It's a strange thing sometimes working for a design school. Many people think that culinary arts are difficult, and many (often those on the outside) believe they are simple. I remember when I first started working at RISD at an event a voice in the crowd basically said, "well that should be easy it's just cooking". A facinating statement since "just" cooking is still a growing industry in this country.
I once had a discussion with a student about deadlines and how it's very different in my art form compared to theirs, when using a restaurant for example. Imagine someone asking for two of one style painting/sculpture/design within a time span that would really allow you very little room for error, then imagine that happening over an extended period of time (within a day) and then imagine it happening every day. In kitchens you have similar emotions to art studios and a space to foster the
artistic spirit, but with constant questions, perpetual demand and then add heat (although many of these relate to other art forms).
I love cooking in kitchens but there is something to be said about having a few moments to reflect on the food you are about to serve. So many times when I do catering I revise the plate in my head two or three times before it hits the plate (and occaisionally one or twice after it hits the plate) but that is not a luxury for many establishments or many chefs. Plate presentation can come in many forms from high art to "rustic" to family style. It's tough if you haven't worked in professional kitchens to appreciate the difference between cooking and cheffing. Chefs have the advantage of time away from the minute to minute to make those reflective decisions that influence the shape of their foods. Cooks have to make split second judgment calls regarding everything from the doneness of a steak to the amount of dressing on a salad. All the time they might have the chef figuratively over their shoulder demanding nothing less than perfection.
I tend to think of culinary atrs as arts on demand, maybe that's why chefs are so popular these days. In our society we've come to appreciate what can be brought to us quickly and with consistency. It's a situation that you really can't judge until you've walked in someone elses shoes. All I know is that many chefs to be probably start their career hoping that one day they'll be culinary artists but until they have their culinary epiphany they're just food artists on demand.
I once had a discussion with a student about deadlines and how it's very different in my art form compared to theirs, when using a restaurant for example. Imagine someone asking for two of one style painting/sculpture/design within a time span that would really allow you very little room for error, then imagine that happening over an extended period of time (within a day) and then imagine it happening every day. In kitchens you have similar emotions to art studios and a space to foster the
artistic spirit, but with constant questions, perpetual demand and then add heat (although many of these relate to other art forms).I love cooking in kitchens but there is something to be said about having a few moments to reflect on the food you are about to serve. So many times when I do catering I revise the plate in my head two or three times before it hits the plate (and occaisionally one or twice after it hits the plate) but that is not a luxury for many establishments or many chefs. Plate presentation can come in many forms from high art to "rustic" to family style. It's tough if you haven't worked in professional kitchens to appreciate the difference between cooking and cheffing. Chefs have the advantage of time away from the minute to minute to make those reflective decisions that influence the shape of their foods. Cooks have to make split second judgment calls regarding everything from the doneness of a steak to the amount of dressing on a salad. All the time they might have the chef figuratively over their shoulder demanding nothing less than perfection.
I tend to think of culinary atrs as arts on demand, maybe that's why chefs are so popular these days. In our society we've come to appreciate what can be brought to us quickly and with consistency. It's a situation that you really can't judge until you've walked in someone elses shoes. All I know is that many chefs to be probably start their career hoping that one day they'll be culinary artists but until they have their culinary epiphany they're just food artists on demand.
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