On Mon, 5 Jul 2010 09:01:41 -0700 (PDT), Junoexpress
> wrote:

>On Jul 4, 2:34*pm, Peter > wrote:
>
>
>Good luck if you do decide to go through with this career change. I
>won't repeat most of the (good) advice others have offered, except to
>add a few comments which I hope you take in the constructive vein they
>are intended.
>
>Cooking is an art, not a science, and most of what you learn (unlike
>math) does not come from a book, but rather from a lot experience.

Yes, cooking is an art that experience polishes/grooms, but like the
other arts it's an inate talent you're born with it or not. Without
the natural talent all the formal schooling/instruction in the world
won't make one a cook anymore than thousands of hours of piano lessons
will make someone who's tone deaf a muscian.

>If you keep your eyes open, read, ask a lot of questions, and practice a
>LOT, you'll learn a ton without having ever having to set one foot
>inside a school. So, for this reason, you do not have to go to a
>school to learn how to be a good cook. However, having said this, you
>also have to be aware that when most people are doing this type of
>apprentice-like learning they are working under someone. And for good
>reason: there is a lot of basic knowledge you do have to have under
>your belt to be able to actually run a kitchen. Some of it is basic
>stuff, regarding food safety and health issues (like tempos for
>storing/cooking certain types of meats and perishable food items,
>etc), but then there are a lot of things that seem easy but aren't (if
>you don't know what you're doing), such ordering food and beverages.
>For this reason, I would strongly advise you NOT to start out trying
>to be a cook if there is not someone you can work under. You could
>kill someone or run the business into the ground, and probably also
>ruin the start of what could have been a great experience.
>
>The second thing I would add is that most people I know who went the
>route you are considering were young when they started out. The long
>hours, physical demands of the job, and dedication it takes are better
>suited to a young unmarried person with lots of energy and not a lot
>of other responsibilities. I don't know the details of your situation,
>but this is something I think you would be wise to consider before
>making this change.
>
>Finally, I would kind of echo some of the other comments made in
>regards to learning more about what the career is like before you get
>too far in. Sometimes I think cooking is a bit like singing or stand-
>up comedy: everybody thinks they can sing or are funny. A lot of
>people enjoy cooking as a hobby and can even make a few dishes well,
>but this is not what being a chef is about. Since you mentioned Gordon
>Ramsey earlier, I'll tell you a funny story about a friend of mine who
>watches one of his shows. He said, "Yeah, it's easy to be a cook. All
>Gordon Ramsey does is come in, simplifies the menu down to a few
>dishes, and then uses fresh ingredients. That's all you have to do!"
>I've had friends in a situation similar to yours who are burned out in
>their careers and think they would like to express their creative side
>by being a chef. Nothing wrong with that, but after a day or two of
>shadowing me, none of them have made the change, mostly because it is
>not the life they saw on TV or had in their fantasy world.

Professional cooking is nothing like home cooking and certainly
nothing like foodtv. Pro cooks are at the very top of the list of
occupations that suffer severe occupational injurys, right up there
with coal miner... most all pro cooks develop debilitating chronic
respiratory diseases.