Shane Chartand (Courtesy of Shane Chartand)
The funny thing is, though there may all sorts of reasons why cooks from home or chefs of the “Shangri-La” cook, I believe it is because we simply love to cook! The reason appears to be the same for people who cook at home. There is nothing more rewarding then having friends and family around to enjoy what you have been working on all day.
Over the years I have met many different kinds of cooks: professional chefs, pastry chefs, caterers, bakers, home cooks, garde-manger cooks, and the list goes on. The one thing that keeps coming up is whether to go to culinary school for formal training. At culinary school you will definitely get chances to improve your cooking. You will also receive recognition for your education at the institute of your choice. I have had people ask me if it is important. I’ve also heard people say, “Well, I never went to school and look at me now!”
The whole idea of formal training is to get you started by teaching you all the basics, including math, the history of cooking, knife skills, and getting to know your way around the entire kitchen. Remember, if you want to be a chef or just be a better cook at home, this will become a great part of your personal profile and your skill set.
A culinary education does not necessarily make you a better cook if you already have been doing it for years or if you have been working in the business a long time, but it can help you gain personal recognition. Moreover, a formal culinary education can help you to network with professionals in the field and you become part of the larger culinary world through e-mails, dinner invitations, and other activities around your city.
A lady in her fifties wanted a job with me at the restaurant but wasn’t able to do heavy work. She was unable to do any of the line work which can be challenging, so I had her make soups four days a week. After a year of work she became interested in going to culinary school.
I explained to her what that entailed, and it only made her more excited to go. Two years later she graduated. Even though she was the oldest in the class, she had very good grades, made many friends, and upon graduation, proudly displayed her diploma in her house. When I asked her later why she really wanted to finish cooking school, she replied, “So I can cook for my husband better!”
I just went on a farm tour with a dozen local chefs. We went from farm to farm, hay riding around, seeing, listening, and learning why farmers grow crops—from organic tomatoes, to squash blossoms, and even to raising free-range lamb. From what I could understand, these farmers love growing great food.
They all talked about why farmland is important. They discussed the characteristics of soil and how amazing it is watch how the ecosystem of crops interacts with its environment. Fourth-generation farmers are still working on the same farms their great, great, great grandfathers started. Every farmer had their own story of why they loved to farm and what kind of food they really enjoyed growing.
I found the same thing when I toured dairy farms and cheese farms. It always comes back to the art of making great food and loving it. These farmers reminded me of why I love to cook. Next time you are making a dinner, or going to the farmers market, take a minute to understand the love that you will put in to the meal you are going to create or simply the love that was put in getting you that perfect heirloom tomato that was grown just for your dinner table.
