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More on Culinary Occupations
Chefs, cooks, and food preparation workers prepare,
season, and cook a wide range of foods—from soups,
snacks, and salads to entrees, side dishes, and
desserts—in a variety of restaurants and other food
services establishments. Chefs and cooks create recipes
and prepare meals, while food preparation workers peel
and cut vegetables, trim meat, prepare poultry, and
perform other duties such as keeping work areas clean
and monitoring temperatures of ovens and stovetops.
In general, chefs and cooks measure,
mix, and cook ingredients according to recipes, using a variety of
pots, pans, cutlery, and other equipment, including ovens, broilers,
grills, slicers, grinders, and blenders. Chefs and head cooks also
are responsible for directing the work of other kitchen workers,
estimating food requirements, and ordering food supplies.
Larger restaurants and food services establishments tend to have
varied menus and larger kitchen staffs. They often include several
chefs and cooks, sometimes called assistant or line cooks, along
with other lesser skilled kitchen workers, such as food
preparation workers. Each chef or cook works an assigned
station that is equipped with the types of stoves, grills, pans, and
ingredients needed for the foods prepared at each station. Job
titles often reflect the principal ingredient prepared or the type
of cooking performed—vegetable cook, fry cook, or grill cook.
Executive chefs and head cooks
coordinate the work of the kitchen staff and direct the preparation
of meals. They determine serving sizes, plan menus, order food
supplies, and oversee kitchen operations to ensure uniform quality
and presentation of meals. The terms chef and cook often are used
interchangeably, but generally reflect the different types of chefs
and the organizational structure of the kitchen staff. For example,
an executive chef is in charge of all food service
operations and also may supervise the many kitchens of a hotel,
restaurant group, or corporate dining operation. A chef de
cuisine reports to an executive chef and is responsible for
the daily operations of a single kitchen. A sous chef,
or sub chef, is the second-in-command and runs the kitchen in the
absence of the chef. Chefs tend to be more highly skilled and better
trained than cooks. Many chefs earn fame both for themselves and for
their kitchens because of the quality and distinctive nature of the
food they serve.
The specific responsibilities of most cooks are determined by a
number of factors, including the type of restaurant in which they
work. Institution and cafeteria cooks, for example,
work in the kitchens of schools, cafeterias, businesses, hospitals,
and other institutions. For each meal, they prepare a large quantity
of a limited number of entrees, vegetables, and desserts.
Restaurant cooks usually prepare a wider selection of dishes,
cooking most orders individually. Short-order cooks
prepare foods in restaurants and coffee shops that emphasize fast
service and quick food preparation. They grill and garnish
hamburgers, prepare sandwiches, fry eggs, and cook French fries,
often working on several orders at the same time. Fast-food
cooks prepare a limited selection of menu items in fast-food
restaurants. They cook and package batches of food, such as
hamburgers and fried chicken, to be kept warm until served. (Combined
food preparation and service workers, who both prepare and
serve items in fast-food restaurants, are included in the
Handbook statement on food and beverage serving and related
workers.) Private household cooks plan and prepare
meals in private homes according to the client’s tastes or dietary
needs. They order groceries and supplies, clean the kitchen and wash
dishes and utensils. They also may serve meals.
Food preparation workers perform routine, repetitive tasks such
as readying ingredients for complex dishes, slicing and dicing
vegetables, and composing salads and cold items, under the direction
of chefs and cooks. They weigh and measure ingredients, go after
pots and pans, and stir and strain soups and sauces. Food
preparation workers may cut and grind meats, poultry, and seafood in
preparation for cooking. Their responsibilities also include
cleaning work areas, equipment, utensils, dishes, and silverware.
The number and types of workers employed in kitchens depends on
the type of establishment. For example, fast-food establishments
offer only a few items, which are prepared by fast-food cooks.
Small, full-service restaurants offering casual dining often feature
a limited number of easy-to-prepare items supplemented by
short-order specialties and ready-made desserts. Typically, one cook
prepares all the food with the help of a short-order cook and one or
two other kitchen workers.
Grocery and specialty food stores employ chefs, cooks, and food
preparation workers to develop recipes and prepare meals to go.
Typically, entrees, side dishes, salads, or other items are prepared
in large quantities and stored at an appropriate temperature.
Servers portion and package items according to customer orders for
serving at home.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of
Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05
Edition,
Chefs, Cooks, and Food Preparation Workers
NOTE: People that
have graduated from college earn an average of 98% more
income than people that have not completed college.
People that have completed a master's degree earn 170%
more! This gap is widening.
(Source: US Department of
Commerce.)....(more)
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