[Sca-cooks] Professional Certifications

[Nick Sasso]

-----Original Message-----
Selene asked:
OK, who actually certifies one as a "Chef" anyway?  Is it an advanced
degree of the culinary schools?  Granted after grad work and
"internships" and "residencies" like a medical doctor?  I want to know.


The American Culinary Federation offers certification.
http://www.acfchefs.org/Content/Education/Certification/default.htm

 This is the organization that I served my apprenticeship through in the
early 80's (I was the first woman to graduate from the program in the
SouthEast, way back in 1984).  I had recently considered getting new
certifications, looking at Certified Secondary Culinary Educator or
Certified Personal Chef, but the practice meals (5 run-throughs were
advised), application and testing fees looked like they would run into the
$2,000 range, and I can't swing that right now. <<SNIP>>

 There is something called the "US Personal Chef's Association" which I've
never heard
of, but evidently you can get them to certify you as well.   < < SNIP> >

Christianna   > > > > >

USPCA is an organization that standardized and pretty much legitimized the
Personal Chef industry in the late 90's.  They had a vision to create a
certification program requiring education, experience and food safety
certification.  It was a business strategy to be first to get their program
'accepted' by the board of trades and professions (or whatever it's called).
They are, IIRC, the organization that worked with the Cooking Schools in
developing cirricula for Personal Chef programs as a professional field of
culinary endeavor.  I was active with them lo' several years ago, and made
adecent side income doing personal chef work.  I didn't finish the
certification thing because Icould never get the contiuous experience
credits worked out.

I may yet go back and try.  Just to have something after my name . .
.Certified Personal Chef could be fun.

niccolo difrancesco