Tag: Cooking

Tips on How to Become a Chef

The common image that we have on chefs is brought about by popular media. In the movies or in television, we see chefs as people who wear tall white hats, white clothes, and talk in a strange accent. However, you should realize that all people have the potential to become chefs. If you want to know how to become a chef, here are a few tips:

1) Patience The key to cooking is patience. Many people find out that if you follow a recipe without hurrying anything along, you will end up with something delicious or at least, edible. People who want to learn how to become a chef need to learn patience as this will help them cope with the wait that comes with great food preparation.

Patience is not only useful in cooking. It is also very useful in learning how to become a chef. Many people who are eager to become world-class chefs tend to try and skip ahead to the more complicated lessons without first mastering the basics. Patience is essential since many of the advanced cooking techniques require people to master the most basic steps first.

2) Study Of course, an important step in learning how to become a chef is learning how to cook. You need to be taught in order to become a chef. Some people think that you need to go to a culinary school in order to do this. However, you should realize that going to a culinary school will merely enable you to become a certified chef. That is, a culinary school will allow you to have a piece of paper which says that you are a chef. However, the heart and soul of being a chef still lies within your cooking. Because of different media like the internet and television, a person today can learn how to become a chef without the need for certification. You have at your fingertips different networks which tell you how to prepare dishes from different parts of the world.

3) Practice Of course, knowing how to become a chef entails practical as well as theoretical knowledge. You need to practice what you learn in order to truly master it. Do not expect to become a chef after watching one episode of Iron Chef. You need to learn from experience. The key to becoming a chef is becoming a chef. In order to learn how to cook, you must cook. It doesn’t do you much good to read cookbooks and then declare that you know how to cook. You might be able to recite the entire procedure of cooking Jambalaya but the question is: would you be able to do it?

4) Honest judgment In order to learn whether you can cook a dish properly, you need to have it tasted. People like to try it out on their family or themselves. The danger in this is that they might not receive a clear image of how good (or bad) they cook. In order to truly learn how to cook, you need to make sure that you receive honest feedback, whether it is positive or negative. You need people to tell you what you did wrong in order for you to do it right the next time.

5) Passion The most important ingredient in learning how to become a chef is passion. You need to pour heart and soul into a dish in order to call it truly yours.

The Process of Becoming a Pastry Chef

Want to make a name in the culinary arts industry? Well, you have several options and each of which require dedication, self-training and formal training and lots of creativity and love for food, more specifically pastries.

Pastries are not among the hardest to prepare and cook but they are not also the easiest to make. In short, they’re just somewhere in the middle. But this doesnt mean that you can be a pastry chef if you only have the “want”. Without the seriousness for work and the passion on what you are doing, becoming anything that is truly significant would be as hard as pushing a boulder uphill. If you are truly recognizing your need to become a pastry chef, we advise you to continue reading.

Know what you truly want to do
First you have ask yourself if you have the vocation. Cooking is not merely something one does to kill time or to express his love for exploring options on preparing for himself meals that he wants. It is also a vocation, a sort of a calling. As someone contemplating on this option, it is best that you recognize the need for self examination.

You will have to examine your intentions on entering in the world of the culinary arts. If you truly want to take things seriously, you will have to firmly decide what you intend to do. If you cannot establish your real plans, you might find yourself hanging at the end of the string, realizing that you have wasted time on something that you really dont want.

No one would stop you from becoming a pastry chef. It is just that there are lots of options out there both presented by the culinary arts industry and other industries. If you really want to become an expert in pastry preparation then apply for a course in culinary arts major in pastries. There are bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees and other minor degrees that you could choose from. Whichever way you want, be firm. Once you have begun your posit of career, you must decide not to stray away from it unless you have some good reason to support your decisions.

Train, train and train some more
Apart from your dedication on your chosen field, there is nothing that could equal your formal and informal training in relation to your becoming a pastry chef. Training could be vied as an educational aspect or it may be viewed as practical application of what you have learned in schools.

Training would not only let you use what you have learned but it would also help you perfect some components that lack fineness of delivery. After all, practice makes perfect, right?

While there may things that could not be perfected, you still have the option on taking things closer to perfection.

You would only spot your mistakes and imperfections through training. There are lots of pastry chefs who never stop training even after school hours. This training come in forms like preparing pastries at home, reading materials regarding pastries and observing people doing some pastry works. Any kind of training and practices could benefit a learner so long as he is attentive enough on both the essentials and the not-so-significant things that could be turned into specialties.

Discernment and training are crucial components of becoming a pastry chef. It is not all about cooking and preparation of ingredients after all, it is also about taking inward and outward steps that would deliver you from point A to the point B of your career.

The Different Requirements to Become a Chef

Becoming a chef is not really easy. If you have seen the show “Jamie’s Kitchen” then you might have an idea just what it takes to become a chef. People have to go through rigorous training and testing to know whether or not they really are qualified to become chefs. The requirements to become a chef go way beyond a degree in the culinary arts. Here are some of the requirements to become a chef that you may not know about:

1) Passion and hunger passion for food and for life is what is common in all chefs. After all, food is life. Food is the most tangible expression of artistry. In all forms of art, people are made to feel the artist’s emotions. In order to make the food truly delicious, you have to cook it with passion. This is the most basic requirement to become a chef.

Hunger is also needed. You need to be always hungry for challenges. This will help you throughout the rigorous training of becoming a chef. Once you are a chef, the only thing left to do is improve. You need hunger to make sure that the more experience you have, the better your cooking skills become. Passion and hunger have to work hand in hand to make sure that you learn how to cook and you never stop learning. These two requirements to become a chef are inseparable.

2) Efficiency many people tend to overlook this requirement to become a chef. What you need to know is that a chef makes use of raw materials in order to produce something that people will be willing to pay for. These raw materials cost money. A chef has to make sure that the materials used in creating dishes are not wasted in any way. This basic requirement to become a chef will help you make sure that you will get the maximum profit from your expenses.

Efficiency also has a lot to do with time. When working in a restaurant, a chef has to deal with the impatience of people. This means that a chef needs to be able to work quickly. This requirement to become a chef is also very important since most chefs are required to multi-task. You need to be able to manage people efficiently. Chefs are often shorthanded in the kitchen. You need to be efficient to make the most of what resources you have, including help.

3) Creativity not everything goes according to plan. Because of this fact, a basic requirement to become a chef is creativity. A chef must be able to make do with what’s available to him or her. A chef has to look at something and see a hundred different ways to use it in food. Creativity is required because chefs do not merely follow recipes but create them. A common requirement to become a chef in a restaurant is the ability to plan a menu. This means that you have to be able to come up with creative ways to present food.

4) Cleanliness since you will be handling food, a basic requirement to become a chef would be cleanliness. You need to make sure that the food you prepare will not pose any health hazards to your customers. One of the requirements to become a chef would be learning about germs and how to prevent them from invading the kitchen.

Factors to Note of on How to Become a Chef

Factors to Note of on How to Become a Chef

Is there anyone in the world who does not love eating food? Obviously it would be hard to track down anyone who has the least interest to taste all the food that the world could possibly offer. While there are people who fancy themselves in dining at the finest restaurants, there are likewise lots of them who prefer devouring the homemade recipes. So what is the point of difference between the two? First and foremostthe basic difference could be pointed out at the cook!

Generally, the food preparation at home could be taken charged of by anyone who has the skill to cook and who preferably knows the recipe of the dish. However, those foods at the dining restaurants are prepared by the expert individual who is rather called the chef. So how does one become a chef?

First of all, there is a basic education and some other related goals that need to be completed by someone who aspires to become a full-fledged chef. It does not mean that because you are equipped with the cooking skills you will already pass to be a chef. There is a formal education that will grant you the certification of becoming a chef, so to speak. Becoming a chef is an important career. People will recognize and appreciate your craft and there is nothing more fulfilling than that! But then, you must understand that becoming a chef is not that easy. Pursuing a career in being a chef would take up too much of your time. You will be required to fully stand on your feet for a long time to go through the hustles and bustles of food preparation. You could be on the call for all day and all night. Do you think you are ready to fight this grueling moment? Better think of it first.

There are a lot other things that are necessary if you wish to become a chef. One of which is a personal hands-on experience. There is nothing more comparable than that of a personal experience with cooking. An exposure to the craft will totally be a plus point. Such hands-on experience will be a good start for you as you take up a course in the culinary art schools. You could enhance your exposure by working in restaurants while still studying or handling the cooking preparation at home or during parties.

Another aspect that an aspiring chef could focus on is observing and understanding the works of others. By simply looking at how other people go on with the preparation of the meal, you could learn a lot too. By exposing yourself to the reactions of these people, you could assess yourself as to whether you would also prefer to become a chef or you would be hands up on the job in no time at all.

As you have made up your mind to become a chef, the next step that you must take is to look for culinary schools that would sharpen your cooking skills and broaden your knowledge on various recipes to be mastered. You could luckily spot the scholarship offers and gain lots of potential clients with which you could present your cuisine. The schooling duration could last for up to four years.

It matters that you have an extensive exposure with the preparation of several kinds of food from fruits, vegetables, and up to the meats. It is also your responsibility to wash all the utensils that you’ve used. Take in mind that becoming a chef entails hard work, perseverance, and dedication.

Using a Charcoal Grill

So you have decided that you want to start barbequing. What more, you have done your research and decided that a charcoal grill is the right type of grill for you. So now you have to pick out the charcoal grill that suits you best.

One of the first things to consider when purchasing your first charcoal grill is what you will be using it for. If you plan on traveling and using your charcoal grill, you will want something small enough to travel with you. Smaller charcoal grills are ideal for cookouts, camping, and tail gate parties, but would not be useful if you were cooking for a larger amount of people. Smaller grills that are easy to transport usually cost under 20 dollars, so you may want to consider purchasing a separate grill for smaller occasions.

Safety should also be a major concern when you are picking out your first charcoal grill. Since you grill will contain hot coals, the number one concern should be whether or not your grill is sturdy. Look for a charcoal grill with a sturdy structure and sturdy legs. If you grill does now have sturdy legs, its chances of falling over is much greater. When a charcoal grill falls over, it send hot coals flying. Many charcoal grills also have built in safety features such as a water reservoir and smothering valves. Undoubtedly, when you are cooking with fire, accidents can happen. In the case that your grill gets out of control or becomes to hot, these safety features will prevent potentially dangerous fires.

One of the most noticeable features when using charcoal is the flavor of the food you cook. To cook with a charcoal grill, you must buy charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid. Charcoal is a one use item, and will need to be discarded after each use. Charcoal can be picked up at your local superstore, gas station, or grocery store, and is typically pretty inexpensive. Charcoal must be light and allowed to burn until the charcoal is no longer on fire, but is red embers. The best way to get the pile to burn is by stacking it in a pyramid.

While no one likes to clean their grill, it is necessary to maintain your grill if you want it to last its intended lifetime. One problem you will face is the fact that Charcoal grills stay hot for a long period of time. You can remedy this situation 2 ways. First you can leave your grill open, allowing it to burn out. This method typically burns a lot of the grease off, but can potentially cause problems if you are not near your barbeque grill.

You do not want to start a fire. Another way is to completely close off your grill and deny the fire oxygen. As soon as the grill is cold, or cold enough not to burn you, you will want to clean the grill. Leaving the grill dirty for any amount of time will cause the buildup to become hard, and may make it harder to remove. Use a wire brush to clean off the surface areas of your grill, and then spray cooking oil on the surface.

Take the racks off and clean them with dishwashing soap. Dawn or other brands that have degreasers work best. Rinse the racks off, and replace them in the grill.