R e s e a r c h e r.
How Being a Chef is Becoming More Popular
SENIOR PAPER;
Today, being a chef has become increasingly popular. It seems as though the culinary field has exploded with opportunities and is becoming one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Everyone loves food and that makes it easier to expand. There are television shows dedicated to finding the next best chef, along with famous chef helping make the name bigger in the spotlight such as Wolfgang Puck, Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsay, Rachael Ray, and Jamie Oliver. Of course there are reality TV shows on the air like Iron Chef: America, Hell’s Kitchen, Top Chef, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and one of the first television shows, Julia Child’s The French Chef. All these shows give a view of all the challenging, difficult and strenuous work that actually goes on in the culinary domain. There are many things to learn in order to become a great chef-- Where and how to shop for all types of foods, which flavors work well together, sanitation and safety, and presentation. In addition, attending a culinary school is a prerequisite to becoming a successful chef.
How is being a chef becoming more popular? Chefs are now very publicized and everyone has to eat, how can it not be popular? Schools are popping up everywhere all over the country and the world. It’s getting easier to get into the culinary field. What does it take? What do they teach you? Getting in is easy, learning the technique is just as easy. Deciding how far you go after that is up to you.
Being a chef is simple, if you get the right training. How else do you think successful chefs got that way? They had to start somewhere and they did but they also had to have one key thing to enter into the world of culinary arts. To be a chef isn't just cooking, you have to have a passion for cooking. If you have that passion, there will be no problems learning the techniques.
Chefs today have to go through about 1-4 years of training. The whole time they are in school, it’s in a top of the line kitchen. They learn about restaurant management and preparation so the graduates can run a restaurant on their own. They also teach basics like sanitation and safety, food handling, knife skills, and learning the 4 base sauces. They also learn more intricate things such as food selection, pairing, types of wine and what each goes best with.
There are many schools all over the country that are teaching Culinary Arts. If you want the right training, you’ll have to pick a good school with good curriculums. Researching schools is the best way to find which one suits your best interest. Some schools teach specifics being a pastry chef or even schools for specific cuisines. All teach restaurant management, staff management, teamwork, and kitchen specifics. Which schools are the best? How much is it to get in, and do you need certain requirements? All the questions that are important in choosing the right school for your profession.
The top culinary school in America according to EDinformation, (www.edinformatics.com/culinaryarts/culinaryschools) is the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. First opening its doors in 1975, the school offers a fast intensive culinary education for anyone with a high school diploma or GED. There is not background experience needed to attend ICE in New York. To earn a diploma, students need to complete 440-650 hours of class time and 210 hours on an externship which is like an internship but is offered by the school. The full length of the programs are 28-48 weeks depending on how many classes are taken a week. Tuition for the Culinary Arts program ranges from $28,250- $33,250, $26,750- $31,750 for the Pastry and Baking Arts tuition, $12,250- $13,750 for Culinary Management and the Hospitality Management tuition costs $13,750; supplies are included in tuition costs.
The next best culinary school is the Texas Culinary Academy (Le Cordon Bleu) in Austin, Texas. This school is well known all over for its culinary and hospitality. Students can learn classic techniques combined with modern innovation and the latest in global cuisine, the essential skills that can be used in any style of cooking. The school is located in the heart of Austin where there is culinary tradition, thriving art, music, and a restaurant scene. To receive a diploma, students need to complete 12 months in either culinary or baking and pastry arts program. There are industry- equipped kitchens, hands on training and students are working in a real restaurant setting. Tuition for the Texas Culinary Academy starts out at $19,537 for all programs. To attend, a high school diploma or a GED is needed and there is no experience needed.
Another one of the best culinary schools in the U.S. is Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder, Colorado and Austin, Texas. These schools promote farming and farm-to-table philosophies by using products grown in Colorado and Austin. All the meat is from the same state that the school resides in usually from a local butcher or farmer. They are also committed to being as green as possible. They offer a 40 week Culinary Arts program where they teach the basics of the kitchen, how to pick foods, and restaurant management. Tuition and fees start out at $25,782 for both the Culinary Program and the Pastry Arts Program. A high school diploma or GED are needed to attend the school, a personal essay, high school transcripts and two references. Applying for this school is almost like applying for a professional job.
The top schools overseas according to Top International Cooking Schools (http://www.culinaryschools.org/international/) are located in places like Spain, Italy and Europe. The first one on the list is Cook and Taste located in Barcelona, Spain. This school offers the chance to work with the freshest ingredients, antique and traditional cooking techniques, and learn Spanish and Catalan cuisine. Students at this school don’t have a kitchen full of other students but one Chef assigned to one or two students at a time making the learning experience more at your own pace. Students start the day at the local market to pick out ingredients for the days plate, while also learning the flavors and how to put them together. Tuition is usually negotiable, but isn’t like regular culinary schools where they have to pay for a full years’ worth of classes. These classes are private and they are based day-to-day. This school is for chefs looking to further their education and some experience is needed in the kitchen.
The next top international culinary school is the International Cooking School in Bologna, Italy. This schools main cuisine is Italian food. Their courses are usually a week long and they teach the essentials of Italian cooking, making pizza, savoring the tastes of local cities in Rome, and a number of courses in the October Truffle Festival. These classes range from $2,095- $4,495 per week! Like the last school, this one is for chefs to further their knowledge, or learn a new cuisine, already knowing the basics.
The final school on the Top International Cooking Schools list is The School of Artisan Food in London, England. This school teaches all aspects of artisan food production. It offers an opportunity for people of all skill levels to expand their knowledge through a wide range of short courses and a one-year Advanced Diploma in either butchery, baking or dairy. The School of Artisan Food also teaches bread making, cheese making, brewing, butchery, charcuterie and preserving. To go to school here it costs about £26,513 ($41,986 American dollars). No real requirements are needed to get into this school except a High School Diploma.
In any modern culinary school kitchen, students are assigned to different parts of them. Starting at the bottom and working their way up to the top. There are 4 main titles in the kitchen but there are a lot of other titles that are also used in the kitchen if there's room for a 15+ person staff. The highest rank in the kitchen is the Executive Chef or Head Chef. This person is in charge of everything that has to do with the kitchen including menu creation, managing the staff, ordering the inventory and plating. Nothing gets past the Executive Chef without approval first. The person who is second in charge is the Sous- Chef. They will take over when the Executive Chef isn't around. He will also assist the line cook when needed. Below the Sous- Chef is the Line Cook. They are in charge of making the sauces, preparing the fish, roasts, fried foods, vegetables and salads. The line cook also butchers the meats and is a pastry chef. The last rank in the kitchen is the Commis. This person is usually still in training and is working with the line cook to learn the responsibilities and operation of the kitchen.
Ever notice what chefs are wearing? As soon as you see their attire though, you know what type of people wear it. The typical attire for a chef is a double- breasted jacket, a hat, an apron and trousers. These items are important in helping them cook without any worries about bodily fluids getting in the food or over heating while cooking. The jacket is usually white to show the chefs cleanliness and to repel heat. It’s double breasted so if one side gets dirty, they can button it under the other side and it looks clean again. The chef’s hat is worn to stop sweat from dripping down their face into the food they're preparing and to keep their heads cool. The apron is worn over the trousers to prevent burns from spilling hot liquids, because it’s easy to remove.
People can get culinary training all over the world since its becoming much more popular these days and more school are being established. The United States, Canada, and Europe have some of the best schools there is to offer. It’s all hands on, they are put to work as an apprentice, at the bottom like a regular kitchen would teaching them the small stuff and as they progress, they move higher up. They eventually make it to the Sous- chef spot. They can't make the executive chef in culinary school because the executive chef is teaching them. Once a chef has completed their schooling, they are on their way to putting their own taste in the world.
Another addition to the increasing popularity of chefs are the big named or famous chefs. There are many famous chefs around the world but there are few that top the list as the best. Famous chefs are helping the name get out there even more because they're putting a face to the category. When most people think about chefs they usually have one or two that they can just name off because of their skills and hearing about them on TV or in a magazine.
Retired chef and #5 on the list of 10 Famous Chefs in the World according to the number of people searching Google for specific celebrity chefs (http://www.zimbio.com/Celebrity+Chefs/articles/d6Ex2fDmqkf/10+Most+Famous+Chefs+World), is Austrian Chef, Wolfgang Puck. He learned his cooking from his mother Maria Puck who was a pastry chef. He trained as an apprentice under Raymond Thuilier at L’Oustau de Baumaniere at Hotel de Paris in Monaco. He also worked at Mixim’s Paris before moving to the United States in 1973 at age 25. In 1981, his first book was published, Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen. 15 years later Puck opened the award-winning Spago in Beverly Hills, which has been recognized as one of the Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. since 2004. His success enabled Wolfgang to launch the Wolfgang Puck companies that include Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. and Wolfgang Puck Catering. Since 1997, Puck has opened over 20 worldwide restaurants, has his own cooking instruments, several cookbooks and even canned foods. He has also won two Outstanding Service Awards for his restaurants Spago in Beverly Hills and Hollywood, 2 Michelin stars in the 2008 and 2009 Los Angeles Michelin Guide, and in 2001-2002 Puck received the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Service Show, Wolfgang Puck.
Bobby Flay is # 4 on the list of 10 Most Famous Chefs in the world. He didn't get there in just one day. After dropping out of high school when he was just 17, he started working for his father and business partner at Joe Allen's Restaurant in New York City. His dad's partner recognized Flays natural talent and agreed to pay his tuition into the French Culinary Institute. After graduating in 1984, he partnered up with Jerome Kretchemer who gave him the Executive Chef spot at Mesa Grill in New York City. With his success at Mesa Grill, he went on to open 12 restaurants, 3 being Mesa Grills in 2 different states, and is on 7 TV shows. Including Iron Chef America, BBQ Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Grill it with Bobby Flay. A scholarship fund has been set up at the French Culinary Institute in Bobby's name, offering a full scholarship to the school in New York.
#3 on the list of top 10 Famous Chefs is Rachael Ray. She is actually one of the only female chefs to make the top 5 chefs in the world. Rachael never had any qualifications to be a chef. As she said she was influenced by her Sicilian grandfather, who taught her about Cajun cuisine. Rachael Ray got her break when her '30 minute meals' classes were noticed by the local news station WRGB. They let her have a weekly spot on her show and soon after her name became bigger and bigger, Food Network gave her a contract. Rachael Ray has competed on Iron Chef America against Iron Chef Bobby Flay and won. She has also had 3 TV shows, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and $40 a Day, many guest appearances, her own magazine, 'Everyday with Rachael Ray' and wrote a book based on her 30 Minute Meal recipes.
Next on the list and #2 Most Famous chefs in the world is UK Chef, Gordon Ramsay. He gets his fame from his numerous 5 start restaurants and his very vulgar vocabulary in the kitchen. Gordon didn't start out in Culinary Arts at first. He went to college for Hotel Management and after he accidentally enrolled in Catering College, he fell in love with it immediately. Studying French Cuisine, he became a personal chef on a private yacht in Bermuda. After spending a year in the yachts’ 5- star kitchen he returned to the UK and started working on his television career. After landing 3 small parts in some documentaries, Gordon Ramsay started filming Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and Hell's Kitchen in the UK in 2004. In 2005 Ramsay was introduced to American audiences by Fox Networks and the American version of Hell's Kitchen started filming. He was awarded with 13 Michelin stars and currently still holds 12. Ramsay has had 7 TV shows, 3 of which are still on the air today.
The world’s most famous chef at the time is British Chef, Jamie Oliver. He is not only the #1 chef in the world, he is also the youngest. Oliver got his start when he was young in his parents' pub. At age 16 Jamie left school without any qualifications and went to attend college at Westminster Kingsway College. From there, he got a City and Guilds NVQ in home economics. He went on to be a pastry chef at Neal's Yard Italian Restaurant. It was here that Jamie Oliver got his experience in Italian Cuisine. After Neal’s Yard he went to The River Cafe, in Fulham as a Sous- chef and was also noticed for the first time by BBC after being in the documentary based on the restaurant he was working in called, "Christmas at The River Cafe". Soon after, his show Naked Chef debuted and his cookbook became #1 best seller in the UK. Even though Jamie Oliver's specialty is Italian Cuisine, he has a broad international repertoire.
One chef from the past that might have influenced some of these star chefs would be Auguste Escoffier. Born in the 1800’s Auguste was a French chef, a restaurateur and culinary writer that updated the traditional French cooking methods. Much of his technique was based on that of Marie-Antoine Careme, one of the originators of French cuisine. Escoffier wanted to simplify and modernize Careme’s elaborate and ornate style. He is referred to by the French press as the King of chefs. Along with all the recipes he recorded and invented, another one of his contributions to cooking was to elevate it to the status of a respected profession by introducing discipline in the kitchen. Auguste Escoffier’s recipes, techniques, and kitchen management remain highly influential today, and have been adopted by chefs and restaurants not only in France, but also throughout the world. There are schools named after Auguste, bringing his techniques to the modern world of cooking. Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts is located in Boulder, Colorado and Austin, Texas.
Television currently plays the biggest role in popularizing chefs. At first the shows started out as simple how- to's for the amateur chef at home. As these shows started getting more viewers, and more people were getting interested, they wanted more. Competitive television shows focused on cooking started airing. Since cooking shows have started airing, their popularity has sky rocketed as more and more shows begin to come out showing different views of the culinary world.
The first cooking show ever to air on television was Julia Childs’ The French Chef. The show ran on WGBH in Boston from 1963 to 1973. The show was based on Julia’s cook book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking and was also the first to introduce Americans to French cuisine. She emphasized fresh and unusual ingredients of the time. The show was a live-to-videotape walk through of recipes from her book, her closing line for the end of the show was ‘Bon appetite!’ She was awarded a Peabody Award in 1964 for doing ‘more than showing us how good cooking is achieved’ on the show. Her show won a Primetime Emmy Award for Achievements in Educational Television.
One of the most popular shows now is, Iron Chef: America, which is on Food Network. Recorded at Kitchen Stadium in New York City, the show dubbed its name from the original Iron Chef based in Japan. In this show a regular person, usually someone who owns their own restaurant and is an executive chef, competes against their choice of one of the house Iron Chefs. These chefs include, Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, Wolgang Puck, Masaharu Morimoto, Cat Cora, Michael Symon, Jose Garces, Marc Forgione, and Geoffrey Zakarian. All of the Iron Chefs got their titles from winning previous Iron Chef Masters competitions. The two competitors cook against each other using the 'theme ingredient' of the night. In previous shows they have used things like sugar, trout, chilies, elk, garlic, and asparagus in their competitions. Iron Chef America gives viewers a look inside of a top of the line kitchen, and what tools chefs use when cooking several different dishes. The chefs are then judged on their final dishes by a panel of famous chefs or critics. The winner is awarded with nothing but bragging rights.
The second TV show that is helping popularize chefs and cooking is Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen aired on Fox Networks. This show is also based on another show of the same name in the UK. Chefs in this show are given the chance to impress Gordon Ramsay with their cooking and if he approves, he will further their experience with each level they can make it past without getting eliminated. Hell's Kitchen gives a look into what it takes to run a 5-star restaurant. Gordon Ramsay teaches the chefs how to prep a first-class kitchen, teamwork, and a wide range of culinary skills. The winner wins the restaurant that they have been competing in for the duration of the show. This instantly makes this restaurant a hot spot because of its television acknowledgement.
The Third show is Bravo’s' Top Chef. In this show contestants compete in 3 challenges- Quick-fire Challenge, Elimination Challenge, and the Finale. The chefs are testing their capabilities against the clock and must present their final dishes to a panel of judges usually made up of professional chefs and other notables in the food and wine industry. It gives the viewer a look into timed cooking, and chefs under pressure to beat the clock. The winner of Top Chef is awarded with a cash money prize of $200,000.
The final television show is not one in which people are competing for money, or a flash new restaurant. The show Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations is based solely on showing its viewers the 5-star cuisines of the world. The name 'No Reservations' refers to his capabilities to get into some of the worlds' most famous restaurants and ear samples of the finest things on the menus. Anthony Bourdain travels to cities in the U.S. along with overseas country’s' cities to be treated to local culture and cuisine. He gives his viewers a look at what it’s like to dine on fine foods in other countries and what some of their specialties are.
The most famous show on TV today rated on Top 10 Cooking Shows on TV (At least for now) (http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/top-10-hottest-cooking-shows-on-tv-at-least-for-now-1608985.html) is, Giada at Home on Food Network. On the show she shares her love for California- style cuisine. She puts together meals for gatherings with friends and family really giving it a personal, at home feel. Whether it’s for a festive party or a romantic meal, in her own kitchen or at the beach, it’s always a fun look inside her style and what she’s like outside of the spotlight. The show has been nominated for six Daytime Emmys since 2009 for Outstanding Culinary Program, Outstanding Lifestyle/ Culinary Program Host, and Outstanding Directing in a Lifestyle/Culinary Program and won for the latter award.
How is being a chef becoming increasingly popular? The television shows are getting bigger and different cuisines from all over the world are being brought home, striking more interest in the culinary field. Famous chefs are making culinary arts more of a household name and putting a spotlight on the cooking world with their own expertise. Several schools are being established all over the world that are solely based on training regular people like you and the people that have already made their mark on the food world, to be master chefs. Culinary arts is exploding everywhere, everyone likes good food, and wants to try something different. Who will be the next to contribute to the culinary world? It starts with a drive to want to cook great food, and you can do just about anything with it to give it your own twist. Chefs are always looking for the next best taste, what will be next?
Today, being a chef has become increasingly popular. It seems as though the culinary field has exploded with opportunities and is becoming one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Everyone loves food and that makes it easier to expand. There are television shows dedicated to finding the next best chef, along with famous chef helping make the name bigger in the spotlight such as Wolfgang Puck, Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsay, Rachael Ray, and Jamie Oliver. Of course there are reality TV shows on the air like Iron Chef: America, Hell’s Kitchen, Top Chef, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and one of the first television shows, Julia Child’s The French Chef. All these shows give a view of all the challenging, difficult and strenuous work that actually goes on in the culinary domain. There are many things to learn in order to become a great chef-- Where and how to shop for all types of foods, which flavors work well together, sanitation and safety, and presentation. In addition, attending a culinary school is a prerequisite to becoming a successful chef.
How is being a chef becoming more popular? Chefs are now very publicized and everyone has to eat, how can it not be popular? Schools are popping up everywhere all over the country and the world. It’s getting easier to get into the culinary field. What does it take? What do they teach you? Getting in is easy, learning the technique is just as easy. Deciding how far you go after that is up to you.
Being a chef is simple, if you get the right training. How else do you think successful chefs got that way? They had to start somewhere and they did but they also had to have one key thing to enter into the world of culinary arts. To be a chef isn't just cooking, you have to have a passion for cooking. If you have that passion, there will be no problems learning the techniques.
Chefs today have to go through about 1-4 years of training. The whole time they are in school, it’s in a top of the line kitchen. They learn about restaurant management and preparation so the graduates can run a restaurant on their own. They also teach basics like sanitation and safety, food handling, knife skills, and learning the 4 base sauces. They also learn more intricate things such as food selection, pairing, types of wine and what each goes best with.
There are many schools all over the country that are teaching Culinary Arts. If you want the right training, you’ll have to pick a good school with good curriculums. Researching schools is the best way to find which one suits your best interest. Some schools teach specifics being a pastry chef or even schools for specific cuisines. All teach restaurant management, staff management, teamwork, and kitchen specifics. Which schools are the best? How much is it to get in, and do you need certain requirements? All the questions that are important in choosing the right school for your profession.
The top culinary school in America according to EDinformation, (www.edinformatics.com/culinaryarts/culinaryschools) is the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. First opening its doors in 1975, the school offers a fast intensive culinary education for anyone with a high school diploma or GED. There is not background experience needed to attend ICE in New York. To earn a diploma, students need to complete 440-650 hours of class time and 210 hours on an externship which is like an internship but is offered by the school. The full length of the programs are 28-48 weeks depending on how many classes are taken a week. Tuition for the Culinary Arts program ranges from $28,250- $33,250, $26,750- $31,750 for the Pastry and Baking Arts tuition, $12,250- $13,750 for Culinary Management and the Hospitality Management tuition costs $13,750; supplies are included in tuition costs.
The next best culinary school is the Texas Culinary Academy (Le Cordon Bleu) in Austin, Texas. This school is well known all over for its culinary and hospitality. Students can learn classic techniques combined with modern innovation and the latest in global cuisine, the essential skills that can be used in any style of cooking. The school is located in the heart of Austin where there is culinary tradition, thriving art, music, and a restaurant scene. To receive a diploma, students need to complete 12 months in either culinary or baking and pastry arts program. There are industry- equipped kitchens, hands on training and students are working in a real restaurant setting. Tuition for the Texas Culinary Academy starts out at $19,537 for all programs. To attend, a high school diploma or a GED is needed and there is no experience needed.
Another one of the best culinary schools in the U.S. is Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder, Colorado and Austin, Texas. These schools promote farming and farm-to-table philosophies by using products grown in Colorado and Austin. All the meat is from the same state that the school resides in usually from a local butcher or farmer. They are also committed to being as green as possible. They offer a 40 week Culinary Arts program where they teach the basics of the kitchen, how to pick foods, and restaurant management. Tuition and fees start out at $25,782 for both the Culinary Program and the Pastry Arts Program. A high school diploma or GED are needed to attend the school, a personal essay, high school transcripts and two references. Applying for this school is almost like applying for a professional job.
The top schools overseas according to Top International Cooking Schools (http://www.culinaryschools.org/international/) are located in places like Spain, Italy and Europe. The first one on the list is Cook and Taste located in Barcelona, Spain. This school offers the chance to work with the freshest ingredients, antique and traditional cooking techniques, and learn Spanish and Catalan cuisine. Students at this school don’t have a kitchen full of other students but one Chef assigned to one or two students at a time making the learning experience more at your own pace. Students start the day at the local market to pick out ingredients for the days plate, while also learning the flavors and how to put them together. Tuition is usually negotiable, but isn’t like regular culinary schools where they have to pay for a full years’ worth of classes. These classes are private and they are based day-to-day. This school is for chefs looking to further their education and some experience is needed in the kitchen.
The next top international culinary school is the International Cooking School in Bologna, Italy. This schools main cuisine is Italian food. Their courses are usually a week long and they teach the essentials of Italian cooking, making pizza, savoring the tastes of local cities in Rome, and a number of courses in the October Truffle Festival. These classes range from $2,095- $4,495 per week! Like the last school, this one is for chefs to further their knowledge, or learn a new cuisine, already knowing the basics.
The final school on the Top International Cooking Schools list is The School of Artisan Food in London, England. This school teaches all aspects of artisan food production. It offers an opportunity for people of all skill levels to expand their knowledge through a wide range of short courses and a one-year Advanced Diploma in either butchery, baking or dairy. The School of Artisan Food also teaches bread making, cheese making, brewing, butchery, charcuterie and preserving. To go to school here it costs about £26,513 ($41,986 American dollars). No real requirements are needed to get into this school except a High School Diploma.
In any modern culinary school kitchen, students are assigned to different parts of them. Starting at the bottom and working their way up to the top. There are 4 main titles in the kitchen but there are a lot of other titles that are also used in the kitchen if there's room for a 15+ person staff. The highest rank in the kitchen is the Executive Chef or Head Chef. This person is in charge of everything that has to do with the kitchen including menu creation, managing the staff, ordering the inventory and plating. Nothing gets past the Executive Chef without approval first. The person who is second in charge is the Sous- Chef. They will take over when the Executive Chef isn't around. He will also assist the line cook when needed. Below the Sous- Chef is the Line Cook. They are in charge of making the sauces, preparing the fish, roasts, fried foods, vegetables and salads. The line cook also butchers the meats and is a pastry chef. The last rank in the kitchen is the Commis. This person is usually still in training and is working with the line cook to learn the responsibilities and operation of the kitchen.
Ever notice what chefs are wearing? As soon as you see their attire though, you know what type of people wear it. The typical attire for a chef is a double- breasted jacket, a hat, an apron and trousers. These items are important in helping them cook without any worries about bodily fluids getting in the food or over heating while cooking. The jacket is usually white to show the chefs cleanliness and to repel heat. It’s double breasted so if one side gets dirty, they can button it under the other side and it looks clean again. The chef’s hat is worn to stop sweat from dripping down their face into the food they're preparing and to keep their heads cool. The apron is worn over the trousers to prevent burns from spilling hot liquids, because it’s easy to remove.
People can get culinary training all over the world since its becoming much more popular these days and more school are being established. The United States, Canada, and Europe have some of the best schools there is to offer. It’s all hands on, they are put to work as an apprentice, at the bottom like a regular kitchen would teaching them the small stuff and as they progress, they move higher up. They eventually make it to the Sous- chef spot. They can't make the executive chef in culinary school because the executive chef is teaching them. Once a chef has completed their schooling, they are on their way to putting their own taste in the world.
Another addition to the increasing popularity of chefs are the big named or famous chefs. There are many famous chefs around the world but there are few that top the list as the best. Famous chefs are helping the name get out there even more because they're putting a face to the category. When most people think about chefs they usually have one or two that they can just name off because of their skills and hearing about them on TV or in a magazine.
Retired chef and #5 on the list of 10 Famous Chefs in the World according to the number of people searching Google for specific celebrity chefs (http://www.zimbio.com/Celebrity+Chefs/articles/d6Ex2fDmqkf/10+Most+Famous+Chefs+World), is Austrian Chef, Wolfgang Puck. He learned his cooking from his mother Maria Puck who was a pastry chef. He trained as an apprentice under Raymond Thuilier at L’Oustau de Baumaniere at Hotel de Paris in Monaco. He also worked at Mixim’s Paris before moving to the United States in 1973 at age 25. In 1981, his first book was published, Modern French Cooking for the American Kitchen. 15 years later Puck opened the award-winning Spago in Beverly Hills, which has been recognized as one of the Top 40 Restaurants in the U.S. since 2004. His success enabled Wolfgang to launch the Wolfgang Puck companies that include Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. and Wolfgang Puck Catering. Since 1997, Puck has opened over 20 worldwide restaurants, has his own cooking instruments, several cookbooks and even canned foods. He has also won two Outstanding Service Awards for his restaurants Spago in Beverly Hills and Hollywood, 2 Michelin stars in the 2008 and 2009 Los Angeles Michelin Guide, and in 2001-2002 Puck received the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Service Show, Wolfgang Puck.
Bobby Flay is # 4 on the list of 10 Most Famous Chefs in the world. He didn't get there in just one day. After dropping out of high school when he was just 17, he started working for his father and business partner at Joe Allen's Restaurant in New York City. His dad's partner recognized Flays natural talent and agreed to pay his tuition into the French Culinary Institute. After graduating in 1984, he partnered up with Jerome Kretchemer who gave him the Executive Chef spot at Mesa Grill in New York City. With his success at Mesa Grill, he went on to open 12 restaurants, 3 being Mesa Grills in 2 different states, and is on 7 TV shows. Including Iron Chef America, BBQ Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Grill it with Bobby Flay. A scholarship fund has been set up at the French Culinary Institute in Bobby's name, offering a full scholarship to the school in New York.
#3 on the list of top 10 Famous Chefs is Rachael Ray. She is actually one of the only female chefs to make the top 5 chefs in the world. Rachael never had any qualifications to be a chef. As she said she was influenced by her Sicilian grandfather, who taught her about Cajun cuisine. Rachael Ray got her break when her '30 minute meals' classes were noticed by the local news station WRGB. They let her have a weekly spot on her show and soon after her name became bigger and bigger, Food Network gave her a contract. Rachael Ray has competed on Iron Chef America against Iron Chef Bobby Flay and won. She has also had 3 TV shows, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and $40 a Day, many guest appearances, her own magazine, 'Everyday with Rachael Ray' and wrote a book based on her 30 Minute Meal recipes.
Next on the list and #2 Most Famous chefs in the world is UK Chef, Gordon Ramsay. He gets his fame from his numerous 5 start restaurants and his very vulgar vocabulary in the kitchen. Gordon didn't start out in Culinary Arts at first. He went to college for Hotel Management and after he accidentally enrolled in Catering College, he fell in love with it immediately. Studying French Cuisine, he became a personal chef on a private yacht in Bermuda. After spending a year in the yachts’ 5- star kitchen he returned to the UK and started working on his television career. After landing 3 small parts in some documentaries, Gordon Ramsay started filming Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and Hell's Kitchen in the UK in 2004. In 2005 Ramsay was introduced to American audiences by Fox Networks and the American version of Hell's Kitchen started filming. He was awarded with 13 Michelin stars and currently still holds 12. Ramsay has had 7 TV shows, 3 of which are still on the air today.
The world’s most famous chef at the time is British Chef, Jamie Oliver. He is not only the #1 chef in the world, he is also the youngest. Oliver got his start when he was young in his parents' pub. At age 16 Jamie left school without any qualifications and went to attend college at Westminster Kingsway College. From there, he got a City and Guilds NVQ in home economics. He went on to be a pastry chef at Neal's Yard Italian Restaurant. It was here that Jamie Oliver got his experience in Italian Cuisine. After Neal’s Yard he went to The River Cafe, in Fulham as a Sous- chef and was also noticed for the first time by BBC after being in the documentary based on the restaurant he was working in called, "Christmas at The River Cafe". Soon after, his show Naked Chef debuted and his cookbook became #1 best seller in the UK. Even though Jamie Oliver's specialty is Italian Cuisine, he has a broad international repertoire.
One chef from the past that might have influenced some of these star chefs would be Auguste Escoffier. Born in the 1800’s Auguste was a French chef, a restaurateur and culinary writer that updated the traditional French cooking methods. Much of his technique was based on that of Marie-Antoine Careme, one of the originators of French cuisine. Escoffier wanted to simplify and modernize Careme’s elaborate and ornate style. He is referred to by the French press as the King of chefs. Along with all the recipes he recorded and invented, another one of his contributions to cooking was to elevate it to the status of a respected profession by introducing discipline in the kitchen. Auguste Escoffier’s recipes, techniques, and kitchen management remain highly influential today, and have been adopted by chefs and restaurants not only in France, but also throughout the world. There are schools named after Auguste, bringing his techniques to the modern world of cooking. Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts is located in Boulder, Colorado and Austin, Texas.
Television currently plays the biggest role in popularizing chefs. At first the shows started out as simple how- to's for the amateur chef at home. As these shows started getting more viewers, and more people were getting interested, they wanted more. Competitive television shows focused on cooking started airing. Since cooking shows have started airing, their popularity has sky rocketed as more and more shows begin to come out showing different views of the culinary world.
The first cooking show ever to air on television was Julia Childs’ The French Chef. The show ran on WGBH in Boston from 1963 to 1973. The show was based on Julia’s cook book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking and was also the first to introduce Americans to French cuisine. She emphasized fresh and unusual ingredients of the time. The show was a live-to-videotape walk through of recipes from her book, her closing line for the end of the show was ‘Bon appetite!’ She was awarded a Peabody Award in 1964 for doing ‘more than showing us how good cooking is achieved’ on the show. Her show won a Primetime Emmy Award for Achievements in Educational Television.
One of the most popular shows now is, Iron Chef: America, which is on Food Network. Recorded at Kitchen Stadium in New York City, the show dubbed its name from the original Iron Chef based in Japan. In this show a regular person, usually someone who owns their own restaurant and is an executive chef, competes against their choice of one of the house Iron Chefs. These chefs include, Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, Wolgang Puck, Masaharu Morimoto, Cat Cora, Michael Symon, Jose Garces, Marc Forgione, and Geoffrey Zakarian. All of the Iron Chefs got their titles from winning previous Iron Chef Masters competitions. The two competitors cook against each other using the 'theme ingredient' of the night. In previous shows they have used things like sugar, trout, chilies, elk, garlic, and asparagus in their competitions. Iron Chef America gives viewers a look inside of a top of the line kitchen, and what tools chefs use when cooking several different dishes. The chefs are then judged on their final dishes by a panel of famous chefs or critics. The winner is awarded with nothing but bragging rights.
The second TV show that is helping popularize chefs and cooking is Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen aired on Fox Networks. This show is also based on another show of the same name in the UK. Chefs in this show are given the chance to impress Gordon Ramsay with their cooking and if he approves, he will further their experience with each level they can make it past without getting eliminated. Hell's Kitchen gives a look into what it takes to run a 5-star restaurant. Gordon Ramsay teaches the chefs how to prep a first-class kitchen, teamwork, and a wide range of culinary skills. The winner wins the restaurant that they have been competing in for the duration of the show. This instantly makes this restaurant a hot spot because of its television acknowledgement.
The Third show is Bravo’s' Top Chef. In this show contestants compete in 3 challenges- Quick-fire Challenge, Elimination Challenge, and the Finale. The chefs are testing their capabilities against the clock and must present their final dishes to a panel of judges usually made up of professional chefs and other notables in the food and wine industry. It gives the viewer a look into timed cooking, and chefs under pressure to beat the clock. The winner of Top Chef is awarded with a cash money prize of $200,000.
The final television show is not one in which people are competing for money, or a flash new restaurant. The show Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations is based solely on showing its viewers the 5-star cuisines of the world. The name 'No Reservations' refers to his capabilities to get into some of the worlds' most famous restaurants and ear samples of the finest things on the menus. Anthony Bourdain travels to cities in the U.S. along with overseas country’s' cities to be treated to local culture and cuisine. He gives his viewers a look at what it’s like to dine on fine foods in other countries and what some of their specialties are.
The most famous show on TV today rated on Top 10 Cooking Shows on TV (At least for now) (http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/top-10-hottest-cooking-shows-on-tv-at-least-for-now-1608985.html) is, Giada at Home on Food Network. On the show she shares her love for California- style cuisine. She puts together meals for gatherings with friends and family really giving it a personal, at home feel. Whether it’s for a festive party or a romantic meal, in her own kitchen or at the beach, it’s always a fun look inside her style and what she’s like outside of the spotlight. The show has been nominated for six Daytime Emmys since 2009 for Outstanding Culinary Program, Outstanding Lifestyle/ Culinary Program Host, and Outstanding Directing in a Lifestyle/Culinary Program and won for the latter award.
How is being a chef becoming increasingly popular? The television shows are getting bigger and different cuisines from all over the world are being brought home, striking more interest in the culinary field. Famous chefs are making culinary arts more of a household name and putting a spotlight on the cooking world with their own expertise. Several schools are being established all over the world that are solely based on training regular people like you and the people that have already made their mark on the food world, to be master chefs. Culinary arts is exploding everywhere, everyone likes good food, and wants to try something different. Who will be the next to contribute to the culinary world? It starts with a drive to want to cook great food, and you can do just about anything with it to give it your own twist. Chefs are always looking for the next best taste, what will be next?