Spicy Meataball
Assistant Cook
...I never went to culinary school, (always wanted to...) yet managed to find work in a kitchen 17 years ago. It was the lowest job on the totem pole, with the exception of straight utility. I had self taught talent that the chef noticed. As a result, I was taught everything she knew about running a kitchen. I moved up in the levels of positions available, as soon as something became available. It was the chef who started calling me 'sous chef' two years later. When we parted professional company, I was offered a position as 'chef' at a large account, with a staff of 7 to oversee, and 500 meals a day to produce. I was responsible for everything from preparation to inventory control. I've continued to rise during the years, overseeing staffs as large as 50 and as small as 4. I read everything about the business I can get my hands on, and practice in my home kitchen on items I'm not perfectly skilled at.
I've seen culinary graduates that couldn't cook their way out of a paper bag, and I've seen men and women qualify for positions without sitting a day in a culinary classroom. It's about rising up the ladder at any speed, and about business, and about a love of the art. While I always feel that someone with a degree may be better than me, I'm still the one out there, doing the job, day after day. I have the respect of my staff and peers (both 'educated' and not), the respect of my clients and my vendors. The customers are happy. ...
Ah but I think in this situation, your experience and passion to rise the ranks of the kitchen totem pole is the certification. You applied what you learned to th tasks ahead that needed to be completed and in by doing so you proved your skill, knowledge, and judgment to be of an "acceptable" level. That's more or less what my take on Culinary school is. You learn the ways to do things, pick up food knowledge, hone your skills, and then plate and present your dish (es) to a group of people who will judge it and decide if you meet their expectations. So while you don't have a diploma from an ACF school, I'd say you meet the qualifications of a chef in my book any day.