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What does a typical day look like in culinary arts?

I am a student at the San Jose Job Corps.

career-advice culinary cooking culinary-arts day-to-day culinarycareer
Thank you comment icon I won't beat around the bush. Working with food is often hard. Restaurants are high-pressure places where there is not any room for idleness. You will work long hours and leave work sweaty and exhausted. Your first jobs may be tedious--separate 300 eggs anyone? Of course, your experience will depend on your position and the kind of place you work. My personal experience with the culinary arts was only possible because I was fascinated with food and wine, and had travelled extensively so that I knew that it was French food in particular that interested me. If you're just looking for a job, yes, the culinary arts may be an option, but only a temporary one. My other recommendation is not to spend a lot of money (or time) on cooking school. When I had my restaurant, I didn't usually hire people from cooking schools, but rather people who wanted to learn. If you do have some money, enough, say, to go to a private cooking school, I have other advice. Do what I did and find a country whose cuisine you like and fascinates you. Move there, learn the language, make friends, and appreciate the culture. Then, when you come back to America, you will have something truly original. Your own cooking will emerge from your experience. James Peterson
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Paul’s Answer

Be prepared for almost no social life when 1st starting. You may get at a job site at 6 am and not leave until 20 or 11 that night. There is the set up that has to be done and be done correctly to insure food freshness and to also insure food safety, which is absolutely necessary. There is the prep work to have all ingredients ready to produce a quality product. Then there is the actual cooking and bringing everything together and if your in a fast pace unit it can and will be stressful. Then there is the reset of the kitchen for the next shift or menu items. Again there will be more prep work. Then there is the close and clean up from the day, dishes and pots and pans will have to be cleaned and ready for the next day. Food will have to be stored, and this is a critical role because improper storage will cause good to go bad quickly and then your cost go up. You want to be sure to follow all procedures because the risk of making someone sick or cause death could be very high if not done right. But besides all of this there is a great reward and feeling of accomplishment when it's done right, you may not get a pay on the back but if your unit is always full of paying customers and have constant repeat business, that will be the sign you have done your job. And there is no better of getting recognition than seeing happy people loving your food
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Charlie’s Answer

Typically the instructor will start with kitchen 101 which will consist of proper start of day procedures (ensuring you have fresh quality product to conduct that days' session)
Depending on where you are in your classes you can expect basics like knife skills, proper use of all kitchen equipment, proper sanitation procedures and that day's lesson, be it protein, vegetables, stocks, etc.
Attention to detail is key and ensuring you taste ALL product you produce.

Best of luck!!!!
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Jeff’s Answer

A typical day for me is checking the menu for the next few days ,and getting the products I need. Then preparing them for service for our employees cafeteria
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