Well,except of course by going to Shatec..is there any other way?
various Diploma programs lo... then work part time during holidays in the F&B line.
to be frank.
its not the paper which makes u a chef
its your culinary skills, your connections and your attitude towards cooking.
if u really want to be a chef, work as a sous chef and build ur way up the cooking world.
read up on all kinds of cusine. increase your knowledge about food, the preparation, the cooking, the display.
read up on biology(food science), learn about food and nutritions. the psycology of diners,
stephen chow god of cookery school
learn how to fry an egg first loh.
1) go work part time in a kitchen 1st to see whether you like the hours and the heat.
2) read read read... spend money on books to understand more about food. and what i'm trying to hint to you is not to buy jamie oliver's and stuff like that. learn about the different kinds of cuisines.
3) go to chef school, trust me.. in the next 5 years, it will be papers that other chefs will look for. not so much in singapore, but everyone else in the world is doing it. so go to school. trust me, i'm working as a chef in Canada. and here, you will be pass over for a promotion easily if you didn't go to chef school. and mind you, i do my own hiring and firing. =)
4) if you have the money, study overseas. france, canada and the usa are three great options. if you don't have those options, i guess shatec will be fine.. i don't know much about that school, never been there.
5) if you studied overseas, work aboard for a lil before heading back to singapore.
Originally posted by ben1406:1) go work part time in a kitchen 1st to see whether you like the hours and the heat.
2) read read read... spend money on books to understand more about food. and what i'm trying to hint to you is not to buy jamie oliver's and stuff like that. learn about the different kinds of cuisines.
3) go to chef school, trust me.. in the next 5 years, it will be papers that other chefs will look for. not so much in singapore, but everyone else in the world is doing it. so go to school. trust me, i'm working as a chef in Canada. and here, you will be pass over for a promotion easily if you didn't go to chef school. and mind you, i do my own hiring and firing. =)
4) if you have the money, study overseas. france, canada and the usa are three great options. if you don't have those options, i guess shatec will be fine.. i don't know much about that school, never been there.
5) if you studied overseas, work aboard for a lil before heading back to singapore.
How do you read to be a chef?
Its a matter of understanding food - I would eat and understand taste
Originally posted by seyKai:How do you read to be a chef?
Its a matter of understanding food - I would eat and understand taste
you read to learn about your classics then go on and cook it. understanding taste is very important don't get me wrong. but for a new cook, please.. go learn your damm classics and understand what culinary is all about 1st before even cooking.
a chef is not one who can only cook, but one that trains, leads, plans and understand what food is really about. i have great cooks but most of them will never be chefs.
ITE?
Originally posted by ben1406:you read to learn about your classics then go on and cook it. understanding taste is very important don't get me wrong. but for a new cook, please.. go learn your damm classics and understand what culinary is all about 1st before even cooking.
a chef is not one who can only cook, but one that trains, leads, plans and understand what food is really about. i have great cooks but most of them will never be chefs.
I do understand that paper qualification is important
being a chef is all about taste and understanding food
too bad - taste bud is something cannot be taught by books and I firmly believe its inborn or form at very young age
thats where you are wrong.. yes food is the most important aspect of being a chef. chef in french means head. a chef leads, a chef plans, a chef write menus, a chef hires. it's not just cooking. you can be the best cook in the world, but without leadership your kitchen will fail.
yeah, the 80s - late 90s you can get away without a culinary dip / deg. today, try even getting into a top restaurant in north america without a cert.
taste buds cannot be changed but by reading and understanding how certain veg, fruit is grown you will get a basic understanding on how to pair or match it. reading by far is a very important aspect in a chef growing.
yes, taste every thing you cook and eat but reading about it is just as important. you are not going to understand a certain cuisine just by eating it. being a chef is not just to understand the taste, you also need to understand the dish.
You dont have to buy all the books. Libraries has plenty to research on
Originally posted by viciouskitty74:You dont have to buy all the books. Libraries has plenty to research on
oh for sure.. ! libraries are great if you are in singapore.
yes, u learn to lead. but what is the main function of a chef? matching food is a matter of understanding taste. all the others can be taught except taste bud
dude....
cooking is an art form...
you have to study it the way people study music or painting or designing.
like a building designmer, knowing how to do it is not enough, you must be able to lead others and show them how to do it...
a chef working in the kitchen is not enough. you will need helpers to help you and lead them to come up with the dishes for a meal.
Originally posted by ben1406:oh for sure.. ! libraries are great if you are in singapore.
Canadian Library or US libraries does not stock as much recipe books? I saw at Santa Ana California they have shelfs of recipe books and most looks so new.
For varieties though, Singapore libraries do have more recipe books on different cuisines, in english or mandarin. The Madarin cook books from Taiwan covers japanese cooking quite well.
Originally posted by skythewood:dude....
cooking is an art form...
you have to study it the way people study music or painting or designing.
like a building designmer, knowing how to do it is not enough, you must be able to lead others and show them how to do it...
a chef working in the kitchen is not enough. you will need helpers to help you and lead them to come up with the dishes for a meal.
yes, cooking is an art and some became great chef. just like painters, some tried their best and yet their best art pieces are neglected
Originally posted by seyKai:yes, u learn to lead. but what is the main function of a chef? matching food is a matter of understanding taste. all the others can be taught except taste bud
yes, matching food ! writing menus. but what if your company is a cooperation ? ie: hard rock cafe ? the chef doesn't write a menu, the chef doesn't pair anything. it comes from the cooperate executive chef. he needs to jolly well know how to lead.
a chef is nothing without his understanding of food for sure. but if you can't manage too, you will never be a chef. taste buds can't be thought, that is why chefs read to understand food.
i have a shellfish allergy, i taste it but i don't eat it. funny how then i got a write up on a shellfish fish of mine in a food zine. also funny how i won a bronze medal in a culinary competition showcasing shellfish. you don't need a superb taste bud to know how to cook. just understand your food.
if it all lies down to having a great taste bud to be a good chef, alot of chefs will be out of a job.
Originally posted by skythewood:dude....
cooking is an art form...
you have to study it the way people study music or painting or designing.
like a building designmer, knowing how to do it is not enough, you must be able to lead others and show them how to do it...
a chef working in the kitchen is not enough. you will need helpers to help you and lead them to come up with the dishes for a meal.
without your cooks, dishwashers and servers... a chef is nothing.
Originally posted by seyKai:yes, cooking is an art and some became great chef. just like painters, some tried their best and yet their best art pieces are neglected
I see cooking as more as a craft. Poetry is an art form. I'm sorry, but noodles spun into towers and designs on plates with different colored sauces do not equal art.
Originally posted by viciouskitty74:
Canadian Library or US libraries does not stock as much recipe books? I saw at Santa Ana California they have shelfs of recipe books and most looks so new.For varieties though, Singapore libraries do have more recipe books on different cuisines, in english or mandarin. The Madarin cook books from Taiwan covers japanese cooking quite well.
well, canadian libraries are good. but with more people cooking in toronto then in sg, it's hard to get a hand on any good ones. i just buy em.. i buy the ones that i know i will tend to refer to it alot.
*cough*
Me cant make a decent omellette...
Originally posted by viciouskitty74:*cough*
Me cant make a decent omellette...
funny you say that. most of my chef friends and even myself will get a cook who is coming down for an interview to cook us scramble eggs. that is the best test to do for any cooks.
Originally posted by ben1406:yes, matching food ! writing menus. but what if your company is a cooperation ? ie: hard rock cafe ? the chef doesn't write a menu, the chef doesn't pair anything. it comes from the cooperate executive chef. he needs to jolly well know how to lead.
a chef is nothing without his understanding of food for sure. but if you can't manage too, you will never be a chef. taste buds can't be thought, that is why chefs read to understand food.
i have a shellfish allergy, i taste it but i don't eat it. funny how then i got a write up on a shellfish fish of mine in a food zine. also funny how i won a bronze medal in a culinary competition showcasing shellfish. you don't need a superb taste bud to know how to cook. just understand your food.
if it all lies down to having a great taste bud to be a good chef, alot of chefs will be out of a job.
I was wondering how many people out there who eat everyday can understand food, just like I term a particular expensive restaurant serving 'junk food' yet they have business. just becoz its expensive and not the food is good or the customers just do not understand what is good food. all is needed is more MSG
good chef are not great chef, if u do not have that taste bud then you are just a chef n nothing more
proper scramble eggs, I only learnt how when my sis showed me what to do, cooking for my neice, at my grand old age of errr......33.
Because its for kids, there is eggs, beaten with fresh milk and a dallop of shredded parmesan cheese.
heat pan, some oil, pour in the eggs mixture, wait till the eggs at the sides of the pan starts to firm, fold them sides in with the spatulaand kinda stirr the eggs till they are softy firmed up.
I sreve them with a steam tomato stuffed with minced meat and rice moulded from cups.