Cookin’ for a Livin’

Sunday, June 15, 2008

There is really nothing worse than being jobless in the summertime, except perhaps being jobless in the winter during a snow storm in Cook County. News reports about the economy are of little consolation to those who are unemployed. It is a hopeless felling when you are jobless in the heart of a recession.

What is a jobless person to do? Cook. Can’t Cook? Learn.

Think about your God given natural talents. This summer I had the opportunity to me some wonderful folks who work as Personal Chefs. They are perhaps some of the hardest workers, committed to preparing delicious, healthy foods for their clients.

Their journey did not just happen, it took planning and a desire to think and work outside the box; creating a lifestyle that not only met their needs but the needs of their customers. Since you must work, this may be career option for you?

I worked as a personal chef, long before it was popular or even called “personal chef.” I was a cook for a number of folks in Detroit, Michigan. It is probably one of the few jobs I ever held that I really enjoyed and looked forward to going to everyday. It is an honorable and honest way to make a fairly decent living. No, you won’t get rich, unless you are discovered and invited to be on Food TV Network. The job can lead you into some interesting directions however. As a professional cook, I learned to style food, create recipes, and cook for large groups of people. I had to start small, keep it simple and be creative. If you truly love to cook and don’t mind cooking for others this is one of the most rewarding jobs you will ever encounter. Let’s face it, people love to eat and if you can create a master piece out of just about any cut of meat or develop mouth watering magic from eggplant, you may be on to something.

There are many personal chef’s who also work as personal caterers working in the host home to create wonderful buffets of food. You can hire yourself out as a Private Cook for Hire at local Bread and Breakfast locations or Executive Apartment Complexes that house traveling executives. Everyone in town for business does not want to eat at restaurants everyday, particularly when they are in town for 4-6 weeks.

Do you make the best chocolate truffles in town? A bridal shop might allow you to put your flyer in their shop. Brides are always looking for tasty little gifts for their guest. Everyone loves good food and there is bound to be something that you can cook or learn to cook in relatively little time. Do you make a great barbecue sauce? Do you grind your own blend of coffee and make heavenly Danishes?

Don’t stop looking for a permanent position, keep that resume circulating if a conventional job is what you really want; but in the mean time, while between jobs think about cooking for a living. Folks rarely have time to prepare a healthy meal anymore; so visit community groups and organizations and get out there and meet people. This is the time to become a social butterfly. Everyone needs to develop streams of income. Relying on one job for your livelihood today is unrealistic. Look at your joblessness or your desire to remove yourself from the conventional workplace as an opportunity to use your community as your source of income. Remember everybody loves a good cook!