Would you cook professionally?

[High Cheese]

I'm one of those people that if I get pushed to do one of my hobbies, I get turned off. I used to draw and paint alot but people kept pushing me follow that skill for a carrer that I dropped it. Haven't picked up a pencil in years.

I think cooking would be the same way. If I had to do it day in, day out. There's a couple things I wouldn't mind doing on a part time basis though: Some sort of concession cart (street food) or a private chef. Still keeping it as a hobby, but going public and making a few bucks.

Anyone else?

[Calicolady]

http://www.fenderpick.com/images/smilies/iagree.gif
Me too Jeeks.
I used to love to sing. Mom pushed and pushed, but I had such stage fright, I couldn't do it.
I used to be a music copyist as a hobby (til it went computerized and I didn't have one). I loved it. It was tedious, especially being a lefty, but it also was a good distraction from a rotten marriage. My name started getting around and people were hiring me with impossible deadlines and it became distasteful.
I used to bake and sell cheesecakes and quiche when I lived up north.
People adored them and word spread, but again..... Now I do it for family at holidays, but haven't put a piece in my mouth for years.
Love the cart idea, especially hotdogs - my fav. And here's perfect weather for it, and no one sells them in bldgs, or cart, but this city has no boardwalk and downtown is so upscale, the restaurants there would fight ANYONE trying to get a permit.
But it's something I've thought about since moving here in '99.

[High Cheese]

One idea I had was a BBQ trailer, one of those huge smokers. I would talk with Lowes or Home Depot to try to set up in their parking lot. The stores would have all their grills outside on display and I could be smoking away. Seems like a win-win situation.

Other than that, I would like to have a cart with kabobs and other high flavored grilled meats and such.

[Calicolady]

We have 2 Home Depots in town and I worked at both. The town wouldn't allow carts there either. When the new one opened, even the employees went to the zoning board meetings to pleed.
No such luck.

[joec]

I'm one of those people that if I get pushed to do one of my hobbies, I get turned off. I used to draw and paint alot but people kept pushing me follow that skill for a carrer that I dropped it. Haven't picked up a pencil in years.

I think cooking would be the same way. If I had to do it day in, day out. There's a couple things I wouldn't mind doing on a part time basis though: Some sort of concession cart (street food) or a private chef. Still keeping it as a hobby, but going public and making a few bucks.

Anyone else?

I also like to draw and paint and started doing it a few years ago on computers. I got real popular there for a while but people started wanting me to do stuff for them which took the fun completely out of it.

Now as for cooking no thanks. My wife worked for about 20 years in high end resturants and resorts as a waitress, bartender and in catering. Based on what I saw of the business I would wind up killing someone if I had the skills required. As for the skills the largest group I cook for is my family and large though it is my skills are limited to what I've taught myself or picked up through the years.

If anyone is interested in my art work it can be found here http://www.dizteq.com/joestuff/gallery.html I closed my site for good in 2001 which was called New Dawn Micro.

[PanchoHambre]

I'm with you on this one Jeeks.


Already pursued my first interest/hobby into a career.

This made me very jaded to the subject. I really don't have the interest in Architecture the way I did before I started working.

Cooking I do for fun and for a creative diversion... making it an obligation would kill that.

The main difference between hobby and work is with a hobby you serve yourself with work you serve others

[QSis]

Not me. Cooking for a living would suck all of the joy out of it for me.

I wouldn't mind menu/meal planning, as long as I could work a day job, M-F. :-)

Lee

[smoke king]

With my 5oth fast approaching, I've developed quite a keen sense of hindsight.

If I'd known 30 years ago what I know now, I likely would have went to Culinary school-but who knew in the mid 70's how cooking was going to blow up such as it has?

With the skill set I posses, I couldn't imagine having to cook for a living-I don't think I could do it fast enough, and "multi-tasking" isn't my strong suit. I enjoy doing it for myself and family, but that is to say, on "my own terms" when I want and how I want. But I can't help but wonder with a proper education how things might have been different.............??

[GhettoRacingKid]

I dont know if this counts but Cooking and baking was jsut something I was interested in but thought it was really difficult becuase my mom no offense to her struggled and my moms mom was even worse and my other Gma didnt cook much and my Grandpa never realyl cooked for us but he was a cook in the navy but made a killer breakfast so with all that I thought it was difficult.

I bought a house in PA in 2004 and realyl started to just cook for me and the wife. She wanted me to make something liek from some of her favorite places. I can say the thing that discovered my replication talent was Garlic Mashed potatos from a place Called Zorns out here on LI. So since then I would try this that and the other thing and before you knew I was rocking in the kitchen.

Side note is that I was goign to be losing my job and I was looking for another one and the market jsut sucked and I knew I wouldnt beable to compete and what not and this isnt what i want to do for the rest of my life. So I took a year and really looked back and me and myself and what makes me happy at work. I boiled it down to a few thigns i require of a job and that lead me to the culinary feild. so I was goign to go to a lcoal community college but things were a hassel with teh schedule and stuff and then I was like ok. I hooked up with a buddy i meant on a message board who was a chef and he got me a job working at a pizza and pasta place and from then on i knew that is what I wanted to do. I also worked at the owners steak hosue doing the morning set up and clean up and some prep.

Decided to go to Culinary school in NYC becuase it was a better program and the schedule was flexible with my work schedule.

I did my exterrn at a great place and was hoping to come back but wit hteh eceonomy down turn it didnt work out. Ive been looking for something part time but havent been lookign hard enough becuase of my lack of confidence. I got skills but yeah...

[sattie]

I think the only way I would cook 'professionally' is if I could do it DDD style. No folded napkins and 8 piece table settings at my joint! Being said, I'm quite happy cooking at home.

[RobsanX]

I think the only way I would cook 'professionally' is if I could do it DDD style. No folded napkins and 8 piece table settings at my joint! Being said, I'm quite happy cooking at home.

LOL! There used to be a Cajun restaurant I'd go to that didn't even use plates. They would lay out butcher paper and dump a pot of crayfish, shrimp, sausage, corn taters, etc. right on the table!

I think I'd try cooking professionally, but I'm not sure I'd stick with it...

[joec]

Sounds like a place I ate in Lake Charles LA. They served all you could eat mud bugs on a large pizza platter with paper towels. As soon as you would begin to see the pizza platter here they came with another one. Great meal too and absolutely what else they served as side dishes.

[sattie]

Yea, there is a place in Port Aransas that we always go to called Crazy Cajuns... they do the same thing... table lined with newspaper... dump the bowl. Plenty of napkins and and little wooden mallets!

[joec]

Wooden mallets for crayfish?

[sattie]

Wooden mallets for crayfish?

You got to kill em first!

[joec]

You don't eat them still kicking, where is the fun in that? :lol:

[CharlieD]

I would not cook professionally. How would I be able to spend time here and elsewhere on Internet for a half a day or more during my work hours if I had to stay by the stove? Neah, my parents were smart they did not let me go into cooking.
I don’t mind putting out some small party, 50-100 people. I don’t mind helping somebody to put out party but I wouldn’t want to make it into the profession. It is just way too hard.

[Lefty]

Here in Maine restaurants and cooking establishments fail often. The only ones that do well are the ones that can find a niche or have been "family traditions" for years. For instance I heard all the rage about this drive in called fat boys, they have the usual fare with a few seafood entrees. I finally gave it a try and everything me and a few friends tried was nothing special and I was let down. I saw a friend that recommended it to me and I asked what was so special about it and her answer was we keep going there because we have every year and so did my parents... It is hard to beat that type of thinking. I would love to cook professionally and have been told by friends I should, but first I have to make sure I can work with this Yankee mentality to be able to make it.

[suziquzie]

I think about it alot. I think I want to, but then I know just like everything else I'd hate it if I had to do it all the time.

DH and I saw a place on DDD kinda like Jeeks idea.... HUGE smoker, laid back joint, but not portable. DH frequents a mobile rib place in his travels and thought a giant traveling brisket (and other stuff) smoking business would be really fun. I'd do that. After kids though. not now.
FOr now I will stick with baking bagels and muffins and make sandwiches and pretend I'm cooking.
:)

[CharlieD]

You got to kill em first!

"Kill them"? That's murder. Neah, just boil them straight. Taste better that way too.

[MexicoKaren]

Many friends have urged me to open a restaurant here - it's very easy to just make your front yard into a restaurant here in Mexico. I thought about it for awhile. Then I read Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. Arrgghh. And it is HOT here. Sounds like really hard WORK, and I am supposed to be retired...

[Miniman]

I don't think I cook well enough. If I did, and I occasionally daydream about it, I would do a small roadside caff with good basic dishes & grills.

[PieSusan]

I use to cater desserts a long time ago. It was fun and I made some money. Usually, I just bake for friends and family. It is a great way to destress but I don't want to turn a hobby into "time to make the doughnuts".

[Maverick2272]

I couldn't do it, first off I think it would take some of the joy out of it, second of all I don't think I could handle any rejection very well, and third of all my health would prevent me from working the hours needed to make it successful.

Kinda like writing, I used to write a lot and wrote several books but everyone started pushing so I don't do it anymore took the fun out of it cause then they have to be critiqued and edited and whatnot.

[lydiapurple]

I have, and still do, cook professionally, the only difference now is that I do it when I feel like it. Just confirmed a wedding reception for May and have many cakes to do through the spring and summer.

I find that I can easily go from "chef" to home cook and love both. The only frustrating thing is that when we have people over they are always expecting the chef in me and are actually disappointed when I do a "down home meal" no matter how good it is.

I am working on an outline for a cookbook and applying for a job as a special diets instructor at a local culinary school.

[Calicolady]

Speaking of, dear lady, did you finish the cake you've been working on? PICS?

[lydiapurple]

Speaking of, dear lady, did you finish the cake you've been working on? PICS?

Ah, um, you mean the wedding cake from H***? I have pictures but I don't know if they will see the light of day any time soon. I may tell the story of "how NOT to make a wedding cake" just for a laugh!

[Calicolady]

Ah, so much work. And with all the other B.S. you were going thru. {{{!}}} We did miss and worry about you. Glad you're back.

[JoeV]

I love being in my kitchen as a hobby, but not as a career. Besides, my hobbies usually last about 5 years then I become bored and try something new. Of all the hobbies I've tried, cooking has stayed with me for decades, but the others fade into the background as new ones present themselves. I own my own business which keeps me busy during the day, and I enjoy my downtime in the kitchen. We need balance.