If I became a chef when I grow up, should I be a pastry or normal???

Question

Which would make more profit?? And from your own opinion, would you rather go to a resturant, or a cafe with some resturant qualities, and food?

Answer 1

I have my papers for cooking, although I have worked extensively in pastry. At first I wanted to focus in pastry, but have since changed my mind. There are many things you have to consider before making the choice, but the most important thing you can do is gain experience in both, and decide from there.

In the beggining I worked a hot line by myself and prayed for the day I could work in the much slower paced pastry department. Convinced pastry was where I wanted to focus, I was excited to start my work there. Pastry is so much fun and you get an opportunity to be more artistic. Pastry consists of general baking, pastries, showpieces, sugar and chocolate work, ice creams and sorbet, and plating for service ect. For this kind of work though you usually need to find an upscale hotel, or European inspired shop or restaurant. At first I was loving it, but soon I was longing for the adrenaline rush of a fast paced supper rush, jumping flames and yelling at the servers. I enjoyed my time in pastry, but it is much calmer than a Saucier or Entremetier station for example. Pastry is a great deal of meticulous prep and not a lot of hustle. I thought it would be so fun to bake all day, but soon found it boring and tedious. Working in the regular kitchen is a much faster pace and you are under way more pressure to perform. You will be sweaty and smelly, people will scream at you, and you will curse everyone around you until service is over. But when you are done it is the greatest feeling, your adrenaline will be pumping, and you'll want to do it all over again. You have to decide what you want, and you will not know until you pursue both paths.

Something else to take into account is there are not very many restaurants and hotels that have pastry departments, so unless you live in a larger city with upscale hotels or have to money to open your own place it can be extremely difficult to find a job with nothing but papers in pastry. Most restaurants nowadays order in premade cakes, pastries and bread becasue it is a lot cheaper to do it this way, and most customers cannot tell the difference.

The calibre of restaurant you work in and your experience will dictate your pay. But the most important thing I can tell you is do not go into the culinary feild if you are purely interested in making money. There is money to be made, but you have to have a passion for food and what you do. Remember 80% of restaurants fail! This is one career you can not fake your way through. You have to love it...it is not a 9 to 5 job, there is no (and never will be) a union for chefs and you will get shafted on over time, and work long, odd hours. Over half of the people who pursue the culinary feild quit, it's a rough buisness.

And you are a girl so be ready for sexual harassment, and sexism. You've got to have balls of steel to go toe to toe with 20 men everyday, and hold your own. If you think this is the right career for you because you like to cook, be prepared, working in the industry is nothing like the cooking you are accustomed to. I'm not trying to discourage you I am trying to prepare you. I love my job and could not imagine doing anything else, but a female Chef is rare. I am the only female in my kitchen and have been for a few years.

Answer 2

Try to find a job with a bakery/pastry department. You probably won't be hired until you are 16, but it doesn't hurt to know your options. Like previously mentioned, bake whenever you get the chance to with your family and friends. Try new things. Always look to broadening your horizons. I am in culinary school right now (graduating in May) and I enjoy bakery/pastry work, but I also enjoy regular cookery. When I bake, it is usually just for my family. Also remember not to become easily discouraged. If something that you try doesn't come out the right way the first time, try again. When I have worked with fondant, it came out fine the first time, and crappy the second. That reminds me; fondant is sugar. In order to make it from scratch, take 2 cups granulated sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup glucose (light corn syrup will also work). Mix together in a saucepan and place on a medium-low flame. You want to bring the sugar over 212F because you want all the water that you added, plus that found naturally in the sugar, to boil off. When the sugar starts to boil, using a pastry brush and water, brush down the sides of the saucepan. This helps to ensure that the sugar is all in the pot and happily melting away with all the rest of the sugar. If there is an errant sugar crystal, it will immediately cause a massive chain reaction which will cause all your sugar to recrystalize as it is cooling. You do not want this. Also, as long as you control the speed of the boiling, don't allow it to go nuts, you won't cause your sugar to recrystalize.When the sugar gets around the 240F range, then you will want to pull it off the flame. The sugar may have a slight caramel hue to it, but don't worry about it. While it is still in the pot you need to STIR it. Just keep stir the sugar around the bottom of the pot and it will fold air in and turn a wonderful opaque essence. When it is fully cooled you have fondant.

Answer 3

Do pastry chefs make creme brulee. I pay good money for a kick *** one.

I'd think tho that the other pays more because the entree is more expensive than the pastry, so unless restarants owners are on drugs, ..., the guy bringing in the most money will likely get paid more? I could be wrong in cases where the restarant sells food based on the dessert.

For me tho if the main course sucks, I won't order dessert

Answer 4

Pastry offers everything and more. Many think of pastries and think of dessert. A pastry chef will gain the experience of a regular chef but have more to offer. If you really want something fun.....look into French Pastries and literally opening a "Sweet Shop" with just French Pastries....you could develop quite a following. I personally prefer restaurants but cafes' offer quite lighter meals.

Answer 5

I would say a normal chef because that direction is more versatile. You could probably make a profit doing either one, you just have to know how to market yourself correctly. I like cafe and restaurants, depends on my mood I suppose, and also on the said location.

Answer 6

seems like the "in" thing is to combine cultural food. Don't just stick to one type of cooking like french or italian cuisine. Go with fusion. A mingling of, for example of french asian. With the mingling of different cultures in the US, you shouldn't stick with one. People want something unique and creative.

If you can go on a show like "iron chef" and pull together 4 or 5 palatable dishes out from something disgusting then you can be a top chef

Answer 7

I think a pastry chef is more artistic. But a regular chef probably makes more money.

Answer 8

be a CHEF... a chef tat cook everything... not juz makein pastry...
coz cookin a alot more to learn and a way to have fun in the kitchen.... a life long learning..... i m a chef myself too... i love cookin since the age of 12... every now and then i will do research on pastry dessert and alot of food... u get wat i mean??
food ... who dun like.. and who dun eat... its a nv ending love story

Answer 9

Being a chef is hard work

Answer 10

its really up to u a normal one is fine or a pastry chef is ok i think they make the same amount of money i like just normal foods so thats wat i would eat more of