As an excellent chef you must strive to know the recipes of a variety of dishes. And if you wish to make a mark in the culinary world then you must aim to win a Michelin Star awarded by The Michelin Guide.

The Michelin Red Guide is a series of the annual guidebooks that is among the oldest and most popular European restaurant and hotel guides. They also publish green guides for tourism and travel as well.

The Michelin Red Guide holds more listings than any other guide, depending upon its extensive scheme of symbols to explain every establishment in just two lines. The hotels and restaurants are rated with a star and are listed with 3 specialties. The Michelin Guide does not charge for the entries and conducts anonymous inspections. The best thing about Michelin guide is that it claims to visit the listed establishments once in every 18 months on an average to ensure that a restaurant maintains its standard and keeps the rating updated.

The Michelin guide utilizes a scheme of symbols to recognize the best restaurants and hotels within the comfort and affordability of everybody. The rating that is granted to any college depends on the following criteria:

1. The product quality used by a restaurant or hotel
2. The excellence in cooking and flavor
3. The persona of the cuisine
4. The consistence between the visits
5. The worth for the money

The Michelin star awards are honored to the restaurants that offer finest food without considering the cuisine style. The stars account only for the food served on the plate. The ambience and look of the hotel, its service is some factors do not play much importance in deciding the rank of the hotel.

The Michelin stars awarded to a hotel or restaurant mean the following:

1. * (One Star): A very good restaurant in its category
2. ** (Two Stars): Worth a detour and excellent cooking
3. *** (Three Stars): Exceptional cuisine worth a visit

Michelin also publishes a green guide for every French region and many other cities, counties and countries outside France. The information within the Michelin Guide is also available in various languages. The guide includes an alphabetical description of the points of interest and background information. The Michelin Green Guide also uses the 3 star system similar to that of Michelin Red Guide:

1. *** (Three Stars): Worth a Visit
2. ** (Two Stars): Worth a Detour
3. * (One Star): Interesting

The Michelin guide also identifies the restaurants and hotels without any Bib gourmands or stars. Such hotels are ranked entirely on “Forks and Knives Scale”. The Fork and knives ranking that has been awarded to every restaurant recognized within the guide ranges from 1 to 5.

The restaurants, independent of its ratings can also become eligible for symbols apart from their listings. Coins are awarded to the restaurants that serve a Food at a particular price or less. Magnificent and interesting view of the restaurant is awarded with a red or black symbol and Grapes are awarded to the restaurants or hotels that serve a remarkable assortment of wines.

Winning the Michelin Star means a lot for every chef. Not only is his enthusiasm boosted but his reputation is also raised in the market once his restaurant is honored with Michelin stars. It is the biggest honor for any chef. Chefs from all around the world work their best to win stars and increase the popularity of their restaurant by winning a Michelin Star.

Do you always get compliments for the savory food you cook? If cooking is your passion then you can strive to attain celebrity chef status by acquiring James Beard culinary award.

The James Beard Foundation is a non-profitable organization based in New York named after James beard. The organization works to encourage culinary arts by awarding chefs, cook book authors and wine professionals at the annual award ceremonies and offer educational opportunities and scholarships to the aspirants. James Beard was a teacher and an author with immense knowledge of food. He is considered as a maestro of American cuisine.

The James Beard foundation was started by Peter Kump who was a student of James Beard and founded the Institute of Culinary Education. The James Beard foundation is devoted to nurturing, celebrating and preserving the culinary traditions of America. The foundation has been honoring cooking awards to cooks and chefs who excel in the field of culinary arts since 1985.

Since then, the foundation is serving in same spirit by organizing diverse programs including cooking awards, educational initiatives and scholarships to the culinary schools. The James Beard Culinary Award, also known as “The Oscar of the Food World” is awarded every year to outstanding and exceptional chefs. The award gala ceremony is conducted every year on the first Monday of the month of May at the Avery Fisher Hall. The winners and nominees are presented with the award at the end of the weekend long celebrations. This event has become a gastronomic and social highlight of New York.

The award covers various aspects – from restaurants to chefs to food journalists to cook book authors to architects to restaurant designers and many more. The James beard culinary award is highly respected in the fields of beverage and food professionals in North America. Cooks, Journalists and Architects from various parts of the country showcase their best talent to win this prestigious cooking award.

The winner is selected by 600 culinary professionals who are involved in a process of voting. People gather in huge number to witness this wonderful event. Winning a James beard foundation award will certainly raise your reputation amongst other cooking professionals.

Many have seen their career rise in matter of months after winning the James Beard culinary award. If you are looking to make a career in the culinary arts then aiming to win the James Beard foundation award will help you make you way to the top in the culinary industry.

A Saucier Chef is the chef who is responsible for making all the sauces, and also those dishes which are cooked in a particular sauce or gravy. A Saucier Chef is basically a Chef de Partie and is the third highest position in most kitchens.

A culinary career is more than simple cooking. This statement can be more aptly appreciated if one understands the fact that in larger establishments, there are chefs who exclusively manage other chefs.

A Saucier Chef is basically a Chef de Partie who is also known as the station staff or line cook. A Chef de Partie is responsible for one particular area of food production in the kitchen. A Saucier is responsible for preparing sauces, sautés, stews and hot hors d’oevres. The saucier chef position is usually the third highest position of all the stations. A Saucier Chef position is considered to be subordinate only to a Chef and Sous-Chef’s position in the kitchen hierarchy.

The saucier chef position is usually available in larger kitchens which can afford a staff big enough to allow for specialization. A Saucier Chef is responsible for all the sauteed items and most sauces. As sauces are the basic ingredients of most dishes, Saucier Chefs must be very knowledgeable about the different possible mixtures and combinations of ingredients, along with the different methods of cooking so that they can create a good sauce for a dish.

Typically, to start in a career as a Saucier, you would have to have completed a two years Bachelors Degree in Culinary Arts, and then would have worked in the culinary field for at least a year or two. You would need to be exposed to the areas involved in food presentation, food concepts, and menu creation. Your salary will depend on your expertise and experience – the higher you are on those counts, the higher your salary can go. You can start off at an hourly rate of $11 when you have at least 1 to 4 years of experience, move on to a $14 an hour rate with an experience of 5 to 9 years, and then go on to $16 an hour for at least 10 to 19 years of working experience in the industry.

In your career in the culinary arts, working towards becoming a Saucier Chef can be a exciting and rewarding, while also exposing you to learning how to cook a variety of dishes and culinary specialities.

A Commis Chef is an entry level position when you are at the beginning of creating your career as a chef. A Commis Chef reports to a Chef de Partie. Find out more about what are the responsibilities and skills required to become a Commis Chef.

Culinary careers are a very exciting, satisfying and an equally rewarding experience. And like in any other path of career, here too, to reach the top, one has to start at the bottom and work hard to reach the top position.

The post of an apprentice chef in larger kitchens to learn and operate a station is also termed as Commis Chef. A Commis Chef reports to a Chef De Partie and ideally needs to have completed formal culinary training. In larger kitchens, the Commis Chef job could also start as a kitchen porter or a kitchen assistant who would be promoted to the post of Commis Chef once the candidate is able to perform basic work like vegetable preparation and working of the kitchen.

The responsibilities of a Commis Chef includes preparing food under supervision of more skilled chefs, learning different styles of cooking, dealing with deliveries, stock rotation and requesting stock, gain knife and prep skills, preparation of vegetables and sauces, maintain accuracy while measuring dish ingredients and portion size, service of starters and desserts, maintain high hygiene standards, general day to day cleaning duties and basically understand and appreciate the pace and demands of a kitchen. The job entails working for three to six months in each section of kitchen. As the position of a Commis Chef is a varied role, the chef usually decides which area of the kitchen the apprentice would work in depending on their preference thereby enabling them to specialize in their area of interest. Further, as the job deals with every aspect of working in the kitchen, it is the ideal position to gain the widest possible experience before a specialization is considered.

The position of Commis Chef is normally obtained via catering colleges. If taking up a formal course is not an available option, then one could also start as a kitchen attendant and then apply for any training that the employer offers. The position usually requires working in shifts entailing 40 hours a week. The annual Commis Chef salary range is between $10,000 and $20,000 depending on the amount of training and experience of the chef. Part time, casual and seasonal opportunities are also available, the payment for which is made on a pro-rata basis.

A Master Chef is a professionally certified chef who has received the title of Certified Master Chef – an honor which is held by less than 100 people in the United States of America. This certification is given out only to those chefs who have received a lot of training and have demonstrated a recognizable level of excellence in culinary arts programs.

A Master Chef is a professional qualification that is earned by a chef – they are Certified Master Chefs who have completed the requisite examination conducted by the American Culinary Federation. The Master Chef examination was started in the year 1981 as a method of encouraging chefs to work towards achieving excellence in the culinary arts.

The Certified Master Chef program requires for the chefs to attend a eight days long practical examination which is rigorous and tests the culinary knowledge and skills of a chef. The chefs are tested on subjects which include skills and techniques involved in cooking, use of ingredients in cooking, presentation of the food, the timing of service, safety and sanitation involved in the maintenance of a restaurant. After the course is completed, there is a final test that the chef must pass.

The course costs $3,000 and takes place only on two approved test sites: one is The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and the second site is the California Campus of The Culinary Institute of America, which is based in Napa Valley.

To begin to work towards the Master Chef qualification you would have to start with a degree in the culinary arts. You can either start with a two year Associate Degree in the culinary arts or a four year Bachelors Degree in the culinary arts to start working your way towards a career in the culinary arts. After the degree, you would have to gain a deeper foundation in the culinary arts, which includes practical, hands-on experience in the culinary field.

Most hotels and restaurants are very keen on hiring those chefs who have earned their certification as a Master Chef. Typically, the annual salary of a Certified Master Chef can range from $40,000 to $70,000.

So if you want to really make your mark in the culinary industry, then working towards getting your Certification as a Master Chef is certainly a goal to be working for.

An Executive Chef or Chef Manager is in charge of the kitchen – everything that happens in the kitchen of a restaurant is his responsibility. If you want to make a career in the cooking industry, and if you have a knack for taking responsibility, then a career goal of becoming an Executive Chef is just what you are looking for.

An Executive Chef is the person who is responsible for everything that goes in and out of the kitchen. He is the person who is in charge of the kitchen. Executive Chefs are found across restaurants ranging from the smallest in size to the largest. A Chef Manager is in charge of the entire kitchen staff like culinary assistants, chefs and apprentices. He delegates all the tasks in the kitchen. An Executive Chef also ensures that the productivity of the restaurant is maximized.

As an Executive Chef you would be in charge of the Sous Chef and the Chef de Partie. As an Executive Chef you will also be in charge of ensuring the health and safety standards of the restaurant. The Chef Manager is also in charge of creating and modifying the menus of the restaurant. He is also in charge of ordering supplies, maintaining costs and training the new staff. A Chef Manager is also in charge of ensuring that all the equipment in the restaurant is working smoothly and properly.

You will also ensure that the food served is of the highest quality and is served on time. If any problems arise, the Chef Manager has to ensure that all the problems are taken care of. When there are any special catering events, as an Executive Chef, you will be in charge of ensuring that everything is going smoothly.

In order to become an Executive Chef, you will have to work your way up from the bottom. You would have to start with a Bachelors Degree in the culinary arts and ideally have about five to eight years of industry experience.

As an Executive Chef or Chef Manager, you can expect an annual salary ranging from $30,000 to $60,000. The salary amount will depend on the number of years of experience gained in the culinary industry.

If you are considering a career in cooking and you are a lover of wine, then working for the position of the Sommelier or the Wine Steward is the best cooking career choice for you. A  Win Sommelier is a trained professional who works in fine restaurants. A Sommelier specializes in all the aspects of serving wine. It is a much more sophisticated role as compared to that of a wine waiter.

A Sommelier has the principal job of procuring and storing wine, handling the wine storage rotation and of providing expert advice about wine to the customers of the restaurant. As a Master Sommelier, you will also be responsible for the development of wine lists. You will also be in charge of the delivery of the wine service and for the training of the restaurant staff with regards to the wine. With a Sommeliers education will also suggest the pairing of wine along with the different kinds of foods that are served in the restaurant.

How to Become a Sommelier

To become a Sommelier, you would need to have good knowledge of how different foods complement and combine with different kinds of wine, beer, spirits and other beverages.

As a professional Master Sommelier, you will be working directly with the patrons of the restaurant, working with the preferences of the customers with regards to taste and budget limitations. You will also be involved in conducting and attending several wine-tasting events which are designed to educate and attract wine lovers the the restaurant.  You will thus be in the enviable position of being able to guide, educate and talk to people about wine. As an experienced Sommelier, you will be able to describe the regions, grapes and even the vineyards and vintages of a variety of wines. As a Master Sommelier, you would also be traveling frequently to different places where wine is produced and would also be involved in the processes of procuring a variety of wines for the restaurant.

To start in this career, you will have to start with an Introductory Sommelier Certification or a bachelors in Wine, Food and Spirits Management, and then you can move forward with an Advanced Sommelier Certification and then a Master Sommelier Diploma. Typically, the sommelier salary range offered to Sommeliers will depend on the number of years of experience the candidate has in the field. Master Sommeliers who are just starting out may expect to earn approximately $28,000 annually as their salary, while Master Sommeliers who have anywhere between 3 to 5 years of experience can earn between $80,000 to $160,000 annually.

Thus, as a Sommelier, you will be in a unique position to combine your knowledge and passion into a productive and impressive career.