It is the tradition of the culinary field that, “allows this profession to be so much more than standing at a cutting board or a hot stove all day” (Dornenburg Page 2). It is said that understanding the history of the dish you are preparing allows a chef to put more heart and soul into what they are cooking. In 1902, Escoffier published the culinary classic Le Guide Culinaire where he established his place as one of the most influential forces of the foodservice industry by creating the French brigade system, and improving both the speed and organization of the professional kitchen. In 1924, Fernard Point became the first chef to leave the kitchen in order to speak with his customers in the dining room. With so much history, today many cooks have a rich lineage dating back thousands of years that allows them to see the culinary profession in a more balanced perspective, both from the past and towards the future. Discoveries in both science and technological change has resulted in the appearance of fast food, and the decline of regional differences in food. Throughout the 1960’s a new emphasis on healthy, natural, and organic foods came to be. More Americans traveled abroad, and as a result there came greater emphasis on the foods and cuisines of other countries. With great interest, French cuisine was reinvigorated as the “nouvelle cuisine” movement of the young French Chefs. In 1961, Julia Child, with co-authors Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, published her first book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and hosted her first television show The French Chef, which made its debut in 1963. In the 1970’s, the American restaurant scene was changed indefinitely when Alice Waters opened her restaurant Chez Panisse in Berkeley CA, in 1971 which emphasized, “seasonality and freshness in ingredients whose natural taste became the star on the plate” (Dornenburg, Page 13). Following this in 1976, Jeremiah Tower, then of Chez Panisse, was inspired by The Epicurean and featured the first California menu at the restaurant, with dishes that ranged from “Monterey Bay Prawns” to “Walnuts, Almonds, and Mountain Pears from the San Francisco Farmers’ Market.” Continuing into the 1980’s, chefs such as Jean Banchet, and Georges Perrier, brought popularity to French cuisine with a combination of French technique and American ingredients that, “gave rise to California cuisine movement pioneered by Alice Waters, Jeremiah Tower, Mark Miller, and Wolfgang Puck” (Dornenburg, Page 18). And finally, in the 1990’s, the term “fusion cuisine,” created by Norman Van Aken, was made popular in restaurants around the country such as City Restaurant in Los Angeles, and Biba located in Boston. As this only names a few of many dates that hold historical significance in the culinary world, today American palates have been “honed”, and an enthusiastic market of diners are passionate in their enjoyment of both food and wine, that expanded much beyond the early years of culinary practice.
Many chefs are convinced that the great chefs are born with potential, and possess a natural instinct for food. What is the origin of an urge to work with food? For chefs such as Lydia Shire, home cooking became her inspiration with meals such as spaghetti aglio olio prepared by her father, for others growing up on a farm offered a head start on learning product seasonality through the type of vegetables grown and eaten at different times of year. And for those living close to the land, such as Odessa Piper, food was taught from scratch, as gardening, fishing, and baking were their primary resources of food with none of it going to waste. Additionally, many chefs were inspired by growing up in a restaurant, being a child of serious cooks, or simply experiencing the pleasures eating out.
For me, I originally begun my college education with the intention of majoring in Art and Visual Communications. As I progressed through my general education however, I began to fall in love with a different type of photography that eventually lead me to fall in love with the possibility of a career in food and food photography. Though I have always had an appreciation for food as I have been raised by a mother that not only knows how to cook, but to eat as well, seeing beautiful images of food by photographers such as Erin Kunkel, Peden + Munk, Evan Sung, and Gentl and Hyers left me with a deep love for the art of cooking and eating that continues to evolve and grow each day. Viewing images of food that are both beautiful and delicious has changed what I value in both photography and food, and though I began with a simple plan to be a photographer, over time my excitement for food photography, evolved into an excitement for the possibilities of cooking as well. I researched and followed chefs I became to admire most such as Jason French, owner and overseer of the quaint American craft kitchen known as Ned Ludd, located in Portland, Oregon, where they believe in serving simple dishes with the highest quality local ingredients, paying homage to forgotten hand-crafted techniques such as fermentation, pickling, and butchering, while also offering the best hand-crafted cocktails as well. Ned Ludd reflects my beliefs of serving seasonal dishes and drinks that celebrate the bounty of the Pacific Northwest and its flavor of the seasons, all cooked to satisfaction in their brick faced, wood-fired oven. In addition to Jason French, I grew an admiration for Matt Dillon as well, owner of the upscaled restaurant and wine bar Sitka and Spruce, located in Seattle, Washington. As another chef I truly admire, Matt shares similar beliefs and values as his Portland peers in highlighting local ingredients, hearth cooking, and farm-to-table gourmet dishes that also reflect and concentrate on the seasons of the Pacific Northwest in a rustic-chic setting. Now, in addition to styling and photographing food, I eventually hope to own my own restaurant in the Northwest where I can create a seasonal menu that reflects my beliefs, too, through simple yet delicious dishes that support local farmers, purveyors, and artisans.
Yet, the question for many, including myself, remains—is culinary school necessary to begin a career in the world of food? While a great deal of the country’s leading chefs reached the top of the profession without a culinary degree, many view “cooking school as the most expeditious start for an aspiring chef today” (Dornenburg Page 64). Culinary school may be an important credential in opening doors and demonstrating commitment to the field, as many chefs only offer employment to cooking school graduates. It may offer an, “opportunity to gain exposure in a concentrated period of time to an immense amount of information from cooking technique, to theory, to international/regional cuisines” (Dornenburg, Page 64).Cooking school will provide individuals with a vocabulary for the profession, as well as some experience working with others in front of a stove, and basic skills to offer a future employer. However valuable a degree may be however, applying to cooking schools may be vigorous and acceptance difficult with only so much that can be taught about professional cooking in a classroom.
Today, many cooking schools offer, or may even require, a period of practical work experience known as an externship, whereas apprenticing may be referred to as serving an extended externship. Both are valuable as they offer opportunities for engaged learning through practical experience. Originated in France, European tradition was deeply rooted in apprenticeships, as young chefs learned the trade by becoming an apprentice, often times at a young age. Many ambitious American chefs, twenty years ago, traveled to France to spend time in the kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants for school experience as, without European knowledge, many restaurant owners wouldn’t offer jobs otherwise. However, today, “given the proliferation of truly excellent restaurants in the United Stated, aspiring chefs need no longer look beyond domestic borders for the opportunity to work with world-class chefs” (Dornenburg, Page 92). However, even now the United States does not offer the same widespread apprenticeship arrangement that Europe does given the economics of restaurants as many don't have the ability to teach individuals completely with the way many kitchens are now structured. Prior to cooking schools becoming a more standard form of training in the United States, many contemporary American chefs began by working in the kitchens of some of the leading restaurants in the United States. Yet, the reasons to apprentice varied significantly. For some, the investment of time and money in order to attend a cooking school was considered prohibitive, as they found a more engaged approach of learning more beneficial. However, similar to culinary school, starting an apprenticeship, and convincing a chef to take you on as an untrained cook was seemingly difficult. Some Americans, however, are still enticed by the idea of apprenticing in European kitchens and may be motived to find an apprentice position done so through an intermediary or directly through direct contact of a chef. Whether or not one apprentices in the United States or abroad, the importance lies in the selection of kitchen and choosing a cuisine and culture that appeal to you in order to watch, learn, and make a contribution whenever one can.
Yet, going beyond school and apprenticeships is the ability to secure a job at a restaurant. Many successful chefs don’t begin cooking in a three-star restaurant, however. In fact, a great deal of chefs, begun as dishwashers and busboys. Simply working any job in a kitchen was seen as being in a position of servitude and thus, “at the bottom” in years past. Since however, leading chefs have gained celebrity status and, “to the uninitiated, being in the kitchen of a top restaurant as cook has the illusion of glamour” (Dornenburg, Page 124). However, the work is physically demanding and the pay at times lowly. Yet, every kitchen is different, and many factors may determine what a particular kitchen will be like as an employee such as the number of cooks, the style of food, the geographical location, and the type of restaurant. In a resume, convey your experience, positive attitude, and enthusiasm. Upon landing an interview, be presentable, do your homework on both the restaurant and the chef, and do self-examination in order to define what you are seeking in a particular job and kitchen. It is important as well, to maximize your learning, and as an aspiring chef, it may also be important to develop a broad-based knowledge of food including that of the hot line, as well as pastry and baking, and in doing so, gaining experience that may lead one to prefer and pursue one path over the other. Once given an opportunity, begin your new job on the right foot: arrive for your shifts early, come with a good attitude and a willingness to learn, and continually strive for advancement by mastering the responsibilities of your station, and willingly learning other stations as well.
Eventually, one may become a restauranteur. Yet, what does it take to run a successful restaurant? Deciding on when it’s time to open a restaurant, may at times be a matter of personal comfort. Preparing to open a restaurant begins the first moment you step into a kitchen, and learning everything your employers have to teach is considered the, “best preparation for setting off on your own” (Dornenburg, Page 199). Choose a partner carefully that meets your expectations, prepare the menu for your establishment, and develop a “recipe for success.” Define what customer service means to you, do not underestimate the power of the press, promote your restaurant, and allow it to evolve and thrive.
Upon reading this book, the most important idea I learned was to accept the lowly work of beginning at the bottom, and working my way up. Often times, I do not allow myself to be a beginner, and want to be at the top at square one. Understanding this prior to reading Becoming a Chef, and even more so now, I accept having to start small, and the necessity in learning the basics. This is something I want to remember as I search for jobs at the end of this program in order to avoid becoming discouraged and disappointed. I enjoyed reading this book, and will cite it as a reference often throughout my time as a culinary student, and beyond in my career.