Chef v Cook

I promised myself I wouldn’t use my blog as a ‘Psoapbox’; ranting about things that make my head shake when I struggle to comprehend some of the world’s craziness. I try to reserve most of my ranting for my morning ritual of yelling at the television or radio while watching or listening to the news.  I don’t like being a ‘Debbie Downer’ and I certainly don’t feel educated enough to speak about politics or radicalism. I also don’t like being controversial and I try to avoid drama at all costs.  But, if you’ve been reading my blog, there are a couple of topics I feel I’m within my right to offer an educated opinion on, based off personal experience. Psoriasis is one and the culinary world is the other.

I have noticed a lot of professional cooks and ‘home cooks’ refer to themselves as ‘chef’ on social media lately, and it confuses me.

Has the word ‘cook’ taken on a negative connotation?

The majority of people I know have graduated to ‘home chef’ and I’m not sure why.  Have ‘cook’ and ‘chef’ become the same thing? Are the words interchangeable? I’m sure to some the answer is probably yes. But to those in the know, the answer is most definitely, no.

A few weeks back I read something in a Facebook group comprised of thousands of culinary professionals. A young cook was dumbfounded that he had been overlooked for a promotion to chef, just two years after culinary school. That spoke volumes to me about the state of mind for many young cooks today. I believe there is a difference between a chef and a cook. And you can be both.

But, (and this is a HUGE BUT) you must be a cook before you can become a chef. Becoming a chef is a lot more than being an excellent cook.

From the Horse’s Mouth

I called a culinary school educator, someone who is closer to the subject than I am, and asked him what he thought about young cooks these days. Why do so many avoid calling themselves what they are, a cook!

Chef Glass echoed some of my thoughts; The Food Network has had a huge impact on the culinary profession, sometimes making this world appear much more glamorous than it really is. But the real cooks and chefs have paid their dues.

There is no question that The Food Network has some incredibly talented culinary professionals. But I bet to get there, they likely worked for years earning minimum wage, have done inventory, created and costed menus, taught and led a brigade of other cooks, and have taken full responsibly for every plate that leaves the kitchen. There are talented cooks and there are talented chefs. You must earn each designation.

Chef Glass’ culinary road was similar to mine; in order to advance my career, I would work long hours (sometimes unpaid) in order to learn from chefs, acquiring knowledge. The meat was butchered and fish filleted long before cooks would start their shift, but working eighty hours per week and being paid for forty was an investment in my future.  Apparently, Chef Glass felt the same way.

In truth, I could go on forever but I think you appreciate what I’m saying. Chefs come in all shapes, sizes and skillsets, but they all have one thing in common; each one paid their dues.

“Not All Cooks are Chefs” …

But not all chefs are cooks either.

I have worked for a very well-known Toronto chef who, in the 18 months we worked together, only cooked once. He spent 99% of his time reviewing spreadsheets and providing checks and balances via his desktop computer. Was he a chef?  As far as I’m concerned, yes!

I have also worked for a chef who lived in the kitchen, choosing to leave those financial checks and balances to his sous chefs. Was he a chef?  Absolutely, he was.

But a culinary school graduate who has been out in the workforce for two, three, or four years; are they chefs? No, not yet.

And someone who avidly reads cookbooks and both appreciates and makes incredible food to feed  to neighbours, family and friends, are they a chef? No, they are not! But I do think they’re incredible home cooks and ‘foodies’.

You may not believe this but I would prefer to come to your home over 90% of the restaurants in Toronto. And that’s the truth! The food I see posted online, from being made in a home kitchen, looks amazing, and there are some incredibly talented home cooks in my network!

I am a cook. I love going to the market and creating meals from what I’ve bought. I love spending hours in my kitchen, creating something from nothing, for my family and friends.

I am also a chef and that is something I take tremendous pride in. I love teaching and sharing knowledge.

But I take as much pride in being able to create a fiscally responsible menu as I do a tasty one. That is part of the chef in me.

– Chef JW