just some thoughts

[rickc1970]

I remember a while back my wife was watching Food Network and Drive Ins, Diners, and Dives came on. I have to admit i like learning about the food joints they show. Guy Fieri gets on my nerves though. A lot of times he may ask these people that run these restaurants why they do somethings that are unconventional. I guess when you get your own TV show you have to follow a lot of rules in cooking. I have been cooking for a long time now. I have made everything from gourmet seafood dishes to desserts to BBQ. I have had plenty of people tell me I should open a restaurant or go to BBQ competitions. I really don't want to cook for a living. I do it for fun and to see the results I get. I don't want to do BBQ competitions for a few reasons: in any competition people take it way too serious as a lot of folks there own their own BBQ joints, and then there are the rules such as how you cook to presentation. To me what is important is if you have accomplished what you set out to do or maybe even surpass what you set out to do. Did you create something that tastes great? Did you make your guests happy if you had company over to eat your food? I have made a lot of mistakes in my years of cooking BBQ as a hobby. Some turned out to be good mistakes and some turned out pretty bad. I guess my point in this post is to say don't be afraid to break some of the rules because if you don't then you may miss discovering a new way of doing things. 

Have a great Independence Day :)

 

[noboundaries]

RickC1970, good post.  I too like watching cooking shows of all types.  DDD is one I enjoy, but I agree with the GF issues.  I often get ideas from watching what folks do in their restaurants.

I too have been told I should open a restaurant or cook for a living.  Nope.  I love doing it too much to make it a business.  Twice I have turned hobbies I loved into more than a pastime by getting involved at a management level.  One was president of an astronomy club.  Another president of a motorcycle club.  The administration and politics ruined both for me.  I won't do that with cooking/smoking/BBQ'ing, etc. 

I do love transforming food though into something memorable, hopefully in a good way.  I do it daily and often wake up in the middle of the night thinking about a new recipe or method of preparation. 

You too have a great Independence Day!

Ray

 

[chef jimmyj]

There are centuries old classic techniques and recipes used commonly in a restaurant kitchen and those are what Guy usually questions when he sees an innovative or crazy way of getting the job done.

Cooking for a living takes a true love of the life. 12-16 hour days, 6 days a week, never seeing a Holiday or Weekends off. High rates of drug and alcohol abuse, marriage infidelity and divorce is common. The pay sucks unless you work in a big city, are the head Chef in a large operation or are the owner. I love meeting guys that claim they are an Executive Chef and the only person beside them in the kitchen is a Dishwasher! Dude! You are $9 an hour LINE COOK!!!

Compete? I got nothing to prove and very few judges even have a clue.The best of the best pitmasters get crappy scores if they draw the wrong panel of judges. How many times has Myron score in the lower 50 percentile and serves the exact same quality Q every time. How many times have you seen guys like Harry Soo say he can't even stand to Taste the sickening sweet Q he has to produce to score a walk. No thanks. I made most of my customers happy and since retiring, make food my family and guests love and that makes me an award winning Chef in their eyes...JJ

 

[SmokinAl]

If you turn your hobby into a business or competition, it no longer becomes a hobby.

It becomes just another job!

Al

 

[lancep]

RickC1970, good post.  I too like watching cooking shows of all types.  DDD is one I enjoy, but I agree with the GF issues.  I often get ideas from watching what folks do in their restaurants.

I too have been told I should open a restaurant or cook for a living.  Nope.  I love doing it too much to make it a business.  Twice I have turned hobbies I loved into more than a pastime by getting involved at a management level.  One was president of an astronomy club.  Another president of a motorcycle club.  The administration and politics ruined both for me.  I won't do that with cooking/smoking/BBQ'ing, etc. 

I do love transforming food though into something memorable, hopefully in a good way.  I do it daily and often wake up in the middle of the night thinking about a new recipe or method of preparation. 

You too have a great Independence Day!

Ray

If you turn your hobby into a business or competition, it no longer becomes a hobby.

It becomes just another job!

Al

Exactly! I've been a part time or full time professional musician most of my life. I love it but I would never list it as a hobby. It's work! I got into BBQ when my other hobbies became physically impossible. I would never want to ruin the joy of the process by turning it into work.

 

[submariner]

 
If you turn your hobby into a business or competition, it no longer becomes a hobby.

It becomes just another job!

Al

​I agree Al and it no longer has the outright fun factor. It becomes work....  I really dislike that word "work".....

 

[jokensmoken]

I've been in the business from pizza cook to line cook then to culinary school and worked as a sous chef in an up scale restaurant for 2+ years.
The rat race, pace and politics darn near ruined cooking for me.
NEVER again...I do host and occasionally cater large gatherings but on my terms.
I.love to cook... I love to experiment...I do not.love being pressured. I cook and smoke for the pleasure of it for me and my friends and family.

Walt.