If you don’t go to culinary school, you may have to start closer to the bottom. Many chefs started out as dishwashers, waiters, or prep cooks. As a dishwasher, you learn a lot about the kitchen, and how everything fits together. And dishwashing can be its own challenge! Chef Hahnemann had a different path to becoming a professional chef. She cooked a lot when she was younger, and was inspired by her grandmother. After working in the boarding school kitchen, she first decided on a differLooking at the Words ent career direction as a writer. She eventually stopped goCatering means providing food ing to college and focused on for many people who are attendcooking at a café and starting ing an event such as a wedding her own catering business. or meeting. She traveled around the world

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If you want to be taken seriously as a chef, you have to be creative—and willing to work hard.

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for several years, eating the Looking at the Words foods in other countries. To Hahnemann, that “meant a lot A parliament is made up of the of dinner parties, which taught members of a government’s legme a whole other dimension, islature. Parliament is a little like but also living abroad gave me the United States Congress. access to a greater variety of cooking.” When she returned from traveling, she decided to focus completely on cooking. Her catering business took off. She started serving food to movie and rock stars, a rare opportunity for a chef. She also caters to businesses, government organizations (like the Danish House of Parliament), appears on TV shows, and writes books. She certainly has a busy life, keeping up with all that cooking! Professional chefs know that no matter your role in the kitchen, you’ll have to work hard and learn constantly. Then, when there’s an opening, your boss will know how hard you work, and may promote you. You can also be on the lookout for new jobs that will take you where you want to go.

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Chapter 4

How Much Can I Make?

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hefs all have at least one thing in common—they want to cook. Money isn’t always a chef’s priority, as long as he’s getting to do the work he loves. However, some chefs like the glamour and often the money that comes with owning a well-rated restaurant. No matter how famous they are, chefs generally make a good living. While not all chefs make a lot of money, most make enough for a comfortable life. And some do make lots of money, if they work in the right place.

Chefs may also make money by teaching students how to cook.

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Average Pay

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the average wages for chefs in 2010. Most chefs work in full-service restaurants. They earn an average of $38,520. The average pay for all employees in the United States in 2010 was a little over $33,800. Compared to that, chefs at full-service restaurants are doing better than average. Pay only increases from there. Chefs who work at amusement parks or in other recreational industries make an average of $47,340. And chefs who work at hotels and motels earn slightly more at an average of $47,350. If you become a chef, you may not earn exactly these amounts. Some chefs earn less and some will earn more. It all depends on how long you have been working, and where you choose to work. And if you go to a culinary school first, you may start out with higher pay than someone who did not. However, you also probably had to pay for your education. The very first jobs chefs get do not generally come with high wages. You need to build up experience and skills before you can start to earn more. It’s important not to get discouraged, though. By sticking with a fairly low-paying job, you can start to understand the cooking world more. Before you know it, you’ll be ready for you next job, which will have more responsibility and probably higher pay. Chefs who have been in the business for many years might end up making more than the averages listed. After years of experience, those chefs are very skilled and can cook better than most chefs. Restaurants will pay them a lot to get them to cook. Chefs who have been cooking for a while may also own their own restaurants, which can come with more money.

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Teryll Jackson didn’t start out with formal training, but he ended up as the executive chef at a high-end restaurant. He says, “I kind of fell into the position of being the executive chef here. . . . Kind of the school of hard knocks, which most say that’s probably the best place to get it.”

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High-End Chefs

At the very top of the chef profession are the highest paid professionals. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the top 10 percent of chefs in 2010 made more than $70,960. Who makes the most money? Executive chefs, who are in charge of an entire kitchen, tend to make the most. They have worked their way up. Executive chefs who work at upscale restaurants, hotels, resorts, and companies often make the most. For example, chefs who work for the Compass Group, a foodservice management company, can expect to make $95,000! But those same chefs probably started out making a lot less when they first started cooking. Chefs make different amounts of money depending on where they live and work as well. In large cities like New York or Chicago, chefs make more money. People often come to cities to eat great food, and they’re willing to pay more for a fancy meal. The chefs who work at the fanciest restaurants Looking at the Words in large cities get more money than those that work elsewhere. A restaurant that is upscale is very In 2008, the average salary for fancy, with high-quality ingredian executive chef in New York ents and service. City was over $82,000 a year. Then there are celebrity Foodservice management is the chefs. Maybe it’s your dream to business of making, transporting, someday become a famous chef and serving prepared foods. with your own TV show, cookbooks, and more. While not everyone can achieve this, it’s

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Julia Child wrote books, appeared on television, and became a household name all around the world—all because she fell in love with cooking.

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always good to have a dream! Celebrity chefs are some of the highest paid around. Besides income from restaurants, they are also paid for appearances on guest shows, for endorsing kitchen products, and for writing books.

Looking at the Words Endorsing means recommending a product in an advertisement.

The First Celebrity Chef Julia Child is often called the first celebrity chef. Before her, chefs were just people who made food in the kitchen. However, Julia became famous for teaching people how to cook French food on her TV programs and with her cookbooks. She was born in California in 1912, and spent time playing sports and working in advertising. After getting married, she moved to Paris, where she fell in love with French food. She went to Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris and eventually wrote a cookbook called The Art of French Cooking. The cookbook was a bestseller, and was just the first of many books Julia went on to write. Julia also starred in several TV cooking shows. She paved the way for all the celebrity chefs we watch today.

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Chef Huda likes the glamor of being on television—but off camera she says she’s just a girl who likes to cook. She’s also excited she can be an advocate for the American Heart Association, teaching people how to cook delicious and healthy meals.

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Money Isn’t Everything

Although just about everyone wants to make plenty of money, money isn’t everything. You could be making tons of money but hate your job. Luckily, the people who tend to make it as chefs truly love their jobs. Chef Hahnemann describes why she loves being a chef: “If I think about some of the best moments of my life, they usually involve sitting around a large table with friends and family, enjoying wonderful food . . . and talking of something important.” Food has been an important part of her life, and she is thankful to be able to serve food to others. She loves this work, which is what keeps her going. Money is the icing on the cake. When you love being a chef, you’re more likely to make good money because you work hard at what you do. You get raises and good jobs. If you love to cook, are committed to being a chef, and work hard, you’ll make a great living.

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Chapter 5

Looking to the Future

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eople always need to eat! As long as restaurants, hotels, and cafeterias are serving food, we’ll need chefs. Who else would cook the amazing food we enjoy when making special plans to eat out?

If you’re interested in becoming a chef, the military may offer you opportunities you might not have considered. Esmeralda Prestosa is a mess specialist in the U.S. Navy. Here, she’s learning new sushi techniques from a master chef.

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The Future of Chef Jobs

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts there won’t be a lot of growth in the number of chef jobs. In fact, the Bureau predicts there will be slightly fewer chefs in 2020 than there were in 2010. Many restaurants want to save money so they sometimes hire fewer chefs, or pay their chefs less. However, there may be more jobs for high-end chefs who want to work at fancy restaurants. More people are becoming interested in fancy food, and restaurants will need more skilled chefs to cook it.

Molecular Gastronomy The future of cooking is molecular gastronomy, or food cooked using scientific principles. Chefs think about the science behind ingredients and what is happening when something is cooking. Molecular gastronomy is a pretty new way of cooking, invented by French chef Hervé in the 1990s. Chefs who use this approach think about how ingredients are changed when they are cooked, how cooking affects texture, and what smell has to do with tasting food (among other questions). Molecular gastronomy recipes include bacon and egg ice cream, beet foam, edible menus, and spheres of liquid tomatoes that burst on your tongue. Be prepared to be surprised—and pay a lot if you’re going out for a molecular gastronomy meal.

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If you’re willing to work hard at whatever work you’re offered, you’re more likely to get promoted from food prep to a higher level.

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What does that mean for future chefs like you? It means you’ll need to get all the experience and skills you can. Chefs who already have cooking experience, can run a business, and who are enthusiastic will have the best chance of getting a job. You might need to work at an entry-level job in a restaurant before you can become a true chef. But your job as a dishwasher or prep cook will help you get a chef job later on. Getting a job won’t always be easy—but if you believe in yourself, are willing to learn and work hard, and don’t give up, your chances of success are much greater. Chefs who are willing to consider lots of opportunities are more likely to find a job too. Not all chefs work in restaurants. Some work in cafeterias, on cruise ships, or for food companies that are creating new products. Don’t limit yourself to only one sort of job. Search for jobs in all sorts of places. Get creative, and you might be surprised at what you find.

Your Future

You’re in charge of your future. You have lots of choices ahead of you! Many young people know college is the right choice for them—but college may or may not be for you, so give it some thought. If you know you want to be a chef, do some more research! Take a look at culinary school websites. Read up on books about becoming a chef. Looking at the Words Talk to any chefs you know, or find their contacts and An entry-level job is one that e-mail or call them. Talk does not require previous experito your school guidance ence. It is the first step to a career. counselor.

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Chef Scheib offers four bullet points of advice for young chefs-to-be: 1. Take a few lessons in a local cooking school to learn the basic skills needed to be comfortable in a kitchen. 2. Read or look at a wide variety of cookbooks, magazines, and websites to expand their exposure to new or different styles and ingredients not so much for the actual recipes as for ideas and inspirations. 3. Get to know sources of great ingredients. Get to know local farmers, co-ops, the department managers at your grocery store or food shops. These are all great resources for finding out what is ripe and delicious in each season of the year. 4. Be spontaneous in your cooking. Don’t get bogged down with the details of recipes. Cook based on simple techniques and great recipes. Recipes are like sheet music, if you don’t do your own interpretation, you are only a cover band. People like Chefs Scheib, Hahnemann, and Fox have figured out how to turn their passions into a career. Becoming a chef is hard work, and takes many hours and a lot of dedication. But don’t give up . . . and you may find yourself making a great salary, meeting great people, and cooking great food!

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Find Out More In Books Brefere, Lisa M., Karen Drummond, and Brad Barnes. So You Want to Be a Chef? Your Guide to Culinary Careers. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, 2009. Gregory, Josh. Chef (Cool Careers). North Mankato, Minn.: Cherry Lake Publishing, 2011. Thompson, Lisa. Creating Cuisine: Have You Got What it Takes to Be a Chef? North Mankato, Minn.: Compass Point Books, 2008.

On the Internet Education Portal: Information on Becoming a Chef www.education-portal.com/career_information_on_chef.html Food Network Chef Biographies www.foodnetwork.com/chefs/index.html U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Chefs and Head Cooks.” www.foodnetwork.com/chefs/index.html

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Bibliography Lurie, Joshua. Food GPS. “Interview: Chef Jason Fox (Commonwealth).” www.foodgps.com/interview-chef-jason-fox (accessed March 4, 2013). The Reluctant Gourmet. “Chef Trine Hahnemann.” www.reluctantgourmet.com/tips-guides/chef-interviews/item/308-chef-trina-hahnemann (accessed March 4, 2013). The Reluctant Gourmet. “Chef Walter Scheib, the White House.” www.reluctantgourmet.com/tips-guides/chef-interviews/item/310-chefwalter-scheib (accessed March 4, 2013). SnagaJob. “Chef or Cook.” www.snagajob.com/job-descriptions/chefor-cook (Accessed March 4, 2013). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Chefs and Head Cooks.” www. bls.gov/ooh/food-preparation-and-serving/chefs-and-head-cooks. htm#tab-1 (accessed March 4, 2013).

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Index Bureau of Labor Statistics 19, 35, 47, 49, 57 businesses 43 cafeterias 9, 17, 19, 55, 59 career 9–12, 21, 30, 32, 38, 41, 59–60 catering 9, 41, 43 celebrity chefs 11, 19, 49, 51 classes 31 college 7, 9, 11–13, 15, 33–34, 41, 59 cookbooks 9–11, 49, 51, 60 creativity 26, 35 Culinary Institute of America (CIA) 31, 39 culinary school 18, 29–31, 33– 35, 38, 41, 47, 59 dishwashers 25, 41 executive chefs 19, 23, 37, 41, 49 food safety 25, 31 Fox, Jason 23, 26, 41, 60 future 5, 55, 57, 59 Hahnemann, Trine 8–9, 15, 26, 33–34, 38, 41, 43, 53, 60 hotels 19, 39, 47, 49, 55

ingredients 21, 23–24, 35, 37, 49, 57, 60 kitchen 19–20, 23–27, 29, 33, 35, 37–38, 41, 43, 49, 51, 60 Le Cordon Bleu 51 military 14–15, 56 money 12–13, 17, 24–25, 37, 41, 45–47, 49, 53, 57 passion 9, 34–35, 38 recipe 21, 35 restaurants 9, 12, 17, 19, 22, 26, 37, 47, 49, 51, 55, 57, 59 Scheib, Walter 7, 9, 15, 20, 31, 33, 37–39, 60 sous chef 19–20, 41 staff 25, 31, 37–38 stress 38 TV 10–11, 21, 43, 49, 51 wages 38, 47 waiters 25, 41 White House 7, 20

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About the Author Christie Marlowe lives in Binghamton, New York, where she works as a writer and web designer. She has a degree in literature, cares strongly about the environment, and spends three or more nights a week wailing on her Telecaster.

Picture Credits

Banner: Yuri Arcurs (Dreamstime.com); p. 6: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, p. 8: Brandigg; p. 10: Food Network; p. 14: Daniel Case; p. 16: Sophie Cross; p. 18: Jose Manuel Lopez Pinto; p. 21: Yahoo!; p. 22: Yassineajjoul; p. 25: Paul Keller; p. 28: Saloca; p. 30: Jorge Royan; p. 31: U.S. Navy; p. 32: National Cancer Institute: p. 36: Luxo; p. 39: Jongleur 100; p. 40: Artaxerxes; pp. 42, 44, 46: U.S. Navy; p. 48: Sara Roahen, Southern Foodway Alliance; p. 50: KUHT; p. 52: Team Chef Huda; pp. 54, 56, 59: U.S. Navy.

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