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what are some abilities ill need to be a chef?

id like to work on my trade and work on the abilities id need as a chef

Thank you comment icon Hello Tommy, my brother's name is Tom. How are you doing today? I agree with Brandon's answer. In addition, I would watch shows like "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations," or Bobby Flay on the Cooking Channel. Andrew Zimmerman's "Delicious Destinations" is also good. Make sure you really understand the life of a chef. Frank Swan

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Subject: Career question for you

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Robert’s Answer

Hi Tommy,
the abilities you need as a chef are knife skills, passion, pride, the ability to adapt and change. Not every minute of the day will be the same, as things change. for instance, I had a party of 425 people. The customer at the end of the night decided she wanted dessert added to her tab. My team and I scooped 850 scoops of vanilla ice cream, topped them all with whipped cream and a brownie.
So, with things changing every day you also need patience, be even keeled and not get frustrated at the little things.

other abilities,
You can read books, watch culinary shows, stay away from bobby flay, in my mind he is an idiot, everyone has their own opinions.
Watch old Julia Child videos, along with Mario Batali, Jaques Pepin. These are the god persons of culinary to me. Watch Harvard physics classes when they invite chefs to their physics classes. Watch Ted talks about culinary, food, anything that is authentic. If you go to a restaurant some places have an open kitchen watch them prepare items. Take up cooking classes, some real chefs will have them, go to the best restaurant in your city, ask to talk to the chef or manager, see what you can do to sit and watch (take notes) people cook, if possible.
You may get a job there.

I hope this helps,

Retired Chef Rob Mingus
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Brandon’s Answer

To be a chef you need the skills to cooperate with other members on the same team. A lot of a chef's work requires a person to communicate with team members to get tasks done efficiently and effectively. You will also need to be able to need the culinary skills to make presentable dishes, proper knife skills, and any other skill needed to create the dishes for which ever restaurant you decide to work for (different restaurants will require different specific skills, but most are the same).

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Ronett’s Answer

To be a chef, there are several key abilities that you will need to master. Here are some of the most important skills and abilities you should work on developing:

1. Culinary knowledge and skills: A strong foundation in culinary knowledge and skills is essential for any chef, including knowledge of cooking techniques, ingredient selection, and recipe development.

2. Creativity: Chefs need to be creative and able to experiment with different flavors and ingredients to create new and exciting dishes.

3. Attention to detail: The best chefs have a keen eye for detail to ensure that every dish is perfectly prepared and presented.

4. Adaptability: The culinary world is constantly evolving, and as a chef, you will need to be adaptable and able to learn new techniques and stay up-to-date on trends in the industry.

5. Teamwork: In a kitchen setting, teamwork is essential for success. Chefs need to be able to work closely with other chefs, line cooks, and kitchen staff to ensure that each dish is prepared correctly and served on time.

6. Time management: In a fast-paced kitchen setting, time management is critical. Chefs need to be able to manage their time effectively to ensure that all dishes are prepared and served on time.

7. Business skills: If you plan to run your own restaurant or catering business, you will need to have a solid foundation in business skills, including budgeting, inventory management, and customer service.

8. Communication skills: Chefs need to be able to communicate effectively with their team, customers, and suppliers.

9. Physical stamina: Chefs work long hours and are often on their feet for extended periods of time, so physical stamina is important.

10. Passion and dedication: Being a chef is a demanding and challenging job that requires passion and dedication to the craft.

Overall, becoming a successful chef requires a combination of culinary knowledge and skills, creativity, attention to detail, adaptability, teamwork, time management, business skills, communication skills, physical stamina, and passion and dedication. With hard work, dedication, and a willingness to learn, you can develop these abilities and become a successful chef.

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Junnie’s Answer

Dear Tommy,
It is so great to hear that you are taking the time and effort to learn towards being a chef.
Knife cuts: To start with the basics, learning about knives is important. Find a chef knife that you like to work with. Look up the basic knife cuts. Practice to get consistency.

Cooking methods: Research and learn about the different cooking methods.

Quality of ingredients: Research and learn about fruits and vegetables. Learn about meat and seafood; how to tell when fresh, how to keep them fresh, and how to check their quality. There are also various ingredients you can research and learn such as spices and international cuisines, etc. You might find something that you are inspired to learn more about.

Food Safety: It is also very important to learn about food safety. Learning the food safety international temperature. How to store food safely and reserve their quality. Hand wash.

Picking good quality ingredients and knowing how to store them well gives you great ingredients to cook with. Knife skill and cooking method is important to cook beautiful and delicious food. It is as important to prepare food in a clean environment and temperature safe zone. Hence, these are some basics that are important to research and learn. Cooking is a process of art.

There are some good YouTube videos, tv shows and books.
Let me know if you would like more guidance.

All the best.
I hope this helps.

Junnie
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