It just seems to me that if someone is a former chef, he or she ought to present some kind of credentials, don't you? I know that if a real live former chef told me, "Don't peel onions," I would be inclined to not peel them. But even I can say, "Well, look, I'm a former chef, so do it my way." Am I just being to picky, or is there some element of truth to this? Hey, if I'm out of line say so. This is a real question. I want to do the right thing.
2007-11-24 06:51:04 · 8 answers · asked by Sarrafzedehkhoee 7 in Food & Drink ➔ Cooking & Recipes
Iris R -- I can't believe it! You've forced it out of me! I AM a former chef!! I was Air Force trained and served there and at a Hotel in Urbana-Champaign before becoming a caterer and then quitting to go back to school. However, I have never and will never give an answer with any of that information. Not even, "I'm a former chef" !!!!
2007-11-24 12:26:52 · update #1
It is not that you are out of line, but do remember that this is not the one and only source of information you will have for all time from this time on, so do not take it so seriously !! You do not belong to Answers, you have not signed a contract that says you have no more freedom to do your own research ........ You can always double check answers elsewhere .... sometimes an answer to a question that seemed unattainable to you will ~ when attempted by someone here ~ suddenly seem not so difficult because of a hint here and there that someone has suggested, something in their answer that gives you a lead ...it is not so bad. However, to your quesitons:
***first of all, peel the onions please except if you are dying white eggs a shade of yellow for Easter (don't forget the vinegar !)
***second: people with hard jobs burn out: chefs, presidents, doctors, divorce lawyers ...it's a rough life out there!
** third: what sort of credentials would you accept as satisfactory ??
*** fourth: sometimes people give incredibly nice information and sometimes it is positively inspired !!
** you are not just being picky ~ I once had someone give me the most unbelievable, silly, misinformed answer, and then he stuck his foot in it by assuring me that he was a record producer for a very big recording company. Heheh ....little did he know !! splash !!
** and sometimes, people joke around with you ... you have to be on your toes ...
** ll you need to do is to sit down with yourself a sec. before you type out your question to make sure that you understand in your own mind just what sort of answers you expect: you should say to yourself: ***serious answers, please ....and please cite sources I may use to double check, or do further searching, for deeper reference, etc.***
**You get back what you put in. It is ~ in computer language ~ a real "garbage in / garbage out" situation
** don't forget: there is no crew of infallible people there, just waiting to answer your questions, not like the telephone company, say, on duty 24/7 .......so you have to wait until the right time to sling your hash out ...ok? Just try to time when you post your questions at the same time that there is someone online who *can* answer your questions
2007-11-24 07:38:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I find the word chef almost meaningless. It's like the word professional-- only people that consider them selves professional respect the word. In some circles professional means a doctor or lawyer or some crap, in others in simply means a well trained person-- Whatever we all know our jobs and should be considered professional therefore we are all professionals -- makes the word useless.
I cooked food for thousands of people, and was paid to do it. Gazillions of teenagers have flipped burgers and they have every right to call themselves chefs also.
"chefs" might be all defensive about this little rant, but it's true. We all eat, some better than others.
Many of us have a family member that makes a killer dish of whatever, have enough experience to know what works, and of course how to peel an onion. Do these people consider themselves chef's? of course not, they are cooks and don't put themselves up on a pedestal like the word "chef" does.
"chefs" quit jobs because the bloom is off the rose and their job becomes actual work. After all a "chef" doesn't actually do any cooking, just talk about how great they are.
2007-11-24 07:07:35 · answer #2 · answered by cedykeman1 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
lol! What a great question! I guess if someone here says they used to be a chef, we just take people at there word on Y/A!. Same as if someone says they have kids, or pets, or an art degree, or whatever...no real proof is required. People offer that info up to make them sound more knowledgeable, which of course we all know doesn't necessarily make it so. And yes, there does seem to be a lot of former chefs on this site ... I hope some of them respond to your question! Good Luck!
See? Props to chefgrille - she's someone that when I see her answers she always sounds like she knows what the heck she's talking about - and fyi - I rarely see her use her credentials here, even though I believe she has them!
2007-11-24 06:58:14 · answer #3 · answered by samantha 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Obviously you never worked as a chef or you knew that it is a hart and thankless job. The salaries have been stagnated for years. Long hours,standing working in a hot and loud workplace. No holidays or weekends spend with your family. Unless you are the head chef you don't get paid much, don't have real job security and benefits suck or are not given. Before you assume perhaps spend one day in a commercial kitchen working.
To be a good knowledgeable cook you don't need to be certificate. You know your skill. One never stops to learn and grow.
Former chef who still cooks and loves to give advise.
2007-11-24 09:48:02 · answer #4 · answered by Iris R 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Shouldn't one always be a skeptic, here or elsewhere? Shouldn't we always question the authority of someone who offers an answer here, just as we would that of, say, a political blogger or a peddler of psychological advice?
The implication of your question is dead on: One should try to establish whether those offering advice here on Cooking and Recipes know what they are talking about -- especially when they write about very important matters like those related to health and nutrition. With an abundance of cookbooks on the market and several authoritative cooking sites on the web -- not to mention important resources for authoritative and scientific nutrition information (start with the USDA site) -- there is little excuse for being gulled by the marginally informed.
In my experience, most people on this site are, like me, food and cooking enthusiasts simply trying to engage with a community of common interests. If you have doubts about the authority of some, it's easy enough to check them out -- or check out their advice.
2007-11-24 07:29:54 · answer #5 · answered by Carlo d'Umbria 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There's a lot of burn out in the biz. Sometimes you just want to go a different way, instead of haggling with employees, the heat, sweat, not having any time off, it does wear some of us down. Eight and a half years was enough for me. I applaud chefs who have stuck with it longer and are still at it. I retired because I was burned out.
2007-11-24 06:57:59 · answer #6 · answered by chefgrille 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
why would you believe anything people say on Yahoo answers anyway. If it doesn't make sense like don't peal an onion, then don't
2007-11-24 07:03:40 · answer #7 · answered by whata waste 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
maybe they are at retirement
2007-11-24 06:54:35 · answer #8 · answered by Theta40 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋