Professionalism - What it takes to be a chefSometimes, people think that a basic affinity towards something means you can be a professional at it. That's not true though. A basic affinity towards a certain thing is just the first step. All that means is that someday, you might be able to be something great. Now ... I'm talking about my boss. He has an affinity for flavor, and thinks he can be chef, but he's just fooling himself. He's such a newbie, and I hate listening to him. If you have an affinity for driving, you don't just start racing cars. Even if you're a -perfect- driver, often, pit strategy is what makes the difference. If you can't drive perfectly, within a hundredth of a second around a corner, then what the hell are you even doing pretending that you even belong there? When I see a young cook, I don't even look for an affinity for flavor. I honestly don't even care whether or not they can tell the difference between a really sublime meal, and just crap. What matters more to me is whether or not they're able to learn, whether or not they want to be better, and whether or not they can push and hustle. An affinity for flavor is something you have to nurture. Work ethic is much more important. That is what really separates me and my sister from other people around us. Our work ethic is just extremely solid. I create work, I find work, I keep myself busy. Even while I'm busy, my mind is running around trying to figure out how to make this easier. Even if they have an excellent work ethic, that's not all of it. They have to be able to work in a small space, because kitchens are -always- small. They have to be able to work organized and neat and not get in anyone else's way. I have yelled at cooks for simply taking up too much space. If I need to work around them and they can't keep an area neat, I just end up cleaning up after them.
After all that, they need to know proper technique. Recipes are shit. They aren't important. They are worthless. All books on flavor combinations are complete crap. Look at any dessert recipe and you'll see something interesting. They're all the same. Sometimes they add an ingredient or two, but they're all the same -- standard pie dough recipe, standard cookie dough, 3-2-1 cookie dough. True pastry chefs know technique. They know what sugar looks like when it's at soft boil. They know how fluffy their dough needs to be before adding whatever. They know when to stop mixing to avoid making something tough. -That- is what makes the difference between a cook that can excel and a cook that is just a short order robot. Work ethic Desire to become better Ability to work in a small space Ability to stay organized and clean Ability to work quickly Experience Technique Ability to get others to work This isn't anything crazy. This is simply what you need to actually be great at anything. After all that, affinity for flavor, and then an ability to make a menu that people want to come back to; One that minimizes cost and room for error, and maximizes kitchen efficiency. That is what it takes to be a chef. I'm sick of trying to convince people who know less than I do that I'm worth listening to. At my last job, my boss would thank me for reminding him to do his job well. Those are his words not mine. When we all have that attitude, things happen. Unwavering professionalism at all costs ... There will be times when you're too tired to do a good job, and then someone else inspires you. You thank them for it because if you don't follow through, you hate yourself for doing a shitty job. Even if the food tastes good, unless it was absolutely sublime ... it's worthless. | 
