Have you ever read a book that gave you genuine inspiration? A sort of guiding light as to where to go, what to do and how to start?
Well... I did. And I am about to share the same inspiration to you through some excerpts I personally picked from Monsieur Bouloud's book. I do hope you get the same motivation from these words as much as I did.
"Letters to a Young Chef" by Daniel Bouloud.
"People often make that mistake: they confuse skill in the kitchen with being a chef. I've had some wonderful people work for me who can cook damn well. They have the talent. They've learned from the best. And yet I know they will fulfill their talents best by continuing to cook in a great restaurant rather than trying to run one as a chef or owner. To be sure, you need to know all the basics: cooking from savory to sweet, curing to baking, the almost mystical art of sauces, seasoning, spicing, texture and taste. Add to that are an up-to-date knowledge or at least acquaintance with the evolving styles of the important contemporary chefs all over the world. Yet this is only the beginning. How to work with people, how to manage them in the crampest quarters and fiery heat of the kitchen, how to practice self-discipline and bring it out in others, where to find the best ingredients and how to squeeze every last penny out of them, how to move around the dining room and be genuinely interested in every customer, how to fulfill the constantly changing food fantasies of a demanding public, these are the skills that have nothing to do with shaking the pan but everything to do with whether or not you have what it takes to be a successful chef."
"Spend at least 2 years traveling the world, working as you go, experiencing what is becoming an increasingly global cuisine. Spend half a dozen years working for the very best chefs you can find. Bear in mind you will gain a lot more from making salad in the kitchen of great restaurant than you will have from attemptin Lobster Thermidore in an average joint."
"Building your ego is not part of the game. There is only room for one ego in a kitchen when the crush of service is on. Do not take it personally. Respect the chef and always give more than expected. Become a key part of the team. Your goal must be perfection."
"You cannot be master of anything unless you work at it for a good long while and can really understand it."
"The more you look at cooking, the more you realize it is always an unfinished education. There is truly no limit to how much you can learn."
P.S. If you find these excerpts really inspiring, just send me a message and I will share more of them to you.
Well... I did. And I am about to share the same inspiration to you through some excerpts I personally picked from Monsieur Bouloud's book. I do hope you get the same motivation from these words as much as I did.
"Letters to a Young Chef" by Daniel Bouloud.
"People often make that mistake: they confuse skill in the kitchen with being a chef. I've had some wonderful people work for me who can cook damn well. They have the talent. They've learned from the best. And yet I know they will fulfill their talents best by continuing to cook in a great restaurant rather than trying to run one as a chef or owner. To be sure, you need to know all the basics: cooking from savory to sweet, curing to baking, the almost mystical art of sauces, seasoning, spicing, texture and taste. Add to that are an up-to-date knowledge or at least acquaintance with the evolving styles of the important contemporary chefs all over the world. Yet this is only the beginning. How to work with people, how to manage them in the crampest quarters and fiery heat of the kitchen, how to practice self-discipline and bring it out in others, where to find the best ingredients and how to squeeze every last penny out of them, how to move around the dining room and be genuinely interested in every customer, how to fulfill the constantly changing food fantasies of a demanding public, these are the skills that have nothing to do with shaking the pan but everything to do with whether or not you have what it takes to be a successful chef."
"Spend at least 2 years traveling the world, working as you go, experiencing what is becoming an increasingly global cuisine. Spend half a dozen years working for the very best chefs you can find. Bear in mind you will gain a lot more from making salad in the kitchen of great restaurant than you will have from attemptin Lobster Thermidore in an average joint."
"Building your ego is not part of the game. There is only room for one ego in a kitchen when the crush of service is on. Do not take it personally. Respect the chef and always give more than expected. Become a key part of the team. Your goal must be perfection."
"You cannot be master of anything unless you work at it for a good long while and can really understand it."
"The more you look at cooking, the more you realize it is always an unfinished education. There is truly no limit to how much you can learn."
P.S. If you find these excerpts really inspiring, just send me a message and I will share more of them to you.
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