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CULINARY ARTS: MAKING THE DREAM REALITY

by Chris Watts, Andrea Obston Marketing Communications

There are many types of jobs in this world. The most common jobs pay the bills. They’re not the most exciting jobs, but you can’t complain because they put food on the table and a roof over your head. Then there are those jobs that are fun, but make life a struggle; you know those "starving artist" jobs. It seems most of us are looking for something that is a little of both. We want a job that allows us to pursue our passions, while getting paid enough to live our lives.

The key to finding this type of job is identifying a career path that fuels your passions and then getting the right type of education so you can enter that career. One such career field that is currently hot is culinary arts, because so many people are passionate about food and those who work in culinary arts are financially rewarded for creativity and hard work. This is the story of three people who are either looking for or have found their dream careers in the culinary arts field. All attended classes at the Center for Culinary Arts in Cromwell and Shelton, Connecticut.

Pursuing a dream: Maureen Hallock is not what you’d call your typical culinary arts student. This September, The 44 year-old Westport resident entered a fifteen-month culinary program after leaving a career in teaching.

"I’ve fantasized about going to culinary school for years. I love cooking, because to me it’s therapy. Food is sensual and I love to eat. But it’s one thing to enjoy cooking for family and friends, which I do, and something very different to actually begin a program like this," Hallock says. "It’s a little like saying you enjoy flying, and then signing on to train as a jet fighter pilot. When I found out a school was opening up near my hometown, I enrolled."

Though Hallock is one of the oldest students in her class, she says the other students don’t seem to notice. "When we’re in the kitchens, it’s all about teamwork, timing and performance," she says. "In lectures, it’s how well you absorbed the science and technique you read about for hours the night before. Age has nothing to do with it. What is important is, can you make beautiful food at the end of the day?"

As for dealing with her instructors, Hallock notes that French tradition dictates that a kitchen team be fashioned after a military "brigade." "The instructors are demanding, no question about it. They’ve worked in amazing places all over the country. Their training and experience are vast and they give 110 percent of their energy and years in the field to us for nearly seven hours a day. And they expect it back," she says. "But their energy is motivating. They really make us want to be the best. They are dedicated coaches, like personal trainers with aprons and knives."

Hallock will graduate in December 2004, but is already considering her options. She’s thinking of opening a catering business, or a personal chef service for busy executives near her suburban New York City home. "There’s a wide-open market down here and I intend to make the most of it." Hallock laughs. "Now that this program is up and running, Martha Stewart, who also lives in Westport, will just have to move over."

The New Grad: Brad Reichenberg of Torrington is living proof that a dream can come true with the right combination of training and drive. He recently graduated from culinary arts training after deciding to take the plunge after years in a very different career.

"For the last 20 years of my life, I followed in my father’s footsteps and worked in law enforcement; the last 17 years as a police officer in Winsted, Connecticut" Reichenberg says. "But my heart wasn’t in it any more. When I was young, I started working in kitchens, washing dishes and being a prep cook. I loved it but decided to pursue a career in law enforcement instead. Last year, the opportunity arose for me to retire and I started thinking about what I would like to do and I decided the right career move for me would be to pursue my passion for cooking."

Reichenberg continued to work as a police officer during the day and attended evening classes. During the internship portion of his training, he went to work at the cable network ESPN’s dining facility in Bristol, where he got a lot of experience in all sorts of areas, like grilling, cooking, and deli work.

"While I really enjoyed putting my skills to the test, I still longed to fulfill my dream of working in a fine dining establishment," Reichenberg says. "Upon my graduation, I was able to interview for an entry level job at one of Connecticut’s finest restaurants, the Copper Beech Inn in Essex. It’s a four star restaurant, featuring French cuisine, and I was hired as Pantry Chef, which means I’m responsible for salads, appetizers and desserts."

While it’s unusual for a graduate to start working in a four star restaurant, Reichenberg says he attributes his combination of employment history and talents he learned from school for getting him the job. "Being older, my employers were able to look at my employment history and realize that I was a hard and dedicated worker," he says. "I love the work now. Sure it can be stressful, but then I just think back to my time as a police officer. Trying to artfully prepare a salad is easier than getting shot at, so no matter how stressful this job is, it’s still relaxing to me. I learn something new every day and I get a lot of praise from my co-workers, which is a great boost to someone new to the business. I’m sure that I made the right decision."

Building His Dream: Don Ebrahimi, is an example of how schooling and hard work can pay off. A resident of Hartford, Ebrahimi immigrated to the United States from Iran just four years ago, and in that short time has taken the education he garnered from his culinary training and is working his way towards fulfilling his dream of opening a restaurant.

"In Iran, my grandfather owned a restaurant and while I didn’t have any intentions of getting into the culinary arts field when I came to America, I quickly realized it was the perfect solution to finding a way to work in something I love, Ebrahimi says. "Getting training in culinary arts was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Aside from the learning to work with food, the management training and discipline I learned there has been invaluable."

And Ebrahimi has really put that training to work. He currently has four jobs in culinary arts. Before attending school, he worked as a dishwasher and worked his way up to sous chef at The Hartford Club. He’s still there, now working as a lead line cook in the mornings and then works at West Hartford’s hot nuevo-Latino restaurant, Azul as a grill chef at night. He is also on-call for the Wadsworth Athenaeum and Polytechnic Club.

"Anyone who is considering entering a career in culinary arts needs to remember that teamwork is the most important character trait they need to have," says the 25-year-old. "When you work as a team, everything else comes together. If you try to work solo, you never learn from your co-workers. I am still learning every day on the job. While I want to open my own international cuisine restaurant one day, I realize I still have a lot to learn. Maybe when I’m 30 I’ll consider it, right now I’m still paying my dues."

What these three individuals all have in common is the desire to succeed and a love for cooking. There’s no question that Hallock has a long road ahead of her, but as Reichenberg and Ebrahimi both show, the culinary arts field is one that rewards hard work and offers that rare opportunity to give someone a job that fulfills their passions while giving them enough cash to enjoy their lives.

For more information about the Center for Culinary Arts visit www.centerforculinaryarts.com.