TAKE TWO CUPS OF CULINARY TALENT, A pound of passion, and three tablespoons of creativity. Sprinkle in some imagination, dedication, perseverance, energy, and a flair for making magic in the kitchen. Mix together and you have the start of a recipe for becoming a great chef. The world is fascinated by those who can dazzle the taste buds. People will go out of their way to vacation in locales that have spectacular restaurants with internationally known chefs presenting their dining creations to please the palate. Chefs guard their recipes for signature dishes the way nations around the world protect classified information. If you love food, this is a field that offers countless career opportunities, and it is always expanding. A chef can specialize in desserts and pastries or run an entire kitchen, serve classic fare with an extraordinary twist or craft exciting new offerings, prepare cuisine from around the world or focus on culinary delights from one particular region. There is always a niche to be explored, as is evident by the growing demand for healthier food options in the realm of gourmet dining. Food lovers maintain a hearty appetite for the next big culinary trend, and that makes being a chef rather challenging. No matter how good you are, you must keep coming up with fresh new ideas in this very competitive field. Great cooking is an art form, and chefs can push the envelope as far as they dare, as long as ingredients and flavors work together. Using a plate as their canvas and food as their palette, chefs bring their ideas to an eager public, just as artists fill the walls of the world's great museums with their latest images. In a harmonious blend, chefs mix textures, tastes, colors, and scents. Meal after meal, great chefs strive to reach new heights, even though some might think they have attained the pinnacle. There is always an element of surprise in every outstanding chef's mixing bowl. The field has received an enormous boost from television programs like the Today Show and Good Morning America, which have regular cooking segments, Top Chef, and networks like the Food Channel. Bookstore shelves are filled with cookbooks from some of the most renowned chefs throughout the world. Chefs and their recipes are showcased in all types of media, from printed magazines to websites and blogs. This new Careers Report contains a wealth of unbiased information about an occupational field, based on the latest national surveys. Careers Reports cover attractive and unattractive sides, opportunities, education necessary, personal qualifications required, earnings, descriptions of different job specialties, first person accounts by those in the field, and how to get started; including practical advice on what to do now. There are links to schools and colleges, associations, periodicals and other sources of reliable information.Show more