In the course of his evolution, man moved from gathering to a higher level, and one of the main skills that he began to develop in himself was cooking. Over time, he discovered that properly and deliciously prepared food is the basis of health, so paying attention to the cooking process has proved to be an important part of life.
Turning to ancient Greek myths, we also note that in that culture great importance was given to people who prepared food: for example, the cook's assistant, Kulina, was the assistant to the doctor Axlepius (to whom the cult was dedicated). She has become a symbol of the craftsmanship that we call cooking.
Now there are many schools in which future chefs are trained, however, in this area not only knowledge is needed, but also talent that will allow you to reach professional heights and prepare real culinary masterpieces.
Profession Cook: Pros and Cons
Like any profession, cooking has a number of advantages and disadvantages: for example, demand is a big plus, so unemployment does not threaten more graduates. A stable income is also distinguished from the positive characteristics of the profession: real specialists are highly valued, moreover, any institution needs personnel that will not constantly change their place of work, since a lot of time is spent on its training.
Of the minuses of this profession, physical activity can be distinguished, since cooks have to constantly be at the hot stove for 8 hours a day, as well as a constant tension of attention: relaxation during cooking is unacceptable.
Profession cook. Required personal qualities and abilities:
- Sleight of hand for quick work.
- Developed taste and smell.
- Good visual abilities and developed eye.
- Excellent visual and imaginative memory for remembering recipes and the amount of ingredients.
- Creative imagination and sense of time.
These abilities will allow you to work efficiently and efficiently, as well as to show yourself in this area as much as possible: those people who have such data can choose this profession and it will most likely bring success.
Profession cook: specifics of activity
At first glance, it seems that this work is simple and consists only in one thing: to cook food. However, this type of activity is not limited to cooking, it includes:
- Acceptance of products and their processing, verification of compliance with GOST, quality determination and further processing.
- Preparation of semi-finished products.
- Storage of ingredients.
- Preparation of various dishes and their beautiful design before serving.
- The use of creative abilities: inventing new dishes and introducing unusual cooking technologies.
Profession cook: qualities that impede career
Now we will consider the features that must be eradicated in those cooks who want to be successful in their profession. In the first place is dishonesty and sloppiness: if a visitor to an institution sees in his plate an excess object (dust, garbage, etc.), this will ruin the image of all employees in the eyes of the employer. Therefore, carelessness is also unacceptable for the cook, because of which you can forget about the ingredient or cook the wrong dish that was ordered. Also an unacceptable trait in this profession is slowness. Such cooks do not have time, which is why they are in a hurry all the time, and in this state the dish may burn up. And another “contraindication” to the craft of cooking is the presence of a number of diseases: poor eyesight, sexually transmitted diseases, epilepsy, skin diseases.
Pastry Chef
This is a separate branch of this craft, which requires specific knowledge. A pastry chef has many opportunities to prove himself: here, a very important parameter in determining the quality of a prepared dish is its decoration. Almost any confectionery product should have its own idea and appropriate design; cooks with this specialization should to some extent be artists.