Chef de Cuisine

There are three things that can make or break a new or existing restaurant - the ambiance, the owners and the chef. The ambiance is certainly important. It's true that nothing seems to ruin a romantic dinner more than bad atmosphere. Competent and well-known owners are great for sales. Celebrity ownership of restaurants has proved to be a big selling point, but only for a time. What really makes a restaurant is the chef, because if the food isn't truly memorable then you won't have loyal customers who return night after night.

The Chef de Cuisine defined

A Chef de Cuisine can actually be two positions. In some restaurants, a Chef de Cuisine works under the Executive Chef and can easily take over if need be. Many of the responsibilities are the same. In other establishments, the Chef de Cuisine is on par with the Executive Chef - that is, they are one and the same. The crucial difference in the two positions is the ownership of the food - the blame, the praise, even the stardom. You won't be known if your name is not on the menu.

Culinary school or not?

Culinary school is a must for a Chef de Cuisine. You need to learn a tremendous amount about food and its preparation, and where else do you go to do that? But to succeed, it takes more than just a love of food and hours in the classroom. These professionals work long, hard hours at when they start because you generally must start as an assistant to learn the tricks of the trade. In the beginning it's not glamorous, but if it's what you love, you will work hard at it for that reason.

Some of the classes you will take in culinary school can include:

Basic baking
Chef's utensils and tools
Salads and dressing
Pasta and rice
Nutrition
Food safety and sanitation
Communication and leadership
Shellfish
Meat cooking
Poultry and game
Flavoring spices and herbs

What to expect

After you graduate from culinary school, your brain will be chock full of food information just itching to get to work. In the beginning, you'll work as someone's assistant during your internship, then as a cook, then perhaps you work up to sous chef then perhaps chef de cuisine. Let it be known, there is a pecking order and rarely do people skip levels. Cooking is all about proving your talent to others, and that takes time. But once you do, the rewards can be substantial.