From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Culinary art is the art of cooking. The word "culinary" is defined as something related to, or connected with, cooking or kitchens. A culinarian is a person working in the culinary arts. A culinarian is commonly known as a cook or a chef. Culinary artists are responsible for skillfully preparing meals that are as pleasing to the palate as to the eye. They work primarily in restaurants, fast food franchises, delicatessens, hospitals and other institutions and corporation. Kitchen conditions vary depending on the type of business, restaurant, nursing home etc.

The culinary arts profession is made up of people who work either directly or indirectly in the preparation and service of food items in the public or private sector. They work in a range of establishments including, but not limited to hotels, full-service restaurants, private clubs, corporate dining, institutional catering, caterers, and home meal replacement (carry-out). With the increased demands of the consumers for nutrition, quality, sophistication in all parts of the culinary industry, today's culinary professional needs to be well trained and prepared to meet the consumers demands.^[1]

There are a variety of opportunities in the culinary arts profession. Below is a non-exhaustive list of some opportunities available to those interested in working as culinary professionals.^[2]

• Chef and Cooks - Work directly with the preparation of food for service in various establishments including full-service restaurants, catering facilities, institutional dining, corporate dining, and other various venues.
• Dining Room Service'
• Food and Beverage Managers - Manage all food and beverage outlets in hotels and other large establishments
• Food and Beverage Controllers - Purchase and source ingredients in large hotels as well as manage the stores and stock control.
• Consultants and Design Specialists - Works with restaurant owners in development of menus, layout and design of dining room and establishing kitchen protocols.
• Salespeople - Introduces chefs and business owners to new products and is able to demonstrates the proper use of equipment. They may sell any range of products needed in the industry from various food products to equipment.
• Teachers - Train future culinary professionals with their experience in the classroom.
• Food Writers and Food Critics - Establish a public contact with the public on food trends, chefs and restaurants. Many write for newspapers, magazines and some publish books. Notables in this field include Julia Child, Craig Claiborne and James Beard.
• Food Stylists and Photographers - Work with magazines, books, catalogs and promotional and advertising to make them visually appealing.
• Research and Development Kitchens - Develop new products for commercial manufacturers, they can also be test kitchens for publications or others can be kitchens for restaurant chains or grocery chains.

The immediate occupation outlook for chefs, restaurant managers, dieteticians, and nutritionists is fairly good, with "as fast as the average" growth.^[3] Some college is often required for success in this field.

• American Dietetic Association
• Chef
• Gastronomy
• Hospitality industry

• Beal, Eileen. Choosing a career in the restaurant industry. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 1997.
• Institute for Research. Careers and jobs in the restaurant business: jobs, management, ownership. Chicago: The Institute, 1977.

McBride, Kate, ed. The Professional Chef/ the Culinary Institute of America, 8th ed. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, INC, 2006.

• U.S. Department of Labor