My Culinary Journey So far - Lessons Learned

My culinary journey began about eight months ago at the Red Dish Chronicles Culinary School. I got in and excitedly began my journey towards getting a Higher Chefs Diploma in Cuisine and Patisserie. I’m not done with my training yet, but the experience has been amazing.  Truth be told, when I started, scales fell off my eyes when I saw what real cooking is! All my residual cooking skills were almost non-existent, and I was terrified to rock the boat. But as I humbled myself, I learned and I grew; both as a student, and a person. While we learnt valuable culinary skills, being a chef is more than just the cooking. Please let me share with you some lessons I have learnt: 

1. Culinary art is not like TV, you must be truly passionate about it

Although I've loved food and cooking since I was a little girl. Chef Temmy has made me realize that this jourey is not for the faint of heart! I quickly learned that being in a commercial kitchen, and being a chef is very different from cooking at home. Often times, I would come out of the kitchen feeling deflated, feeling like I had been hit all over with hammer, even if I had done a great job that day. It was even more exhausting on days we had to take more than one classes. If you love food and being a chef more than anything, exposure to routines like these is enough to make you question whether you really want to make a career out of this. Not only do you have to wear the appropriate uniform and have the appropriate tools, you have to know and meet hygiene standards, you need to know what food safety standards are, and be able to practice all these things at the same time, while moving as fast as you can to complete your menu. .

2. Keep your knife sharp

This is one of the first lessons I learnt. The class was taken by Chef Black. When I got home that day, I practised my knife skills using carrot and onions and had my husband video it. I realize that there is nothing worse than trying to cut through a piece of meat or chop vegetables with a dull knife. A tip I learned early on is, the sharper your knife, the easier and smoother it is to cut everything. If you have a dull knife, using it is a royal pain. You'll end up sawing through whatever product you're trying to prepare. Because you're sawing back and forth, the cut on your product will be jagged, possibly torn, and uneven.

3. Not all professional chefs are like Gordon Ramsey but they are all talented

Almost every culinary student knows Gordon Ramsey without meeting him. His name is often mentioned in the class. He has become a reference point. From some tutorial I have watched, he is no doubt insanely talented. However, I realize most chefs you encounter are just like anyone else. Everyone has an inspiring story to tell. We all listened and learned a lot from the culinary journey of Chef Cupid.

4. Don't Procrastinate!

This one is BIG. There is a never ending amount of assignment you take. The kinds of practical cookery we were assigned in cousine classes or patisserie range from a deck of recipe cards to building and costing out a full menu for restaurant concept. It's not the kind of work that you can do the night before and still be sane in the morning. If I can impart one piece of advice to anyone starting a culinary career, it's this: Don't Procrastinate! Do your assignment on time. You'll be so much happier if you do.

5. Have a great Support System

When I first got my acceptance letter to Red Dish, I sat down with my husband and I said "Babe please, no matter what happens, don't let me give up on my dreams." This is not an easy journey especially when you realize you will need a lot of resources to practise with. There were some days that I would feel low, but my husband was there every single time, always reminding me that I was stronger than I gave myself credit for and that I could do it. This taught me the invaluable skill of improvising with recipes and tools in the kitchen and this is one important skill needed to be a good chef. I can't count the times he helped me with my laundry or helped me clean up when I was exhausted. I mentioned this because, it is not enough to be interested in culinary school, you need others too; those who will support your dream.

6. Following your dreams isn't easy, but it I know it will worth my while

Following your dreams is never easy. There's always a new obstacle, or someone else saying or making you feel it's impossible. If you can dream it, you can do it. When I was paired up for the cooking challenge, I didn't feel proud of the outcome. There were also tense moments when I felt I was unfairly being put on the spot. But every time I got back up, I got stronger, and I learned something new. This is just the beginning of some of the many, many valuable life and Chef lessons that I’ve learned at the culinary school so far. It’s a wild journey, but I can honestly say I’ve learned more than I could have ever imagined, and I am so excited to keep learning. I believe that every moment moment in the kitchen will be so worth it.

What about you, what lessons have leanred in your journey?