The Great Hall
Tired of Cheffing, looking to translate experience into new career, not in a restaurant


WebFoodPros.com: The Great Hall: Tired of Cheffing, looking to translate experience into new career, not in a restaurant
By darrin on Wednesday, July 18, 2001 - 04:50 pm: Edit

What do ya' do when you have finally and completely burned out on being a chef??? How do we use our culinary skills in a new career. What kind of jobs are available to tired but willing chefs??? Food Stylist??? Purchasing??? Any suggestions???

By The Baker on Wednesday, July 18, 2001 - 05:50 pm: Edit

Teacher.... Dont forget that..

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Wednesday, July 18, 2001 - 06:32 pm: Edit

Teach dude, I love it, I go in at 7:00AM out at 1:30, if something goes wrong, hey it's a school they are learning!!!
Have plenty of time to run a businesss or whatever you want.

By Chris on Thursday, July 19, 2001 - 11:21 am: Edit

Run through the desert naked on peyote in search of god!

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Thursday, July 19, 2001 - 11:23 am: Edit

That sounds better then teaching!!!!!

By George (George) on Thursday, July 19, 2001 - 02:40 pm: Edit

Don't forget your sun screen

By Peachcreek (Peachcreek) on Thursday, July 19, 2001 - 04:30 pm: Edit

How did you know what I was doing in the 70s?

By Mbw (Mbw) on Friday, July 20, 2001 - 04:56 pm: Edit

Those who cannot do, teach. Those who cannot teach, teach Gym.

"Woody Allen"

By Panini (Panini) on Saturday, July 21, 2001 - 06:47 am: Edit

Mbw,
That holds true for most book learned professions,but nor for this crazy one. It's not that easy to even qualify to teach around here.
juz my 2 zenz

By Mbw (Mbw) on Saturday, July 21, 2001 - 10:29 am: Edit

Darrin,

Yes the desert thing sounds good, but restaurant consulting may be just what the doctor ordered. You need to know a little about kitchen construction, in addition to having basic chef skills. A local chef here in SF said that a friend of hers (that was barely qualified) landed a consulting position for about $80K a year. Could be an urban legend.

BTW:Panini,

Just kidding, I hated most of my Gym teachers.

I've been cooking off and on for about 23 years. I'm not even a chef yet, much less qualified to teach... I am somewhat in awe of you "Real Chefs" that can teach too
Mark

By Chris on Sunday, July 22, 2001 - 03:43 pm: Edit

In my expierences cheffing is like skiing or golfing. The best ones do it for money and can't teach it.

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Sunday, July 22, 2001 - 03:45 pm: Edit

Mbw, those who can do more, teach. Is the proper statement.

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Monday, July 23, 2001 - 10:57 am: Edit

Chris, it's like Panini said, this is true for book learned industries but, you cannot be a good Chef if you are not a good teacher. What do you think training is? If you can't train, you will never have a good staff and, your kitchen will be in perpetual weeds!!!

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Monday, July 23, 2001 - 10:57 am: Edit

Chris, it's like Panini said, this is true for book learned industries but, you cannot be a good Chef if you are not a good teacher. What do you think training is? If you can't train, you will never have a good staff and, your kitchen will be in perpetual weeds!!!

By chady2k on Monday, July 23, 2001 - 12:47 pm: Edit

consulting? What kind of things do consultants do?
I guess I think that a consulant would be a waste of money to me. Perhaps I could do this kind of gig on the side? Are they trying to help out new owners getting set up?

By Chris on Monday, July 23, 2001 - 03:50 pm: Edit

Training and teaching are, in my book, two different things. To many this may sound like a ridiculous statement. I'd like to elaborate but I must go get myself out of the weeds!!

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Monday, July 23, 2001 - 04:17 pm: Edit

Chris revise your book...2nd ed.

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Monday, July 23, 2001 - 04:20 pm: Edit

Chris, why were you in the weeds, sounds like one of my earlier posts apply to this....If you can't train, you will never have a good staff and, your kitchen will be in perpetual weeds!!!!
Yes, No?????

By Peachcreek (Peachcreek) on Monday, July 23, 2001 - 04:25 pm: Edit

Symptoms: Irritability, screaming at co-workers that they are ants.
Cause: Restaurant burnout.
Treatment: Lying naked in the periwinkle with a terrier.
( Apologies to Berke Breathed.)

By The Baker on Monday, July 23, 2001 - 06:18 pm: Edit

HMMM

For me my treatment would be laying naked in the periwinkle with Mariah Carey LOL

By Panini (Panini) on Monday, July 23, 2001 - 08:33 pm: Edit

Chris, I must agree with you, training and teaching are two different things. You can train someone from a book or manuals. You must teach from experience. Manny is right, trained people will usually keep you in the weeds and always be parasitic. Taught people will usually take what you have taught them and develope their own style of putting out fires.
ps. I built a wiring harness for my car out of a manual. I can do it again from pictures just like making a club sandwich from a picture.I really have'nt learned anything.

By Yankee on Monday, July 23, 2001 - 10:18 pm: Edit

I don't know, I just like the getting naked part.

Oops, wrong board. ;^)

By Chris on Tuesday, July 24, 2001 - 10:33 am: Edit

I was making a joke about the weeds. Training is getting people to do what you want. Teaching is not, I've found that once someone develops their own style the outcome is different from what I have forseen. Thus resulting in a proud employee and a pissed employer due to inconsistincies in the final product. I think bourdain said it best when comparing foreign employees to recent culinary grads; "The foreigneers will do their tasks exactly how you show them every time. Most of your recent culinary grads are Wolfgang Puck wannabes always changing things in the hopes theey'll be discovered"

By Peachcreek (Peachcreek) on Tuesday, July 24, 2001 - 01:42 pm: Edit

How about going to school to be a dietician or nutritionist? Good money, not fast-paced. Can probably get a job anywhere. A freind of mine did that a few years ago. After 15 years as a pastry chef, she went back to school for education on food-related issues of alcohol and drug dependant people, specifically, Candida. Just another thing to do.

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Tuesday, July 24, 2001 - 02:11 pm: Edit

Chris, "motivation" is getting people to do what you want them to do, not training. If you get Puck wanabees you tell them this is not the place for it. This is why it is said that "You are only the Chef in your own kitchen".
I agree, culinary grads are the worst in most cases!

By Panini (Panini) on Tuesday, July 24, 2001 - 11:26 pm: Edit

oh no,lets not go there again.
Chris,
I assumed you were joking about being in the weed. Take a step back and read your last post. Do you really feel that way about a proud employee and a pissed of employer.If you are not teaching anything to your employees, who the heck is going to take your place. Capping those underneath you is not fair to the employee or the customers.
When I was comming up the two most important things were to make sure that my supervisor did not have to spend time in my kitchen, and that my people could replace me so I could move into my supervisors position.
I don't mean to criticize but it is apparent to me that you have been trained and not taught.
You cannot compare European cooks with American Culinary Graduates. Classical cooking has not made one step towards the advancement of this field. I'd take upscale american over classical anyday. I can guarantee that your kitchen is light years away from classical. It is a respected profession there, cooks sometimes stay cooks for their whole career. Good or bad we don't have the man power or the time for this style here.
Gosh, I just can't immagine my kitchens full of trained people not allowed to stray outside the box.Sounds like work for me. All those people totally dependant on me. Trained people are a great way not to let fires start, but the chefs' challange for me is putting out fires creatively.
If I'm pissed off it must be my fault.
jusmi2cenz really, nothing personal
Jeff


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