“Table for six? Yes sir. Right this way. Please make yourself comfortable while you browse the menu. I’ll be back shortly for your drink orders.”
At precisely that moment the men begin pondering the cuts of meat, but the women are, of course, several courses ahead of them. They go straight to the dessert menu, because they want to be sure that the appetizers and entrees they order leave room for those mouth-watering desserts.
This is what we came to eat!
After the waiter takes their drink orders, the men typically ask their wives what they would like. They coquettishly lie with their universal response, “I don’t know.” The truth is that they do know. They want dessert! Now they must figure out what not to eat leading up to the Crepe Suzette.
The pastry chef is everyone’s favorite
Just like the bass singer is everyone’s favorite in a country music quartet – check it out: Richard Sterban and the Oak Ridge Boys (oom papa mau mau) – the pastry chef is every diner’s favorite. It is his creations that they will all be talking about for the next week. The talents of the cook is forgotten when the baklava and the crème brûlée arrive. Someone else may be the head chef, but the pastry chef is the star of the show that is dinner.
I make deserts that make the women cry.
The road to being the star of the show
The road to becoming a pastry chef doesn’t always begin in the same place, but it always goes through culinary arts school. It is there that the techniques of the craft are taught and learned. What happens after graduation is largely up to the creative talent of the newly-trained pastry master.
While the road winds through culinary school, students are typically taught subjects ranging from sanitation to inventory control and menu-planning. Culinary arts programs at Florida Technical College offer a variety of training programs, including certifications for the type of career that the students hope to enjoy.
Choosing the right culinary arts program in Florida
For students who want to become accomplished pastry chefs, choosing the right school could be the easiest decision they make, especially compared to those training in other areas of expertise. Here’s why. Follow the lead of scholarship football recruits. Rarely do they select a school without first visiting the athletic facilities. What they see is often the leading factor in their decision-making process.
This is going to be an exciting career!
The same should be true for potential pastry chefs. The quality and conditions of the kitchens and classrooms can easily be as significant as the athletic facilities are for those athletes. These visits also allow for the opportunity to meet your coaches and begin building a relationship with them.
One caveat: Being the star of the show is not about getting to stand in the spotlight. It is about earning the right to have the spotlight directed at you. While being a pastry chef can make some a star, becoming a star is only accomplished through long hours and hard work – plus a pinch or two of artistic talent.
To learn more about the culinary arts programs at Florida Technical College, please contact us.
