What does a chef do?

Professions

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by Mya Kagan (whyzz writer) >> more about the author

----Don't miss what famous Chef Emeril Lagasse had to say about why he became a chef! Scroll down!----

Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? If you like cooking, maybe you want to become a chef!

The job of a chef is to manage a kitchen, such as that of a restaurant or bakery. In some instances, a chef who works as the Executive Chef of a larger restaurant or business is mostly in charge of things like developing a menu, finding food vendors, and creating budgets based on the costs of ingredients and the pay of employees. Other times, a chef’s duties are more involved in the direct cooking and preparation of the food being served on a daily basis – it depends on the restaurant or business where a person works. Some chefs also write cookbooks, host TV shows, or teach classes that help people learn how to cook! A chef has to be very creative, using his or her knowledge of food and cooking techniques to create something delicious that people will enjoy!

Most chefs go through training at Culinary School, where they learn a variety of things they’ll need to know, from skills for chopping vegetables, to baking techniques for sweets and pastries, to using teamwork in the kitchen!

If you love to cook, remember that safety is always a top priority when you’re in the kitchen. Always follow the rules of your household about what parts of the kitchen are OK for kids, and what parts are not. Many recipes require grown-up help or supervision, so see if you can get the whole family involved!

What do you think are some of the qualities that a good chef would need to have? Creativity, cleanliness, and a passion for food would all be good examples! What other ideas can you think of?

Do you know anyone who works as a chef? What about somebody who really likes cooking? Ask them what they like about it so much!

Read what famous Chef Emeril Lagasse had to say about why he became a chef!

"Cooking is really fun, fun, fun, and it makes people happy, happy, happy. When I was a little boy, I used to watch my mom, Miss Hilda cook. I saw how people loved to come to our house to eat her food, and I decided cooking was something I wanted to be able to do, too. I watched everything she did and she let me help in the kitchen. Little by little, I began cooking by myself. I started with simple stuff, like vegetable soup and French toast. At first, things like chopping and whisking were kind of hard. My chopped veggies were all different sizes and my whisked sauces were all over the floor! But hey – I kept on, and the more I did these things, the better I got. When I was a teenager I got my first job – in a bakery. I learned how to make things like pizza and pretzels and, boy was I making people happy with those! The more I cooked, the happier people got. Best of all, I was enjoying myself doing it. Now you know why I decided to become a chef."

Emeril Lagasse is a master chef and owner of several of the country's most talked-about restaurants in New Orleans and Las Vegas. He hosts popular TV shows and has become one of the most recognizable chefs of all time!

http://www.emerils.com/

Don't miss recipes by Chef Emeril Lagasse in the Related whyzz below!