Culinary goes back to the beginning of time; we’ve always had to eat. Cooking is an art, and many different countries and cultures create their very own way of making their cuisines. So, in the beginning of time, how’d they make their food? How has culinary developed as a profession? These questions and many more will be answered to you. At the beginning of time, humans ate whatever was available to them. They didn’t have fast food restaurant or fancy Italian restaurants.
They had to hunt, and eat their prey or findings.Basically we were just savage beasts trying to survive. But, it did slowly start to develop from there. Humans would find berries and fruits and mash them up to consume them.
This started what would become an enormous profession in today’s world. Over the years, culinary has improved dramatically. It really began to take off in the United States in the years of the 1800’s (vocaboly. com). “…The very first cooking school in Boston was teaching the art of American cooking as well as preparing the students to pass on their knowledge to others in turn” (vocaboly. com).
Everyone has to learn somewhere, and this was the first school to really kick everything off and set the flow for future cooks to become professionals. Many students were taught there, to share and use the knowledge that they have obtained out in the world. It’s incredible how only one school started such a phenomenally large organization today. “The first cookbook ever written was by Fannie Merrit Farmer in 1896 who also attended the Boston cooking school and whose book is still used as reference even today.
” (vocaboly. com) A cookbook made in the 18th Century is still used in today’s world.That shows you how important of a profession this is and was from the very start. Currently, culinary is a massive profession that millions of people partake in. If you’ve ever eaten out, then you’ve been a customer to someone whose profession is in the culinary arts. There are thousands of culinary school such as Le Cordon Blue in Dallas, California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, and many more.
Right now, due to the economy, culinary schools are seeing a large increase in enrollment numbers (ehow. com). “That doesn’t make sense,” you may be asking yourself.Due to job competition, many students want to learn to cook since everyone always needs to eat. “…During the U. S.
recession of 2002, the university was flooded with applicants for its culinary arts program” (ehow. com). This really shows that right now, in today’s currently poor economy that this would be an excellent profession to pursue. “After a recession, a time period of expansion sets in” (ehow.
com). Many people want to open restaurants and other businesses that require chefs. This means I’m in the perfect position for a job, if I’ve been studying culinary.Culinary Arts doesn’t only affect the people in the profession; it affects everyone that decides to eat out. Everyone has to eat, so it is a perfect profession to be in. The entire world as a whole has had an influence on this profession so its variety is huge.
Everything from Chinese, Italian, Indian, and even American cooking is fascinating. The Chinese fascinates the world, with their variety of food styles, tastes, and cooking techniques. One technique in particular, the stir-fry, is something that is commonly used and the end result of the food is wondrous.“This methods cooks processed ingredients at high heat for a short period of time. Edible oil is used as the heat conductor” (travelchinaguide.
com). It’s interesting particularly, because you add such different items together and so quickly they become one greater product. Their food is another topic of interest. They use such a variety of ingredients that all blend together perfectly when using the correct ones. Hot and Sour Soup is a favorite of the culture; it is characterized by being sour, hot, salty and fresh. Hot and Sour Soup is mainly made of pork shreds, sausage, egg, mushroom, and dried bean curd sheet (travelchinaguide.
com).It is abnormal, here in the United States, to think that these ingredients would come together to make such an incredible product. Another dish that influenced the profession is Ma Po Tofu. “It is a dish mixed with yellowish-white tofu and reddish brown chili sauce.
People often use seven words to describe this dish which are numbing, spicy, hot, fresh, tender, delicious and crispy” (travelchinaguide. com). This meal is absolutely simple, yet full of taste. It’s interesting to see such few ingredients used, and such intense flavor come out of the product.
A professional chef often times wants to open his/her own business, since they won’t be bossed around and they’d get to do the job they love, their way. They often would open a restaurant, and be the main cook. This is a life dream of many chefs, as it would provide food for people, and they’d be able to woe them with their knowledge in cooking as their food would taste wonderful. Many businesses sell a variety of food, allowing people of all cultures and tastes to come in and enjoy their restaurant.
And even more-so people focus completely on one style of food for their restaurant, and make it that.So when people come in, they know exactly what they’re looking for. Eventually, many chefs would like to create a cookbook of their own, or a cooking technique of their own. A book that currently inspires many is 10 Great Dishes of the World.
Thousands dream of one day making a cookbook similar to this one, as it provides a lot of information for people to learn the knowledge that I have obtained. Even if they don’t become famous for a world renowned book or technique, simply cooking for a restaurant would more than contribute their knowledge to the people at whole.Culinary Arts is a very broad profession. Anyone who is in the food service basically falls under this category. The exact definition of the Culinary Arts is “the practice or manner of preparing food or the food so prepared” (thefreedictionary. com).
The jobs available for being trained in Culinary Arts are cook, chef, and food preparation. There are many duties and responsibilities one must fill in this profession. A chef, normally the highest ranking person in the kitchen has the most responsibility.“The chef is responsible for overseeing all who work below them in the establishment and ensure that their duties are being carried out to the fullest of their potential. An individual who is a chef will also be responsible for planning the set menu items and any specials as well as provide the recipe in most cases.
In addition, the chef is usually responsible for placing food orders and necessary kitchen tool orders to enable the preparation of the meals. The chef will also address any complaints which affect his kitchen staff and resolve those issues.One who is the chef of the establishment may also like to get behind the burners and engage in some cooking and food preparation as well” (exforsys. com). As you can see, being a chef isn’t a piece of cake, but making one is absolutely viable.
A chef may also prepare meals. “A chef may also choose to take part in preparing a few or many of the menu items on a weekly basis” (exforsys. com). This is often times optional, as there are assigned cooks, but chefs with passion for their work may opt for doing this. “Administrative duties are also a part of the chef’s daily operations” (exfosys.
com).This means that the chef must make the food orders, calculate payroll, and many other things that admins often do. The working conditions in this profession have a massive variety. It can be anywhere from dirty, fast pace, hectic labor to precise, meaningful, enjoyable work.
Often times, the job is quite fast paced as more and more customers come in, you must work to fill their orders in a timely manner. On the other hand, you may only have to cook for one or two important people, so you can slowly enjoy the aromatic fun of cooking.Some restaurants have a brand new, high-tech kitchen that is clean and nice. Other, often times older, kitchens may have vermin problems.
Their equipment may be old and broken from overuse and it may not be completely germ free. People in this profession tend to make decent money. On average they make $40,630 per year (bls. gov). With this amount of money, you can support a small family or yourself very well. The average per hour is $19.
53 (bls. gov). Working full time at almost $20 an hour is more than the average person. A very large benefit to being in this profession is having a stable job (bls. gov).Many people may find a job, but can only keep it for a short people of time.
As a chef or cook, you may work for the same company for the rest of your life with no worries of being replaced or finding a new job. Considering culinary is such a broad profession, the amount of education, experience, and training you may need to get a job varies greatly. To be a food prep, most of the time you need only your high school diploma as certification and a Servsafe certificate. The certificate is required by law in California (servsafe. com). To be a higher ranking professional, you need many more requirements.
“Skills needed to become a chef include a keen sense of taste and smell, and passion for food and cooking” (buzzle. com). Personal skills are required to be a chef. If have bad taste of judgment, then you will never make business; your customers will be unhappy. Not only that, a really good chef has passion. Something, someone must possess in this profession as you work long days and hours.
You must be motivated to work, and enjoy it; it’ll reflect on your work and your customers will appreciate it. “Culinary schools offer hands-on experience and formal training.Most restaurants want their chefs to have a culinary college degree and hands-on work experience in the food industry. (buzzle. com)” This means college is a necessary requirement. Two-four years in culinary school could land you a wonderful job as a cook or chef.
The hands-on experience, training, and knowledge you get from culinary school really sets you up to be a chef. There are other options though. “The other way to become a chef is to start out as support staff in the kitchen, with a special task to perform, such as preparing vegetables, soups, or be a part of the baking division.(buzzle. com)”You may start out as just a food prep or a pastry chef, but with years of working and experience you may move up and become a head chef, or possibly start your own business and be the head chef of that. I plan on attending a very prestigious culinary college.
Le Cordon Bleu is one of the most revered and exciting culinary schools one may attend (cordonbleuusa. com). One also receives the most complete and comprehensive training in classic French culinary techniques available today (cordonbleuusa. com).This means, I will quickly become a master of cooking and have all the knowledge I need to pursue further in my career.
Since this college is so highly revered, many job opportunities where I would normally have competition; I will generally win, because it is such a high class credential (cordonbleuusa. com). During the time I attend this college, I would enjoy having a job as a prep cook, as I currently do now. If I am able to progress further in my career, I want to slowly move up in the industry and eventually create my own restaurant. Culinary Arts is a massive profession, and is constantly growing day by day.
Not only do the industries promote themselves, but basically anyone who eats promotes its growth. Anything to do with food is part of this profession, and everyone and everything needs to eat. Since this is true, the profession will never go out of business and it’ll forever be expanding. Many different factors contribute to its expansion, mainly culinary school. This is because needs students are coming out every year, and every person has a unique talent about that. If each person brings a new style of food or cooking technique to the table, the expansion of Culinary Arts will skyrocket.
The industry itself is constantly promoting the profession. With new restaurants and food companies bringing new ideas every day; expansion will never stop. One organization that has really stepped up and promoted the profession is P. F.
Chang’s chain of restaurants. “We are truly glad that you are here and we will do everything we can to make you want to come back” (pfchangs. com). Not only are they enticing you to come into their fabulous restaurant, they make you want to come back again. Their excellent service provides and decadent food makes for this perfectly.“P.
F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc. not only provides remarkable dining establishments, it provides an equally remarkable place to work! We hire people who can make things happen and who execute at amazing levels” (pfchangs. com).
Their standards are set high, so if you can bring some sort of excellent talent to their work place, you’re in. You’re in an amazing business that provides great service and wonderful care for their customers. “We believe living The Message provides the best climate for development, teamwork and the attainment of individual and team goals.We are proud of the fact that we provide fair treatment, personal respect, good working conditions, competitive benefits and pay” (pfchangs. com). If all businesses in this profession had the same ethics and logic is this business, the culinary industry would expand beyond control.
About $580 billion worth of sales were made in 2010 in the United States alone in the culinary business (w3education. org). That number is also steadily rising due to inflation and other factors. This means that people in this profession will continually being employed and paid more and more.
Approximately 55,000 jobs will be created each year (w3education. org). This is due to a lot of turnover, meaning that because many chefs work long, strenuous hours that they quit their job and they need to be replaced. Also, new restaurants, hotels, and casinos opening require many people in this profession.
Since there have been many advances in technology, there has also been advancement in kitchen appliances. This means we can make new and unique food. “Culinary trends point to three main features: health, small plates, and fine/unique ingredients” (w3education. org).Obesity has become a large problem in the United States; many people want to opt for healthier alternatives.
This mean a new style of food, created from new ingredients that are much healthier and cheaper to produce then before. This would definitely change the culinary universe. Smaller portions are also an issue that can completely change Culinary Arts. Imagine eating all your meals, in the size of a pill. You’d obtain all the nutrients and vitamins you need to survive, you’d feel full, but you would have eaten nothing but a little pill. That would be an incredible advancement in the profession.
