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OfflineGiftofdeprivation
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Anyone here been/going to culinary school
    #22261082 - 09/19/15 04:58 PM (8 years, 6 months ago)

I am strongly thinking about going soon. I cook like a madman and spend a great deal of time in the kitchen. It's a passion (of which I'm a little worried will become demystified through capital, tbh)

Ideally, I would like to own a little hole-in-the wall restaurant where I can make seasonally specific, unique items that will blow people's minds until I can retire in that restaurant.

I'm 26 now, haven't a dollar to my name and am toiling in minimum wage hell. I think going further into debt (I have a BA) is the right step on this path and that picking up a part time cook job after, would be the next step. I don't want to cut potatoes forever, so I might look for work AFTER school.
Any advice?


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OfflineReposadoXochipilli
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: Giftofdeprivation] * 1
    #22269169 - 09/21/15 12:27 PM (8 years, 6 months ago)

get a job in the best place you can working in the kitchen, learn as much as you can, rinse and repeat. school doesn't really get you ready for the situations that you will regularly encounter in the business.

that is what i do, honestly i love to cook but don't want to do it for work, i want to enjoy my own cooking and for loved ones, not someone elses food in crazy intense conditions only to have some ignorant douche who can't read the menu send something back.

either way best of luck to you, open mind, and eager eyes is how you learn ime.


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OfflineArctic W. Fox
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: Giftofdeprivation] * 1
    #22269265 - 09/21/15 12:48 PM (8 years, 6 months ago)

Quote:

ReposadoXochipilli said:
get a job in the best place you can working in the kitchen, learn as much as you can, rinse and repeat. school doesn't really get you ready for the situations that you will regularly encounter in the business.




I agree with that.

Another thing to look into is funding for school; loans & grants. I've two friends, in different states, both looking into Culinary Artistry, who are not able to get any funding for school. Normal credit, minimum debt, one or two jobs - but both are denied. I'm starting to think it's the career that's frowned upon.

Also, look into exactly how many businesses would hire you; go in with a resume showing that you've got your education (certificate/PhD/wadeva) in Culinary school, and see if you even get any leads for employment. Just as a test, as there might not be as many well paying employment opportunities out there.

I've another friend who has spent her entire life going to school. She's taken Hebrew, studies Aztec cultures, automotive painting, interior design... basically a whole lot of nothing. There are zero jobs in those fields, but she gets an idea in her head without checking things out first. She gets schooled, gets out, looks for work in that field, then gets schooled again when she realizes no one is hiring for clam shuckers in the middle of the desert. lol

Quote:

Giftofdeprivation said:
Ideally, I would like to own a little hole-in-the wall restaurant where I can make seasonally specific, unique items that will blow people's minds until I can retire in that restaurant.




If you already know how to cook, I would highly suggest you try to acquire funding for this first. With the right business plan and presentation to investors (not banks), there is a slim (90% of new restaurants fail in their first year), yet better, chance of getting money for this than just schooling in this career.

Best of luck!

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OfflineNizzyJones
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: Arctic W. Fox] * 1
    #22274395 - 09/22/15 02:30 PM (8 years, 6 months ago)

You're going to have a hard time getting a business loan for a restaurant without any relevant post-secondary degree or professional experience.

As far as I know the major you're pursuing doesn't have any effect on your eligibility for Pell grants or federally secured loans.

RP: Wether culinary school will be an asset that's worth the investment is another thing. Some employers will value it, or even require it in some positions, others won't care, some owners may even look down on it (lower end places mostly but people who came up without it are going to bust your balls a little for being the "school boy" -- that's just part of working in a kitchen). Personally I think it was pretty valuable and my chef (who went to J&W back in the day) basically hired me because I had it so he clearly puts a good bit of value on it. It's not as good as actual experience on the line but it can open some doors to nicer places, especially for someone your age who doesn't have professional experience. Going out and just getting a prep cook job would be a good start too -- most programs are going to require you to get some real industry experience before your second year of the associate's degree and almost any kitchen is going to start you as a prep cook and see what happens regardless of your schooling. My best piece of advice for impressing people working in a kitchen: do what you're told, clean up, then ask what's next. It's really that simple.


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Wildflower seed on the sand and stone, may the four winds blow you safely home
Curriculum vapidum (dry herb vapes)

Edited by NizzyJones (09/22/15 02:39 PM)

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OfflineGiftofdeprivation
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: NizzyJones]
    #22274971 - 09/22/15 04:24 PM (8 years, 6 months ago)

Thanks for the advice, you guys! Each of you have my mind working in different ways, which is exactly what I need.

That's the thing. I have a decent enough job now, I just really like the creative aspect of cooking (and want a better paying job, too :guilty:). Most cook jobs that don't require education/talent are $15/hr tops and feel like line cooking (factory work). I just can't. So I'd want to work somewhere prestigious, where I get to express myself, or, like I said, open my own place. I'd have to have a formal education to get into those places. Plus there are business classes in culinary I should take while I'm there.

Besides, I have been cooking and experimenting with difficult dishes and foreign flavors for over 10 years. It's all been intuitive and irrational though. I could really benefit from the broader theoretical framework and grounding that can only come from a formal education in culinary. The question is just if I would actually cut it enough in the market to make the financial investment and if I am even eligible for loans and whatnot for the education. (because time's not an issue. I'll love every second of it).


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Looking for recipes? Have some recipes to share?
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Edited by Giftofdeprivation (09/22/15 04:24 PM)

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Invisiblesoochi
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: Giftofdeprivation] * 1
    #22308212 - 09/29/15 01:08 PM (8 years, 5 months ago)

Cooking at home is nothing like cooking professionally. It's not a glamorous job, it's largely thankless and repetitive. You could make more money doing something else, honestly, cooking for a living is a hard fucking job, think about it a long time. And YES please go offer to work for free at the most expensive restaurant in your area, after that week if you still like it, then go for it. School is good for getting a piece of paper that will make people think you know what you are doing, it's also a good job finder and resource for jobs and yes it will give you some leverage when it comes to asking for pay, but if you go cooking school in the USA, you will not learn much past the most basic cooking skills you can learn from any one of Julia Child's cookbooks. 26 is actually pretty old to be getting into this industry. If your intention is to open up your own place, then you are entering the most failure prone industry in the USA. 90% of new restaurants close within a year of opening, being your own boss may sound nice, but it requires a lot to own and operate ANY food service operation, the least of which is patience, people skills, management skills and marketing: all things most chefs and "people who like to cook" never think about when they say they want to open their own place. Think about your choice hard, this country is already inundated with mediocre crap, don't be another fly on the wall.

Honestly, don't go to cooking school until you've worked in a busy and/or expensive restaurant (preferably both) Be aware of big purchases at this point in your life, interest rates are going to go up by the end of the year and student loan debt is a bitch.


--------------------
Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie,
O, what panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!

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OfflineGiftofdeprivation
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: soochi]
    #22309808 - 09/29/15 05:28 PM (8 years, 5 months ago)

Thank you for your advice, I think that's what a lot of other posters were trying to tell me, but for some reason, you presented it in a way that got through.

I sincerely hate "work". I just want to create new ideas and make people happy.

Idk, I still think I could open a small business and work the way that I want, but you are right, it's highly risky and I should probably look into a culinary business degree rather than a culinary arts degree. But you are right, I don't want to be a "cook" outright, though I should give it a shot ASAP to see if it's even an environment I'd like. Thank you all again for helping me get to this understanding.


--------------------

Looking for recipes? Have some recipes to share?
Please post what you have in the official cooking thread for Pubbers!
HERE!
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Invisiblesoochi
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: Giftofdeprivation] * 1
    #22313827 - 09/30/15 12:31 PM (8 years, 5 months ago)

Try seeing if you can get an internship at a research kitchen like Hampton Creek. OR if you like to be creative work at a very modern and forward thinking restaurant like Alinea in Chicago or similar places, they will afford you lots of creativity, working with other passionate people and a great way to pad a resume, but just be aware you won't get paid as much being a kitchen manager at a Marriot slaving away and pushing out banquet crap.

In this industry you either work for the best for very little pay and years before you get anywhere within the restaurant or get a decent pay but sell your soul to corporations and work the carving station at a buffet line. If you don't want to be a "cook" don't even entertain this idea of cooking for a living. Too many people are already doing the whole creative hole in the wall hipster hangout thing, unless you can bring something new like what David Chang did with Momofuku then really think about doing something else, most foodservice jobs aren't that far removed from minimum wage slave labor so prevalent in this country.


--------------------
Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie,
O, what panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!

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OfflineCujllickduo
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: Giftofdeprivation] * 1
    #22313904 - 09/30/15 12:46 PM (8 years, 5 months ago)

Man i have always wanted to be a chef and you sound confident enough to do it.... give it ago, maybe you could hire me im in need of some work:wink:


i believe in you unless you have greasy shitty food aha.:grin:

post some pics bro of meals you cook i would like to see :smile:

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OfflineGiftofdeprivation
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: soochi]
    #22314742 - 09/30/15 03:31 PM (8 years, 5 months ago)

Quote:

soochi said:
Try seeing if you can get an internship at a research kitchen like Hampton Creek.



Is that even a thing? I'll have to do some research, myself!

I feel like the age of apprenticeship is dying, with increasing competition and populations. I'm going to look up what restaurants I can see myself working for nearby and see if they can use some free labor nevertheless! :shrug:

In the meantime, my step-brother just took a few classes in filmography, worked on a ton of extracurricular projects and landed a pretty decent job with a starting company (without a degree) just through networking, so maybe I'll just take a few classes and see what it's about!

@JustAnotherFreak: There's no shortage of ego, just of motivation. It's haaaarrd... I'd hire you, just so long as you understand it's just for a laugh. We'll have you descaling fish heads all day with a penny, then when you're all through, we'll throw them all away and let you keep the penny.
:rimshot:
Psych, that'd be a blast, my man! Here's one thing I made that turned out fucking amazing!
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/22174405
And here is a thread by Azur in OTD where I have a couple recipes and will post more. There are a ton of good ideas in there by Azur and others as well!
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/22170915


--------------------

Looking for recipes? Have some recipes to share?
Please post what you have in the official cooking thread for Pubbers!
HERE!
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Posters Beware!

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OfflineCujllickduo
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: Giftofdeprivation]
    #22315890 - 09/30/15 07:21 PM (8 years, 5 months ago)

hahaha you funny fucker man...me personally i have always wanted a burger than and make my own burgers with all sorts of spice an chilies... everything.

you should make this great business you are talking about and i will invest 1p off my salary :grin:

Edit: those pics look fucking very tasty man.:thumbup:

i like the little burnt kinda of bits brings out the flavour with the juicy chicken done well.

i might have to try that myself...

Edited by Cujllickduo (09/30/15 07:24 PM)

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OfflineMattyBear
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: Cujllickduo]
    #22338648 - 10/05/15 09:03 PM (8 years, 5 months ago)

Whats up Gift, your post caught my eye. I own and operate a small community based restaurant and so far I agree with most every post. Listen to Soochi, he is giving you some great advice, but be aware that no matter what your position is in a restaurant, especially a nice restaurant, if you day dream all day and create food pairings, but don't actually want to work, the rest of the kitchen is gonna hate you. These guys work 12 hour days regular, 14, 16 and 18 hour days are not unheard of by any stretch and they are going to have years of experience on you. After 16 years of being a dish washer, line cook, sous chef, exec. chef and now owner the best advice I have ever received about cooking is this "90% of cooking is sweat running down the crack of your ass." Not very glitzy, but the hard work pays off. You work over and over on something to make it right and it comes out perfect and it feels great. You get your ass kicked all service with a good crew and you pull out of it at the end and everyone goes out for a beer stinking and greasy and its the unbeatable. My advice is, learn how to love the hard work and go do some stages at some high end restaurants before you even think about school. School opens doors, but if you can't handle your station the other line cooks will make sure your life is hell. Have fun!


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Here's what we can do to change the world right now, to a better ride. Take all the money we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead, spend it feeding, clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over , not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace.

  ~Bill Hicks~


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Offline5150
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: MattyBear]
    #22404159 - 10/19/15 03:53 PM (8 years, 5 months ago)

Read kitchen confidential most line cooks are functional drug addicts I could never work with all those mexicans,their hygene is abysmal


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"the way of the warrior is the resolute acceptance of death"

Miyamoto Musashi

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Offliner00tuuu123
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: 5150]
    #22413575 - 10/21/15 12:40 PM (8 years, 5 months ago)

Quote:

5150 said:
Read kitchen confidential most line cooks are functional drug addicts I could never work with all those mexicans,their hygene is abysmal



:whathesaid: Except for the mexican part ,never worked with any. But most of the culinary grads I've worked with were not worth a shit. And as another poster stated it is a hard fucking job and not like cooking at home.


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:kingcrankey: Please report me to a Mod for hurting your punk ass hippie feelings :flipthebird: And all time Champion thread killer.:thatsayes:

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OfflineMattyBear
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: r00tuuu123]
    #22430015 - 10/24/15 11:05 PM (8 years, 5 months ago)

umm, the Hispanic and Latino community is phenomenal, I have worked with people from all over south america who have killed it in the kitchen, I have been trained by Mexicans, Hondurans, Guatemalans, Brazilians, Peruvians, etc that have cooked circles around me and a ton of US cooks. If you don't like working with Hispanics then you might as well just throw your knives in the trash because they are going to embarrass you every step of the way. Shit man Anthony Bordain, the guy who wrote kitchen confidential, his chef is Hispanic, he totally promotes South American workers. Get out of the very tiny hole you must be living in, under a rock, and work in some cities that have quality restaurants, serving quality food and you will understand that snobby little white boys don't mean shit in this industry.


--------------------
Here's what we can do to change the world right now, to a better ride. Take all the money we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead, spend it feeding, clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over , not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace.

  ~Bill Hicks~


Looking to build up a print library

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OfflineMattyBear
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: MattyBear]
    #22430040 - 10/24/15 11:12 PM (8 years, 5 months ago)



--------------------
Here's what we can do to change the world right now, to a better ride. Take all the money we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead, spend it feeding, clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over , not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace.

  ~Bill Hicks~


Looking to build up a print library

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Invisible36fuckin5
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: MattyBear]
    #22508879 - 11/11/15 11:13 AM (8 years, 4 months ago)

Culinary school is largely a waste of time. Teach yourself through Youtube and find a job in a decent restaurant doing whatever you can do. Work your dick off and learn all you can. Do this a few more places. It's 100% as good as a degree for getting a real chef job that pays well and you get paid while you learn instead of paying to learn.


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Redd Foxx said:
If you're offended I don't give a shit and don't come see me no more.

Pat The Bunny said:
A punk rock song won't ever change the world, but I can tell you about a couple that changed me.

bodhisatta said:
i recommend common sense and figuring it out.

These are the TEKs I use. They're all as cheap and easy as possible, just like your mom.

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Invisiblesoochi
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Re: Anyone here been/going to culinary school [Re: MattyBear]
    #22586022 - 11/28/15 11:45 AM (8 years, 3 months ago)

my god, so well said. They really need to get high speed rail going in this country, believe it or not there are white people in this country who will go their entire lives without ever actually meeting a black person.

the ignorance level in this country is off the charts, too many are blissfully uneducated and underexposed. The only reason Donald Trump is even on the presidential stage is that ignorant white people get all their news from Fox.


--------------------
Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie,
O, what panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!

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