Real Talk: The Truth About Cooking School

Ah yes - you want to be a cook/chef (pick your term) and want to know the truth and dirt?  Alright - I'll happily lay it out on the table for you.

Please bear in mind - I studied in Finland (I am a Canadian) and in Finnish (and I'm awful at languages) and I completed a 2-years vocational program.
So I studied the basics and this post is strictly based on my experiences.

Here is what I learned:

• As a cooking student - you're instructed to purchase a white chef coat.  Which is ridiculous because we all know what happens in the kitchen - stains your coat.  Forever.
• The lady who sold me my chef coat sold me one three sizes too big because she said "All first years gain a lot of weight."  Thanks Marta - I didn't gain THAT much....
• You will most likely gain some weight most likely (unless you're mega conscious of what you eat or have a ton of allergies and intolerances/sensitivities). 
• Or you're a die hard gym/work-out fanatic.
• You have to taste test what you are cooking before it goes out to the other students or actual student restaurant (we had one) and you usually eat on site as well.
• Freshly baked bread is hard to avoid.
• Really good smelling and tasting food is hard to avoid.
• It was also not common in the basic kitchens because Finnish food is rather bland in flavour (in terms of spices) but is really healthy and focuses more on natural flavour of the primary ingredients.  Like smoked reindeer or salmon - or potatoes.
• There's always that one (or more) person that might kill you by accident...
• Burning you
• stabbing you
• dropping heavy stuff on you
• not carrying their share of the weight and you're lifting something together so you might pull something...
• You might have an accident at work - keep calm, perform first aid and know it won't be the last time you burn or cut yourself in the kitchen.
• It's a billion times harder to study a subject in a language not native to your own.
• Jelly-roll cakes are far too easy to make.
• Work practices are terrifying but DO prepare you for the real world.
• Sometimes you embrace theory classes and wearing normal clothes and sitting on your butt for a few hours - sometimes you wish you were peeling onions all day with a blunt knife.
• There's always that one in class that references some world famous chef in every. Single. Class.
• There's always that one in class (or more) that think they are world famous chefs.
• Accidents really do and can happen.  
• Just because you don't eat or like the food doesn't mean you're not expected to taste it.  (Unless it's of a religious/cultural reason or you're of a particular strict diet - ie vegan).
• You cannot stress in the kitchen.  Ever.
• You also do not know how to wash your hands properly until they show you how poor of a job you did...doesn't matter if you sang Happy Birthday three times while sudsing up!  Their magic powder they sprinkle on your hands to UV-scan for germs and bacteria AFTER you've washed your hands will show you just how wrong you are.

Here's my advice on surviving culinary arts - especially if it has a very hands-on program like mine did:

• Avoid getting new tattoos that could be exposed in a chef outfit while you're studying.  For the sake of hygiene (both toward your skin and the food) - try and hold off.
• Same with piercings.  We were not allowed any earrings at all - not even studs - when in the kitchen.  One classmate had had hers just pierced before class started and it was still healing - so they allowed her to cover it up with a bandaid.
• Say goodbye to nail polish, jewelry and even your fitness wrist tracker (i.e. Polar, Fitbit etc.) - hello hygiene and food safety.
• Shop for your chef coat second hand if you can nab one in your size.  Get a back-up coat! They get dirty fast! I got a black one - which I'm glad I had for work practices and a future job - because your "It was white when I bought it - now it's various shades of processed stomach lining" won't look so fantastic and stain-free forever.  Black is much more forgiving!
• Don't be a snob - everyone has to clean.  Dirty dishes, emptying drains, scrubbing floors and surfaces.
• There's hand disinfectant for a reason.
• Just because you're of a particular diet - for example, a vegan - doesn't mean you won't be handling meat or other animal-produced products.  The chance of you getting a job in a restaurant that caters to your diet (vegan or otherwise) is slim to none - depending on the popularity of it and where you're located.
• No, I am not dissing vegans or specialty diets.  My BFF back in Canada is a vegan and I adore her and respect her food choices. :) I am just being honest with my statement.
• Of course if you have the ability - financial, physically and mentally - you could always open up a café or small restaurant that does cater to customers with a similar diet lifestyle as yours. :)
• Your hands have seen its better days.  
• I'm not one for having any kind of hand-care routine but I do try to moisturize a lot more now. 
• Your face will acquire a shine like no other - so I recommend skipping makeup - because you may get a steam regularly in the kitchen and you end up wiping your face..or those onions can make everyone tear up a bit...hello panda eyes!
• You'll be on your feet a lot - if you can - invest into the no-slip safety shoes that are super comfy or really good insoles.
• You should be somewhat physically fit when in the kitchen because there will be some heavy lifting required.
• Theory can be boring.  I am more of a hands-on theory learner.
• If you don't swear - you will in the kitchen.  It kinda goes hand in hand with the job.
• Ask questions.  There are rarely such things as stupid questions - so be bold.  Ask.
• It's better to ask than to end up wasting a lot of ingredients because you didn't ask something important.  Regardless of how silly it may be.
• Always have a pen or pencil in your coat sleeve - you may need to calculate different measurements or make notes on the recipe if given a copy.
• Nobody is perfect - even the high class chefs have their flaws.  Even if you don't see it on television or in their cookbook photos ;).  They also have decades of experience and many have traveled all over the world to gain their recipes and experiences!
• A lint brush is your best friend - especially if you have pets!
• Be yourself.  Add a bit of you into the dish - whether it's slightly spicing it differently (within reason - bear in mind allergies) or plating it a particular way.
• If your teacher asks for your opinion - it usually means they think you're doing quite well/know what you're doing and they value your opinion and want to know what you would do!  It's a huge compliment!!
• Learn how to light a gas stove.  My school didn't have them and I felt like a moron at my current job for not knowing how.
• Practice good hygiene.  Remember that people are paying you to cook food some day and they are doing so because they TRUST that the kitchen is cleaned regularly and that the staff are CLEAN and professional.  Even if you're just working at McDonald's or some small café - good hygiene goes a long way!
• So what I mean is put away your phone and have it on silent. 
• Don't pick the dirt from your nose/nails in the kitchen.  Do that in the bathroom and wash/disinfect. (You'd be surprised but I had a classmate that was picking his nails in front of the customers - and thought it was no big deal...)
• Shower regularly.
• Please wear antiperspirant of some kind if you can.  Kitchens can be small or you may have limited counter space to work together...nobody wants to smell the funk.
• Wash your chef clothes regularly too.
• Be polite and know your menu because maybe you'll get a job or a work practice where you have to fill a lunch buffet table for example and customers will want to know specific things about the food available.
• You may learn how to wait tables too - and there's a lot to that as well!  It takes a village to run a successful restaurant - even if it's a student practice one.

That's about all I can think of off the top of my head and seeing as this is 2-days overdue to be posted (I had the kids - that messes everything up scheduling-wise!) - I better hit "publish" so you can read this!
Thanks and enjoy cooking school!

XO,
Dominique