Cook is a food preparation specialist. A good cook is sometimes called a wizard, because he can cook a real masterpiece from the most ordinary products that will bring joy and pleasure to people. The profession is suitable for those who are interested in world artistic culture and work and economy (see choosing a profession based on interest in school subjects).

By the way! You can or download our chef resume sample.

What does a cook do?

The cook prepares dishes according to special recipes, but can modify them to his taste, that is, approach the process creatively.

Specifics of the profession

The work of a cook consists of several stages:

• obtaining initial products;
• maintaining cooking technology and recipes;
• ensuring the cooking process: preparing the necessary equipment, preparing semi-finished products;
• proper operation of kitchen equipment;
• ensuring proper accounting and storage of products in accordance with sanitary and hygienic standards;
• sales of products.

In Russia there is chef profession classification, which differs from European and American:

• Chef - the highest level in the profession. He draws up requests for the necessary products, ensures their timely receipt from the warehouse, controls the timing, assortment, quantity and quality of their receipt and sale. Studying customer demand, she forms an assortment of dishes and culinary products, and compiles a daily menu. Monitors food preparation technology and employee compliance with sanitary requirements and hygiene rules. Organizes accounting and reporting on the activities of the enterprise.
• Pastry chef specializes in the production of confectionery products, which requires exquisite taste, imagination and ingenuity.
• Cook-technologist organizes the process of preparing food. Determines the quality of raw materials, calculates their quantity to obtain portions of finished products, and calorie content of the daily diet. Develops recipes for new signature dishes and draws up technological maps for them. Prepares necessary documentation and instructs cooks.
• Cook calculates raw materials and the yield of finished products, prepares dishes, performs straining, kneading, chopping, molding, stuffing, stuffing products, regulates temperature conditions, determines the readiness of dishes and products using instrumentation, as well as by appearance, smell, color , taste, produces artistic decoration of dishes and confectionery products, divides them into portions.

Even culinary masterpieces cannot be preserved in any museums. They are eaten the faster the more beautiful they are

V. Pokhlebkin

Advantages and disadvantages

pros

The profession of a cook is in demand and creative; there is a place for imagination and ingenuity in it. Good chefs have high wages.

Minuses

The work requires great physical endurance and responsibility. Not every person can stand standing at a hot stove full-time. At the same time, there is a constant strain of attention when you have to monitor the preparation of many dishes and there is no opportunity to relax or get distracted.

Gluttony is the worst of sins, but the most pleasant.

Chef's place of work

The profession of a cook is in demand in any industry: in schools, hospitals, kindergartens, canteens in factories and factories, modern offices, luxury restaurants, in the army and navy. In good hotels, the profession of a cook is considered key in the hotel business. In hotels, chefs cook themselves and at the same time control the process of creating almost all dishes - from standard breakfasts to desserts. They also participate in the purchase of equipment, create menus, and ensure that restaurant products are fresh and immediately processed.

The chef can also open his own restaurant or cafe. Wealthy people hire chefs for their homes.

You can learn the profession of a cook through paid chef courses. Also, to master the profession of a cook, it is enough to receive a specialized secondary education, but for a more in-depth development of the profession and broadening one’s horizons, a higher education is necessary. Preparation program for the profession of a cook: 01/43/09 - Cook, pastry chef. To obtain the profession of a cook-technologist in the specialty “Technology of public catering products”, it is necessary to study for the qualification “Technologist” at a secondary specialized educational institution. There are advanced training courses for experienced chefs. The unofficial club of the world's best chefs "G9", organized in 2010, consists of 9 people.

Chef Abilities

• olfactory and tactile sensitivity, olfactory memory;
• good taste and color perception, taste memory;
• good eye;
• refined taste, imagination, penchant for creativity;
• the ability to recognize small deviations of technological process parameters from specified values ​​by visual signs;
• the ability to simultaneously perceive several objects;
• well-developed sense of timing;
• dynamic thinking;
• knowledge of measures, ability to quickly and accurately determine by eye the required amount of liquid, bulk products, spices
• ability to understand the quality and freshness of meat, fish, vegetables and fruits
• knowledge of fast food preparation technologies, how to rationally allocate time
• good coordination of movements of both hands, firmness of the hand, stability of the hands;
• ability to perform small precise movements;
• efficiency;
• physical endurance: the ability to work intensively for a long time without reducing performance;
• energy;
• ability to improvise;
• responsibility;
• prudence;
• punctuality, pedantry;
• ability to switch from one activity to another;
• striving for professional excellence.

A good cook has a lot of character, imagination and feeling

EMIL YUN, chef of the Strasbourg restaurant "Au Crocodile"

Career

The chef's work takes place in the kitchen, in conditions of high temperature and humidity. The professional activity of a cook begins in an educational institution. Many culinary schools and colleges provide students with full-time internships throughout their studies. For subsequent successful job search, a novice chef should create a portfolio with photographs of the dishes he has prepared. This is a modern approach to job search, which is perceived positively by a potential employer. In the profession of a cook, career growth is possible from an assistant cook to a chef in a prestigious establishment.

Salary as of 02/20/2020

Russia 30000—80000 ₽

Moscow 40000—85000 ₽

Chef salary depends on the region of residence, the specifics of the institution, the size of the enterprise and the range of responsibilities that the cook performs.

Methodological complex Litvinova T.A., master of teaching

Dictionary of professions

Profession cook

A cook is a food preparation specialist. A good cook is sometimes called a wizard, because he can cook a real masterpiece from the most ordinary products that will bring joy and pleasure to people.

“A good cook has a lot of character,

fantasies and feelings" - Emil Yun, chef

Strasbourg restaurant "Au Crocodile"

“Even culinary masterpieces cannot be preserved in any museums.

The more beautiful they are, they are eaten the faster.” V. Pokhlebkin.

Gluttony is the worst of sins, but the most pleasant.

Short description

The cook prepares dishes according to special recipes, but can modify them to his taste, that is, approach the process creatively.

Specifics of the profession

The work of a cook consists of several stages:

obtaining initial products;

maintaining cooking technology and recipes;

ensuring the cooking process:

preparation of necessary equipment, procurement of semi-finished products;

proper operation of kitchen equipment;

ensuring proper accounting and storage of products in accordance with sanitary and hygienic standards;

sales of products.

In Russia there is a classificationchef profession , which differs from European and American.

Chef – the highest level in the profession. He prepares applications for the necessary

products, ensures their timely receipt from the warehouse, controls the timing, assortment, quantity and quality of their receipt and sale. Studying customer demand, she forms an assortment of dishes and culinary products, and compiles a daily menu. Monitors food preparation technology and employee compliance with sanitary requirements and hygiene rules. Organizes accounting and reporting on the activities of the enterprise.

Pastry chef specializes in the production of confectionery products for

which requires refined taste, imagination and ingenuity.

Cook-technologist organizes the process of preparing food. Determines quality

quality of raw materials, calculates their quantity to obtain portions of finished products, caloric content of the daily diet. Develops recipes for new signature dishes and draws up technological maps for them. Prepares necessary documentation and instructs cooks.

Cook calculates raw materials and finished product yield, carrying out

prepares dishes, performs straining, kneading, chopping, molding, stuffing, stuffing products, regulates temperature conditions, determines the readiness of dishes and products using control and measuring instruments, as well as by appearance, smell, color, taste, produces artistic decoration of dishes and confectionery products, divides them into portions.

Pros of the profession

The profession of a cook is in demandand creative, there is a place for imagination and ingenuity in it. Good chefs have high wages.

Cons of the profession

The work requires great physical endurance and responsibility. Not every person can stand standing at a hot stove full-time. At the same time, there is a constant strain of attention when you have to monitor the preparation of many dishes and there is no opportunity to relax or get distracted.

Place of work

The profession of a cook is in demand in any industry: in schools, hospitals, kindergartens, canteens in factories and factories, modern offices, luxury restaurants, in the army and navy. IN

In good hotels, the profession of a cook is considered key in the hotel business. In hotels, chefs cook themselves and at the same time control the process of creating almost all dishes - from standard breakfasts to desserts. They also participate in the purchase of equipment, create menus, and ensure that restaurant products are fresh and immediately processed.

The chef can also open his own restaurant or cafe. Wealthy people hire chefs for their homes.

Personal qualities

olfactory and tactile sensitivity, olfactory memory;

good taste and color perception, taste memory;

good eye;

refined taste, imagination, penchant for creativity;

the ability to recognize small deviations of technological process parameters from specified values ​​by visual signs;

the ability to simultaneously perceive several objects;

well-developed sense of timing;

dynamic thinking;

knowledge of measures, ability to quickly and accurately determine by eye the required amount of liquid, bulk products, spices

ability to understand the quality and freshness of meat, fish, vegetables and fruits

knowledge of fast food preparation technologies, how to rationally allocate time

good coordination of movements of both hands, firmness of the hand, stability of the hands;

ability to perform small precise movements;

efficiency;

physical endurance: the ability to work intensively for a long time without reducing performance;

energy;

ability to improvise;

responsibility;

prudence;

punctuality, pedantry;

ability to switch from one activity to another;

striving for professional excellence.

Career

The chef's work takes place in the kitchen, in conditions of high temperature and humidity. The professional activity of a cook begins in an educational institution. Many culinary schools and colleges provide students with full-time internships throughout their studies. For subsequent successful job search, a novice chef should create a portfolio with photographs of the dishes he has prepared. This is a modern approach to job search, which is perceived positively by a potential employer.

In the profession of a cook, career growth is possible from an assistant cook to a chef in a prestigious establishment.

Chef salary depends on the region of residence, the specifics of the institution, the size of the enterprise and the range of responsibilities that the cook performs.

Education

Where to study to become a cook? You can learn the profession of a cook at paid . AlsoTo master the profession of a cook, it is enough to obtain a specialized secondary education, but for a more in-depth development of the profession and broadening one’s horizons, a higher education is necessary.

Preparation program for the profession of a cook: 16675 – Cook. To obtain the profession of a cook-technologist in the specialty “Technology of public catering products”, it is necessary to study for the qualification “Technologist” at a secondary specialized educational institution.

Assignment: Study the material. Take notes on the questions.

Who is a chef?

Why is a chef sometimes called a wizard?

What stages does cooking involve?

What classification of the chef profession exists?

Give a brief description of each category of the chef's profession.

Where is the chef profession in demand?

List the pros and cons of being a chef.

What are the requirements for an applicant for the position of a chef? List any four or five requirements.

What does a chef's salary depend on?

How to become a chef?

Svetlana Tyulyakova

COOK

Synonyms for "cook":

A LITTLE HISTORY:

Livy wrote:

Leslie Byrne

A cook is a person whose profession is cooking.

The cook prepares soups, main courses, confectionery, and other food. Knows how to properly store food, prepares various dishes according to recipes and knows how to decorate what has been prepared.

Synonyms for "cook":

Culinary – a person skilled in cooking, a cook.

Cook, cook - in everyday life a woman who prepares food

Cook - one who works in the kitchen, prepares food, cook (an outdated word).

Cook - a cook in a military unit or in a workers' artel (special).

Cook - marine, ship, ship, sailor's cook. An officer is called a cook.

Kuhmister (from German Kchenmeister) is a qualified cook or owner of a small restaurant, canteen (obsolete).

A LITTLE HISTORY:

Most likely, the word “cook” comes from the East Slavic “var”, meaning boiling water and heat. Chefs date back to Ancient Greece and Rome.

Livy wrote:

In ancient Rome, food was prepared by the mistress of the house or a slave. Subsequently, they began to hire a cook at the market (macellum) on special occasions. With increasing luxury came permanent chefs.

Subordinate to him were servi fornacarii for the stove and focarii for the hearth, opsonatores for the purchase of food supplies, pistores for various cookies and culinarii as assistants. The head cook was called archimagirus

In Rus', they worked in princely and monastic cookhouses, in the houses of wealthy feudal lords and townspeople. In Russia in the 17th-19th centuries. Many foreign chefs worked in private homes and restaurants.

In Ancient Rome, in medieval Europe, especially in France, cooks were considered artists.

William Orpen Chef at the Chatham Hotel Paris 1921

The cook is creating at the stove,

It's like he soars on wings.

Everything is seething around him,

The kitchen is his forge.

Each of his creations -

Just a fairy tale, delicious,

Thoughts, creativity flight.

Anyone who has tried it will understand.

Joachim Antonisz Wtewael Kitchen Scene 1605 G.

Give the cook the following ingredients:

Poultry meat, dried fruits,

Rice, potatoes... And then

Delicious food awaits you. Sergey Chertkov

Cheerful chef

Cheerful cook

I'm cooking Pancake.

Nothing tastes better -

He's the only one like that.

Damn, anywhere -

Not big and not small.

Threw him up -

And he caught it.

He's an acrobat.

Like a circus performer,

With dexterity a trick

Demonstrates

Somersault

In a frying pan.

You won't see

This is nowhere like this. Semyon Ostrovsky

I hope among you

There are no little ones

Those who are within an hour

Don't stuff the cutlet.

They look so sad

Until the end of time!

And a good appetite -

Makes a person beautiful!

I'm doing magic at the stove

In a high cap.

To delicious dreams

Completed on time

To “enough” and “a little bit”

They didn't tell me

And without any “I don’t want”

They ate and praised!

Here, today and now

A miracle will happen -

I'll cook for you

Specialty of the house.

ODE TO CHEFS

The earth is also generous

That there are chefs in the world...

Blessed are their simple destinies,

And your hands seem to have pure thoughts.

Their profession is essentially good:

An angry person will not stand at the stove.

I know what is older than any bible

Cool lumps of cookbooks...

Inviting smell - tart and abundant -

On the street, like music, arose...

Touch-me-not dishes are puffing in the oven.

And the naval borscht is agitated in the darkness.

And the pancake blossoms in the frying pan.

And the beshbarmak bubbles deliciously.

Green pepper starts with meat

communication in silver smoke.

Science meets shamanism

And triumphs despite everything!

It's happening!

Now the marches would break out...

And the cook is a snow-white mountain -

Among the big pots

stands like a marshal

and says decisively: “It’s time...”

He told you everything. He doesn't expect a reward

There is a questioning chill in his gaze...

And the strange reflection of the theater footlights

Suddenly it fills the kitchen to the basics.

Let the chroniclers talk about eternity,

Let the tragedian sing the dust of eras.

And I - About prose. About food. About food.

After all, if God exists somewhere,

I see him at the great slab, -

Steamed, with a ladle in hand.

With a mysterious, kind smile.

And - of course - In a white cap.

R. Rozhdestvensky

A cook is one of the few professions that is relevant at all times. There are quite a lot of job seekers and employers in all areas of cooking - in the restaurant business, in canteens and even bistros. At the same time, it is often not just cooks who are required to work, but representatives of this profession who have a certain rank. We’ll talk about what it is, what significance the rank has on the specifics of a cook’s work, and how it can be improved in this article.

Classification Features

If we talk about almost all existing professions, each specialty has several levels that show a person’s professionalism and his work skills. The profession of a cook is no exception. Here, a potential employer can pre-assess talent and professional qualities only by knowing the rank of a cook.

This indicator is not just a numerical prefix to the profession itself. This is an abbreviated digital designation of the skills and abilities of a person who has received this specialty. Wherein It is impossible to get the highest - 6th category - right away. To do this, in addition to secondary vocational education, it is necessary to take special advanced training courses.

A person with the highest professional rank is not just a cook, he is also a technologist and a professional waiter. Such people are real experts in their field. The form of discharges was created back in the USSR, but even today it has not lost its relevance. The rank determines not only skills, but also a certain range of tasks that a person can perform. To understand this in more detail, it is necessary to study this system in detail.

Chef qualifications

Currently, the state classification contains information about the 5 main categories of cooks. Unofficially, there is one more. It is automatically assigned to those people who have just entered courses or studies at government institutions in this profession. Holders of the so-called first category in the kitchen can only be observers; in extreme cases, they are allowed to perform menial tasks - washing dishes, peeling vegetables and fruits.

The first official rank is 2. Its holders necessarily perform the same functions as 1st rank cooks. In addition, they must do the following work:

• gutting of poultry, game and fish;
• cutting meat;
• defrosting frozen food under the right conditions;
• sorting and washing berries, mushrooms, vegetables and fruits;
• sliced ​​bread.

Such workers must know not only the basic requirements for product quality, but also the basics of their processing, the rules for cutting carcasses, half-carcasses of beef and pork, cutting poultry and fish for preparing a wide variety of dishes.

They are not allowed to directly prepare even the simplest dishes.

Chefs of the 3rd category have the right to perform the same functions in the kitchen as a specialist of the previous level. But his main responsibilities are:

• boiling cereals, vegetables, meat and fish;
• preparing various types of soups;
• making and finishing cutlets, meatballs and meatballs;
• baking pancakes and pancakes;
• making egg dishes.

Such a cook has the right to prepare only the simplest dishes that do not require specific knowledge or the use of complex equipment. A specialist at this level must also know not only the requirements for food quality, but also the rules for cutting meat, poultry and fish, and the forms of cutting various products for preparing a variety of dishes.

A 4th category cook is a higher level of training. His job responsibilities include preparing dishes such as:

• complex and multi-component salads from meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables with fruits;
• snacks and stuffed dishes;
• exotic soups;
• aspic and jellies.

This specialist also prepares simple pastries, dumplings and dumplings, nutria and rabbit dishes. A chef with a 4th category must know how the hardness and acidity of water affects the cooking time of a particular product and its taste. Know the organoleptic properties of products, terms and rules of their storage.

The most important thing is that he must know the correct technology for preparing all dishes.

A 5th category cook is a professional in his field. In addition to preparing almost any dishes, he must be able to create new recipes and write technological maps for them. Their main difference from masters who have the 4th category is that they know how to prepare medicinal, dietary or the most delicious dishes:

• jellied dishes of meat, fish or assorted items;
• stuffed poultry or game;
• steam dishes;
• various sauces and toppings;
• complex baked goods.

You can obtain the fifth rank of cook by successively taking special courses at specialized educational institutions.

A 6th category cook is a master chef. Such specialists are in great demand at any time, including today. They know how to cook absolutely all types of dishes, they know the intricacies and secrets of preparing complex dishes, in particular pates, mousses, cakes, whole young pigs and profiteroles with various fillings.

Masters of this level also know the technology of preparing some national dishes of other countries. Only a person who already has a secondary specialized culinary education can become the owner of the 6th category.

How to increase the rank?

Quite often, cooks, for various reasons, need to increase their existing rank, with the exception of those who already have it 6. Currently, this can be done in two ways.

Take special courses

This option is suitable only in cases where a person already has a specialized secondary education. If the previous 5th category was obtained by taking courses, then you need to enroll in a culinary college.

Upon graduation, you will need to pass difficult examination tests, based on the results of which a decision will be made to assign the next category and, accordingly, a special certificate will be issued - a diploma.

Passing tests directly at the enterprise

In this case the chef makes a statement to the management of his company. He is sent as an apprentice to a more experienced master and the duration of his studies is determined. As in the previous version, upon graduation, a decision will be made to increase the grade and, accordingly, to increase the workload and increase wages.

It is important to note here that such an unofficial increase in rank will only be valid while working at a given enterprise, since no diploma will be issued after graduation.

In the Soviet Union, cooks with an above-average rank had to be able to perform all types of work equally well and prepare absolutely all products with the same quality and variety.

There is currently no such requirement. On the contrary, most highly qualified chefs prefer to choose some narrow focus in cooking, for example, preparing only pastries, meat, fish, or even just one dish - pizza. This specialization allows you to develop as much as possible and cook or create new culinary masterpieces.

And even today, even those with the lowest second category are hired as cooks. In elite catering establishments, again, this did not happen during the USSR. Only cooks with a rank of at least 5 were allowed to directly prepare food. Only a cook who could prepare at least all the national dishes of the union republics could receive a 6th rank. Today this rule is conditional.

Those with a rank of 3 or 4 were required to work as apprentices in the kitchen for 3 years for each increase in your level. Today, many elite establishments are returning to this practice.

Details Updated: 12/23/2019 16:29

A person whose job is to professionally prepare food for others is called a cook.

Almost every adult is capable of preparing some dish (at least frying eggs or cooking dumplings). Many (and not only women, but also men) take cooking very seriously, regularly delighting their family with homemade delicacies.

However, the difference between such amateur-level cooking and professional cooking for a large number of discerning consumers is enormous.

This profession has always been in demand. It remains one of the most scarce in our time. A good cook will always find a job.

A little history

It is believed that it is not the most ancient and this is true. However, it originated in ancient times even before the advent of such crafts as pottery and blacksmithing. With the development of fire, people quickly noticed that, for example, meat fried over charcoal is tastier than raw meat, and smoked meat is not only tastier, but can also be stored longer. Moreover, the results of even such primitive cooking were different for all people: for one, the fried meat turned out to be soft and juicy, while for another, it was tough and dry.

Quite quickly, the most skilled cooks emerged and were entrusted with preparing food for the entire tribe or clan.

The first documentary mention of the cooking profession dates back to approximately 2000 BC. We are talking about people who were hired to cook food for the soldiers of the Cretan army.

Since then, throughout the history of mankind, in any society, regardless of its social system and economic formation, cooking for large groups (army, navy, etc.), as well as for rich and influential citizens (monarchs, aristocracy etc.) trusted professionals. And with the advent and development of such an industry as catering, the demand for qualified chefs has only intensified.

Features of the chef's craft

This profession, like any other, has its advantages and disadvantages. Among its advantages are its demand (a good chef can easily find a job, and a well-paid one), the presence of a creative component and the opportunity for professional growth.

As for the disadvantages, the work of a cook involves serious physical exertion (it’s hard to just be constantly next to a hot stove all day, but you also have to work). It requires continuous concentration, excellent memory (especially when you have to control the simultaneous preparation of a large number of different dishes) and requires a serious level of responsibility.

Responsibilities

The list of specific responsibilities of the cook is determined by his place of work and position.

In general, its work will include the following stages:

• obtaining initial food products and semi-finished products;
• provision (preparation and control of the condition of the required equipment, semi-finished products, etc.);
• direct preparation of dishes (either personal or general management and control of the process) according to the recipe using approved technology.

The chef's responsibilities also typically include:

• monitoring the condition of kitchen equipment and compliance with the rules of its operation;
• accounting for products and organizing their storage in accordance with current sanitary and hygienic rules and regulations.

The cook is usually personally responsible for the quality of the dishes prepared by him (under his leadership).

Important qualities

To succeed in the profession, a chef must have:

• excellent memory (including olfactory and gustatory);
• good color perception and high taste sensitivity;
• precise eye;
• the ability to promptly recognize deviations during the technological process by subtle visual and/or odor signs;
• impeccable taste;
• well-developed sense of time;
• the ability to simultaneously perceive several different objects.
• dynamic thinking.
• good physical condition: endurance, coordination of movements, developed fine motor skills, etc.
• responsibility, punctuality.

This is not a complete list of qualities that anyone who wants to reach the heights of the chef's craft should have (or develop in themselves).

What should any chef know and be able to do?

Every cook needs:

• the ability to accurately determine at first glance the quality and level of freshness of initial food products (meat, poultry, fish, fruits, etc.)
• know the measures taken in cooking, be able to determine by eye with high accuracy the amount of liquid and bulk ingredients.
• know the technology of preparing a variety of dishes, be able to optimally organize the process of their preparation.
• understand modern kitchen equipment.

Professional growth

A chef usually begins his professional activity during his studies, since most specialized colleges and schools provide their students with internships throughout the entire period of study.

After graduation, an aspiring chef can find work in one of the catering establishments, departmental canteen, etc. It will be useful to create a portfolio with photographs of personally prepared dishes; many employers have a very positive attitude towards this approach in the job search.

In the future, career growth is possible from an assistant cook in a regular canteen to a position as a chef at an elite restaurant (or the personal chef of some billionaire oligarch). Often, professional chefs, having gained sufficient experience working for hire, open their own business.

Where do you train to become a chef?

Every major city has a college (and often more than one) where you can become a chef. They accept persons with both complete (11 grades) and incomplete (9 grades) secondary education.

Very often, such colleges are organized at large catering and food industry enterprises, which guarantees quick employment for their graduates.