So You Want to be a Chef

Chefs often question, warn, or even outright discourage individuals from seeking to join their ranks. I believe this emanates from the people frustrated with their dead-end, cubicle-trapped jobs, plopped on their Sunday couches watching Emeril "bam" his way through a couple dishes, and saying to themselves: "I could do that."

These amateur cooks naively believe that there is a correlation between preparing homemade or TV meals and the professional kitchen. Worse yet, they may have stars in their eyes. My friend Claudia who teaches culinary journalism, often comments about how the pupils in her class "all think they're gonna be the next Ruth Reichl."

I don't think it's these individuals' dreams per se that ruffle the feathers of culinary professionals. Rather, I believe it is their lack of appreciation for the incredible amount of difficulty that lies ahead to even come within sight, if ever, of such aspirations.

Even people with no goals of stardom, who just wish to cook professionally, may lack an appreciation for the disparity between their home kitchen and the real world.

I am not here to discourage anybody. I am simply going to give you the naked truth. You decide what to do with it. Forget being a celebrity chef for the moment. If you just simply aspire to be a professional chef, expect years of working 50+ hours a week, nights, weekends and holidays, for limited pay, in high stress situations.

Still not discouraged? OK, let's start at the beginning. Should you attend culinary school? Well, it's not absolutely necessary. Experience is the ultimate teacher. But education coupled with experience is even better.

But here's another point of contention with professional chefs. They abhor people fresh out of school who think they know it all. Learning about a dish and making it once or twice in school is nothing compared to the person who's done it 400 times.

Although there's a cerebral component, learning how to cook requires the acquisition of numerous physical skills. These skills can only be successfully achieved from repeatedly performing them. Schooling will give you a good platform from which to begin, and make you more hirable. But it is only the start.

Next, you won't go from school to behind the line making entrees. Oh no. You will do more than your share of "scut work" first. Forget your homemade meatloaf and potatoes.

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