Before I begin my journey in culinary arts, I’m going to evaluate myself in a bunch of skills I found on this random blog. I thought it would be fun, but it would also help to show me how far I have come at the end of my degree plan.
I will grade my current skills on a scale of 1 through 10. 1 being the worst, and 10 being the best. Let’s go!
Knife Skills
2
Yep. Definitely not good. I can manage to cut various items in the kitchen without hurting myself, but I also have a bad habit of extending a finger on the handle while I’m cutting. According to Anne Burrell on America’s Worst Cooks that’s like Knife Skills 101.
I don’t really understand how to do different cuts. I can make small cuts or large cuts, but that’s about it. Definitely looking forward to learning more about this in class.
Understanding of Flavor Profiles
5
I wouldn’t say I am terrible at this. But I’m not great at it either. I would actually say I developed the ability to talk about flavor by drinking loose-leaf tea. Which might sound odd when applied to food, but I understand the concept. I feel that my palette is a bit weak, just because it is, not because of anything else. As a result, I tend to like stronger flavors, but I definitely want to develop it more over the course of the next few years.
Knowledge of Cooking Techniques
6
I’m giving myself a six on this one because due to watching a lot of culinary YouTube, I have seen cooking techniques from literally all over the world. Even if I haven’t performed a technique myself, I have at least heard of it. Also, I have done a lot of techniques myself. So I feel I’m not doing too badly on this one.
Plating Skills
3
So, I can make a plate look presentable, but I’m not exactly putting ingredients in eye droppers or layering foams to make it look like something from a Star Wars cantina. It would be cool to learn how to do that though. I would like to know a little bit about styling food like for food blogging. That would be super cool and helpful for my purposes.
Knowledge of Products and Ingredients
4
This is one of those items where I don’t know what I don’t know and I’m pretty sure there are millions of things that I just haven’t been exposed to yet. I do go to international grocery stores and such, but if I see a bag of something with no English writing on it I tend to just leave it on the shelf, for obvious reasons. I’m sure I have a lot to learn in this respect.
On the flipside, I do like to explore the shelves in grocery stores and read labels to find recipes and blurbs talking about what the product can be used for. This has been super helpful in piecing together some ideas for how to prepare it and what to serve with it. I wouldn’t say I have the most expansive palette in the world, but I do like trying new things.
Food Preparation Skills (Including Food Safety)
3
I will admit, my knowledge in food safety is a bit lacking. When it comes to what temperature to store things at and when certain food items can go off, I have absolutely no clue. I do understand the basics about not chopping raw chicken and then using the same cutting board to chop your veggies and whatnot.
But I feel the amount of stuff I don’t know vastly outweighs what I do know.
Understanding of Nutrition
2
I have a very pop science view of nutrition. Meaning, I can sometimes tell you how many calories are in something without actually knowing much else about it. I am very excited to learn more about real science and how nutrition works and impacts the body.
Kitchen Management Skills
5… ?
This is one where I am split. I feel I have a lot of skills in this area, such as time management, I can keep an eye on inventory control, and I have gotten way better about keeping the kitchen clean when I am cooking. But I also feel like I do this on such a small scale, and only when working by myself, it’s hard to know how I would do when cooking for a great deal more people and when working with other cooks.
I am going to give myself a five for now, but going to keep a ghostly question mark near it, just in case.
