What is expected as a prep cook?
Asked by chuteboxe
So i decided to get myself into culinary arts. To be honest, im a late bloomer, although i always loved and appreciated good food, i never really thought of becoming a chef, till recently. I probrably cooked 2 proper meals in my life. Pasta, and crab with garlic. The pasta was aryt, but the crab with garlic sucked. As i said, i just enrolled myself in culinary school which starts next month. For the time being, i decided to get a head start by working in my brother's friends restaurant. As a dishwasher, or anything as long as i am in the kitchen. I spoke to the chef today, and he said ill be doing some basic prep. What im worried about is i only started learning to chop 3 days ago. Should i be expected to know how to chop properly already as a prep cook? I was expecting to be a dishwasher, but apparently, he said i was gona be in prep.

Best Answer:
Being a prep cook isn't going to be that hard... You'll be chopping vegatables, herbs and getting ingriedients assembled for the chef... ** I did this in college I was a prep cook for the salad bar... So, I spent 6 hours a day chopping fruits/vegetable for the salad bar.. So the next person could keep on top of it and re-fill when necessary.. It was an easy job! I didn't have any culinary experience unless you count working at McDonalds in high school! Good luck

Don't worry about it! The best thing is to ask questions. Every chef has his or her way of doing things. When I started out in the kitchen I asked questions on everything. The chefs loved educating me and I learned so much by asking. Relax and enjoy the experience.
Answered by J s

. Take this job now! You need to work in the industry BEFORE you enter school. Try to delay your entrance to school if you can. Culinary school is not a place to learn the basics, rather it is a place to refine your skills. School without experience will land you line cook jobs in casual dinning (not fun) I wish I had worked longer before going to school.
Answered by fairbetsy