[GtrsRGr8]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

<snip>
Ok now wise one define true chef.
Someone that went to culinary school, a cook at your favorite chain, the head chef at the local mom and pop or every wife and/or mother or guy that has to figure out approximately 300 dinners a year.
Well which one?
I very seriously doubt that the line cook at your favorite chain would know. They are not hired for their culinary skills. They are literally hired to follow steps exactly. No variation whatsoever.

And as far as the culinary school graduates, they are taught exact measurements so I doubt seriously they could follow an old recipe.

Now the mom and pop chef and the housewife would probably know.
Only the self taught not the schooled one.

Hey guess what, a house person makes more variety of foods than a paid chef.

Thanks a lot. You implied that only people that get paid can cook.
So I guess I better go open a can of something because by your implications, we are not chefs so we can't cook.
I was planning on enchiladas.

Do you want to try rephrasing?
And not accidentally insulting at least half the people that cook every day.

I'm afraid that the next time I'm in west Texas that I will have to examine your enchiladas carefully to prove your claim--including doing an extended tasting, preferably with a side of sour cream and some restaurant-style tortilla chips with a homemade salsa--in order to determine your culinary status. Refried beans and Spanish rice on the side would also help me determine the answer. Oh, and anything else that you want to cook.

I was talking about professional chefs--yes, that almost certainly means people who spent some time in culinary school. Ones who like to create their own dishes, and they usually taste good, because they've been taught about what flavors go well with each other. And they've learned exactly what the ingredients "bring" to the dish--like Cream of Tartar, and Baking Powder; whole eggs vs egg whites only, etc.--and have a good sense of how much the dish needs to end up right.

However, some women cooks at home taste the food while they are cooking it. If it doesn't taste quite right, they'll add this or that. If it's got too much of this or that, they'll do something to compensate (like if the tomato sauce is too bitter, they'll add a little bit of sugar, etc.) I would include them, too. I wouldn't dare do much of that myself--I try to follow the recipe exactly or it will turn out a mess.