1. Strictly speaking, the term “professional chef” can be viewed as a slight redundancy
because second word is already generally regarded as one who is educated and
experienced in all aspects of food preparation. Given this definition, it can help
delineate a chef from a cook who simply possesses the basics and fundamental
knowledge of food preparation. This isn’t to put down the skills and talents of the self
taught cook but to give credence and recognition to the many years it takes a chef
to earn his or her title.
All too often, one comes across successful entrepreneurs who established popular
restaurants without having to employ formally educated kitchen staff. This is
because the art of food preparation is something that can be developed not
necessarily in a classroom but through years of apprenticeship or self study.
Depending on the type of eatery, a small cafe offering simple sandwiches, pasta,
desserts and drinks may not necessarily have to employ highly qualified staff and
can operate successfully with cooks who can follow a recipe and have basic
knowledge on kitchen operations. On the other hand, much larger establishments
like five-star hotels and cruise ships with multiple food and beverage outlets and
fancy fine-dining restaurants and banquet halls that seat over a hundred guests at
one time need to hire a full kitchen team, oftentimes with college graduates
supervising their specific areas from sauciers handling sautéed items and sauces and
chefs dedicated to fish, roasts, grills, cold items and desserts.
Apart from specific cooking duties, chefs should be able to create and cost out
menus, develop recipes, manage and control procurement, labor and food costs.
In addition to this, overall administration duties of the culinary team or department
fall on the plate of the kitchen executive or his assistant–hiring, firing, training and
people management and many other duties.
Formal training obtained in learning institutions, regardless if they are expensive
culinary academies offering four-year degrees or community colleges offering short

2. cooking
courses, provide
the building
blocks of the
career of a
chef. Though
being
educated and
titled
automatically
gains someone
recognition
among peers
and
subordinates, to
exhibit the
essence of
professionalism
through hard
work, patience,
discipline, and perseverance ultimately earns respect.
The most successful of career chefs all start out as a graduate of culinary school with
no experience except for a couple hundreds of on the job training. Then there’s self
taught cooks who didn’t even complete cooking school and instead worked their
way up from being a dishwasher and eventually rose the ranks to become kitchen
executives. In any case, dedication to the job is the key to success with a pinch of
luck.