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A short while back I posted an article on this very site about the emerging trend of Food Trucks.

We must bear in our minds that the idea of food carts/ trucks/ vans is not in fact new. What is new is the way it is done. The idea has been globally executed for hundreds of years. In Mexico for example they have been selling corn on the cob with chilli and lemon. In Chicago they have rolling Italian ice man. In Spain they have the churro and chocolate man.

The art of taking food to the street comes even as we see today at the local side road carnival. The trend is that the trucks have gone gourmet with more elaborate menus and distinct presentations including an ethnic theme, coming to you in a pimped out ride with all the bells and whistles to tickle and tantalize your palette as the capitalist makes a hard fast buck.

Yesterday while I was picking through my facebook news feed, I bumped into Chef Jacqueline and her post focused on food carts.

Chef Jacqueline claims that she predicted the success of food trucks ten years ago. She mentioned that she has an abundance of designs and visions in her head.

I have to admit I am looking forward to seeing some of her visions coming to fruition in the not too distant future.

It is claimed that some food trucks are grossing over USD 10,000.00 per week. I also heard of a chef that does a run at a local farmers market and pulls in over USD 1000.00 for just 3 hours work.

The problem that exists for the consumer now is choosing what truck offers a quality meal. Quality is measured based on ingredients as well as presentation.

Here a few images of food carts that Chef Jacqueline stumbled across in New York City recently.

Chef Jacqueline dropped by for a quick coffee and a pastry

A truck load of yoghurt

Anyone up for a pizza

Images are courtesy of Chef Jacqueline.  Be sure to visit her facebook album to see additional images.

Feel free to send in images of food trucks in your area and I will upload for the benefit of all. Please be sure to include the details surrounding the images.

You can send to matthew.chef@gmail.com

What is your take on food trucks? Please leave your thoughts and opinions in the comment section.

Thank you Chef Jacqueline for your input. I am so glad to be acquainted with you.

Happy trucking!!!

Matthew

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Now that the interview is finally over, you can now breathe a sigh of relief.  However, this does not mean that the game is over because the waiting game has just begun.  It will only be over once you find out that you got the job or not.

Short of sitting on your backside the whole time that you are waiting for the major decision, you should know that you can also follow up on your application.  In fact, following up on your applications is a very good thing to do.

Why Follow Up After the Interview?

There are a number of reasons why it is important that you follow up on your application.  For one, this shows enthusiasm on your part and the desire to know if you have been successful in getting the job or not.  Two, if in the middle of waiting for the decision and you decided not to push through with your application, it is common courtesy to inform the company that you are withdrawing your application.

However, it is not good to constantly call up the company, asking for updates.  It will make seem too pushy and impatient.  One follow-up phone call is usually enough.  You also have the option of sending a follow-up letter.  Just make sure though that the letter is about the interview and your application, not for anything else.

The Job is Not Yours

What happens if you did not get the job?

Short of sulking and thinking the worst, why not take it positively and learn from the experience?  You can get in touch with the interviewers and ask them where you failed.  This way, you can improve what needs improvement.  If you lack preparation, then you can prepare more for your next interview.  If your nerves were your downfall, you can learn relaxation techniques to help you calm down.  Either way, the feedback that you get from the interviewers will teach you on what to do and not to do the next time you have an interview.

Now, if you are still interested in working for the company, you can always send them a letter, asking them to keep you in mind should a new position or job that you are interested in be offered.  Of course, do not forget to thank them for the first interview even though you did not get the job.

Lastly, you have to remember not to take the rejection personally.  Do not be defeated by what happened.  Instead, learn from your mistakes and try not to do those again in your future applications.

Withdrawing Your Application

In case you decide to withdraw your application for personal reasons or you simply think that the job is not for you, then, as stated above, courtesy dictates that you inform the company.

You can send them a letter withdrawing your application, explaining in a very professional manner the reasons why.  It will be a hassle for you, but you have to understand that it will be more of a hassle for the interviewers since they have wasted their time on you.  The earlier you tell them of your decision, the lesser the complications.  Nothing will irritate a company more than offering you a job only to find out that you are not interested in their offered position after all.

The Job is Yours

If you do get lucky and land the job, do not forget to thank the interviewers.  They trusted you with the position, so you should respect their decision at all times.  Make sure, too, that you show them that they have made the right decision in choosing you over other applicants by doing the best that you can in your new position.

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What is this book never existed?  What if Julia Child never went to France?  Yes, that would be sad.  After all, wasn’t it Julia Child who introduced French cooking to the American public?  Wasn’t she the one who made it seemed easy to whip up French sauces?  Some people would say that the book Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1 by Julia Child actually saved American families from TV dinners and leftover casseroles.  This bigger-than-life woman actually ushered in the culinary revolution in the United States in the 70s.

With the publication of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Julia Child, along with her co-authors Louisette Berthlle and Simone Beck, successfully introduced authentic French cooking to American kitchens.  What makes this book unique is that the ingredients used in preparing the recipes can actually be found in any American grocery store or supermarket.  When Child prepared the book, she wanted to offer recipes with ingredients that people can actually find – and that’s she did.  This is quite a feat considering how relatively young American cuisine was.  Some would say that it was a wasteland.  People were quite content with TV dinners.

The book was written over 40 years ago – and it’s actually high time that you buy your own copy.  Julia Child is an engaging, witty and funny author.  The language used is clear and the recipes reflect those of any French cookbook..  This is actually what makes this cookbook incredible – the fact that it was written 40 years ago.  It was the first of its kind and it changed American culinary culture.

It is a definitely a must-have book.  It offers basic understanding of French cooking.  In fact, you could say that it offers understanding of the most basic cooking techniques, methods and skills.  Julia Child – bless her heart – possesses this incredible way of communicating with her readers.  She makes the most complex tasks seem easy!

If you love to cook, this is your book.  The only drawback to this cookbook is that it does not offer 10-minute meals.  You have to devote a couple of hours to one recipe.  The recipes are typically longer than usual and they are really detailed.  You will definitely know what to do from start to finish.  Despite the long recipes, however, you will have no difficulty looking for the ingredients.  Child made sure that you can find everything in the supermarket.  If you have always wanted to whip up French food like an expert, this is definitely your book..

This book will teach you all the fundamental techniques of French cooking.  In fact, you will learn how to sauté, chop onions, dice, mince or add egg yolks to a hot sauce to avoid curdling.  Basically, you will learn how to whip up mouth watering dishes.  French cooking is all about good food.  It’s not just about combining ingredients or plating – it is primarily focused on awesome food that tastes great!  This is exactly what Mastering the Art of French Cooking offers.

They say that with the right instructions, anyone can whip up the most delicious meals.  This cookbook offers plain step-by-step instructions, from purchasing the readily-available ingredients to assembling them and cooking them.  You will be surprised at how easy French cooking can be.

The book has the recipes organized according to themes.  You will also find numerous variations.  Key recipes, however, are presented in a way that you will first learn the basics of cooking before you actually proceed to learning the more intricate techniques and methods.  You will find valuable tips like how to buy the right cuts of meat, right beans or seafood.  You will find suggestions on side dishes or wines to match particular dishes.  Would you like to know the secret of famous recipes?  The book has them all.

Guess what, your kids will even like your food.  You will even have them nagging you for it.  The book may seem intimidating at first, but you will soon see that the recipes are really quite easy to do once you have tried one or two.  It is quite obvious that Julia Child and her co-authors put a lot of thought to this book and every one of its recipes.

Cooking is an art, but it can be fun too.  This book is Julia Child’s legacy.  It’s worth every penny.

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Becoming a chef is easy, one might be inclined to think.  However, you will be surprised to know that it actually is not.  It would take not only good cooking skills in blending and mixing ingredients to create delicious meals, but it would also take creativity and imagination in creating new dishes as well as plating them appetizingly.

Now, these are not enough, mind you.  You still have to compete with a lot of cooks and chefs to land a job at one of the fine-dining restaurants, a move that can get you started on a colorful and successful career.  To give you the edge you need, you can either enroll yourself at a vocational school or a culinary school.  But what are their differences?  And what are the pros and cons of each?

The Vocational School

If you want to receive your certificate and be accredited as a chef in a relatively shorter period of time, then a vocational school would be perfect for you.  This can certainly get you started on your career faster; however, there are benefits and drawbacks that you should be aware of.

Benefits:

1. Compared to culinary schools and institutes, vocational schools are a lot cheaper, and in just under a short period of time, you will receive your certificate and get you started on your culinary career.
2. Vocational schools also allow you more free time since the classes are condensed.  This then is perfect for those who have jobs and families to take care of and, at the same time, go to their classes.
3. The class schedules are flexible, and this also gives you time to study your lessons at your own pace.

Drawbacks:

1. Your accreditation is limited as vocational schools only give you accreditation in the states where you received your training.
2. Condensed the classes may be, but you will find out sooner or later that the classes have neglected some necessary and important courses.
3. You will need to purchase some of your own equipments, especially those not provided by the vocational school.
4. Lastly, you will have to look for a place where you can apprentice and train.

The Culinary School and Institutes

For the serious chefs who want to be recognized not only in his or her state but worldwide as well, then the culinary schools and institutes are perfect for them.  These train you how to become a professional chef, and once you have your certificates, diplomas, or degrees from them, you can easily land a job.  Of course, there are still the benefits and drawbacks to consider before enrolling in one.

Benefits:

1. The two or more years of studying at culinary schools and institutes assures you of worldwide accreditation and recognition.
2. This also gives you your post secondary diploma.
3. Right after your graduation, you gain recognition as a chef and can easily land you a head position job.  If you do land the head position, this instantly assures you of a much higher starting salary.
4. Graduating at culinary schools and institutes also gives you valuable networks and connections with relevant people in the industry.

Drawbacks:

1. It is expensive than vocational schools.
2. It will take you two or more years to receive your certificates and diplomas, and you will also need to look for a place where you can apprentice or train.  All in all, this is very time consuming.
3. You will definitely notice that the competition between graduating chefs, especially those who will be graduating with honors, is far fiercer than compared to those graduating at vocational schools.
4. There are some schools and institutes that do not provide chef training.  For this reason, you really have to choose the culinary school and institute wisely.
5. In the same vein, you have to check and make sure that the culinary school or institute make you eligible or qualified for an apprenticeship because some of them do not.

These are just some of the pros and cons of both vocational and culinary schools and institutes.  So, depending upon your needs, preferences, and budget, you really have to choose wisely.

Image Credit:  foodedlearningcommunity.blogspot.com

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