Apprentice Chefs

[Canalien]

Is anyone here a a (proper) chef? Or currently undertaking that kind of apprenticeship? Or know anyone who has?

Cooking has always been something I've loved, and almost everyone I know has suggested I take it seriously and consider learning more and making a career of it. I've always been pretty hesitant to do so however because I always figured it would strip the joy from cooking any I'd end up hating it. That and I'm a bit picky when it comes to food... but it's always in the back of my mind.

Anyone here that would be able to answer questions/share experiences?

[kleph]

i worked as a cook and assistant chef for several chain restaurants during my college decade. i was never a trained chef or apprenticed in any formal fashion.

cooking, in my estimation, is a lot like fucking. it is best enjoyed as an amateur.

although he hasn't been hereabouts for quite some time, you might try sending a pm to grasshopper (http://forums.zgeek.com/member.php?u=210). he is still in the industry if i am not mistaken.

[108]

cooking, in my estimation, is a lot like fucking. it is best enjoyed as an amateur.
is it as hectic and "paint-by-numbers"-like as it seems?

i mean, it looks fun and all when tv-chefs go slowly and improvise everything, but how is the proffesion like in actual practice?

[kleph]

it's tough. there are bright spots but its crazy, unforgiving and doesn't pay well. add to that it is nearly impossible to get the cute waitresses to sleep with you when you have chicken scum on your hands, the reek of stale cream in your hair and you are still dead broke at the end of the night.

one of the best peeks into this sordid little world is anthony bourdain's kitchen confidential (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060934913/sr=1-3/qid=1138944045/ref=sr_1_3/104-7314290-1862316?%5Fencoding=UTF8). read it and if these are the kind of people you find captivating, well you may not have any choice in what path to follow.

[StAUG]

I can cook eggs.

[hazza]

my mates a trained chef n all that jaz. just finished an apprenceship at bathers pavilion (balmoral) and now working for some restaurant in the city.

do it if you love it. but be warned, 5 o clock starts for mainly every day, shit ass pay, chopping veggies. if you can handle that for a year or two, you should be right

[Canalien]

'shit ass pay' can be a pretty loose definition depending on who you ask... any indication?

[kleph]

well, you beat minimum wage as a line cook but you won't pull in near what a half-decent waitperson will over the same period. if you can get an assistant chef spot you can pull in a decent annual haul but nothing fancy.

cooks school would have been fun but i didn't see much sense in paying out more than $30K for something that would bring in no better than $20K per year for the forseeable future.

[BlueBoy]

Talk to pliskin. The man knows things.

[Girl.]

My little brother just finished his apprenticeship a few months ago. He always loved cooking, he's really passionate about it and even on his days off he's usually in the kitchen. You need to expect low pay for the first couple of years ($8 an hour from memory) and long, long hours on your feet. Also, my brother had lots of problems with restaurant owners refusing to pay him properly and generally trying to fuck him over, although now that he'd qualified he can find a job fairly easily so if he isn't happy where he is, he can just leave.

[pliskin]

/me puts on his chef hat.
to put everything into perspective , i have been a qualified chef for over 4.5 yrs. i undertook my apprenticeship in a large sydney establishment. i have been at the same hotel for those 8.5 yrs.
ill try not too scare u off becoming a chef, too much............:goodluck:

1st and foremost. expect crap pay for the 1st few yrs as an apprentice chef. it can be fine if u are still living at home with the oldies. but paying rent/mobile/bills is very hard on 200 per week if living out of home.
that said, i was eating 3 meals a day at work 5 days a week, so dont expect to be buying much food for home.
most chefs i know the only thing they have in the fridge is booze.

i strongly recommend u take klephs advice and read kitchen confidential, by anthony bourdain. its a great read

expect to be treated like a cunt for at least the 1st yr. think of becoming a chef as being in the army. u will get given all the most menial tasks. chopping /peeling vegetables. making mash every days for 6 months / standing by a deep fryer for hours on end. its just like basic training.

but, never be afraid to ask questions. its how u learn!!

most ppl have heard that chefs yell all the time. its true! ( nearly every1 has seen a gordon ramsey cooking show). the secret is not to take it personally. the reason for most of the yelling and screaming is due to timing.
timing/work flow is critical in cookery. for all the food for a certain table to be ready at the same time is a big logistical nightmare in a busy resturaunt. a small setback on 1 table can have a major follow effect on all subsequent tables.
yelling is just the most effecient way of getting things done "RIGHT FUCKING NOW".
9/10 it will have been forgotten about at the end of the service by the Head Chef.

if u survive the 1st yr :victory:
almost 50% of apprentices drop out in the 1st yr.
out of my original group of apprentices i started with, only myself and 2 others finished .we started with 15.
8 dropped out in the 1st yr.

now is where the fun starts, u have been going to college and have learnt the basics of cooking.u should start to know stuff about flavor of products, what vegetables compliment certain cuts of meat. hopefully u will start getting more exciting work tasks, actually cooking meat/fish ; working a particular section. putting your skills into practice.
u will start to learn when certain stock is in season, or how to take that shitty piece of tough 6/kg steak, braise it slowly for 4 hrs, and turn it into the a truly mouth-watering meal.
take advantage of the fact most of the waitresses are students on a budget, puting themselves thru uni -
chicks love a guy who can cook. :boobies:

4 yrs later , u are qualified. ( in australia, anyway )

now is whan it gets serious, u are supposed to know what u are doing. u are a qualified tradesperson. now u are supposed to know , not only how to cook, u are resposible for training other staff, knowing occupational health and safety proceedures. know about storage of food. minimisation of food poisoning. how to do rosters. minimising food wasteage. + being an underpaid guidance councillor for all the other staff.

dont let my negativity kill any enthusiasm u have of becoming a chef. i realy love my job. i get to play with great food all day, drink quite a bit of free booze, get up after 10pm everyday ( mind u i was working 11am-11pm 5 days a week ) the fact is its not just for every1, yet i couldnt imagine doing anything else

ill add more later, or answer any questions u have..
pliskin

[kleph]

buy good shoes. i mean really good shoes. with solid support and cushioning. they are second only to your chef knife in terms of equipment you will need.

[Kez]

Boots!

A good pair of Redbacks were good in the kitchen I used to work in. Stopped me from slipping over.

[pliskin]

boots are the suck.
ive worn clogs for the last 7yrs. they allow your feet to breathe a lot more, than boots.
another think i highly recommend is thick cotton socks. they allow the sweat to be absorbed a lot more
many chefs i know who wear boots, get bad foot infections. the boots get wet all the time, yet they dont have a chance to dry out properly. if u put ya foot back into wet boots, its gets very bad, quickly.

[Snapple]

I have worked with and known many chefs over time, and found them all to be incredibly irritable, cantankerous, exhausted, and just plain sick of cooking. The hours can be long and all over the place. People love their food and expect perfection, to their standard when dining, so you also have to put up with fuckwits that think something should be this, when you know it should be that. Anything to do with dining and the public is out for me, wether it be waiting or in the kitchen.

[Canalien]

still searching for a career... still very interested in this... pliskin i sent you a PM