Who is left with a culinary degree from a actual institute ?

[ibcheft]

It is interesting to think that we have possibly only two chefs with an actual degree from an institute left on the food network, is Tyler and Bobby Flay the only ones ? I can not think of any others, Guy doesn't, Alton doesn't, Rachel doesn't, Paula doesn't, Robin doesn't, that new girl I believe doesn't, please correct if I am wrong I know some have degrees but in nutritional fields, writers, cook book authours, and restaurant management field stuff like that. Other than morimoto and cat Cora from iron chef I think all the others are gone. What about Oliver and that new guy ? and others that I know I am not thinking of, but actual current host and not repeats ?

[MiseEnPlace]

Alton is a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute
But he doesn't consider himself a chef

I'm interested, ibcheft what's your take on being called a chef. Some people say its the degree others say its running a kitchen. I'm confused on it myself.

[ibcheft]

Well in my opinion I think you need a degree from a culinary institute (with training)and have ran a kitchen, a commercial kitchen, to be called a chef. I did not know Alton had a culinary degree, but I don't believe he has ran a commercial kitchen. Which is neither here no there I still like him. I wonder what is the actual requirements for being a chef ? is there some kind of book someplace that has it listed ?

[MiseEnPlace]

I don't know of any rule anywhere that lists the requirements of being a chef. Guess that's why there are so many opinions on it. I've also heard one must earn the title, I'm assuming that means working up the ranks of the kitchen. You are right, Alton has never run a commercial kitchen. He has the degree, that's all. And that's probably why he doesn't call himself a chef.

[Food Network Fan]

I think you are supposed to have worked under another chef too. But I don't know all the requirements.

[Sukie]

Giada went to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. She worked for Wolfgang Puck.
She wanted to become a pastry chef.

[bluejeanz]

Michael Chiarello also has a culinary degree.

Does it really matter whether one has gone to culinary school or not? I think years ago it mattered a great deal but in today's world, I don't think it does, at least in my opinion. Cooks like Paula and Rachael make homestyle meals and don't get into the haute cuisine area and don't really need one. They also have their own unique knife skills/techniques and it works just fine. The average viewer would have no problem following their lead. I think a good number of viewers who watch FN love to cook, probably have more than a basic knowledge of food prep, cooking terms, techniques and knife skills and instinctly know just looking at a recipe if it'll fly or not. Those viewers who are just learning to cook can tune into the PD and RR-type shows.

I guess what I'm trying to say is a degree would be necessary if you're opening a restaurant or appearing on Iron Chef and need that knowledge in order to be able to create. Other than that, to me, it's just a piece of paper.

[PNWPoof]

Jeanne, I agree with you completely. I don't think the Food Network was created to cater to a bunch of Chefs. Rather, the programs are designed to appeal to your regular Joes and Janes, who are not looking to learn how to cook haute cuisine on TV.

[MiseEnPlace]

There have been a some challengers on ICA without a formal culinary education.

I wanted to attend culinary school when I was younger and for various reasons I didn't. People still tell me I should. But since I have no plans to open a restaurant or be an executive chef at some fancy restaurant, I'm happy with the culinary knowledge I have.

What I like is people to have credibility and that's not say only chefs or people with culinary degrees have credibility. I'll watch a show until I figure out that this person doesn't know what they are doing, then I'm gone and its hard to win me back. That can be a chef or a non chef.

FN was built with chefs with the early shows, but since the network appeals to home cooks its logical to have people like that on there along with the chefs. I think there's room for both the professional chef and the home cook.

Really what I want are culinary instructors. I like to learn about techniques and ingredients.

BTW: the poor knife handling does bother me a bit but that's just for safety sake of both the host and the viewer. I think proper knife handling is very important and it doesn't take a lot to correct it. I tease my mom all of the time about the way she cuts veggies. And she has cut herself badly in the past.

[bluejeanz]

Originally Posted by MiseEnPlace

BTW: the poor knife handling does bother me a bit but that's just for safety sake of both the host and the viewer. I think proper knife handling is very important and it doesn't take a lot to correct it.

They say dull knives cause more accidents than sharp ones and I'm thinking that the average home cook probably doesn't sharpen or use a steel very often. That's not to say that even someone adept with a knife couldn't have an accident. Look at the cooking shows on TV. Every now and then someone will get burned or cut.


Not that it was with a knife, but I think by now everyone's seen Mario's first show on the FN where he was grating cheese and grated his finger and said there was blood everywhere. He said he plunged his hand into a bowl of tomatoes so no one would know. Back then they just kept the cameras rolling and when they came back from the station break, he had a towel around his hand for the duration.

I worked in an auto claims office for over 26 years and the saying around there was "That's why they call them accidents ", LOL.