If you want to become a Chef and start a rewarding career in the
culinary arts then the most important thing you can do for yourself is
to start cooking. Don't wait until you land your first job before you
start cooking. Of course, getting a job is an important factor in the
development of any Chef, but you really need to start developing your
skills if you want to make it in this industry.
Learning to cook at home means actual cooking and not making mac and
cheese or throwing frozen pizza in the oven. You really need to get
your hands dirty and start cooking things from scratch.
LEARN HOW TO SHOP
If you have the luxury of a local farmers market near you then make
certain you go there regularly and check out the produce. Many times
they will offer more variety than a supermarket. Not only that, but
most of the produce offered at local farmers markets are grown on site,
which means they are fresh, which is not always the case at a
supermarket. When you visit your local market on a regular basis you
will begin to learn more about the food and what's in season. While you
visit the market be sure to get friendly with the owner and workers
there. Ask questions and let them know more about you and your desire
to learn to cook and become a Chef. More often then not, they will be
happy to talk to you about the produce and other products they sell.
Next, visit your local butcher. These guys really know their meats.
It is more personal than a supermarket and they are usually very happy
to talk to their customers and share tips like what the best cuts of
meat are, how to season and cook them, etc.
Visit your local fishmonger as well. These guys really know their
fish. Do the same as you did at the butcher shop and ask questions, get
friendly. They should also be very happy to share their knowledge with
you.
YOUR EQUIPMENT
If you are going to learn how to cook at home, you are going to need
the right cooking equipment. Now don't be mislead into believing that
you need the top of the line everything and every gadget under the sun,
in order to be a Chef. This is simply not the case, but you still need
to invest some money into buying equipment.
For your cookware, get yourself a basic set including a fry pan, a
sauce pan, a saute pan and a stock pot. You may also want something for
grilling. A cast iron grill works quite nicely. The next thing you will
want is a good set of knives. I wouldn't go cheap in this department.
Knives are a Chef's best friend, so invest in a good set. If you buy a
cheap set of knives, they will go dull very quickly and a dull knife
can be dangerous. Two good brands of knives to look into are Cutco and
J.A. Henckels. To be honest, I have not tried any other brands because
I never had the need to. My J.A. Henckel knives are wonderful. I have
had the same set for over 5 years now and they still perform
wonderfully.
There are other things you will need like a colander for straining,
a grater of some sort for cheese and zesting of fruits and tools for
stirring, mixing and serving. There will certainly be other items you
will need along the way. You will learn more about your cooking
equipment and needs the more you spend time in the kitchen.
EXPERIMENT
Are you a picky eater? Not into certain types of foods? Are there
certain foods that make you squeamish, that you would never consider
putting in your mouth? Well if this is you then you will need to
develop different taste buds if you want to be a successful Chef. Here
in America, there are items that most Americans would rarely, if ever,
consider ordering at a restaurant. Items like heart, kidneys, tongue
and tripe to name a few. In other countries, these items are quite
popular. So in order to understand how to cook with these items, you
have to be willing to at least try them.
LEARNING RESOURCES
There are a ton of learning resources available to today's Chef.
Everything from books to videos are within everyone's reach. Start out
with a few good books on French Cuisine. French Cuisine is a good place
to start because of its influence on other cuisines. Do not simply skim
through these books until you find a recipe that interests you. You
should read these books from start to finish, including the
introduction, appendix and glossary. These parts of cook books,
normally ignored by many home cooks, contain gems of information like
tips and techniques, history and more. Once you have gone through
French Cuisine, then move onto another popular cuisine like Italian.
Try out as many different recipes as you can. This will give you a well
rounded and rewarding learning experience.
COOK FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS
Once you have been cooking for a while, you will eventually want to
cook for people right? It can get kind of lonely eating by yourself.
Besides, cooking for friends and family is great practice and an
excellent way to get feedback. Here is what you do. Find a few of your
friends or family and let them know you would like to have a dinner
party (try to scrounge up 10 bucks a head to help pay for the
ingredients). Tell them it is your first time cooking for a group of
people and that you would like their honest feedback.
Come up with your own menu of dishes that you would like to prepare,
just like a restaurant. Start with an appetizer, a main course and
dessert and then print it out for your guests. Don't go too crazy with
the menu items, remember you are a beginner. Find one or two people to
assist you with taking orders and helping out in the kitchen. Try to
make this as close as possible to a real restaurant environment.
When your guests arrive and you take their orders, give yourself a
time limit. Try to get the appetizers out within 20 minutes, then the
dinner and desserts out in a timely manner. This kind of cooking under
pressure with time limits, is exactly what you will experience in a
real restaurant kitchen. When everything is over, make sure you sit
with your guests and get their HONEST opinion on everything. You need
to know what you did wrong and what you did right. Then work out any
mistakes you may have made and try it again in a month or two. Ralph Serpe is a passionate cook and writer for http://www.Chef-ability.com. Visit our website today and learn how to cook from home!
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