Chef-Cook

There are many opportunities in the world of culinary arts to be a chef or cook. Different restaurants, hotels, and businesses have many needs for a variety of culinary positions. Going to school to become a chef or cook could be a great decision for a terrific and lucrative career.


1. Fry Cooks

A career as a fry cook can be something one might consider. A fry cook has an extremely important job in the workplace. The job description sounds like a simple one, and in a way it can be. A fry cook mostly fries food, as the name implies.

Fry cooks can work in any type of restaurant setting. Fry cooks are popular jobs in fast food restaurants, where french fries and onion rings are fried practically all the time. Many restaurants serve fried foods as appetizers, sides that need to be fried, and even main entrees that require fry cooks to make them. Fry cooks may begin their salary at minimum wage, but can quickly make more if they are employed in the right place. A fry cook may have other responsibilities as well, such as simple preparation of food, preparing the batters that food will be fried in, and more. They may also have cleaning duties, especially the job of cleaning the fryer and replacing the oil. A fry cook can almost always start with no experience necessary.

2. Sauce Cooks

A sauce cook can usually be found in a more upscale restaurant. They are the cooks that are responsible for preparing all the different sauces that complement the entrees and dishes being sold. These may include the making of Alfredo sauces, marinara and spaghetti sauces, pestos, hollandaise, duck sauce, meat sauces, and much more. A sauce cook will also be responsible for preparing simpler sauces, such as gravies, garlic butters, barbeque sauces, and more Sauce cooks may also be the ones who do the preparation of stocks for soups and thickening agents for the main chef’s cooking needs.

A sauce cook may also prepare condiments if they are needed for their restaurant. These may include homemade dressings such as Italian and ranch. Sauce cooks may prepare dressings that go with desserts; for example, maple and chocolate sauces for specialty pastries. In some restaurants, the sauce cook may also prepare the different soups of the day. A sauce cook can expect to make a decent wage per hour, although this can vary greatly depending on the type of restaurant where they work. There are many jobs available for sauce cooks, and many will offer a competitive salary. Those who work in a more upscale restaurant will find better positions at a better salary, and the possibility to receive promotions and/or pay raises for excellent work.

3. Executive Chefs

A career as an executive chef can be both lucrative and rewarding. An executive chef may or may not do a lot of cooking, depending on the restaurant. Executive chefs typically oversee the kitchen staff, scrutinize the preparation of all foods and cooking, and perform manager duties. They generally make sure that the kitchen and staff are running efficiently and smoothly, and that all food is going out to specification. They may also have a wide variety of other responsibilities, as well. They may be responsible for, or at least have a large part in, the planning and writing of menus. Executive chefs may help with budgeting and pricing of the entrees and other foods being served. They may not only supervise the staff, but have a hand in the hiring and recruiting of new kitchen staff, as well as any firing. An executive chef may also keep detailed records of food costs, help with payroll, and actively participate in the research of the ever-changing trends in the food industry.

A career as an executive chef can be a great one. As an executive chef, one must have the needed people skills to deal with employees. Strong communication and leadership skills are a must, as well as the ability to multi-task. Accounting skills are definitely a plus if the job description requires work in food costs. Jobs for executive chefs may also require a degree in culinary arts, or at least experience as a cook or chef. Executive chefs may be employed by many fine, upscale restaurants, as well as hotels and country clubs. Their salary may also be quite substantial, depending on experience and place of employment. A career as an executive chef will almost always require a college degree in the culinary arts.

4. Prep Cooks

An entry level position in the world of cooks and restaurants is a prep cook. Prep cooks take care of the preparation of the day’s food, and typically work in the morning. However, in busier and finer restaurants, a prep cook can work long into the day. There are many requirements of a prep cook. They wash, peel, slice, and chop vegetables and fruits that will be used throughout the day. They may help in the preparations of sauces. In smaller dining establishments, a prep cook may take on the role of a sauce cook. They may make the soups for the day, and make the proper sauces and gravies. They may also make house salads for the restaurant, or at least have the vegetables and lettuce ready for them to be made. Many prep cooks do not even do any cooking for patrons of the restaurant; instead, they get everything ready for other chefs to cook.

A prep cook may earn anywhere from minimum wage to an average of $10.00 an hour. However, depending on the quality of the restaurant, they may make much more. There is also the possibility of advancement to a cook or chef when one starts out and maintains an excellent reputation as a prep cook. A career as a prep cook may or may not need formal schooling, depending on the restaurant.

5. Short-order cooks

Short-order cooks are different from chefs in that they generally prepare food in a quick, fast-food style way. They are the cooks that make hamburgers, sandwiches, pizzas, or eggs, for example. They may work alongside a chef in a restaurant, except they cook the food that is easier and quicker to prepare. Short-order cook jobs can be found mostly in coffee shops, diners, and smaller restaurants where the focus is on quick meals and fast table service. A short-order cook must be able to take care of several orders at the same time, and be able to handle multi-tasking well. They may need to perform many duties, such as working on the grill, frying, and cooking at the same time. This type of cook may also be known as a grill cook. Cooks that start out as short-order cooks may also be the ones who prepare food, and do general clean-up of their area.

According to various websites, the average salary of a short-order cook working in the United States, full time, is around $28,000. One aspect of working as a short-order cook is the possibility of moving up the ladder into a better position. A college degree is not typically necessary for those who want to make a career out of being a short-order cook.

6. Personal Chefs

Private household cooks, or personal chefs, are quickly becoming popular in today’s fast paced society. A personal chef can be employed by anyone who has the money to pay them, from families who have two working parents, to senior citizens, to people who simply do not want to cook for themselves. Private household cooks are also popular for people who have a restricted or unusual diet, are following a strict diet regimen, or who simply like to have someone else cook for them. Many entertainers, actors, and actresses have their own personal chefs.

Those who work as private household cooks may have many other duties besides cooking. They will basically work with their employer to decide on a menu, and may also do the household shopping for the groceries. Personal chefs can provide all the nutritional information on their client’s diets, and make sure that the meals stay within a certain caloric range, if necessary. Employing private household cooks can be a great luxury for those that can afford it, and a time saver for those that may need it.

Private household cooks can make a great deal of money, especially those who cater to the rich and famous. A personal chef can earn anywhere from $25 to $50 an hour, as well as benefits for some. Becoming a personal chef requires schooling and a degree.

7. Pastry Chefs

Like desserts? Then a career as a pastry chef might be right for you. Jobs in the pastry chef department can not only be lucrative, but a lot of fun at the same time. This career focuses on the baking and creating of baked goods, including pies, puddings, cakes, Danish pastries, strudel, and many other delectable sweets. . Pastry chefs should not be confused as bakers, however, as they require much more training in the designing and creating of spectacular desserts. Pastry chefs are very popular in five star hotels and upscale restaurants that pride themselves on homemade desserts that are made on the premises. Pastry chefs can pride themselves on customer satisfaction from the beautiful desserts they make.

Pastry chefs should be artistic, have a steady hand and lots of patience, and have a great imagination. They should not be afraid to try new things. Jobs in the pastry chef world may be a little hard to come by, but the money one may make can be worth it. Some pastry chefs in higher class restaurants can make up to $56,000 or more as a salary per year for full-time work. Finding courses to learn to become a pastry chef are easy when you look into the culinary arts.

8. Becoming A Chef

There are many different ways for those who want a career as a chef to get started. It may be hard sometimes knowing what you should do first - should you take a course? Go to school? Should you simply apply for a job and try to work your way up to chef? These are all ways to get started in the exciting world of cooking and creating.

Attending a culinary school can be the best way to almost ensure a good education, and hopefully a good job, after the required skills are learned. Kitchen work can be tough, and there are always going to be positions that need filling from those that quit, walk out, or move on from their job. The proper culinary training can work wonders in many restaurant applications and job offers.

Apprenticing may also be an option for some. Many people opt to start small, as in prep cook or fry cook, and try and work their way up. Sometimes, even a dishwasher in a restaurant can end up moving up to cook, if they have the right skills and eagerness to advance. Learning on the job is one of the best ways to become a chef, as the work is all hands on.

9. Related Culinary Careers

There are many other related careers that are associated with the culinary arts. You do not have to be a chef or cook to work in the food business. If you are a person who loves the fast-paced work style, and loves to work with people, you can find a great job in the restaurant field.

For someone with strong service and management skills, becoming the manager of a restaurant could be the right career choice. Catering is also a big business, and one that can expand rapidly once it gets off the ground. Caterers can make a good living, if they work hard and maintain a great reputation. Waitressing or waitering are also good fields to get into if you like the restaurant business. Many servers in the industry make more money than a lot of people think, and this line of work needs no schooling.

These are just the tip of the iceberg in jobs that are related to culinary arts. Finding the right niche can mean a lifetime of exciting work with great pay and benefits, as well.
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