Part One : Chapter One : Introduction to the Profession

I opened my textbook this evening, in order to start my promise to you, and to myself that I would take myself to "culinary school." Of course, the first part of this book is an introduction to the culinary arts as a whole, but that doesn't mean we can't learn anything from it. In fact, I highlighted a lot of important information as I read the first chapter, something I haven't done since my college days!

I learned a small amount about many different jobs in the culinary industry, and even checked off a few as possibilities for my future! For instance, starting off in a kitchen for me would mean taking a job as the commis, or apprentice, who works for a station chef, in order to learn how that specific station operates. The Kitchen Brigade system is an interesting operation, consisting of different levels of management along the stations of the line in a kitchen. There's a chef for everything in a large operation, while one person could take on the job of five in a smaller operation. It's a well-oiled machine, it seems.

I also learned that all chefs need to be business people in their own right, possessing the skills to manage, administer and execute all the functions of a restaurant, or other food-related business. Much more than cooking goes into the job, including the ability to order supplies, determine gains and losses, and communicate with a staff, whether it be large or small.

My favorite line in this chapter falls under the heading, The Attributes of a Culinary Professional. "Those who have made the greatest impression know that the cardinal virtues of the culinary profession are an open and inquiring mind, an appreciation of and dedication to quality wherever it is found, and a sense of responsibility." "It requires stamina, drive, and creative influence." 

My mind's in the game...now on to Chapter 2: Menus and Recipes!