Barbara L
Traveling Welcome Wagon
I especially love baking, but chef is up there too. I am a gadget nut!
Barbara
Barbara
Baker or Chef?
- Thread starter Alix
- 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.
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Savory over sweet for me. S.O. does most of the baking.
ironchef
Executive Chef
Chef and definitely funky. Think Butter Poached Lobster with Lobster Coral Foam and Lemon-Vanilla Bean Sauce.
kimbaby
Executive Chef
I am a chef and proabaly a dabbler to
urmaniac13
Executive Chef
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2005
- Messages
- 4,764
Interesting, I never thought of being a "chef" and a "baker" separately like this, but come to think of it, I will probably fall into a "chef" category. As much as I adore sweets and try to make them myself when I can, I am never entirely confident with baking and tend to follow the recipe pretty closely, while when cooking other things I improvise my a.. off, just using the given recipe as a rough guideline or an inspiration.
I would like to get to the same point with baking too one day, though.
I would like to get to the same point with baking too one day, though.
SizzlininIN
Master Chef
Hmmmmmmm I'm not sure where I fit in. 
. People tell me I have eclectic taste in my decorating......I guess I'd have to say I have the same when it comes to cooking. I like to bake.....I've never had the urge to do it all the time but I have my moments where I really enjoy it. I love to cook all types of different things..... but I tend to drift to my old favorites as they hold treasured memories of the past. I follow some recipes ingredient by ingredient and if their a total hit then I leave them alone it they need adjusting then I add my own flavor and it becomes its own. I love to play with all the kitchen gadgets I can get my hands on when I walk in stores that have kitchenware. I don't buy into a lot of them though as I know that they'd just end up in my drawer after only being used a few times. I'm not a specialist of any type of cuisine......however, those dishes that I do prepare are all time favorites in our home. So..........just call me an Eclectic Cook.
. People tell me I have eclectic taste in my decorating......I guess I'd have to say I have the same when it comes to cooking. I like to bake.....I've never had the urge to do it all the time but I have my moments where I really enjoy it. I love to cook all types of different things..... but I tend to drift to my old favorites as they hold treasured memories of the past. I follow some recipes ingredient by ingredient and if their a total hit then I leave them alone it they need adjusting then I add my own flavor and it becomes its own. I love to play with all the kitchen gadgets I can get my hands on when I walk in stores that have kitchenware. I don't buy into a lot of them though as I know that they'd just end up in my drawer after only being used a few times. I'm not a specialist of any type of cuisine......however, those dishes that I do prepare are all time favorites in our home. So..........just call me an Eclectic Cook.cjs
Sous Chef
"Its just so satisfying to me to take bits and pieces of things and make something so scrumptious. "
That's how I feel also!! BUT, not about baking/pastry!!
I'm a retired chef who loves to watch pastry chefs, but I've always just abhored baking/pastry work. It always seemed to precise and controled for me. Just let me have those bits and pieces and I'm off and running!!
Great, interesting thread!
That's how I feel also!! BUT, not about baking/pastry!!
I'm a retired chef who loves to watch pastry chefs, but I've always just abhored baking/pastry work. It always seemed to precise and controled for me. Just let me have those bits and pieces and I'm off and running!!
Great, interesting thread!
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
i wouldn't consider myself a chef, but i'm more experienced than a dabbler.
advanced dabbler? beginner chef?
i am by no means a baker.
advanced dabbler? beginner chef?
i am by no means a baker.
miniman
Executive Chef
We balance out nicely in our family. My wife and I can both do most things, but I specialise more in cheffie things and she is definitely the baker and can make great jam as well.
OP
OP
This is really neat to see all these replies. I'm beginning to think I need to start another poll to see what kind of Chefs we have. Beginner, Advanced, Expert, that sort of thing.
cjs, your comment really struck my funny bone. I consider myself a baker, but honestly I never think of myself as precise. I guess when I was starting out I was, but in the course of time I have become rather whimsical about my baking. I toss things together without measuring all the time. Likely, that is because I have a pretty good "eye" and don't need to be meticulous anymore.
I am so enjoying reading all these responses and finding out how similar many of us are. Cooking is such a creative process and so satisfying to the soul.
cjs, your comment really struck my funny bone. I consider myself a baker, but honestly I never think of myself as precise. I guess when I was starting out I was, but in the course of time I have become rather whimsical about my baking. I toss things together without measuring all the time. Likely, that is because I have a pretty good "eye" and don't need to be meticulous anymore.
I am so enjoying reading all these responses and finding out how similar many of us are. Cooking is such a creative process and so satisfying to the soul.
ChefJune
Master Chef
"Chef" is correctly a term for someone who runs a professional kitchen (or a section thereof) as opposed to a home cook who prefers savory cooking over baking...
I enjoy both savory and sweet cooking, and in fact, started out professionally as a baker, and got more and more into the "top of the stove" kind of cooking... BUT I try to avoid baking because I know I will eat too may of the resulting products!
I enjoy both savory and sweet cooking, and in fact, started out professionally as a baker, and got more and more into the "top of the stove" kind of cooking... BUT I try to avoid baking because I know I will eat too may of the resulting products!
corazon
Executive Chef
Baker here.
I'm terrible at making stuff up. I need the guidelines of a recipe. I can never go to the store without knowing what to buy. I can't just buy on a whim and make a fantastic meal. Ah well.
I'm terrible at making stuff up. I need the guidelines of a recipe. I can never go to the store without knowing what to buy. I can't just buy on a whim and make a fantastic meal. Ah well.
OP
OP
ChefJune said:"Chef" is correctly a term for someone who runs a professional kitchen (or a section thereof) as opposed to a home cook who prefers savory cooking over baking...
I enjoy both savory and sweet cooking, and in fact, started out professionally as a baker, and got more and more into the "top of the stove" kind of cooking... BUT I try to avoid baking because I know I will eat too may of the resulting products!
Dang it June, do I HAVE to be correct?? That is really really hard for me you know!
LOLing at the last comment. Ken complains about my baking for the same reason!
college_cook
Head Chef
I have alot of great ideas and inspiration when it comes to baking, but sadly, I'm not very good at it. It seems like baking is a very precise art a lot of times, and that's just not my style. I love doing savory dishes as well, and I'm good at that, so it's much more fun and satisfying. I would really love to learn to bake well though.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
There should be a box for "I love to do everything" or "I love a challenge"
I love to do everything and anything and have gotten pretty good at everything but cake baking.
I love a good weekend challenge like making consumme or something complicated or exotic.
I love to do everything and anything and have gotten pretty good at everything but cake baking.
I love a good weekend challenge like making consumme or something complicated or exotic.
Shaheen
Senior Cook
I'm a baker. I love making sweet stuff. My mom keeps telling me I'll be diabetic soon! I would love to try to make more savory stuff but that requires too much ingredient shopping and I just don't have that kind of time right now
bethzaring
Master Chef
I love to cook and I love to bake, but I consider myself foremost a baker. My most favorite combination to make is soup and bread. My baking preferences are not necessarily sweets. I love to experiment baking breads. I do excel in cookie baking. Because I am the only one who eats my sweets, I try to not bake sweets very often. Am really looking forward to VB's pumpkin coffee cake recipe, will bake that around Christmas.
While I admire the qualities of a Chef, I will never fall in that catagory. I cook grub, really good grub, but grub nonetheless. We raise most of the fruit, vegetables and meat that we eat. I cook and bake from scratch, with the highest quality ingredients I can get my hands on. We eat what is in season and encourage others to eat locally produced food. I love to experiment with cooking. I too read many cookbooks, but do not follow a recipe when cooking, except when dealing with an unfamiliar beast. Like recently, I have been cooking beef parts I have never seen before. I have a bean soup simmering today and will serve it with some whole wheat bread I made yesterday. And have a pot roast thawing for a veggie soup for the weekend. Love to cook AND bake......
While I admire the qualities of a Chef, I will never fall in that catagory. I cook grub, really good grub, but grub nonetheless. We raise most of the fruit, vegetables and meat that we eat. I cook and bake from scratch, with the highest quality ingredients I can get my hands on. We eat what is in season and encourage others to eat locally produced food. I love to experiment with cooking. I too read many cookbooks, but do not follow a recipe when cooking, except when dealing with an unfamiliar beast. Like recently, I have been cooking beef parts I have never seen before. I have a bean soup simmering today and will serve it with some whole wheat bread I made yesterday. And have a pot roast thawing for a veggie soup for the weekend. Love to cook AND bake......
Having done both at a professional level, I think they both have there possitives and negatives.
I love the percision of baking and pastries, and the outcome, but sometimes I didn't have the patience.
Cooking is instantly gratifying, and there is alot less guess work. Easier to create things on the fly.
I have respect for all of it.
I love the percision of baking and pastries, and the outcome, but sometimes I didn't have the patience.
Cooking is instantly gratifying, and there is alot less guess work. Easier to create things on the fly.
I have respect for all of it.
phinz
Head Chef
Baker and gadget lover. I'm not that much into savory stuff, but am good at it, generally speaking, when I cross over into the dark side.
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