Preparing & cooking a dish doesn’t require any skills or knowledge, any one could cook a meal, but being a chef isn’t just about that, there’s a lot more to it, lots of people do not make a deference between a cook & a chef.
I started as a commis chef at luxurious hotel in Mayfair London “England”, it was very hard in the beginning, being new in the business, long hours, stress,” it was nothing like the army chain of command, I strongly believe that , that type of discipline is the best & most efficient way to rum any business or a company”, it was total anarchy, with the time I got used to it, still I never did believe this is the way it is with every chef in every kitchen out there.
Six months later I have left that hotel, since than from one hotel to another, from one restaurant to another, ten years later I reached this conclusion, just by asking myself this very simple question, what is a chef? My answer is this, a chef is, a manager, a butcher, a fish monger, a teacher, an accountant, a nanny, a vegetable man, a psychologist & a cook, sometimes a chef is simply some joe from some corner of the street.
I learned a lot during the last ten years in this business, I have seen the bad & the good, still willing to know & learn more, being a chef isn’t easy, contrary to what most of people might think, it’s a very challenging job in very competitive market, lots of people out there look down on chefs, with their negative sayings, such as”He’s just a chef” or “He’s a chef, what do you expect?” etc… I don’t see or can think of any deference between a chef’s job & other professions, sometimes it’s even harder & more challenging, not just any one can be a chef, strength of character, patience, personality, knowledge & passion are required.
To the young boys & girls out there thinking of becoming chefs or just started as chefs, put this in your heads, no chef I mean “A Chef “ will waste his time & money in any one who isn’t willing to learn. Also stay sharp on point all the time, open your eyes, listen, don’t ask questions, I mean do not just ask questions, think of the answer yourself, look around, only ask questions if you really couldn’t find the answer, if you put your mind into something in this life, yes you can achieve it.
vava 