I'm a graduate of the pastry atrs program offered at the culinary institute of canada. I'm looking for something to keep me busy durring the winter months before reutrning to school. So if you have any hard to find recipes or any questions email me and i'll do my absolute best to help you out and i won't be so bored then! :o)
joey181@escoffier.net

By W.DeBord on Sunday, January 02, 2000 - 08:14 am: Edit

How about working in a professional kitchen to keep you busy?

By Joey181 (Joey181) on Sunday, January 02, 2000 - 01:18 pm: Edit

well seeing as i am enrolled for school in march, and considering the restaurants where i live, an employer is not going to hire for two months.

By momoreg on Sunday, January 02, 2000 - 03:22 pm: Edit

Yes, many of them might, but you must be willing to do any work they ask you do do. They see it as cheap temporary help. You, as a newcomer to the industry, should see it as an opportunity to learn.

By Joey181 (Joey181) on Sunday, January 02, 2000 - 04:20 pm: Edit

I don't mean to sound rude but as for doing any work they ask...no. I have worked my way up the ladder and do not intend to take steps down just to gain experience i already have. Again i don't mean to sound rude it's just that i am not a newcommer to the industry and don't intend to work like one.

By Panini (Panini) on Sunday, January 02, 2000 - 06:25 pm: Edit

I know experienced Pastry Chefs and Bakers that work here and there for a couple of months at a time. I have one that comes in for the wedding season. He also teaches food safety, and sells
bakery supplies during the year.
I don't think you sound rude, I think maybe you might be a little green,corse thats just my impression, hell, I take steps down everyday.
I just got finished cleaning a Vent a hood. I could not understand why my guys could not do the job I wanted.Now I understand!!! I learned something new today.
panini

By momoreg on Sunday, January 02, 2000 - 07:21 pm: Edit

Joey,
I posted this before, but it seems to have gotten lost.
You don't sound rude. But with all respect for the experience you have, if you take a temporary job, you won't automatically get placed on the top rung of the ladder. You may not get to do jobs that challenge you, but you will probably get to observe things that you've never seen. Anyway, even the most seasoned chefs have to be willing to do the grunt work.

By Joey181 (Joey181) on Sunday, January 02, 2000 - 07:41 pm: Edit

Panini

yeah i know i sound a little "green" with the jobs that i have had taking a step down is so not an option for me! but as for people that come in to do the wedding season that sounds great if i wasn't stuck in this deadend small town forthe next couple of months!! but thanks for the advice :o)

By Joey181 (Joey181) on Sunday, January 02, 2000 - 07:49 pm: Edit

Momoreg

Yeah i know what you mean and i don't expect to get placed at the top but a little less close to the bottom would be better cause i mean in all honesty i really don't want to do the sh*t jobs i've allready done and hated!!

By Panini (Panini) on Sunday, January 02, 2000 - 09:24 pm: Edit

Joey 181
Momoreg brings up a very good point. Put yourself in a learning enviornment. Work for free.
If you learn one thing, even if its from Dairy Queen, its one more thing youv'e learned.
I don't know your age but you will find alot of sh*t jobs on the top to.
Tell us what your goals are. There are a lot of seasoned professionals in this forum that will gladly offer you something.
panini

By W.DeBord on Monday, January 03, 2000 - 09:03 am: Edit

I think the funny part of not wanting to do the sh*t jobs will come later for you Joey181. It's amazing how quickly your future boss will pick-up on that. We like to and need to "break" people of their attitute quickly to make them a useable team member. Better not let anyone detect that in you or you'll do nothing but those types of jobs.

We all do sh*t jobs because there are ALOT of them in a kitchen.

There is much you can learn in a small town. There is alot you can teach your-self opening cookbooks and making items you have no experience with. Work in a small business and see if you can learn anything from the owner about business. Good pastry chefs have some working knowledge about business to deal with their clients even if there working at a place where they don't have to do paper work.

By Ramodeo (Ramodeo) on Monday, January 03, 2000 - 09:36 am: Edit

Joey181-
I wasn't going to get in on this discussion cuz everyone else was saying what I would say, but I've got to add my voice.

W. is right. You'd better hide that attitiude when you do decide to work. There are a lot of nasty jobs in a kitchen. EVERYONE has to do them. That attitude wouldn't last a day in our kitchen. We all do what needs to be done to make the operation a success. The kitchen manager cuts 150# of potatoes, the sous chef cleans the hoods, the exec. chef washes dishes while he teaches the dishwasher how to run the line... Being willing and able to do these jobs will raise people's level of respect for you, not lower it.

I know there are kitchens where attitude is rewarded, where the biggest ego gets to the top, and if that's where you want to end up then more power to you. But in my experience, it's a lot more fun and rewarding to work in an environment where everyone works together towards a common goal.

What are you hoping to do when you finish your schooling?

By Joey181 (Joey181) on Monday, January 03, 2000 - 09:47 am: Edit

I know all about sh*t jobs in the kitchen and your definition of them is different than mine. I pull my weight in the kitchen don't get me wrong i'm a team player and don't duck out of work that needs to be done. As for working for free, my bills don't permit that. And I live in a small town (very small) and if this were july i'd have no problem getting a job for a couple of months but unfortunatly our city survives on tourism of which we have very little in the winter so therefore there's a big shortage on jobs.

By Panini (Panini) on Monday, January 03, 2000 - 02:07 pm: Edit

Hey Joey 181
I just got through reading through everybody responses to you. Don't take this as ragging on you. We are just trying to understand your position. I suggested working for free because it sounded like you were going to sit around for a couple of months. You will find that the people talking to you are trying to protect you. It seems to me that most here are seasoned veterans.
This is why I stick around. Most of us have already made the mistakes. I made the vent a hood comment to try to convey a message on learning and sh*t jobs. I've been in the industry for 32 years,most people would consider me sucessful.I own a few bakeries and love what I'm doing.
Tell us what your goals are.and what you want to do when you graduate.
panini

By d. on Monday, January 03, 2000 - 05:53 pm: Edit

Purely out of curiosity, Joey 181, what is your definition of sh*t jobs in the kitchen?

By Joey181 (Joey181) on Monday, January 03, 2000 - 08:08 pm: Edit

Panini

Yeah i guess i do take it as ragging but then again thats just my nature! as for my goals, once i graduate i intend to go for my red seal and then i hope to be working at the inn at bay fortune (chef micheal smith really inspired me) or even at his restaurant in halifax. They seem pretty narrowed down but i plan to do everything in my power to reach my goals. When i started pastry atrs last year i had no idea what i wanted to do i just knew i wanted to be in a kitchen for the rest of my life (well you know) but as i started to watch "the inn chef" (hope you've heard of it if not check it out www.innchef.com) and the way that he went about his cooking he really made it fun, not that i wasn't allready having fun but his ways are different. anyway he inspired me to go back for the culinary program and i would be really honored to work for him.

By Panini (Panini) on Monday, January 03, 2000 - 08:51 pm: Edit

These are good goals, you know I think what everybody was saying was, if you had the chance to work with Chef Smith and he asked you to do some sh*t job you would probably do it so you could watch him out of the corner of your eye.
Some of us older chefs did not have the oportunity to work with open minded chefs. I am european trained and it was like pulling teeth to learn anything. I'm glad to see it changing.
Just one tip from an old timer, keep focused on your own style. Don't clone yourself after someone. That will separate you from the rest.
Use their talents to support yours.
Good luck to you.
panini