’….As food has become a national obsession, more ambitious restaurants are opening, and in more places. The demand is up for chefs who can produce elegant food and know their way around a pair of tweezers, but many young cooks reject entry-level kitchen jobs — with their harsh conditions, low pay and long hours — where those skills are taught. And so, there are more stations in restaurant kitchens than there are bodies to stand in front of them. To hire, restaurateurs have been forced to lower their standards, or at least their expectations…..Many chefs blame television for presenting unrealistic versions of life in restaurant kitchens, and they are outraged that the skills they have mastered over decades are viewed as optional by the new generation….Can restaurants make great food if they have to settle for fewer, or weaker, cooks?….’

Taken from NOT ENOUGH COOKS IN THE RESTAURANT KITCHEN by Julia Moskin, The New York Times October 20th 2015. For the entire article, click here.

We came across this thought-provoking article this week, and it made for an interesting read. It seems there is a lack of skill in the restaurant industry, which we may see reflected as we dine out more frequently, and in a ever-widening selection of eateries, and the general consensus is that this shortage of trained cooks and accomplished chefs is becoming a near crisis. Let’s hope that changes soon, but this also highlights the crucial importance of learning fundamental skills, and how each technique, from sautéing to roasting can be taught, mastered and perfected – whether you are cooking for your family every day, or creating gourmet creations in the finest restaurants in the land. These techniques are the same throughout commercial kitchens everywhere, and are practiced daily in order to produce everything from the familiar and comforting, to the more cutting edge and contemporary cuisine. That’s all the more reason for us all to know them!