Culinary Arts
Nov 12, 2014 | 9:00 am
Who Qualifies as a Chef Working in a restaurant has a rank and file system, beginning with prep cooks, who slice, dice and cut vegetables and meats, make salads and do other things to prepare for the day’s menu. After learning the correct procedures for preparation, the prep cook is promoted to soups, sauces, grilling and saute. Those who are actually involved with cooking the foods are called line cooks, while they are still in a junior position and chefs de partie once they have perfected their skills. The generalized chef job description is for somebody who has gained enough... Read more...
Nov 12, 2014 | 8:00 am
What is a Culinary Arts Degree? A culinary arts degree is usually an associate’s degree offered through either a dedicated culinary arts school or a culinary arts program at a community college. Some culinary schools like the esteemed Culinary Institute of America, offer both bachelor’s and associate’s degrees. Depending on the school or program, you may be able to specialize in areas such as Pastry and Baking, Culinary Arts Management, and Culinary Science. Typical programs will last anywhere from 15 months to four years depending on the degree you are seeking and the amount of experience you already have, and... Read more...
Nov 11, 2014 | 12:00 pm
You may think that money is the only real advantage to pursuing a career in baking. That depends on whom you ask. For instance, some bakers take in over $23,000 per year. In fact, that’s the average salary according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, the type of baking you do may well be a more important indicator for income potential. Adventure guide and overnight bakers make a measly $21,000. In contrast, some may make well over $35,000, no doubt benefitting from a large client base and plenty of perks. Much of what you earn is decided on the... Read more...
Nov 11, 2014 | 10:00 am
Working as a caterer is a great way to be involved in the culinary arts while maintaining independence and flexibility of scheduling. Unlike most traditional culinary jobs, caterers aren’t tied to a kitchen for 60 – 80 hours each week under intense scrutiny. Instead, a caterer works flexible hours, depending on the event times, and is generally his or her own boss. However, becoming a caterer still requires the same kind of commitment to learning and gaining experience as any other culinary career. There is no shortcut to success as a chef or caterer. In order to run a successful... Read more...
Nov 11, 2014 | 9:00 am
A Degree Does not Mean Instant Success Even the most preliminary research brings one major fact to attention; a culinary chef salary is not determined as much by advanced education, but location, type of establishment and experience in the field. Even with a culinary degree in your hand, your first restaurant job could be as a line cook. Line cooks are assistant cooks who specialize within a particular station of the kitchen, such as fry cook, grill cook, sauce and sauté cooks. Your beginning salary will average around $20,000 a year. This can create quite a problem if you’ve taken... Read more...
Nov 10, 2014 | 12:00 pm
When Job Title Makes a Difference If you’re kneading dough, frosting cakes or rolling out a piecrust, obviously you must be a baker. These are the standard functions associated with a pastry baker and it makes a comfortable definition. However, there is a difference in a pastry chef and a pastry baker. The chef has an administrative role. The pastry chef is the boss of the kitchen and the pastry baker works under his or her supervision. Pastry chefs do produce baked goods, but their production is smaller than that of the baker and more specialized. Their goods are produced... Read more...
Nov 10, 2014 | 11:00 am
The Low End to the High End The celebrated chef living a life of luxury and consulting for world-class restaurants doesn’t truly present a good picture of the average chef. Only twenty-five percent of executive chefs earn an income over $80,000 a year, with the top ten percent earning $90,000 a year or more. On the other end of the spectrum, twenty-five percent of executive chefs earn less than $56,000 a year. That sliding middle ground depends on location, type of enterprise and degree of business. Over half of all chefs are managers for the fast food industry. Many begin... Read more...
Nov 10, 2014 | 9:00 am
Ever thought of becoming a professional chef and putting your natural talents to good use? The income for a chef varies greatly depending on things like location, education, and experience. Anyone considering a career in the culinary arts field needs to take all of these things into account before beginning their journey to become a chef. There is no shortcut to becoming a successful chef and it takes a lot of commitment and time to be successful in the field. Nothing comes easy for a chef and that includes salary. Before the income for a chef can become lucrative, he... Read more...
Nov 10, 2014 | 8:00 am
Thinking of pursuing a career as a pastry chef, but not sure exactly what the job entails? A pastry chef’s job duties are unique to the culinary world. Precise measurements, concrete recipes, and an eye for detail are all required for successful baking. Unlike other chefs who have a little more freedom when it comes to ingredients and mixing levels, pastry chefs are held to a stricter set of requirements, if they want to produce a quality product. Pastry Chef’s Job Duties Websites When considering a career as a pastry chef, it is a good idea to visit a few... Read more...
Nov 9, 2014 | 12:00 pm
Working as a chef can be a challenging, but a rewarding endeavor. Chefs are asked to dedicate a lot of time and effort toward their craft, often with little or no recognition for their efforts. However, for those with a passion for the culinary arts – recognition isn’t really what it’s all about. True chefs are passionate about food and can’t imagine life outside a kitchen. Often, that passion has to be a strong enough motivation to keep a chef going. This is especially true considering the salary of a culinary chef can be less than ideal depending on factors... Read more...
