I was asked a question last week after I graduated- “So I can call you a Chef now right?”

And I paused, cause the question brings to mind several ideas.

First, at what point to we get to officially assume a title of accomplishment?  I look at my husband, he is a meteorologist. When he graduated he became a meteorologist. Technically the same should apply to me, but I know if I walked into my restaurant and announced I was now a Chef because I’d graduated I would not only be laughed out of the place, but would probably have difficulty finding another job in Portland.

People without formal training can also become Chefs, so that to me indicates your skill level (including time in grade) dictates your use of the title.

Well then why go to school in the first place?  And that is the second part of the answer..  Can you grow in a restaurant without formal training?  Yes.  But unless you are fiercely into self-education the lack of foundation does, from what I’ve seen, eventually surface.

Not in depth, you can become an expert in the particular field your restaurant covers, but in breadth.  The ability to use that base knowledge and incorporate ideas from different cultures into basic cooking methods.

What school teaches isn’t necessarily how to cook (don’t get me wrong, you need to have a touch of skill in this area), but primarily we learn a language.  It doesn’t focus on specific recipes, but on communication.

For example:  I am told at my restaurant to ‘poach’ potatoes.  When you say the word poach, I immediately know the liquid level, temperature range, and what your intended result is.  My only question is, in what?  Answer- butter and cream, 5 cloves of garlic, and one bunch of thyme.  Because he’s said the word poach, all I needed was that one sentence answer and I can execute what they want.

This is the value of my eduation.  “Classical French Training” isn’t learning how to make French food, rather the French were the first ones to teach words like “braise,” “grill,” and “poach,” and have those words in themselves mean different cooking methods.   And within those cooking methods, which ones apply to different cuts of meat.

I’ve gone from going to the store with a recipe, to leaving the house with an idea and seeing what looks good and what’s available. Great pork butt?  Cool! I’ll probably braise that- hmm what else do I need for a braise?  Let’s go from there.

The other question brought to mind is the difference between a Cook and a Chef.  And I found my personal answer at my restaurant.

Love of food.  A base love of food, that all other decisions are based on.  A Cook cooks for a job, regardless of whether they’ve been to school or not.  The end result for a cook is food on a plate.  It may be beautiful food, it may be a well-constructed plate, but the ingredients are not the end-all-be-all for a cook.

The food is the basis for a Chef.  The joy of seeing something new come into season, how to treat it, the joy of handling chopping dicing sautéing roasting braising, knowing you’ve treated the end result with respect.   Can that love and respect be taught?  Sure.  But it’s the difference between watching a ‘natural’ playing a certain sport or someone who’s been taught.  Love of food can be a natural skill, just like playing soccer or hitting a baseball.  When its genuine, you know it.

When I went to my restaurant for an interview with Chef to secure my externship, I was prepared for the onslaught of interview questions.  I shook his hand and sat down, and he asked with a straight face- “Why are you here?”  That was it, that was my interview question.  So I answered him truthfully, I loved how he treated his food.  (This was in reality a 20 minute soliloquy on my love of food, but I’ll spare you and give you the brief version 😉 )

Later on during my externship he joked about my soliloquy, at which point I informed him he had had the ability to stop me at any time.  To which he replied, “Well I had to make sure you were legit.”

That was the point I realized we saw eye-to-eye, that skill level wasn’t relevant to love of food, finally knew exactly why I was hired for my externship, and started me really thinking about the difference between a Cook and a Chef.

I don’t know when I’ll get to call myself a Chef, and it will end up being a personal decision when that day comes.

But what I do know is the difference.

I am a lover of food.

Fresh spinach makes me smile.  Artichokes make me giggle.

Call me whatever your heart desires,  but then git on into the kitchen so we can cook some awesome shit and break bread together 😀

**  The second photo is courtesy of my very good friend, Bill Anders.  For more of his awesomesauce please check out http://www.billandersphoto.com/  **