If you are considering a career in cooking and you are a lover of wine, then working for the position of the Sommelier or the Wine Steward is the best cooking career choice for you. A  Win Sommelier is a trained professional who works in fine restaurants. A Sommelier specializes in all the aspects of serving wine. It is a much more sophisticated role as compared to that of a wine waiter.

A Sommelier has the principal job of procuring and storing wine, handling the wine storage rotation and of providing expert advice about wine to the customers of the restaurant. As a Master Sommelier, you will also be responsible for the development of wine lists. You will also be in charge of the delivery of the wine service and for the training of the restaurant staff with regards to the wine. With a Sommeliers education will also suggest the pairing of wine along with the different kinds of foods that are served in the restaurant.

How to Become a Sommelier

To become a Sommelier, you would need to have good knowledge of how different foods complement and combine with different kinds of wine, beer, spirits and other beverages.

As a professional Master Sommelier, you will be working directly with the patrons of the restaurant, working with the preferences of the customers with regards to taste and budget limitations. You will also be involved in conducting and attending several wine-tasting events which are designed to educate and attract wine lovers the the restaurant.  You will thus be in the enviable position of being able to guide, educate and talk to people about wine. As an experienced Sommelier, you will be able to describe the regions, grapes and even the vineyards and vintages of a variety of wines. As a Master Sommelier, you would also be traveling frequently to different places where wine is produced and would also be involved in the processes of procuring a variety of wines for the restaurant.

To start in this career, you will have to start with an Introductory Sommelier Certification or a bachelors in Wine, Food and Spirits Management, and then you can move forward with an Advanced Sommelier Certification and then a Master Sommelier Diploma. Typically, the sommelier salary range offered to Sommeliers will depend on the number of years of experience the candidate has in the field. Master Sommeliers who are just starting out may expect to earn approximately $28,000 annually as their salary, while Master Sommeliers who have anywhere between 3 to 5 years of experience can earn between $80,000 to $160,000 annually.

Thus, as a Sommelier, you will be in a unique position to combine your knowledge and passion into a productive and impressive career.

A Chef de Partie is a position usually found in larger restaurants and hotels. The Chef de Partie is responsible for each major area of cooking in the kitchen. Thus, the Chef de Partie can be a specialist in several of the different aspects of the cooking process that go on within the kitchens of a restaurant.

A Chef de Partie is also referred to as a ‘Station Chef’ or as a ‘Line Cook’. He is responsible for the area of food production in the kitchen. Often enough, there are several Chefs de Partie who work in rotation within the same kitchen. Within themselves as well, the Line Cooks can also be divided into a hierarchy starting with the position of the ‘First Cook’, the ‘Second Cook’ and so on.

A Chef de Partie can be assigned to any one of the number of different stations that are present within a kitchen. Each of these areas or stations may specialize in the preparation of a particular item on the restaurant’s menu.

A Chef de Partie can be a station chef of different areas of food processing or cooking. In that case, his designation will depend on the area of cooking that he is in charge of and specializes in. These different positions and stations are:

1. Saucier or Sauce Chef: This is the chef responsible for making the sauces and the sautes. This is the highest position of all the stations.
2. Boulanger: This is the chef in charge of baking the bread.
3. Confiseur: This is the chef in charge of cooking the candy.
4. Poissonier or Fish Cook: This is the chef in charge of cooking the fish.
5. Friturier: This is the chef in charge of all the deep frying cooking activities.
6. Grillardin: This chef is in charge of all the grilling activities in the kitchen.
7. Pantry Chef or Garde Manager: This chef is in charge of the cold foods like salads, salad dressings, pates, cold hors d’oeuvres, and such buffet items.
8. Potager: This chef is in charge of making the soups.
9. Rotisseur or Roast Cook: This chef is in charge of the different roasting related activities in the kitchen.
10. Entremetier or Vegetable Cook: This cook prepares the vegetables, soups, eggs and so forth. In many kitchens, these duties may also be sub-divided amongst the Vegetable Cook, the Fry Cook, and the Soup Cook.
11. Tournant: This is a very interesting position. Called a ‘Swing Cook’ or a ‘Relief Cook’ this chef has the special ability to work on any station in the restaurant as and when required. Usually, the person working on this post is working towards becoming a Sous Chef.

As a Chef de Partie, you can expect to make around $20,000 to $34,000 annually as your salary. However, larger organizations and restaurants may have a higher salary range as well.

As a Chef de Partie, one can expect to work in different areas of food processing within the kitchen - it can even be based on your preferred choice of the specific aspect of cooking that can guide you.

In the kitchen the chef is the boss. And before you get to be the boss, you have to work under him - working as the sous chef. So, what is being a sous chef all about?

In a typical restaurant kitchen, there is a hierarchy of the staff which cooks. The Main or Head Chef is the person who is in charge of all the things related to the kitchen. This includes creating menus, managing and scheduling, payroll management for the kitchen staff, placing orders for supplies and so forth. However, every Executive or Head Chef always has a trusted and reliable second-in-command. And that is the Sous Chef.

The word ‘sous’ means ‘under’ in French. So a Sous Chef is one who works under the Head Chef or the Chef de Cuisine. Typically, a Sous Chef is responsible for filling in whenever the Head Chef is off duty. He can also help the other chefs in the kitchen with their duties. A Sous Chef is that person who takes charge of all the things in the kitchen which come under the management of the Executive Chef. He is like the Head Chef in training.

If you want to be a Head Chef one day or if you want to own and run your own restaurant one day, then working as a Sous Chef is exactly what will prepare you for doing so. Mostly, it is a position which goes largely unnoticed because the Head Chef is the one getting all the glory. However, he Head Chef solely depends on you doing your part thoroughly for him to get to that glory. Meanwhile, you also have to be in charge of the staff under you. You are the one who they come to when they are under any kind of stress and trouble. In case any of the other Chefs don’t show up, or something goes wrong, you are the one standing in for them. You are also in charge of training staff for working in the kitchen. In short, the position of the Sous Chef is pretty much Middle Management.

In your position as the Sous Chef, you are in charge of ensuring that everything in the restaurant kitchen runs efficiently and smoothly. You are the one who is creating the behind-the-scenes magic which ensures that the restaurant runs like a well oiled machine. As a Sous Chef, you will be the first to come in and the last one to leave the job. A good Sous Chef is someone who is graceful, efficient and supportive. A good Sous Chef is clean and knowledgeable about the cuisine. An excellent Sous Chef is a good communicator and an effective organizer - and is someone who thrives on meeting deadlines. In short, a perfect Sous Chef is that juggler who enables all the culinary magic in the kitchen.

To become a Sous Chef, you will have to start with a degree in culinary arts by attending one of the man culinary schools worldwide. Then you have to start working in a restaurant. Typically, you will work your way up the corporate ladder - based on your talents and skills. Most of the skill sets of a Sous Chef are pretty much learnt on-the-job. So you will have to prove your mettle and learn the different aspects of the job in order to become a Sous Chef. While you work your way up, you can also work towards becoming a Certified Sous Chef - when you complete at least 5 years working at the entry level.

If you think that you are up for the challenge, and if you think that one day with your talents you can see yourself moving up from the post of the Sous Chef to the Chef de Cuisine, then this is just the right career option for you!

Do you have people literally eating out of your hands? If making desserts, pastries and breads is your thing, then you are just perfect to become a Pastry Chef!

If you have a flair for baking up pastries and desserts, then you might want to consider becoming a Pastry Chef. In any restaurant, bistro, large hotel or bakery, the Pastry Chefs are responsible for handling the pastry kitchen.

Depending on the size of the eating establishment, a restaurant may have several chefs handling the different aspects and parts of the kitchen. As a Pastry Chef you will be responsible for the creation of desserts, pastries and such delectable goods. You will also be responsible for interacting with the other chefs while planning out different menus. Your job will also entail testing and evaluating new recipes.

In larger restaurants, Pastry Chefs are also involved with ordering for supplies, preparing and managing the budget of the Pastry Kitchen. In bigger eating establishments, you may also find a main Pastry Chef having several assistants.

As a Pastry Chef you can see yourself being employed with restaurants, bistros, large hotels, and bakeries.

Typically, Pastry Chefs have to be up early in the morning to start baking before the bakery section of the restaurant opens up for business. So you can see yourself waking up as early as 3 in the morning, and getting started! Breads, croissants, pastries, cakes, bagels, donuts, danishes, cookies - these are staples for many! So every morning, just before the ‘work day’ begins, you may see yourself dishing out bagels, donuts, croissants along with coffee to go for the morning breakfast session.

Afternoons may see much of the lunch business. And evenings start looking up with the desserts business - where you will spend your time with creating fresh desserts like cheesecakes, pies, cakes, caramels, fudges and candies - and even some desserts with exotic sounding names like flans, Blanc Manges, sherbets (or sorbets).

Many successful Pastry Chefs say that their work is the most rewarding aspect of their lives. Many have started out at smaller establishments, and moved on to working with larger hotels and restaurants. Some have even started their own specialty shops and bakeries.

So how do you go about becoming a Pastry Chef and cooking up these delectable goodies? Its really simple.

Join up for a Bachelor of Science degree course in Hotel Management, Restaurant Management or Culinary Management. There are also Masters Degree programs offered in Food Service Management. Some schools even offer Certificate Programs, Diploma Programs and Associate Degree Programs in these Culinary Arts. Many of these programs begin with teaching you the basics, and then you may choose a specialization that trains you to be a Pastry Chef.

Turn your delectable mouthwatering pastries and cakes into profit and fun!

If one person would deserve to be considered a hero in the culinary world, it would have to be the food stylists. Whenever you see a picture of a culinary delight in a menu or on the television that makes your mouth water, you have seen the food stylist at work. You cannot become a food stylist overnight and master the art of food presentation, however, and it takes a lot of creativity and on-the-job training to become a professional in the field of food styling. Here are a few things to consider if you are interested in a career as a food stylist.

1. Get an education. While there is no formal degree required to become a food stylist, most of the well-respected professionals got their start in the culinary arts. Understanding how to make food look good when it is presented is a must for the professional food stylist, and top culinary schools like The Art Institutes and The Culinary Academy offer courses in food presentation which will prove to be very helpful throughout your career.
2. Get some on the job training. One of the best ways to learn the art of the food stylist is to apprentice with a seasoned professional. Becoming an assistant to a well-known food stylist will not only teach you the tricks of the trade, but will also help you get closer to the people you may want to work for some day.
3. Learn all the tricks. The job of the food stylist is to turn ordinary food into literal works of art. For this reason, the professional food stylist has an arsenal of creative tricks for food presentation that they utilize to help make the food they prepare look as appetizing as possible. Some of these tricks include:
   • Steam creation - using cool air nebulizers to give the appearance of real steam.
   • Adding color - Food stylists use different techniques, including the use of gravies and food coloring to make food appear more vibrant than it actually is.
   • Fake Milk - Food stylists often use heavy cream instead of milk to prevent cereal from becoming soggy while filming.
   • Plastic Ice - One of the most common tricks is to use plastic ice cubes while filming so the drinks continue to appear cold and refreshing.

These are just a few of the tricks that food stylists use while performing their craft and mastering the art of food presentation. Over time, the food stylist will pick up a number of techniques and usually invent some of their own that may someday become staples in the field of food styling.

1. Build a reputation. Once you’ve gotten your foot in the door as a food stylist, take all the work you can get and become as flexible as possible to meet your clients’ needs. Build a reputation as a food stylist who is both creative and flexible and you are sure to see your career take off.

Have you ever questioned what exactly a career in culinary management might mean to you?  Are you one of those who always love to enjoy new dining experiences? In case your answer is affirmative, then you could be one of those who could possibly enjoy a career in Culinary Management.

Today culinary management careers are booming as one of the prime and nation’s upcoming occupations. Perhaps it is no surprise that each year many students and adults pursuing higher educations choose to study the culinary management courses and culinary services.

Choosing your career in culinary management actually offers you with a curriculum that actually integrates leadership and entrepreneurial ship into a specialized field of employment. Once you complete your cooking course, you will be suitably trained for employment opportunities in restaurants, casinos, hotels and food management companies. In culinary management you will be the center of the kitchen through your input and accountability for cost control, sanitation and safety. Besides this, the course goes beyond cooking and also focuses on the business side of feeding people. The coursework can include hospitality, accounting and food safety.

A proper training and degree in culinary management can help support your credentials and set you apart from competitors. It is important to understand that there are various positions within a culinary management career, and each of them has corresponding academic programs available at cooking schools around the country. On the face of it, you can take your zeal for food one step ahead by choosing a career in the culinary arts and right culinary school.

If you have a job that you are passionate about which pays the bills at the same time, then you’re one of the lucky few who managed to turn something that they love into an actual profession.  Now, if you have a passion for food, the natural order of things would be for you to get an education in the culinary arts.

So what exactly are the cooking courses that you need to take if you want to earn a culinary degree or a culinary diploma? How can you take your pick from the many culinary art schools in the nation? Read on to find out.

Choosing the Top Culinary School to Jump Start Your Career in the Food Business

First, let us take a look at how you can choose the top culinary arts school that will give your career in the food industry a head start. Take a look at the following tips:

1. Make sure that the culinary school has a great reputation. Do your research and learn where the best restaurateurs and chefs in the top local restaurants in your area earned their degree. A great culinary school would have a solid following among alumni chefs and for this, the best reference usually comes from word of mouth.

2. Choose a culinary arts school whose students have earned many regional, national and international awards. The best way to measure just how effective culinary schools are in teaching their students is to learn if they often participate – and win – in cooking competitions.

3. Look for culinary schools with a slew of successful and famous alumni. You can actually pattern your career after the professional chefs who have already made it in the industry by learning which culinary art school they went to – and take things from there.

Choosing the Top Culinary Arts & Cooking Courses to Enroll In

Second, how will you know which cooking courses to enroll in after you have chosen the culinary arts school where you will enroll? Basically, you should decide whether you need a culinary degree or a culinary diploma.

Remember that as long as the culinary arts school that you attended has a solid reputation, it doesn’t usually matter whether it’s a degree or a diploma that you earned.  More often than not, the additional subjects on earning a culinary degree are the same ones that you would have taken if you attended some college.

All in all, choosing the best culinary arts school in your area and assessing your career goals when selecting the cooking courses to enroll in are the things that you need to accomplish so that you can jump start your career in the food industry.

CulinarySchoolsU.com is a complete information portal for everything that you need to learn about the top culinary schools in your area, as well as the possible cooking courses that you should enroll in – depending on the career path that you wish to take in the food industry.

Culinary Career Spotlights: Major Culinary TV Personalities

Rachel Ray, Emril, Julia Childs, Paula Dean & Wolfgang Puck

As Americans we are drawn to food, and many of us are drawn to cooking shows and the television personalities that host them. We watch Paula Dean and Rachel Ray, and in generations past they watched Julia Child. We watch in awe of the simplicity of making the meal and attempt to do it on our own. Each of the major television personalities received their start in different ways. We will focus on a few of the most well-known.

Julia Child

When Americans are asked who the most famous female chef is, they automatically name Julia Child. She attended the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school while in Paris with her husband in the late 1940’s, where she developed a liking to French cuisine. Upon graduation, she formed the L’Ecole de Trois Gourmandes with two fellow Cordon Bleu graduates. They wanted to adapt traditional French entrees for Americans and wrote a two volume cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The cookbook was considered groundbreaking at the time, and has become a staple in the culinary community. (more…)

Culinary Arts Salary: What Salary Do You Make in the Culinary Arts?

Whether you decide to become a chef at a top rated restaurant, open your own or dream of becoming a featured chef on the Food Network, a career in the culinary arts field offers many benefits to the aspiring culinary student. Even if your main objective is finding a career doing the thing you love – cooking – money is always a factor in choosing your career.

Fortunately, careers in the culinary arts offer excellent pay in a fast-paced, rewarding atmosphere. According to the US Department of Labor, the national average yearly salary in May, 2007 for a chef or head cook was $40,700. The average varies greatly, however, depending on the area in which you live, with a chef in Los Angeles or New York making considerably more than a head chef in Springfield, Illinois. (more…)

Creative Careers in the Culinary Arts

So you want to pursue a career in the culinary arts but don’t like the idea of spending the rest of your life in the kitchen? Many people may not realize that a culinary degree offers a wide array of opportunities beyond being a chef. Whether you have aspirations to become the next Food Network personality or have a knack for critiquing others cooking, a degree in the culinary arts is your first step in making your dreams a reality. Here are just a few of the careers available to the aspiring culinary student. (more…)