Chef Class - Five Steps To Pass With Flying Colors

Passing a chef class is easy for some, difficult for many. The culinary arts are complex, with many methods, recipes and tools a new cook needs to learn how to use properly. As there is a lot more to cooking than a microwave or throwing random ingredients into a pot and hoping it tastes good, knowing how to approach your classes will be of great use to you.

1: Remember the Details

Details are a fundamental part of cooking. One of the first things you need to keep in mind in order to pass a chef class is that your mentor will be watching for how attentive to detail you are. It is the small things, such as the placement of garnishes, the final touch of spice, and the presentation of a dish that separates an amateur cook from a professional one. Cooking is not a race, but an art that should be treated as so.

2: Take your Time.

You cannot rush cooking. If a recipe calls for a marinade of three hours, you need to marinade for three hours. Cutting the corners will destroy the flavor that you are attempting to make. A master chef knows this, as do the instructors teaching you. If you desire to pass your chef class, follow the recipe to the letter. Once you advance, improvisation will occur. When you are learning, however, you need a fundamental grasp on the basics of the culinary arts. An established cookery that may hire you will also not allow variances in their recipes, as the variances will affect the customer's dining experience.

3: Ask Questions.

You are participating in classes to learn. Learning requires exercising your mind and asking questions you may have. Your instructor is being paid to answer questions. Ask them. The only stupid question is the one you do not ask.

4: Come prepared.

If your instructor tells you to read about a cooking method, chances are you will be using that method in the next lab. Skipping your assigned work can cause you confusion, and earn you a failing grade for the course. Come prepared. It will save you headache and time.

5: Don't give up.

Learning how to cook can be challenging and tedious. Even master chefs had to begin somewhere, and that somewhere was a kitchen. It may take you time to grasp the more challenging concepts and get a feel for how to cook. If you give up, you will never succeed.

Passing a chef class takes a great deal of time and effort, but the rewards will last a lifetime. As there is always a need for chefs, you will be entering a stable career, as well as giving you skills that you can use at home on a daily basis.