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Culinary School Success: Julia Child's Top Five Culinary Tips
Culinary School Success:
Julia Child's Top Five Culinary Tips
Who better to teach you the secrets of succeeding in culinary school than the woman who built a culinary empire around good knives and an even better sense of humor? With her distinctive voice and obvious gusto for cooking, Julia Child won the hearts of millions and encouraged a populist food movement in America, and around the world.
As you prepare to embark on your culinary training, remember these five tips from the famous French chef:
1. Be Passionate About Food
"In France," said Julia, "cooking is a serious art form and a national sport."
To succeed in culinary school (and the world of master chefs beyond), you must be a true epicurean—a lover of good food. Like Julia, you must derive great pleasure from working with food, and using your creative flair to prepare meals that people enjoy.
2. Practice Good Social Skills
Julia was quite remarkable in her ability to engage an audience through a variety of mediums, including best-selling cookbooks, a series of popular TV shows, and engaging public speeches. As a culinary student, and as a professional, you need to be able to communicate effectively in the kitchen. You also need to practice a fine balance of independent initiative and teamwork.
3. Maintain Your Energy Levels
Julia lived until she was 92, and never settled for retirement. As she said, "Retired people are boring." You, too, must be ready to tap into your reserves of physical stamina—culinary school means being on your feet all day and lifting heavy pots. And once you enter the field, you can add working odd hours (weekends and evenings) to the list.
4. Work Well Under Pressure
Culinary schools may not exactly simulate the small space and intense heat of industry kitchens, but they certainly do provide a pretty close approximation of the high-pressure, high-stress environment. As a chef-in-training, you can prove your ability to maintain your cool, and still produce quality food. Perhaps adopting some of Julia's unorthodox attitude might help: "I enjoy cooking with wine, sometimes I even put it in the food I'm cooking."
5. Cultivate an Eye for Detail
Julia won many awards in her lifetime, including France's highest honor, the Legion d'Honneur. And yet, she said, "The measure of achievement is not winning awards. It's doing something that you appreciate, something you believe is worthwhile. I think of my strawberry soufflé. I did that at least twenty-eight times before I finally conquered it."
Your success in culinary school can also be determined in part by the state of your chef uniform. A crisp, clean uniform conveys professionalism and a meticulous eye for detail that affects everything from the quality of your food to your ability to follow crucial safety guidelines.
So, as you browse this culinary schools guide and find the one that's right for you, always keep in mind the credo Julia Child lived by: Bon appétit!
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