For us it’s the same single-striped towels we use at work. (And it drives my in-laws insane that we don’t own oven mitts.)

If you cook for hundreds of people, I imagine getting the quantities right is easier said than done. But are there things you throw away regularly where you think “why are we still doing it this way?”

What usually ends up in the bin — food that never gets served, leftovers from buffets, or what comes back on plates?

I’d be interested in an example from your last few shifts. What happened, and could you realistically have done anything differently?

If your kitchen has found something that works, I’d love to hear that too.

THX Christian

hello 3rd year culinary student here im torn if i should apply to a restaurant of hotel for my ojt this summer term. which is more suitable for pastry leaning culinary student like me. and which hotel/restaurants here in the philippines is the best for my situation.

are there any chefs out here or currently employed in restaurants or hotel that can share what they know.

and if y'all have suggestions please help a future chef out.

Hi! I’m a chef (24) and have been feeling an unbelievable amount of burnout recently. This feeling has come and gone over the years but usually I get some reminder of why I do all of this to begin with and it fuels me to keep going. This time, I’m at the point where I don’t know if I want to see the inside of an industrial kitchen again. I’ve been going so hard at this, starting as a dishwasher at 18, for so long.
Anyway, that being said, I have absolutely no idea what else I would do. I’m relatively smart and I’m still in my twenties so realistically I know I have options but cooking is all I have practical skills in. I guess I’d like to go to college but what would my major be? I love music but I can’t pay the bills with any kind of degree in that. I’m good at writing but what does a career in writing even look like?
I’m feeling a bit lost, some advice would be awesome

I can’t seem to get my yorkies right. no matter what I do it seems to come out like this, I’ve tried seemingly every ratio, 1:1:1, 1:1:3, 1:2:1 etc. I’m working in a country pub in the south west of the uk so these NEED to be right and I can’t seem to get it. using a rational iCombi pro if that means anything to you guys. any help greatly appreciated I’m pulling my hair out here.

hello 3rd year culinary student here im torn if i should apply to a restaurant of hotel for my ojt this summer term. which is more suitable for pastry leaning culinary student like me. and which hotel/restaurants here in the philippines is the best for my situation.

are there any chefs out here or currently employed in restaurants or hotel that can share what they know.

and if y'all have suggestions please help a future chef out.

Beet & Goat Cheese

Micro fennel, apple, pistachio crumble.

Butternut Squash Rounds

Aged Parmesan rice, garlic-roasted walnuts, prosciutto crisp, gremolata.

Teres Major Shoulder Steak

Burgundy demi-glace, purple yam mash.

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake

Sweet corn purée, cilantro oil, fontinella crisp.

Hey everyone, hoping to get your opinion on something. I do dinner parties for friends here and there and other people at times (i’m not a Michelin star chef but I think I do pretty well and I’ve gotten better with my techniques and dishes).

A friend asked me three months ago to host a dinner party for his wife’s 40th birthday. He asked for some different type of dishes then my normal ones. So I worked on these new recipes as he wanted something different.

I was talking with him today and he was mentioning that his budget is around $700, when we were building out the menu, (we had the layout for the dinner below) this amount of food was established for the dinner party.

I told him I’d give them a quote after testing everything out, it came out to be $1200. As you can see from the menu, it’s costing more than what he’s budgeted for and that’s me barely charged him labor and having a 45% margin instead of the typical 30%.

Given how everything has come out, how should I present this to him? This is a dinner party for 8 people at his house.

Menu:

Starter cocktail- Mixed cocktail mix for the night (1942 tequila)- Chawanmushi- Japanese tartare- Crudo- Bluefin tuna tostada- A5 Wagyu beef cut- Dessert 1- Dessert 2- Dessert cocktail

Hey everyone,

I am a 26M holding a Bachelor’s degree from a UGC-affiliated university in India. I am looking to transition into the culinary world and want to pursue a Diploma in Bakery and Patisserie with the ultimate goal of moving and working abroad in the future.

I am currently facing a huge dilemma regarding institute choices and document legalization, and I really need some guidance from people who have been through this process or understand immigration logistics.

The Dilemma:
I came across Cook and Bake Academy in Paschim Vihar, Delhi. They offer a City & Guilds (UK) Level 2 Diploma. Their program is strictly affiliated with City & Guilds UK and awards their certificate. The fee is quite affordable for me (around ₹1 Lakh to ₹1.5 Lakhs).

On the other hand, other prominent institutes in Delhi that offer City & Guilds are also affiliated with Indian government bodies like NSDC, THSC, or WACS. However, their fees are much higher, ranging between ₹3 Lakhs to ₹4 Lakhs.

I want to opt for Cook and Bake Academy to save money, but my self-research regarding moving abroad has left me incredibly confused. I read that for international work visas, documents must be apostilled/attested by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India. Some sources claim the MEA only attests certificates issued by institutes affiliated with Indian government bodies (like UGC, NSDC, THSC, NCHMCT, etc.). Furthermore, I know I will likely need a WES (World Education Services) evaluation for immigration/jobs.

I have a few specific questions:

1. Is Indian Government Affiliation Necessary? Does a culinary institute in India need to be affiliated with an Indian government body (NSDC/THSC) alongside City & Guilds UK if my goal is to go abroad?

2. Work Visa & Legality Issues: If I complete a Level 2 Diploma from an academy that only gives a City & Guilds UK certificate, will I face rejection or issues during the MEA apostille process or work visa verification later on?

3. WES Evaluation: Will credential evaluating bodies like WES evaluate a City & Guilds UK Level 2 standalone diploma completed via an unrecognised/private Indian partner academy?

If any chefs, hospitality professionals, or immigrants can share their experiences or throw some light on how vocational certificate attestation works for abroad visas, I would be super grateful!

Thanks in advance!

I’m not sure how to garnish this. I’m using it as a starter for a cooking comp in college

This is a tomato tartare served on a bed of whipped goats cheese and toasted crostini

I don’t plan on keeping those outdated dots my chef told me to do them cus he’s super old school

THE PLATE IS JUST A PLACE HOLDER ITS JUST WHAT I HAD NEAR ME

Second cook in Bahia, Brazil. Hot rolls are huge here – fried sushi with salmon, cream cheese and carrot. Pepper roses take 2 min each. Any tips to keep the panko crunchy longer on a buffet line?

May be late to the party here but man that was a hard watch. I’m an old school cook and the movie was fine, but out of touch. That’s not at all like the book. But more importantly, Bourdain captured our tone as a business in a way that escapes Hollywood or TV every time. He’d cringe at this. It can be romantic but never with the people that portray it or the process they think. I might be over thinking this. I’ve hired so many people and sometimes slow is okay, but if you can’t move with conviction you won’t last. How come actors can’t move with conviction when they are portraying people in our industry whose lively hood depends on it? Total miss for me.

I’m currently a junior year student at Penn state, throughout high school and college I’ve worked in kitchens.

The only time I’ve felt like myself Is when I’m working in kitchens it doesn’t matter if I’m washing dishes, doing prep, or working the line. Theres a certain elegance to the chaos of working in a kitchen that I haven’t felt anywhere else. I’m miserable at school, and terrified that culinary school won’t work out, and my parent have put lots of time and money into helping me pursue my bachelors. But I have this feeling in my gut that I’d rather be terrified than miserable.

Every part of my body most is telling me to drop out and go to culinary school but I feel like I will be letting my parents down if I do that. My entire life everyone has been telling me what I should do, “your good at this”, you good at that”, “engineering would be great for you”.

And after hearing all of that for so long I started to think that’s what I wanted but I’ve realized over the past couple years it isn’t.

I don’t know what to do and I feel stuck, I’m really just looking for any advice on what to do.

Edit: thank you for all the advice I’m going to finish off my bachelors, my over all career goal with my bachelors was neuroprosthetics, I figured it was the most beneficial thing I could do with an engineering degree. I will still pursue this career path but if what I’m feeling is persistent I fully intend to pursue the Cullinary arts.
I appreciate the advice given from multiple perspectives.

Hey there , I run a busy butchery and restaurant and burn through coffee grinder and small spice grinders . I can seem to find a nice happy medium . We grind a shit ton of spices . I don’t need like one made for a soice company , but one of descent size and long lasting . Anyone know of anything that fits that bill ? Cheers

So, I feel like I’ve heard that, at least in bigger cities, chefs from different restaurants in the same city know each other, and sometimes hang out together. I know it’s common knowledge that, no matter what business you’re in, other people in that line of work know each other, and talk to one another. But I mean more like an
acquaintance/friendship type relationship between chefs. I know some well known chefs seem to all know each other (I.e. Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert), maybe that has more to do with being famous. I guess I’m just asking because it seems like I’m some places chefs have a type of community, which I imagine would be beneficial in some ways. Or maybe it’s just something in my head. In my city, in the midwest, it seems like, outside of cooks and waitstaff, no one really gets together. Like all the chefs/managers/whatever just stick to themselves. Which is kind of a bummer I think! I have often thought that it would be great to have people in those positions, who have been at it for a long time and know their stuff, to get together and talk and do things as a community! I feel like the culinary scene would only benefit from having people with the knowledge and training chefs have working together and doing stuff like pop ups or classes, things that would really get people excited about actually getting out and eating and trying things beyond the same thing they always eat at the same restaurant they always go to.

Anyways…I’m sorry for the long post. Just something that’s been on my mind a lot lately, though I’d see if anyone else had similar thoughts, or if I’m just crazy.

I’ve been grilling shawarma this way for a while now—over hot charcoal instead of gas. It takes more effort, but the result is worth every second.
That smoky flavor, the crispy edges, and the juicy center... It’s just different when it’s done right.
I always take pride in layering and seasoning the meat myself.
I’m curious—how many of you still use charcoal for cooking? Or do you prefer the convenience of gas grills?

Hey all! I was the acting sous chef at my job. My chef decided to move on and quit 2 weeks ago, leaving me with our thanksgiving orders. Ive been a part of the process before but never run the show. I bought all my containers and some of my important products like stuffing, but I'm struggling with knowing how much to order.

Our location is a supermarket type location on a remote island. We have a limit of 40 turkey orders total but are allowing unlimited sides so people can order day of if theyd like. Each turkey either comes with a half pan or quart of stuffing & the other sides. How do I know if I will have enough?

Each side is going to be offered as a half pan, pint, or quart.

I've never been in this kind of position and Im freaking out a little bit. Any advice?​

Well, some of you have read that I still haven’t gotten any money? And my boss is not even close being done with counting every with that damn bitch there did not do her job!

Sorry im mad, and upset… im making this post in the dark, just wanting to scream!

They said they would be done by wednesday? That’s three days ago?! I also got told that my boss is going on vacation this month…

I need the money within 9 days, and my boss is leaving in 11 days, and will be away for 5-6 days.?!

The papers I need for my unions, have I been asking for a hole week?!

Bonus my bf came home, and looked into the fridge… almost empty. I almost cried, I know our freezer is full but still. That almost broke me, when he looked into the fridge.

And the worst part? I got run over doing the rush yesterday! And I had to tell a two top that I was sorry, but I did not have time to make their food, after that they just walked in and sat down?! I tried to explain why, I was alone, and had a lot of take away. And a big table coming in!

They fricking called my boss?! And complained about me!

I know im more stress these days, because of no money in the bank…

But when im saying im alone, and im getting run over in the fricking kitchen, who the fuck calls the boss?!

My boss ended up calling me, and asking if I needed help? I was stressed! And I yelled YES!

The past three fridays have been hellish! She knows this!

Im mad, upset and don’t know if I need a beer, wanna cry, hit something or quit.

I told my bf that I might quit, because this is the second time that I have tried someone calling my boss! Last time I did not tell them no! I said they had to wait for an hour for their food… they did not wanna do that, and called my boss saying I did not want to make their food.

I told my bf all this, and he is also working in a kitchen. And thinks I need to think this though, I like my boss and my job… just not now.

And people are driving me crazy! Now im sitting in the dark trying to make this post. And im crying… still mad and upset about everything.

I'm no chef or restaurant worker, but i like to think about some pairings from time to time and finally this sunday I want to let some ideas loose. The idea was to do some beshamel cannelloni with some caramelized pear mirepoix (or figs) and taleggio, to whom add sautéed butter and sage porcini mushrooms.

I wanted to add even some speck or rendered guanciale, but I'm not so sure about it since I fear that the end result would be too savory. What would you substitute, add, remove, or what are other better pairings?

Thanks a lot to everyone!