The Chef is the mainstay of the food service industry. They work in restaurants, cafeterias, lunchrooms, hotels and other places that prepare and serve food.
Primary Objectives:
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The Chefs job is to prepare foods that are delicious to eat and look at.
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The Chef must make sure that the area in which he is working is sanitized keeping all items that he uses safe.
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The Chef must prepare foods to meet the standards of the health department and the establishment where they work.
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The duties of a Chef vary according to the type and size of the establishment where he works.
Today many people who cook food for a busy establishment are referred to as a cook, short order cook or other names that depict the type of cooking that they may do. These types of cooks usually get their experience and training in the establishment where they work. They may only know how to work a grill or prepare desserts just as an example. These food preparers do not normally go to school and are not trained in the art of cooking.
The Professional Chef usually goes to a culinary school where they learn how to prepare foods of all sorts. They can not only cook delicious foods but they serve them with an artistic flare. The Chef is the one who decorates cakes, makes the steak look fantastic and can turn a hamburger into a delicious looking sandwich. The Chef knows how to put spices in the food in accordance with the type of meats that are being prepared. The Chef is the one who usually works in professional restaurants and usually handles just one type of food preparation. For instance one Chef Maybe the one who prepares all the meat dishes, while they have another Chef who prepares the vegetables and salads, and then a Chef who is in charge of the bakery. These Chefs all went to culinary school and are trained to do just about any type of food preparations. Some of the smaller restaurants may only have one or two Chefs who do most all of the food preparations using servers to help them in the kitchen.
Cooks may only do certain things like a short-order cook who makes hamburgers, sandwiches, salads and other food items in the mom and pop type of restaurant. This does not take any special training and can be achieved by learning on the job. The Chef usually makes a very large salary and is responsible to create the menu as well as doing the actual cooking. The head Chef usually directs the kitchen staff in food preparation. The Chef may let his helpers do things like peel the potatoes, chop vegetables etc. while he makes the sauces and gravies. In some restaurants the Chef will let some of the food preparers make the sauces for them if they are the type of cook that can make it according to the Chef’s directions. The Chef is a very particular type of cook and demands that everything be done to perfection. That is what sets them aside from cooks and makes them known as a professional cook called the Chef. Not all Chefs work in restaurants some work in homes of prominent people preparing foods that they can all eat while others work for major corporations as the company Chef. The President of the United States has Chefs that prepare foods for him and his family but he also has Chefs on staff that can prepare food for dignitaries who visit the White House. These Chefs must be able to prepare food that is befitting the culture of the visiting dignitary. This is just an example of how a Chef may work in private surroundings. There are many rich people who hire Chefs to cook for them and their families and also use the Chef to help plan dinner parties for special guests. The Chef knows just what is expected and they are capable of cooking just about any kind of cuisine that is required of them.
Some Chefs work in health clubs and resorts preparing special diets for people who are trying to lose weight or get a better skin completion. Many people spend time in these places to gain better health and appearance. They spend thousands of dollars to use the service of the special Chef who can prepare food that is meant for their own personal needs.