Puppy Breath
Assistant Cook
I'm a professional, but only in my own mind
Who are professional chefs here? Who are just cooking junkies?
- Thread starter JoMama
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Larrystein
Assistant Cook
I'm new to this forum so, Hello everyone!
I'm not a pro now, due to disability. However I have done a couple of years in a steakhouse and another three in a Chinese restaurant/Takeaway. I was taught in a college in London. Now I just cook for my children and dabble in home made cheeses.
You want to be careful how you ask a question like this IMHO. Any burger flipper could call themselves a pro if you mean getting payed for your cooking.
Larry
I'm not a pro now, due to disability. However I have done a couple of years in a steakhouse and another three in a Chinese restaurant/Takeaway. I was taught in a college in London. Now I just cook for my children and dabble in home made cheeses.
You want to be careful how you ask a question like this IMHO. Any burger flipper could call themselves a pro if you mean getting payed for your cooking.
Larry
freefallin1309
Senior Cook
I think the real pro's will know
But I get your point. I, like Puppy Breath ... am a legend in my own mind 
Not a pro but if there was another life and chance I would go to CIA. I have a good job now and stable life so I don't want to start from ground zero again. My uncle is a chef and I lived with my aunt and uncle for several years and learned a great deal just watching him cook.
I work in a die hard technical field and don't consider myself to be creative. I do however change colors when I am in the kitchen. That's the place where my creativity takes over and I am truly happy.
I work in a die hard technical field and don't consider myself to be creative. I do however change colors when I am in the kitchen. That's the place where my creativity takes over and I am truly happy.
chefkathleen
Sous Chef
You know Yakuta my hubs is the same way. His is a technical filed as well and he loves the outlet of cooking and creating in the kitchen.
Wow, it's like looking in the mirror.
I just have OCD(Obsessive Cooking Disorder).LOL
I have never wanted to be a chef for a few reasons:
I want to cook, what, when and how I want to.
I like "Home cooking", not some small amount of food piled on top of each other on the center of the plate surrounded by colorful sticky gunk and herbs in some artistic way. To me that is not a Chef, but a Artist.
I hope I have not insulted anyone. That is just how I feel about the subject.
I have never wanted to be a chef for a few reasons:
I want to cook, what, when and how I want to.
I like "Home cooking", not some small amount of food piled on top of each other on the center of the plate surrounded by colorful sticky gunk and herbs in some artistic way. To me that is not a Chef, but a Artist.
I hope I have not insulted anyone. That is just how I feel about the subject.
I am a software tester for a bank during the week, and do kosher catering on the side on weekends. I do minimal cooking in my catering mosty order the food from other vendors and do the presentation. I learned to cook from my mother as my parents were always en tertaining and learned about the food business from my father who is VP or a frozen food company. I would not call myself a pro, but I do a good job of pretending.
To be honest I don't like the terms "professional" and "chef" - for myself, personally, even though I qualify for both. And yet I really respect other chefs and professional cooks.
To me, cooking is all about passion. I have seen seasoned chefs who totally lack it and home or hobby cooks who exude passion in everything they make. I am totally grateful for the training and experience I have....but I feel my best teacher was my Mother who taught herself to cook and was happiest preparing a large meal for family and friends! To me, she was a real pro!
To me, cooking is all about passion. I have seen seasoned chefs who totally lack it and home or hobby cooks who exude passion in everything they make. I am totally grateful for the training and experience I have....but I feel my best teacher was my Mother who taught herself to cook and was happiest preparing a large meal for family and friends! To me, she was a real pro!
Really well stated LPBeier. It's all about passion and yes training helps but is not everything. I started cooking when I was only 12 years old and I learned how to make fresh roti bread and simple but good food from scratch from my grandmother. She did not have any culinary training but she could knead all types of dough and make bread from it including millet (if you have ever handled it you know it's darn hard to knead and even harder to roll). She had food mill to pulp tomatoes that I helped her with, we brought our own wheat, cleaned it and then took it to the mill to get fresh wheat flour and she loved to feed us fresh good food, it was her passion.
ChefJune
Master Chef
Thanks, ChefJune
There used to be a very successful ice cream store in downtown Jersey City that converted to soups in the winter. That kept him going all year round. Sad when the owner passed away. His son did not want to keep it going. Can't say I blame him. A shop like that takes ALL your time, and then some. You've got to love it.
chefkathleen
Sous Chef
That's exactly what gourmet chefs are. Artists. They blend the different flavors and arrange them on the plate in the same way a painter layerd his paint on a pallet. You eat with your eyes before your mouth.
I was at the produce market last night picking out portobello caps for a BBQ this weekend and a man approached me. I could see he was waiting patiently to get to the mushrooms so I stepped back to give him room saying that I would be there awhile. He was a nice looking man about 45 dark hair and blue eyes but his features were Indian (no, not native American).
He chose 2 nice caps and then asked me how he should prepare them. (his accent said "English school in India")
I went on to describe how I was going to prepare these particular ones (recipe listed in "favorite vegetarian" thread). He interupted me for a second and asked if I was a chef. I told him that I was just a cook. My wife (a witness) bragged on me for the rest of the night. It was pretty cool.
He chose 2 nice caps and then asked me how he should prepare them. (his accent said "English school in India")
I went on to describe how I was going to prepare these particular ones (recipe listed in "favorite vegetarian" thread). He interupted me for a second and asked if I was a chef. I told him that I was just a cook. My wife (a witness) bragged on me for the rest of the night. It was pretty cool.
chefkathleen
Sous Chef
It was very cool and you done good homie!!
bethzaring
Master Chef
I am into food. Have been gardening organically since 1976, love to cook and bake, have an associates degree in dietetics, love to read cookbooks and create recipes based on what foodstuffs I have. I have raised dairy goats for decades and make cheese, ice cream, yogurt, buttermilk, etc. Like I said, I am into food..
chefkathleen
Sous Chef
Whoa, cool you make your own cheese.
That's exactly what I mean about the passion - people can tell when you are passionate about food and cooking and they do link it with being a professional. Good on you!
