9781422274873

CHEF VS. COOK

and Heat Seekers , knew he wanted to be a chef from a young age. When he was twelve or thirteen, he began working in the kitchen of his mother’s restaurant after school. (His mother, Zarela Martinez, is a famous chef in her own right.) “It just became something I really enjoyed, and it was one of the few things I was good at,” Aarón explained in an interview found on the Institute of Culinary Education’s website. “I was a very undisciplined child, and the kitchen was good because it provided structure, mentoring, and discipline—something every young person needs.” Other people are a little less sure. Take Trine Hahnemann, a famous chef and food writer in Denmark. “I never thought it was going to be my career, [but] it was always my passion [an intense love for an activity] to cook,” she recalls in an interview found at reluctantgourmet.com. “I collected cookbooks and cooked for my family and friends and for parties.” Trine discovered she could turn her passion to cook into a career a little later in life, even though when she was younger, she never imagined she would become a chef. What’s the difference between a chef and a cook? A couple things. If you’re cooking at home for family, friends, and yourself, you’re a cook. Chefs get paid to cook food. Some cooks work in restaurants too, and they do get paid as well. Cooks who work in casual-style restaurants and diners generally don’t have to be too creative about their cooking, though. They follow recipes, flip hamburgers, make scrambled eggs, and fry French fries. Chefs usually have more knowledge and more training. Chefs come up with menus, don’t need recipes to create delicious meals, and under- stand the science behind the dishes they’re making. In this book, we’ll talk a lot about chefs but also discuss cooks and other culinary professionals.

10 CAREERS WITH EARNING POTENTIAL: CHEF 10 CAREERS ITH EARNING POTENTIAL: CHEF