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+----- Thread: "So what's it like becoming a Chef?" (/Thread-So-what-s-it-like-becoming-a-Chef)
"So what's it like becoming a Chef?" - Cheffie - 18-11-2005
And my oft-repeated reply "It's like NOTHING you can imagine!"
To give you a little history, I was brought up in Cape Town with the proverbial older brother and younger siblings scenario. A good Catholic family - 3 boys to terrorize my mother and the youngest, a girl, to fulfil her dreams.
Like many households of its time, the father was the breadwinner and the mother stayed at home, raising the family.
My mother was indeed a very good cook - so much so that when my younger siblings came along, she already had inspired my older brother and myself to venture into the kitchen and 'assist' her in the making of the family meals.
To this day I'm not entirely convinced it was merely to 'assist' her in the kitchen but rather a sublime and very successful effort on her part to get her two boys into the kitchen and give her a break!
My first 'break' came at the ripe age of 8 (I had been 'assisting' for 2 years already) when my mother went into hospital to give birth to her third little boy. I think the culmination of the years of training seemed to strike a chord with my father, as no longer was he expected to produce his standard: "Bacon, Egg and Chips" - he was now being introduced to food from his offspring! It must have been like heaven for him - 3 cooks and no more venturing into the kitchen for him!
And so began my lifelong passion for food.
From the humble beginnings of making that cup of coffee on a Sunday morning, followed by breakfast or 'brunch' (depending on how lazy I felt) to my first dinner to celebrate my mother's return home with my younger brother in tow. And the journey continues unabated today.
Growing up, as a child in the 70's in South Africa was indeed something I was to look back on with fond memories. From listening to my father's serenading of my mother with some of the classic 60's and 70's numbers ("where do you go to my lovely" springs to mind), to him singing 'country drive' songs ("ag please daddy" even with ALL the naughty verses), most of the time we were on a journey that culminated in the sheer enjoyment of food.
Be it for a picnic in High Noon or a late lunch in Franschhoek, to a country drive down to Cape Point to eat steamed mussels on the beach at Olifantsbos and have freshly prepared crayfish. The summers seemed to last a lifetime then.
The HUGE gatherings of the clan at Christmas time was a culinary feast - the men drank beer whilst the women were in the kitchen preparing the day's feast. The smells and sounds of the kitchen along with the ceaseless banter between everyone - it seemed everyone was indeed mad! I know today that things were slightly different and can only imagine that my mother was patiently biding her time for her first two boys to volunteer their efforts and so become embroiled in the preparation of the traditional family feasts. She had laid the groundwork and was slowly but surely nurturing both of us to replace her in the kitchen. I think she may well contest this last point - but until she regularly makes use of the kitchen today to prepare FROM SCRATCH her own meals, I will continue to hold this belief.
Indeed she was a great cook - patient and tireless in the kitchen when it came to providing a family meal that we all sat down to and shared. The amount of love and effort that she expended in the kitchen I can fully understand today and humbly thank her for inspiring us to be able to 'think on our feet' and cook with passion.
After all food is something essential in our lives and she taught us the maxim - LIVE TO EAT! Eating to live is of course the antithesis.
I cannot imagine a life that revolved around just 'eating to live'. An alien concept in its most vulgar form.
As with many kids there were loads of foods that I could just not understand WHY my mother was trying to feed us with. The thoughts of poisoning by eating such weird things as Asparagus, tasting escargot (the thought of eating a garden snail WHOLLY repulsed me) were offset by my mother 'bribing' us with her wonderful puddings.
My favourite being her rice pudding. The withdrawal of pudding was indeed a punishment too difficult to imagine - yet I managed to experience it once. Suffice to say I didn't repeat my transgression and have never failed to remind my mother of the sheer torment of not being able to eat dessert that night!
Tis no matter - my love and admiration for you mom has never diminished, but rather grown over the many, many years.
Scroll forward a few years into the wonderful years of being a teenager and being able to earn pocket money! How fortunate it was that we had a great restaurant open across the road from us and night after night the smells of garlic and herbs wafted through the air.
I was young, green and very keen to see exactly what went on in the kitchens and somehow managed to get a position as a kitchen assistant for a few hours at a time.
Sheer mayhem greeted me! No longer in the warm confines of my mother's kitchen at home - here was real food being churned out at a frenetic pace!
The smells of wood fired pizzas, char grilled steaks, and racks upon racks of mouth-watering ribs, succulent fish and a huge variety of pasta were enough to assault any person's virgin nostrils! I was hooked!
How on earth anyone could be the captain of his ship and be able to control all of this chaos AND then still take the time out to greet the regular guests was totally beyond my grasp. The great booming voice of the Dutchman and the somewhat 'mad' Italian behind the stoves still reverberate fondly in my ears.
Jan, you were a legend then and I will forever be in your debt for allowing a youngster to enter your hallowed kitchens and continue his journey on becoming a Chef.
Cooking in an open plan kitchen was almost unheard of in those days, yet it prepared me for dealing with the Front of House - the reason why we're all in business, the Guest!
Being equally at home cooking in the kitchen and then having to communicate with the guests allowed me to venture out of the kitchen and onto the floor for a while. Whilst earning tips was indeed fun and allowed one more scope to go and enjoy a few extra beers after work, the adrenaline rush was nothing compared to the kitchen.
I returned to my roots in Hout Bay and continued my journey in the kitchen. A succession of owners, from Mozambique, South African, Belgian, Italian and finally to German allowed a glimpse into what other cultures ate, the food they shared and ultimately educating palates in what food was really about.
I remained there for seven years, the majority of the time under the wings of my German Chef, Markus. To this day a legacy of some sorts is on the menu - my favourite pizza has its name given by my mother. Though it must be said it was NOT my choice of name!
In fairness to him, it was his term of endearment, Cheffie, which has become my tag.
We were fortunate to have a regular guest who, being a British Master Chef, allowed me the opportunity to come and train to be a professional Chef. Understanding the basics of cooking is what I needed in order to develop as a Chef. To him I owe a huge debt of gratitude for allowing his passion to inspire an already addicted, yet somewhat naive Chef.
The patience, love and care that goes into Classical French Cookery is indeed something that forms the basics for many cultures all around the world. Getting it right, consistently, and ensuring the guest is satisfied is another.
Chef, whatever I might achieve in life is in no small part to your love, patience and inspirational tutelage you imparted all those years ago. THE best Chef Mentor one could ever hope for.
Moving through a succession of kitchens brought me into contact with my first 'fine-dining' experience.
Wow!
An already established Seafood restaurant, it had a young team and the food we managed to produce - in all it's finery and attention to detail, led the New York Times labelling us as the Premier Choice for fine dining in Cape Town. An accolade that the staff was to be proud of!
Along came the proverbial Carlton Food TV appearance with a renowned London Chef and so the journey continued. Fascinating that one could achieve a lot in such a short space of time (I was a sprightly 27 year old!) - almost surreal in it's outcomes.
The lure of working internationally proved to be irresistible. My first position brought me into contact with some great guys in the kitchen - the difference in kitchen procedures, health, hygiene and overall standards were something that I had to acclimatize to.
Here I was cooking in the lap of the culinary centre of the world. Sure, Sydney, San Francisco, Hong Kong, New York and Paris were vying for the title - but in terms of affordability of food, availability of produce from around the world and a guest profile that was beginning to be widely travelled - none could match London!
The owners turned out to have somewhat unsavoury business practises (The less said the better - perhaps a story for a rainy day) and in the style of Gordon Ramsay so many years ago, the main staff walked out.
CONTINUED...
Author: Grant Hawthorne AKA Cheffie
Copyright. All rights reserved.
AUGUST 2005
"So what's it like becoming a Chef?" - Cheffie - 22-11-2005
Being part of the selected few that wanted to continue working together, we devised a menu, set our business plans and objectives and put our efforts into making a somewhat derelict building (with flailing restaurant) into something that we could all be proud of.
The journey has been a totally new experience. The staffing issues, suppliers etc have made each day a pleasure to go into work - there is always work to be done and with our young, enthusiastic team, we have managed our first award, achieved within our first year of operation.
The journey of being a Chef is never-ending and recently one of our regular guests, Chef Jean-Christophe Novelli, allowed me to come and do a month's stage in his hallowed kitchens. It's true that this is indeed a dream come true, but as they say - it's a story for another day.
Perhaps you know of some young person that is keen on becoming a Chef and dreams of one day opening his or her own place?
Some useful gifts that you might wish to give them or even read for yourself are three books:
Kitchen Confidential - Anthony Bourdain
The Making of a Chef - Michael Ruhlmann
The Soul of a Chef - Michael Ruhlmann
They're all very well written and give the reader a unique insight into the life of a Chef and the way of cooking today.
Further articles will follow on from this initial outpouring of passion on becoming a Chef. As it is a journey that is never-ending, so the stories will seem to be interwoven and somewhat interlocked - from the joys of setting up business to the dark grimy walls of seedy bars and nightclubs and onwards to creating that perfect dish or perhaps eating the most magical meal.
So what is it like being a Chef?
Sheer heaven on Earth!
Author: Grant Hawthorne AKA Cheffie
Copyright. All rights reserved.
AUGUST 2005
"So what's it like becoming a Chef?" - Pronkertjie - 22-11-2005
While I was in Scotland we started the seminaar with a full English breakfast. I was the one to organise it all and oh boy, I had 5 people running around like crazy at the last minute. It was fun, but to put an attractive plate of good food infront of them is a challenge for a large group.
I am far but experience to do it and I admire the Chefs who can prepare a tasty meal for a large group.
Well done Cheffie.... I still need to find some time to visit your restaurant!
"So what's it like becoming a Chef?" - TheDuck - 05-12-2005
Dear Cheffie
I took the time to read this only now. I would just like to say a huge thank you for sharing this with us. Absolutely splendid
:chef:
"So what's it like becoming a Chef?" - Cheffie - 06-12-2005
TheDuck Wrote:Dear Cheffie
I took the time to read this only now. :chef:
Duckie...
Is you saying you is slow?
I have a few more waiting in the wings... and an article still to be written about recent adventures and some trainees coming full circle.
The journey to achieve Master Chef is proving to be long and arduous... but worth every little step of the way. To live and be paid to explore your dream is something that I only hope others can one day experience.
Like you Duckie... a long journey ahead but an experience of a lifetime :thumbs:
"So what's it like becoming a Chef?" - bro - 08-12-2005
Have not been here for a while but have found a new appreciation for chefs and all things with cooking.
Building hotels and understanding how a hotel's kitchen must work and the passion that the executive chefs will share with me in there enthusiam has given me a completely new understanding.
Well now to tell the CEO that the kitchen in the new hotel is only 300 000 USD over the budgeted amount...gulp...hope he will understand....damn forgat to add in the small operating equipment...doouble gulp.
"So what's it like becoming a Chef?" - Cheffie - 09-12-2005
bro Wrote:Building hotels and understanding how a hotel's kitchen must work and the passion that the executive chefs will share with me in there enthusiam has given me a completely new understanding.
Well now to tell the CEO that the kitchen in the new hotel is only 300 000 USD over the budgeted amount...gulp...hope he will understand....damn forgat to add in the small operating equipment...doouble gulp.
LOL Bro. Involving the Chef from the outset will not only endear you to them, but ensure your physical legacy is both functional and workable. Personally just finished stage 1 of my kitchen refurb that cost a pretty penny... but in the end it will pay for itself without a problem.
Factor in all the new EU legislation re H&S and Hygiene... it becomes almost a farce. A necessary one... but a farce nonetheless.
Drop a line WRT possibly writing an article for the forum? I personally would find it most enlightening :thumbs:
"So what's it like becoming a Chef?" - bro - 10-12-2005
Yes cheffie the new laws are causing havoc with us as well. Mind you Zanzibar and Accra we can still get away with a lot of things but Germany, Switzerland and Holland well the food just cannot be displayed as the chef would like it. Sneeze guards causing all sots of problems with the interior architects wishes and desires.
And we won't even mention the French, now there everything is differermt again.
I generally get on with my chefs but enevitably the hotel I am building, has not yet got the actual chef on board by the time I have finished planning and executing so inevitably we end up in fight.,,,, he wins and I move onto the next project.....
regards
"So what's it like becoming a Chef?" - Cheffie - 11-12-2005
bro Wrote:I generally get on with my chefs but enevitably the hotel I am building, has not yet got the actual chef on board by the time I have finished planning and executing so inevitably we end up in fight.,,,, he wins and I move onto the next project.....
regards
Howzit Bro
Recently I went to Poole to advise on an hotel being built there (merely the kitchen specs etc) and whilst they listened to my comments I fear that they were just in a rush to get it completed before 'selling the idea and concept on'.
On a personal note, have you managed to spend any time working in a professional kitchen for any period of time?
There is so much to convey about service, the speed of service, ergonomics etc that (whilst it can sometimes be seen in a TV show) it rarely is expressed fully. The author, Michael Ruhlmann wanted to understand what it took to be a chef and basically did a year in the academy. Fascinating reading from an 'insider' point of view of an 'outsider' observing - he got it spot on!
Perhaps a stint in a few hotels (ones that you have designed?) might help you along the way - presuming you haven't gone down this road yet?
From my side, if there is anything I can do, please just shout.
G
"So what's it like becoming a Chef?" - bro - 13-12-2005
Thanks for the info and offer of assistance, I work very closely with my F&B department and concepts and operating briefs are all part of the road that we must travel.
The thing I enjoy most about my job is that no two hotel projects are the same, different countries, different cultures, different types og hotels, different challenges from remote destinations to city hot spot locations andthen back to the down righht dangerous out of your mind destinations that no able bodied tourist would dream of visiting at present, and yet business people need to go there and money is there to be made. Getting fresh produce and variety to some of these destinations is ofthen a greater cahllenge than building the hotel. never mind electrcity supply and water and spare parts and and and and .
Ahhh I would not replace this job for any other job at he moment even if I have 6 new opening next year!!
Regards
Bro