GatewayGourmet Blog

Culinary Career Options: Working in a Banquet Service

Published

on June 22, 2011

Start Your Own Catering Company

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Working in Banquet Service Most culinary students dream of the day when they’ll possess the ultimate culinary title: Executive Chef. It’s not uncommon for students to be driven by visions of restaurant ownership, five stars attached to their name, and the ability to plan and implement their own menu someday.

And while these are noble goals, the truth is that it will take years of work to get to that level. In the meantime, you’ll need to get plenty of hands-on experience with all different types of cuisine—and all types of food service organizations. One way in which to get some of the skills you’ll need is to work as part of a banquet service.

On the Banquet Line

Banquet workers, like catering professionals, specialize in creating large portions that offer consistent quality and taste—often for hours at a time. As a prep cook for a banquet, you can expect to spend considerable time working with one or two ingredients, perhaps chopping onions or preparing potatoes. While this might not seem like the most exciting eight hours you’ll ever spend on the job, there is something to be said for this kind of repetition. Over time, you’ll become faster, develop better muscles, and even come up with a few tricks that are unique to your style of cooking. These are all skills that will serve you in the culinary field.

At higher levels, you might be asked to make food to-order (think omelets or crepes), carve and serve cuts of meat, or even supervise an entire team of banquet servers. In these instances, you can also develop additional techniques and learn who you are as a cook. Maybe it turns out that you are great bantering with customers, or perhaps you have a knack for coming up with on-your-feet solutions to problems. All of these are great skills to discover.

Becoming a Banquet Manager

Banquet management is a great career path all its own. Banquets can be large, ornate, and demanding, and being able to keep the client happy isn’t always an easy task. However, don’t expect to walk out of culinary school and into a banquet management job; working your way up through the ranks can take a few years, and require additional education at the Master’s degree level.

As a banquet manager, you can expect to:

Coordinate with various departments (housekeeping, beverage management, marketing)
Talk with and meet clients
Manage budgets
Sell and promote events
Organize (and in some cases, hire) banquet staff
Prepare and help serve food
Create unique menus
Comply with food safety and sanitation regulations

Banquet managers make an average of $45,000 per year, and the position often allows you to work for big-name restaurants and businesses. Although there isn’t a direct path to banquet management, a degree in hospitality management can go a long way, since so much of this field takes place in hotels.

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Food Service Managers

Find a Hospitality Management School Near You

The Difference Between a Cook and a Chef

Published

on June 15, 2011

in Culinary Career

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Difference Between Cook and Chef To most people, a cook and a chef are the same thing. The two terms are used interchangeably to indicate someone working away in the kitchen, regardless of whether that individual is cutting vegetables or masterminding the entire menu.

For those who work in the culinary field, however, there is a big difference. Although there is no single professional organization that determines exactly who is a chef and who is a cook, most agree that the difference lies in education and experience. If you have a culinary degree and/or trained under a notable chef and have moved up the ranks, you are typically considered a chef. If you simply dabble in the kitchen at home or are just starting out at the bottom of the restaurant totem pole, you are almost always considered a cook.

What Makes a Cook a Cook?

Most people agree that a cook is lower-ranking than a chef, and that chefs themselves vary in rank. For example, an executive chef is the top of the line, while sous chefs, chefs de partie, and other professionals might have the right training, but are still working toward their top professional goals.

If you still aren’t sure exactly what it is that makes a chef a chef, consider these qualifications:

A two- or four-year culinary degree
Extensive training under a chef with the goal of gaining a culinary education equal to that of a degree (also known as a culinary apprenticeship)
Responsibilities that include a supervisory role
The ability to create and implement menus in a restaurant setting
Management roles in the kitchen

A cook, on the other hand, can expect to:

Prepare food on a daily basis
Perform kitchen duties, as needed and directed
Clean and wash the kitchen
Use recipes and follow someone else’s menu plan
Still be at the learning level of his or her career

There are some culinary institutions (including the American Culinary Federation) that offer designations and titles based on testing, work experience, and education. Although many organizations and restaurants recognize these distinctions (and will boost your career accordingly), they aren’t required to be a chef or to be successful in your own culinary career.

In most cases, the cook is below the chef in terms of prestige, pay, and career development. However, there are instances in which this isn’t true. Many home cooks or amateurs have skills and experience that surpass that of their chef counterparts; they simply may not make claim to the title.

Famous Cooks vs. Famous Chefs

In fact, many of the celebrity chefs we have come to know and love as a culture aren’t really chefs at all. Rachael Ray and Nigella Lawson are two of the biggest names in the culinary and Hollywood world, but both women profess that they aren’t trained chefs…and have never pretended to be anything other than cooks. Self-trained, self-motivated, and never having worked in a long-term chef capacity (such as overseeing a restaurant), they are just two examples of cooks who have hit it big.

Different Types of Chefs

Culinary School: Is it Better to Live on Campus?

Published

on June 13, 2011

Culinary School Scholarships and Grants

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Living On Campus

The question of whether or not to live on a college campus isn’t one that many culinary students face. Because culinary school has become so interwoven into most medium-sized and large cities, you can usually find a good program in your area—no moving or adjusting your home life required. Additionally, most community college culinary programs and smaller vocational schools don’t have a campus equipped for on-site housing. In these instances, the schools expect you to figure out your own lodgings.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t culinary schools with on campus housing. Many of the larger institutions like the Culinary Institute of America do offer traditional dormitories, and an estimated 1,700 students live at CIA each year. Other four-year universities and colleges that are known as destination schools (including international culinary schools) offer similar housing options.

Benefits of Living on Campus

Some culinary students love living on campus, while for others, it can be a struggle or an impossibility due to family obligations. Ideal for students fresh out of high school or who don’t otherwise have ties to their hometown, on-campus housing means that you can truly immerse yourself in your education. You will find:

Easy access to campus amenities (libraries and study resources)
A strong, education-focused atmosphere
Lifetime friends and colleagues
Short commute times
More time to spend on schoolwork

Like traditional universities, however, don’t expect your culinary school to provide palatial living quarters. You can expect roommates, small rooms, communal bathrooms and living spaces, and all the features that come with dormitory life. You can also expect to pay for these services—off campus and on campus housing comparisons almost always show that living off campus is a smarter financial move over the long term.

Scholarships and Grants for Housing

Of course, if you do choose to live on campus, you may be able to find financial aid designated solely for that purpose. The complete “college experience” is one that many organizations believe is conducive to better educational outcomes and a more focused approach to learning, and scholarships and grants may be available to cover on-campus housing.

If living on campus for culinary school is something you want, be sure and look at schools that make this a priority. For schools that don’t offer housing, you may also be able to find resources for connecting with other students in the area hoping to find a roommate or get an apartment close to school. The admissions and student life offices should have more information.

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Culinary Training Options: The Street Food Phenomenon

Published

Becoming a “Fast Food” Chef

on May 16, 2011

in Cooking Techniques

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Most people associate culinary school with haute cuisine—the food you find served in five star restaurants, with several courses laid out on the table, exquisite sauces, and wine pairings that come with a hefty price tag. The general consensus is: the higher your education, the more advanced your skills, and the closer you get to this dream come true.

While it’s true that many culinary students do aspire to these heights of restaurant ownership, not everyone is interested in the fine dining experience. In fact, more and more culinary professionals are taking a step away from the structure of fine dining to embrace their true culinary roots: street food.

What is Street Food?

By definition, street food is any meal you get from a vendor on the sidewalk or roadside, usually via a portable food stall or temporary set up. Known for being a fast, tasty meal option at a relatively low cost, street food is actually the original dining experience. Almost every culture in the world has some version of street food, and it has grown to symbolize the origin and complex flavors of each part of the world.

Of course, in our modern age, street food can sometimes carry a bad reputation. For example, the lack of electricity, running water, and refrigeration evident in a street-side food stall makes some people afraid of issues related to food safety. Because it is fast food, many people also assume there is a lack of nutrition in such quick and easy fare.

The Modern Street Food Approach

Fortunately, there are regulations in place in the United States that ensure food safety and sanitation methods are met. It’s also becoming increasingly common for street food vendors to straddle the line between fast food and a more culinary-oriented approach. The result is delicious, authentic food that often taps into local produce and farming initiatives.

In fact, there is an entire organization dedicated to the pursuit of quality and excellence in street food, further promoting its place in the culinary tradebooks. Many culinary professionals incorporate some kind of street food in their menus, and even the popular television competition Top Chef promotes the street food phenomenon in some of their weekly challenges.

If culturally authentic cuisine is something you’re interested in, street food might be a great place to turn your studies. You may be able to find street food courses as part of your culinary education, or even as a short-term cooking class to help build on your skills—either way, you’re looking at great food, fast food, and a hot new wave in the culinary field.

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Culinary Opportunities in High School

Published

on May 4, 2011

Culinary School Prerequisites

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culinary opportunities in high school Starting a culinary career doesn’t always occur after you graduate from high school. In fact, the culinary arts and high school education are rapidly coming together as a way to prepare students for a strong future. Learning real, usable skills at this level allows students to take on post-graduate employment that much faster, or to be prepared for culinary college with a few advance skills already in place.

This fusion of high school learning and culinary training takes many different forms.

Traditionally, the only way students could learn how to cook was in home economics or even basic cooking classes. While these are great stepping stones, don’t expect to learn usable professional skills. The focus here is on cooking for personal use and as an introduction to measurements and home kitchen technology.

Many schools are taking this idea one step further by incorporating culinary arts programs at a vocational level. Magnet schools and charter schools are the best examples of this, since these educational facilities are designed around building specific skills within the student populace. In addition to core math and English classes, you will find restaurant management courses, student-run bakeries and restaurants, and even internship opportunities outside of the school. Overall, these programs tend to be faster paced than traditional classes.

Other public schools incorporate culinary arts programs for those students who demonstrate an aptitude and interest in the field. These programs are often partnered by outside nonprofit providers (such as the Careers through Culinary Arts Program). These programs focus on lower income and underserved high school populations, allowing the students to develop college and career opportunities in the restaurant industry. These programs are found primarily in urban school centers.

Some students might also be able to take advantage of Running Start programs, which allow junior- and senior-level high school students to take courses at a local college. Other opportunities include working in a restaurant after school or even working in the cafeteria at lunchtime.

Getting an early start on a culinary education is a great way to build skills and learn if this field is right for you. If you live in an area where culinary training in high school is available, it is best to learn what you can do to take advantage of it. However, if you don’t start culinary school until you’re ready for college, you can still look forward to a good future and great job opportunities the more traditional way.

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Finding the Right Culinary School: What to Do First

Published

on April 6, 2011

How to Choose the Right Culinary School

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Finding the Right Culinary School

Once you’ve decided that you’re ready to take the plunge and go to culinary school, there is still quite a bit of work to be done—especially finding the right school.

Unless you’ve received a culinary scholarship tied to one particular school, you’ll need to consider everything from tuition costs and location to the length of the program and what your post-graduation job prospects will be. That’s why your first step in finding the right culinary school should be to research your options.

Popular National Culinary Schools

If you’re like most culinary students, you’ll start your search online. There are hundreds of culinary schools to choose from in the country, and depending on where you live, there might be dozens of options right at home. Some schools have a great reputation, some might have a not-so-great reputation, and still others might not have been around long enough to have any reputation at all. Your job is to sort through them all to find the right fit.

The two most common culinary schools at the chain level are Le Cordon Bleu, a traditional French institution, and the Art Institute, which features everything from culinary training to graphic design. These chains provide consistent, quality educational options close to home, and most employers recognize them, which might give you an edge when it comes to landing a job.

Other popular schools, like the Culinary Institute of America, don’t operate on a chain basis, but are still recognizable in the culinary community as a whole. Although the competition to get in schools like this is stiff, the work and relocation can be worth it if you work hard and make the right connections.

City and State Culinary Schools

Other popular culinary schools that will appear while you’re undergoing your search have city and state names attached to them. Many of these schools are small, private culinary institutions that operate with just one (or a handful) of schools unique to your area.

Because they are not nationally-recognized names, it’s likely that only local restaurants will recognize them on your resume. This isn’t necessarily good or bad—it just means you’ll need to ensure the program is right for you before you sign up. Look for the degrees they offer, check out the staff members, talk to past students, and even ask local employers what they think of the program.

Public Schools

One of the most popular ways to get a culinary education is to check out the programs at your local community college or public university. Almost every community college has a culinary program, baking program, and/or restaurant management program—all of which culminate in a two-year Associate degree program.

More and more universities are also jumping on board with hospitality management or even culinary programs, with both Bachelor’s and Master’s degree options. The workload and expectations are similar to what you’ll find in any other university program, though, so be prepared to work hard for your degree.

Where to Start Looking

Online databases of culinary schools are the best place to start your search for a culinary program. Because you can search by location, you can find schools in your immediate area as well as ones that might offer online learning options.

Remember, though, that researching a list of potential schools is only the first step. To make the right decision for your future career, you’ll need to investigate each one to determine which culinary school fits your vision of tomorrow.

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More Culinary Adventures with TinFoilDuck- High End Cooking

Published

on March 30, 2011

Interview with Culinary Student Ken

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Culinary Student Ken, aka- TinFoilDuck, is back. He is very excited to tell us about his first week cooking at his school’s high end restaurant, Leis’ Family Class Act. Here is what he had to say about his first week in the back kitchen:

Culinary School Kitchen We have transitioned from the front of the house to cooking in the back of the house. At our school, we have the food court and a high end price fixed restaurant, Leis’ Family Class Act, where we serve on Wednesdays and Fridays. My group just spent 8 weeks in the front, doing service. We just switched over.

Our first week’s menu was an Asian Influenced Menu.

Amouse Bouche: Tartar of Hamachi on a Won Ton Crisp with Wasabi Foam.

Appetizer: Seafood Chawan Mushi (Japanese Savory Custard).

Soup: Curried Carrot Soup with Lemongrass Cream.

Salad: Roasted Maui Gold Pineapple and Green Tea Soba Salad with Red Thai Curry Dressing.

First Meat Entree: Miso & Sake Marinated Butterfish with Simmered Baby Bok Choy.

Second Entree: Hoisin & Honey Glazed Lamb Porterhouse Chops with Asian Risotto and Stir Fried Asparagus and Cherry Tomatoes.

Desserts: Came from the Baking section so I don’t recall what we served.

Porterhouse lamb chop My task on Wednesday was to prepare the risotto and stir fry for the Lamb Chop and on Friday, I grilled the Lamb. Our stations rotate weekly so I’m not sure what I’ll be doing this coming week. It will be our Latin Influence menu. I hope I’m not stuck in the dish pit!

To read more about Ken’s experience this past week in the kitchen, including tips on how to cook this lamb chop dish, click here.

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Culinary Careers and Hollywood Fame

Published

on March 21, 2011

Does TV Glorify the Culinary Career?

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The popularity of culinary school has been on the rise in recent years, and celebrity chefs have a lot to do with it. In the past, the only way to achieve true “fame” as a chef was to become noted in your city for great cuisine and a unique restaurant, or to become a personal chef to the stars. However, beginning with Julia Child and moving up through the ranks to today’s big names like Mario Batali, Alton Brown, and Rachael Ray, many chefs are proving that you can cook good food and create the kind of name that builds a lasting culinary empire.

Becoming a “Celebrity” Chef

The celebrity chefs that most of us know and love are little bit more celebrity and a little bit less chef than their public image suggests. While many of the top chefs on television have incredible pedigrees from culinary schools like Le Cordon Bleu, the French Culinary Institute, or the Culinary Institute of America, the truth is that very little of their time is spent in the kitchen. For every dish you see prepared on TV, and for every colorful photo in the latest celebrity cookbook, there is usually a team of qualified cooks and chefs helping to contribute.

In fact, celebrity chefs tend to be favored more for their ability to be personable on camera than any prowess with a knife. Of course, this doesn’t make the job any less difficult; from branding and marketing to making personal appearances, celebrity chefs put in quite a few hours. And their background proves they’re able to handle the job. In addition to a good culinary education, many of these professionals have:

Decades of experience
Culinary training from overseas
Work history at a famous restaurant
Apprenticeships under a famous chef
Experience writing cookbooks
A culinary teaching background
Top-rated restaurants
Gourmet food lines

Unfortunately, becoming a celebrity chef is a bit like becoming the next big performance artist or Hollywood star—there are just a few dozen slots and tens of thousands of people who’d like to fill the role. And in most cases, the celebrity chefs we know and love have spent their fair share of time on the prep line, working as dishwashers, servers, and line cooks.

This is all a very complicated way of saying that there is no way to simply become a famous Hollywood chef. Unlike working your way up through a law firm to become a partner or going back to school to get a medical degree and become a doctor, chefs must find their own way to success. The most you can do is go to the best culinary school you can, work hard, and dedicate yourself to the food you create every day…and hope that your winning personality and unique vision will set you apart from the crowd.

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Culinary Arts Doctorate Degrees

Published

on March 16, 2011

Careers in Food Packaging

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culinary arts doctorate degrees As is the case with any educational field, there are options to take your culinary training all the way to the top. A Doctorate degree (PhD) in the culinary arts is fairly rare for working chefs today, but for individuals who want to move their careers beyond the kitchen to encompass food theories, cultural implications of cuisine, food safety and sanitation, mass food production, or hospitality management, post-graduate work in the culinary field can be a great step.

Why Choose a Culinary PhD?

In addition to helping you meet your personal educational goals, attaining an advanced degree is a great way to boost your culinary career. More specifically, you can:

Take on an educational role. If becoming a professor of the culinary arts is your goal, your education matters. Most professors in a collegiate setting have advanced doctorate degrees in their field.

Working at the executive level. This goes beyond becoming an executive chef to include top-tier management positions in the food and service industry.

Gaining a competitive edge. When it comes to the culinary field, there is quite a bit of competition for the upper level jobs. Having a PhD may help you be considered for more (and better) jobs.

Research potential. If you are interested in food science, particularly at the production level (for large corporations or smaller, independent manufacturers), a PhD is a great way to achieve your professional goals. In many cases, you can combine your culinary knowledge with agriculture, engineering, or food science.

Doctorate-Level Culinary Work

Depending on your professional goals and area of study, you may find yourself studying any of the following in your culinary PhD program:

Food Preparation
Food Purchasing
Safety and Sanitation
Employee Management
Menu Creation and Planning
Wine and Beverage Service
Nutrition
Food Science
Food Production
Human Resource Management
Cost Control
Quality Improvement
Gastronomy

Requirements for Entering a Culinary PhD Program

If you’re interested in pursuing this high educational goal, it is necessary to first have a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in the culinary field. Depending on your area of study, these degrees could be in the culinary arts, agricultural studies, or hospitality management.

Because advanced education in this field is still something of a rarity, you’ll also have to find a program that not only provides the degree and course of study you want, but that is also found in a location that makes it realistic for you to get your education. Many culinary degree options are offered online for this very reason, and you may be able to find a culinary PhD program that you can complete from the comfort of your own home virtually anywhere in the United States.

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