{"id":21444,"date":"2019-04-30T01:00:40","date_gmt":"2019-04-30T08:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/?p=21444"},"modified":"2019-04-29T17:26:22","modified_gmt":"2019-04-30T00:26:22","slug":"what-are-chefs-like-what-makes-them-interesting-by-mj-post","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writersfunzone.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/30\/what-are-chefs-like-what-makes-them-interesting-by-mj-post\/","title":{"rendered":"What are Chefs Like? What Makes them Interesting? by MJ Post"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Let\u2019s welcome back monthly columnist MJ Post<\/a> as she shares with us \u201cWhat are Chefs Like? What Makes them Interesting?\u201d Enjoy!<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Hey, yiz! Welcome to the third of my ongoing series about writing food fiction.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In March 2019 I wrote about foodie culture<\/a>, and in January\u2019s column, I answered the question, why write a food novel anyway?<\/a><\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s time to talk about people who make very compelling characters — chefs.<\/p>\n

OVERVIEW OF THE CHEF PROFESSION<\/h2>\n

First, let\u2019s distinguish first between chefs and cooks.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cooks<\/strong> are people who prepare recipes. Their training includes kitchen cleanliness and sanitation, plus basic food preparation, and the specific requirements of the dishes they make.<\/p>\n

Chefs are more skilled than cooks.<\/strong> They are capable of crafting entire menus by putting their personal twists on dishes.<\/p>\n

Many people with the title \u201cchef\u201d have been to culinary school, but the title doesn\u2019t require that. There are no official or formal requirements, so a wide range of people carry the label.<\/p>\n

If you are good enough to do what a chef does<\/strong>, you can call yourself by the title. Some chefs have had periods of working for more established masters to learn their skills. Others have just practiced and studied a lot on their own.<\/p>\n

In summary, a chef is someone who, by various different means, has become capable of excellent food preparation and menu design.<\/p>\n

Chefs have their own rankings within the industry.<\/strong> The titles can be confusing, and they aren\u2019t that rigid. Here is a quick reference guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The larger the kitchen, and the more upscale the restaurant, the more these terms come into play.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The French!<\/h2>\n

Your local family restaurant doesn\u2019t use all of them<\/strong>, or possibly any of them. The fact that most of the terms are in French tells you what you need to know: this system is based on the very formal and official structure used in fine French restaurants.<\/p>\n

French food, you will recall, is often considered the best food in the world. They know what they\u2019re doing in kitchens in France — or that\u2019s what I hear.<\/p>\n

Chef’s Roles<\/h2>\n

Chefs often have managerial roles<\/strong>, with varying skill levels. Some chefs advance to a level that moves them away from stovetops and ovens and into the backroom office. There they design menus, and then maintain quality standards for preparation by organizing and supervising the workers in the kitchen.<\/p>\n

Those kitchen workers who are career-oriented are there getting the seasoning (pun intended) they need to rise into the roles their supervisors occupy, sometimes in the same restaurant, but more likely in another. Many lower-level chefs aspire to open their own restaurants.<\/p>\n

The Restaurant Business<\/h2>\n

The restaurant business is a massive financial risk<\/strong>. Most restaurants fail. Real estate costs, food costs. Utilities, advertising, and payroll all add up to a huge overhead.<\/p>\n

To make money, restaurants need to keep busy. They get most of their income by making profits on food and beverages.<\/p>\n

To learn about the business and management aspects of a chef\u2019s career<\/strong>, watch all the old episodes of Restaurant: Impossible<\/a> and Kitchen Nightmares<\/a> that you can find. They are staged dramas, but they feature solid and believable explanations of how the business works. (Other restaurant revenue, by the way, comes from catering and renting out the restaurant as a staffed event venue.)<\/p>\n

CHEF PERSONALITIES<\/h2>\n

What are chefs like? Well, OK, I don\u2019t hang out with them, but here\u2019s what I can glean from my research, mostly by reading and watching TV.<\/p>\n