In the Kitchen with a Chef

主廚達人What really happens in the kitchen? by Ruth Devlin

So: Shat is the difference between a chef and a cook?
DW: Cooks generally work at entry-level jobs. They work at different places in the kitchen and follow recipes. Chefs have special training and know which foods go well together, so they can invent new recipes.

SC: How do you become a chef?
DW: There are many culinary schools both in the U.S. and abroad. All are good -you really can't pick the best one. You get out of the course what you put into it. Eighty percent of being a chef is technique-learning how to do things. The other 20 percent is natural ability.

SC: Describe the day of a chef.
DW: I generally go to work two hours before service starts. The night before, we will have written lists of all the things we need to prepare when we get there. I get everything ready, and then we begin service. I work in different roles depending on what is needed. Typically, it's a 10 to 12-hour day. I stay about an hour after service is done to make sure all the prep lists are written for the next day. Then I close down the kitchen.

SC: How important are measurements when following a recipe?
DW: You know, I've been cooking for so long, I do it all by feel now. But for the average cook, measurements are essential. There's an old saying: "you can add to a recipe but you can't take away. "So you need to follow what the basic recipe says, but it's OK to add a little spice or change it around a bit. We have recipes, so you or I or anyone can follow the recipe and have the food turn out well.

SC: Which spices should be used with which foods and why?
DW:The spice used is closely related to the culture the food you're cooking comes from. You use those spices to make the food taste genuine. In Western cooking, certain spices generally go well with certain foods. Rosemary and garlic go really well with pork. Thyme and black pepper go well with chicken. Citrus is also very good with poultry.

SC: Do you have any tips you would like to share?
DW: To be a professional chef, you need to apply yourself and have a passion for what you're doing. It feels good to make food people really enjoy.


More Information
Restaurant kitchens can have a number of different kinds of chefs. The executive chef, or head chef is responsible for the menu. The executive chef also comes up with new recipes, hires, fires, trains, and oversees the organization of the kitchen and is daily operations. A sous chef is the head chef's "right hand man" and the kitchen's "second in command". The sous chef does a lot of cooking.

Grammar on the go:
Eighty percent of being a chef is technique-learning how to do things. The other 20 percent is natural ability.
"eighty", "20"
RULE:
Beginning sentence with number, the number have to spell out except "YEAR".
Spell out the number if it is 10 or below,
if the number is 11 or more, or shows percentage use "number form"
1999 was a difficult year for the Jones Family.
Twenty customers came into the store and bought 200 apples.
Thomas Edison once said, "Genius is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration.
....life is 10 percent what happens to us and 90 percent how we respond to it.

Vocabulary Tips:
entry-level-最基層的，入門的，初階的,初級的 entry-進入,入門.
*Oliver just graduated from school and accepted an entry-level job at a nearby company.
*He took an entry-level course in Economics in college.
culinary-烹飪, 烹調
*Under the famous chef, Jack learned a lot of culinary skills.
*Mom planted some herbs in her garden so she could create some culinary masterpieces in her kitchen.
*The chef graduated from a culinary academy in France.烹飪學院
prep-凖備,預備. 作好凖備.
prepped/prepping
*Ricky is prepping for his midterm.期中考試
essential-不可或缺的,極其重要的very important
*Accurate marketing strategies are essential for a company's success.
*It is essential to include all team members in each discussion.
genuine- 很道地的,真的,真正的 not fake, is real, authentic
*It's not easy to find genuine Indian food in this little town.
*This chair is undoubtedly a genuine 15th century antique.
*He looked at the wounded cat with genuine concern.
citrus-柑橘類
citrus fruit-柑橘類水果
a citrus tree-橘樹
*Mom enjoys citrus tea a lot.
*This citrus orchard is quite famous for its jam. 果園....果醬
Poultry-any kind of bird's meat.

Chat Room:
get delivery-餐館外送的服務,
takeout- (美)打電話去餐館,然後去餐館拿.
takeaway-(英)' '' '' ''
to go-直接去餐館點菜帶走,帶囘去吃.
"For here of to go? "
lunchbox- means the container, box itself.
cold lunch-carry food or sandwich to school, serve cold.
hot lunch - eat at the school cafe which serve hot food.
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spice-香料,調味品,也可指"趣味"
spice (v) up-加添趣味,加添調味料
spice up your life.-加添人生樂趣
Variety is the spice of life.-變化是人生的趣味.