This morning my son Sean made pancakes—from scratch. They were GREAT! They had a slight cinnamon vanilla taste and were lightly sweet, moist and golden. I ate them plain without my usual butter and maple syrup. Being 19 years old he naturally left the clean up for me.
This got me thinking (not about dirty dishes), but rather along the along the lines of careers in the culinary arts.
I had a friend in NYC who thought of himself as a master chef. He landed a job as a corporate chef which he, at first, scoffed at as if it was beneath him. When he learned how much they were going to pay him, for lunches only, his opinion changed dramatically.
What a great career choice it is to become a chef. It's something most of us living in our fast food, microwave dinner, salad in a bag culture take for granted. But, when I stopped to think about it, what is really important in life?—food, clothing and shelter. A nice home and stylish duds are fine, but we all have to eat, every day, and often more than once a day. So, if you have to eat, why not choose something fresh, wholesome and tasty? Knowing how to cook well is a skill that will never go out of style.
Anyway, I started to search for information about cooking schools on line, and I came across an article called Culinary Employment Prospects by: Dilip Shaw. What was really cool is that this article has links to a whole lot of schools around the country. It also had some stats about what chefs can earn in different employment situations. If you want to learn more click on his link.
By the way, these pancakes weren't the first dish my son has come up with that impressed me with his culinary talents. I think he would make a great chef. But, as a Dad, what do you think my prospects are of him following my advice? Oh well, I try and I hope, and… I do the dishes.
Mark Lunde