|
|
|
(These lessons come from the book "ON COOKING" Fourth Edition - A textbook of Culinary Fundamentals. By Sarah R. Labensky and Alan M. Hause.) So, these are NOT my OWN lessons. But, I will use them to teach you all that you need to know! [I will also be adding some things into these lessons!]
Cooks and chefs have produced food in quantity for as long as people have eaten together. They catered to people's needs with food they either prepared themselves or bought from someone. The history of chefs is mainly French and is intertwined with the history of restaurants. It has only been since the 18th and early 19th century (when restaurants were developed) that chefs were actually expected to produce different dishes for different diners at different times.
The word "Restaurant" derived from the French word "restaurer" which means "to restore". Since the 16th century, the word "restorative" was used to described highly flavorful soups and stews that were capable of replenishing lost strength. Like all other foods at the time, Restoratives were purchased from Guild members outside of the home. Each of theses guilds had different foods to prepare.
The French claim that the first modern restaurant opened in 1765. A tavernkeeper named 'Monsieur Boulanger', hung a sign on his door advertising the sale of his restorative: sheeps feet in white sauce. His restaurant was closed due to a lawsuit by the guilds. He soon won in court and reopened. His "restaurant" was different than the taverns and inns at the time in Europe.
Taverns and Inns got their food from guilds. They had little choice in what foods they got. All that mattered was that it accomplished their goal: to provide sleeping accommodations or food and drink. People sat at communal tables (tables where everyone sits and shares the meal) and were served "Family Style" (people shared the food: grab whatever you can...) Boulanger's restaurant served people different dishes because some people were interested in a different sort of dining.
Another restaurant: "the Grande Tavern De Londres" was opened in 1782 by Antoine Beauvilliers in Paris. He offered menus and had staff that served patrons at different tables.
The French Revolution had a big impact on the restaurant industry and on chefs. Aristocracies and guilds were destroyed. Most chefs left the country or lost their jobs (or heads). Some chefs opened restaurants catering to the middle class. The French Revolution had allowed the public to access the skills of chefs!
Restaurants started opening throughout Europe and the US in the 19th century. The Savoy Hotel in London, which was one of the finest French restaurants, was ran by Cesar Ritz and Auguste Escoffier. Escoffier was credited with simplifying Grande cuisine into into Classic Cuisine. This type of cuisine requires the exploration of culinary principles and techniques. This was the cuisine that brought French cuisine into the 20th century.
The foods of the 20th century began bending towards lighter; more naturally flavored and simply prepared foods. Fernand Point mastered this technique and started this movement that came to be known as Nouvelle cuisine. This cuisine consisted of nothing but the best in taste, food, texture, technique, etc.
In the last 30 years, 2 new trends have formed. One consisting of various dishes from different ethnicities. This cuisine is known as fusion cuisine. The other trend is known as New American Cuisine. A woman named Alice Waters opened a restaurant in 1971 and decided to serve fresh food simply prepared. She rejected processed foods and turned to locally grown foods.
All of this wouldn't have been possible had it not been for the new technologies that had been invented. One of the most important advancements was the iron stove. Before the 19th century, people had to cook in hearths. But, the iron stove allowed them to control the temperature, approach the heat comfortably, and cook multiple items at once. The advancements in food preservation also helped. By the 1800's, foods had been successfully canned and freezes were created. Freeze drying, vacuum packing and irradiation became available for food preservation. Computers also helped managing restaurants become easier. New food storage and transportation technology helped bring new foods to different countries.
In order for a restaurant to work properly, you need a brigade. In a classic kitchen brigade there are many different categories chefs can fall into. Escoffier is responsible for this type of brigade. The categories are:
*Chef de cuisine or chef who is responsible for all kitchen operations, developing the menu and making sure the kitchen runs smoothly.
* sous chef or abouyer- takes the orders from the dining room, takes them to the kitchen and looks over the menu.
*chefs de partie or station chefs- produce menu items and are under sous chefs.
Station chefs have their own categories:
*Saucier- responsible for all sautee'd items and most sauces.
* poissonier- responsible for fish, shellfish, and their sauces.
* grillardin- responsible for all grilled items.
*friturier- responsible for all fried items.
*rotisseur- all roasted items and jus or related sauces.
*potager- responsible for soups and stocks.
*legumier- responsible for veggies and starches.
*entremetier- sometimes takes over potager/legumier job. responsible for fruits and fritters, too.
*garde manger- cold food, salads/dressings.
*boucher- butchers meats
the other categories in the brigade are:
*tournant- swing shift chef
*patissier- pastries, breads, desert
demi chefs/commis- lower chefs or assistants
Being a chef requires: Knowledge
Skill
Taste
Judgment
Dedication
Pride
Chefs earn KNOWLEDGE through personal experiences, at school, through media, throughout life, etc.
Skill not only comes from schooling. A chef needs practice.
A chef must be confident with his/her ability of taste. They should try to be able to learn all types of tastes of a wide variety of foods.
A chef should be able to know how to make measurements, convert recipes, etc in order to have correct judgment.
A chef's life is a long and challenging one. Days can be long and hard. You'll never stop learning in the profession of culinary arts. That is why you must be DEDICATED in order to succeed in this profession!
PRIDE is not the attitude type, but in deed the personal appearance. The way you carry yourself and dress. etc. A prideful chef has on a proper brigade.
[ *Note about uniform: A chef's uniform should consist of comfortable shoes and trousers (either black, white, or black and white checked/striped). It should also consist of a white double-breasted chef's jacket, a neck kerchief, and an apron. The chef's hat is called a "TOQUE". most modern hats are 6 or 9 inches tall. In history, the height of the toque stood for a chef's rank. Shoes should be close toed to protect feet and should be slip-resistant. A chef's jacket is double- breasted to hide dirt and protect from scalding. A neck-kerchief is used to mop up perspiration from the neck and head. The apron protects the uniform and insulates the body. ]
CONGRATS! You have just finished your first culinary lesson! smile Sorry is took so long!! Finals are coming up and we're busy around holidays! But, I think you'll find it well worth it! ^_^ Hope to hear from you soon and hope you'll consider continuing with the lessons! I'm off to go write the 2nd lesson and study for finals!
heart LIZ
 Chefeetaboopers · Tue Nov 18, 2008 @ 07:40pm · 0 Comments |
|
|
|
|
|
