On Jun 6, 6:45 am, Jimmy > wrote:
> On Jun 6, 9:30 am, Sheldon > wrote:
>
>
>
> > Andy wrote:
> > > J S said...
>
> > > > May be just me,but Ive noticed Rachel Ray is always cooking with her
> > > > hair hanging over the food.Some long-haired male chefs do it also.Isnt
> > > > this a no-no in a professional or otherwise kitchen?When I did catering
> > > > its one of the first things we were told about...Plus touching food with
> > > > 'clean'hands..noticed a few unclean finger nails on a few tv stars when
> > > > arranging presentations.
>
> > > I imagine TV chefs are allowed those liberties since they aren't serving
> > > actual restaurant patrons.
>
> > That's not an excuse. And I wish folks would stop calling them Chefs,
> > the majority are not... they're foodtv personalities... were they
> > really chefs we wouldn't be having this discussion.
>
> > Sheldon
>
> The word 'Chef' has been perverted. It is a french(and other lingos)
> word meaning 'chief', 'boss' or some such truck. These bozos walking
> around calling themselves 'chefs' are out to lunch, or dinner or
> breaky...I don't know any french but like a chef saucier would be in
> charge of the sauce department; a chef is always in some kind of alpha/
> beta role. For example(please note that the word chef is not only
> used correctly in France)my uncle is a chemical engineer in Germany.
> When he refers to his boss he calls him 'chef' etc...Mike Smith is a
> cook unless he is in charge of something. Emeril is a chef I suppose
> since he runs restaurants; but a chef of what? That is the question.
> A chef of his restaurant/s. When he takes complete charge of one of
> his kitchens in one of his restaurants then he would be executive chef
> or head chef or just plain chef depending upon the organization of the
> kitchen.

Having been and executive chef for 40 years I rise to your opinion.
First as to cleanliness, when an apprentice chef I had to present
myself and hands to the sous chef each day before my shift started.
Woe be to the apprentice and or cook who turned up not properly
dressed and clean. In todays PC world this has diminished quite a lot.
To challenge a persons hygiene is problematic but should be done
regardless. Proper kitchen dress includes covering of all hair,
period. I have seen long uncontrolled hair in very upscale restaurants
such as Mesa Grill. It is not professional and the establishment
should be called on it. Cleanliness in the kitchen starts at the top.
If a executive or sous chef or kitchen manager does not set a good
example how can he/she enforce rules?

The titles of various chef positions has been watered and diluted
basically for financial reasons. Chain restaurants and food service
companies do not like standard culinary industry titles that have a
pay expectations attached to them. They have created the "kitchen
manager", "lead cook" or just chef among various titles to enable them
to create their own hour and pay structure.

In the industry the boutique chefs or TV chefs are usually a joke.
There are some that are truly stars but very few and getting fewer.
They are at best cooks. Cooks cook, chefs run kitchens.