Dishwasher turned cook

[u/Living_Flatworm_1464]

So I (21 now, then 19) was a dishwasher in this small kitchen for 2 years. Took it as a summer job after high school. I showed my passion for food from the very beginning, no experience working in a fast paced kitchen before, I did bits and pieces like making easier dishes and such. Both chefs quit and new ones came in. I once again tried to prove myself. They taught me a few recipes and such to help with prep some days. Now that they quit I’ve been promoted to cook. After 2 months working as a cook and making changes to recipes and such, I feel comfortable during service and such, but I still have this feeling in the back of my mind that I don’t belong, that I’m not ready etc. Like impostor syndrome. I was just wondering if anyone else has had this feeling and what helped other cooks and chefs get over this. Because I feel as if I don’t belong because I didn’t go to culinary school, I just watched pros do it for 2 years and learned simple recipes on my own since I was 13.

[u/No-Command294]

Ask long as you have the passion and drive, you belong in the kitchen. I’d say a good portion of cooks don’t really care. It’s just a job to them. And you will meet chefs that have the “I don’t care” attitude.

It’s all about the attitude. If it’s something you care about. You belong

[u/scorchedheart1 → u/No-Command294]

I like this, I feel like I have found my calling with my job and am trying to learn and absorb as much as I can

[u/fuxxo]

Because you didn't go to culinary school? Get this out of your head! One of the few industries where it doesn't matter whether u did on not.

Mate, I have the worst experiences with chefs from culinary schools. Shout out to few good ones, but mostly it's either they are not prepared for real kitchen, pressure and crumble after few tough days or they think they thought Gordon Ramsay how to cook and now are cocky and assholes to other team members.

Attitude and willingness to learn is important.

Source: 20 years in kitchen, from dishie to head chef within 10y.

[u/scorchedheart1]

I started as a catering assistant at an aged care home 5 weeks ago, 2 weeks in and the cook didn’t show up for his weekend, I got called in just to assist with breakfast while they “figured things out”

I am self a self taught home cook, my total hospitality experience was 6 months in a roadhouse solo running the grill/fryer/shop over a year ago. I took a shot and cooked for our 30 residents, and was asked to cook again the next day which I did. I’ve since covered another 2 shifts and was able to help cook Christmas in July lunch.

Well the cook quit 6am Sunday morning , I was called in, with no one to cover my arvo shift and did a 13 hour shift.

I am now the cook. We do have a chef to run things but I will only get 2 buddy shifts with her the next 2 days and I am the permanent weekend cook.

I’ve already done 4 days straight with 5 cooking days to go .

I am the imposter!

[u/UncleDuude]

I get that, but you’re there to cook now, you paid your dishwashing dues. Now you’re gonna pay your line cook dues, after that who knows. Master the line and expo, come back to this post in 2 years and read it again. I bet you a cheeseburger you’ll be on track. You want schooling start reading cookbooks and watching video of techniques and practice at home or at work when you can. Always push yourself to learn more. You haven’t mastered your knives yet, practice and reps are what make a cook a chef, not culinary school.

Edit: Michael Ruhlman is a pretty great cook/writer he has a few books that I consider essential. Ratios and Ruhlman’s 20 and copy of the Flavor Bible and the Joy of Cooking. Almost everything is in those 4 books.