This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since January 2010. It may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Tagged since January 2010. Its lead section may not adequately summarize its contents. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of the article's key points. Tagged since April 2012.

Chef

Chefs in training in Paris, France (2005).
Occupation
Activity sectors	Culinary arts
Description
Education required	Catering college; see European training

White House chefs preparing the official dinner for the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.

Etymology[link]

The word "chef" is borrowed (and shortened) from the French term chef de cuisine, the director or head of a kitchen. (The French word comes from Latin caput and is cognate with English "chief".) In English, the title "chef" in the culinary profession originated in the haute cuisine of the 19th century. Today it is often used to refer to any professional cook, regardless of rank.

Titles[link]

A chef working with a tandoor oven, a cylindrical clay oven used in cooking and baking

Below are various titles given to those working in a professional kitchen and each can be considered a title for a type of chef. Many of the titles are based on the brigade de cuisine (or brigade system) documented by Auguste Escoffier, while others have a more general meaning depending on the individual kitchen.

[edit] Chef de cuisine, executive chef and head chef

This person is in charge of all things related to the kitchen which usually includes menu creation; management of kitchen staff; ordering and purchasing of inventory; and plating design. Chef de cuisine is the traditional French term from which the English word chef is derived. Head chef is often used to designate someone with the same duties as an executive chef, but there is usually someone in charge of them, possibly making the larger executive decisions such as direction of menu, final authority in staff management decisions, etc. This is often the case for chefs with several restaurants.

[edit] Sous-chef

The Sous-Chef de Cuisine (under-chef of the kitchen) is the second in command and direct assistant of the Chef. This person may be responsible for scheduling and substituting when the Chef is off-duty and will also fill in for or assist the Chef de Partie (line cook) when needed. This person is responsible for inventory, cleanliness of the kitchen, organization and constant training of all employees. The "Sous-Chef" is responsible for taking commands from the Chef and following through with them. The "Sous-Chef" is responsible for line checks and rotation of all product. Smaller operations may not have a sous-chef, while larger operations may have several.^[1]

[edit] Chef de partie

A chef de partie, also known as a "station chef" or "line cook",^[2] is in charge of a particular area of production. In large kitchens, each station chef might have several cooks and/or assistants. In most kitchens however, the station chef is the only worker in that department. Line cooks are often divided into a hierarchy of their own, starting with "first cook", then "second cook", and so on as needed.

[edit] Commis (Chef)

A commis is a basic chef in larger kitchens who works under a chef de partie to learn the station's responsibilities and operation.^[3] This may be a chef who has recently completed formal culinary training or is still undergoing training.^[4]

Station-chef titles which are part of the brigade system include:^[5]

Kitchen assistants[link]

Kitchen assistants are of two types, kitchen-hands and stewards. Kitchen-hands assist with basic food preparation tasks under the chef's direction. They carry out relatively unskilled tasks such as peeling potatoes and washing salad. Stewards are involved in the scullery, washing up and general cleaning duties. In a smaller kitchen, these duties may be incorporated.

A communard is in charge of preparing the meal for the staff during a shift. This meal is often referred to as the staff or family meal.^[3]

The escuelerie (from 15th century French and a cognate of the English "scullery"), or the more modern plongeur or dishwasher, is the keeper of dishes, having charge of dishes and keeping the kitchen clean. A common humorous title for this role in some modern kitchens is "chef de plonge" or "head dishwasher".^{[citation needed]}

Culinary education[link]

White House chefs in 1981, directed by Executive Chef Henry Haller, preparing a state dinner honoring Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser

United States and Canadian training[link]

Culinary education is available from a wide number of institutions offering diploma, associate, and bachelor degree programs in culinary arts. Depending on the level of education, this can take one to four years. An internship is often part of the curriculum. Regardless of the education received, most professional kitchens follow the apprenticeship system, and most new cooks will start at a lower-level 2nd or 1st cook position and work their way up.

European training[link]

The training period for a chef is generally four years as an apprentice. A newly qualified chef is a or more commonly a torquecommis-chef, consisting of first-year commis, second-year commis, and so on. The rate of pay is usually in accordance with the training status. Commis chefs, like all other chefs except the executive-chef, are placed in sections of the kitchen (e.g., the starter (appetizer) or entrée sections) under the guidance of a demi-chef de partie and are given relatively basic tasks. Ideally, over time, a commis will spend a certain period in each section of the kitchen to learn the basics. Unaided, a commis may work on the vegetable station of a kitchen.^[6]

The usual formal training period for a chef is two years in catering college. They often spend the summer in work placements. In some cases this is modified to 'day-release' courses; a chef will work full-time in a kitchen as an apprentice and then would have allocated days off to attend catering college. These courses can last between one to three years.

Uniform[link]

Chefs in Mexico wearing standard uniform.

A chef preparing Peking duck

The standard uniform for a chef includes a hat, necktie, double-breasted jacket, apron, houndstooth (check) trousers (to disguise stains)^[7] and shoes with steel or plastic toe-caps, or clogs.^[8][9] A chef's hat was originally designed as a tall rippled hat called a Dodin Bouffant or more commonly a toque. The Dodin Bouffant had 101 ripples that represent the 101 ways that the chef could prepare eggs. The modern chef's hat is tall to allow for the circulation of air above the head and also provides an outlet for heat. The hat helps to prevent sweat from dripping down the face. Skullcaps are an alternative hat worn by chefs.

Neckties were originally worn to allow for the mopping of sweat from the face, but as this is now against health regulations, they are largely decorative. The chef's neck tie was originally worn on the inside of the jacket to stop sweat running from face and neck down the body.^[10] The jacket is usually white to show off the chef's cleanliness and repel heat, and is double-breasted to prevent serious injuries from burns and scalds. The double breast also serves to conceal stains on the jacket as one side can be rebuttoned over the other.

An apron is worn to just below knee-length, also to assist in the prevention of burns because of spillage. If hot liquid is spilled onto it, the apron can be quickly removed to minimize burns and scalds. Shoes and clogs are hard-wearing and with a steel-top cap to prevent injury from falling objects or knives. According to some hygiene regulations, jewelry is not allowed apart from wedding bands and religious jewelry. If wound dressings are required they should be blue—an unusual colour for foodstuffs—so that they are noticeable if they fall into food.^[11] Bandages on the hands are usually covered with rubber gloves.

See also[link]

French chef painted by Théodule Ribot (1823–1891)

Notes[link]

Food portal

References[link]

• Caparoso, Randal (March 19, 2001). "Wine Miracles by the Bucket". Wine Lovers Page. http://www.wineloverspage.com/randysworld/miracles.shtml. Retrieved August 20, 2007. 
• Culinary Institute of America (2006). McBride, Kate. ed. The Professional Chef (8th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-7645-5734-7. 
• ^{[dead link]} Piercefield, Taylor (May 22, 2008). "Modern Tastes & Wine Pairing". Wine Spectator. http://www.winespectator.com. Retrieved August 11, 2008. 
• Davidson, Alan (September 21, 2006) [1st ed. 1999]. Jaine, Tom; Davidson, Jane; Saberi, Helen. eds. The Oxford Companion to Food (2nd ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-280681-9. 
• "Stephanie Zonis". Sally's Place. http://www.sallys-place.com/about/zonis.htm. Retrieved August 20, 2007. 

External links[link]

Look up chef in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chefs

• Official certification levels of the American Culinary Federation
• Chef training and career progression in New Zealand
• Culinary Chef Career Guide | Become a Chef

Kelly Macdonald
Macdonald at the 2007 New York Film Festival
Born	(1976-02-23) 23 February 1976 (age 36)[1] Glasgow, Scotland
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1996–present
Spouse	Dougie Payne (m. 2003) «start: (2003)»"Marriage: Dougie Payne to Kelly Macdonald" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Kelly_Macdonald)
Children	1

Kelly Macdonald (born (1976-02-23)23 February 1976)^[1] is a Scottish actress, known for her role in the independent film Trainspotting and mainstream releases such as Nanny McPhee, Gosford Park, Intermission, No Country for Old Men and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2. On television, she is known for her roles in Boardwalk Empire, The Girl in the Café and State of Play.

Personal life[link]

Macdonald was born in Glasgow, Scotland. Her mother was a garment industry sales executive.^[1]

In August 2003, Macdonald married musician Dougie Payne. Their son was born in March 2008.^[2]

Career[link]

Macdonald's career began while working as a barmaid.^[3] She saw a leaflet advertising an open casting session for Trainspotting and decided to audition, winning the part of Diane,^[4] the underage seductress to Ewan McGregor's Renton. Other roles include Mary O'Neary in Two Family House^[5] and an actress playing Peter Pan in Finding Neverland.^[6] She also had major roles in Robert Altman's British period piece Gosford Park,^[7] where she played an aristocrat's maid, as well as in Intermission (2003), as Deirdre.^[8]

On television, her highest-profile roles have been in two BBC dramas, the Paul Abbott serial State of Play (2003)^[9] and the one-off Richard Curtis piece The Girl in the Café (2005).^[10] Both of these were directed by David Yates, and both also starred Bill Nighy. For her performance in The Girl in the Café, Macdonald was nominated for a Golden Globe in 2006,^[11] and won an Emmy.^[12]

Macdonald starred in the 2005 film Nanny McPhee,^[13] as the scullery maid Evangeline, and has since had supporting roles in A Cock and Bull Story (2006),^[14] and the Coen brothers' Academy Award-winning No Country for Old Men, (2007),^[15] Her agent was originally unsure she was right for the latter part, and Macdonald is reported as having to "fight for the role".^[16] Her persistence paid off, however, as she was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress.^[17] Other films where she had supporting roles include Choke (2008), as Paige Marshall,^[18] the film adapted by Clark Gregg from the 2001 Chuck Palahniuk novel; In the Electric Mist (2009) (based on James Lee Burke's In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead (1993)), as Kelly Drummond, alongside Tommy Lee Jones and John Goodman;^[19] and Skellig (2009), as Louise.^[20] She also played the lead in The Merry Gentleman (2008), as Kate Frazier.^[21] She plays Margaret Schroeder on HBO's Boardwalk Empire. In 2010, she played her first comedy role, in the British independent romantic comedy film The Decoy Bride opposite David Tennant.^[22] The Decoy Bride was released in 2012, on cable TV On-Demand.

During 2011, she played the Grey Lady, revealed to be Helena Ravenclaw, in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, the final instalment of the Harry Potter film franchise. She replaced Nina Young, the original actress in the role.

Filmography[link]

Macdonald at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival

Awards and nominations[link]

BAFTA Awards

• 2008: Nominated, "Best Supporting Actress" – No Country for Old Men

BAFTA Scotland Awards

• 1997: Nominated, "Best Film Actress" – Trainspotting

Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards

• 2002: "Best Acting Ensemble" – Gosford Park

Emmy Awards

• 2006: "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie" – The Girl in the Café
• 2011: Nominated, "Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" – Boardwalk Empire

Empire Awards

• 2003: Nominated, "Best British Actress" – Gosford Park

Florida Film Critics Circle Awards

• 2002: "Best Ensemble Cast" – Gosford Park

Golden Globe Awards

• 2006: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television" – The Girl in the Café
• 2010: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting role in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film" – Boardwalk Empire
• 2011: Nominated, "Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting role in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film" – Boardwalk Empire

Independent Spirit Awards

• 2001: Nominated, "Best Female Lead" – Two Family House

London Film Critics Circle Awards

• 2008: "British Supporting Actress of the Year" – No Country for Old Men

Online Film Critics Society Awards

• 2002: "Best Ensemble" – Gosford Park
• 2008: Nominated, "Best Supporting Actress" – No Country for Old Men

Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards

• 2002: Nominated, "Best Acting Ensemble" – Gosford Park

Satellite Awards

• 2002: "Outstanding Motion Picture Ensemble" – Gosford Park

Screen Actors Guild Awards

• 2002: "Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture" – Gosford Park
• 2008: "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture" – No Country for Old Men
• 2011: "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series" – Boardwalk Empire

Sundance Film Festival

• 2008: "Special Jury Prize for Best Dramatic Film" – Choke

References[link]

External links[link]

• Kelly Macdonald at the Internet Movie Database
• Kelly Macdonald at the TCM Movie Database
• Kelly Macdonald at the British Film Institute's Screenonline
• Kelly Macdonald at Yahoo! Movies
• Kelly Macdonald in Skellig on Sky1, Easter 2009

Rachael Ray
Rachael Ray in 2007
Born	Rachael Domenica Ray (1968-08-25) August 25, 1968 (age 43) Glens Falls, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Television personality, businesswoman, author, celebrity chef[1]
Years active	2001–present
Spouse	John Cusimano (2005–present)
Website
"rachelray.com". http://www.rachaelray.com.

Rachael Domenica Ray (born August 25, 1968) is an American television personality, businesswoman, celebrity chef and author. She hosts the syndicated talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray and three Food Network series, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and $40 a Day. Ray wrote cookbooks based on the 30 Minute Meals concept, and launched a magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray, in 2006. Ray's television shows have won two Daytime Emmy Awards.

Personal life[link]

Ray was born in Glens Falls, New York.^[2][3] Her parents are Elsa Scuderi, an Italian (Sicilian) American, and James Ray, who is of French, Scottish and Welsh descent.^[4] She moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts where her family owned four restaurants. When Ray was 8, her family moved to Lake George, New York. Her mother managed restaurants in upstate New York.^[2]

In 1995 Ray moved to New York City.^[5] One of her first jobs there was at the candy counter at Macy's, where she eventually managed the fresh foods department. She later helped open a New York City market. Moving back to upstate New York, Ray managed Mister Brown's Pub at The Sagamore, a hotel on Lake George. From there, she became a buyer at Cowan & Lobel, a gourmet market in Albany. Ray credits the concept of 30 Minute Meals to her experience working at the store, where she met people who were reluctant to cook. She taught a course in which she showed how to make meals in less than thirty minutes. With the success of her "30 Minute Meals" classes, WRGB (the local CBS TV affiliate) asked her to appear in a weekly segment on their newscasts. This, along with a public radio appearance and the publication of her first book, led to a Today show spot and her first Food Network contract in 2001.

On September 24, 2005, in Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, Ray married John Cusimano, an American lawyer and lead singer of the rock band "The Cringe." She owns homes in Lake Luzerne, New York, and Manhattan's Greenwich Village.^[6][7]

Career[link]

Cooking[link]

Ray teaches simple recipes that she says can be completed in 30 minutes or less, although critics claim that her concept does not include preparation.^[8]

Ray says that her Sicilian maternal grandfather, Emmanuel Scuderi, and her Cajun ancestry serve as a strong influence on her cooking. She uses ingredients such as fresh herbs, garlic and chicken stock to boost flavors. She believes that measuring "takes away from the creative, hands-on process of cooking" and instead favors approximations such as "half a palmful". To critics of her shortcut techniques, Ray responds, "I have no formal anything. I'm completely unqualified for any job I've ever had."^[5] She acknowledges that she cannot bake because it requires measured ingredients, that she cannot make coffee, and that she burns bread under the broiler.

On her television programs, she has used catchphrases such as "E-V-O-O" (extra-virgin olive oil), "yum-o," "G.B." (garbage bowl), "Oh my gravy!", "entréetizer" (entrée-sized appetizer), "stoup" (cross between a soup and stew),^[9] and "choup" (thicker than a soup but thinner than a chowder).^[10] In 2007, The Oxford American College Dictionary announced the addition of the term EVOO, short for extra-virgin olive oil, which Ray had helped to popularize, and credited her with coining the phrase.^[11][12]

The set of 30 Minute Meals uses a yellow Model 61C Chambers stove from the 1950s, notable for its top-opening broiler, super-insulated oven, and unique Thermowell.

On November 12, 2006, Ray and Mario Batali defeated the team of Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis on an episode of Iron Chef America during which cranberries were the secret ingredient. On March 18, 2007, Food Network debuted a Rachael Ray episode of its special Chefography series, on which she stated that "the worst day of [her] life" was Iron Chef America, admitting to being anxious about it for weeks before. She also told commentator Alton Brown that she was "a cook, not a chef."

Television[link]

In 2005, Ray signed a deal with Oprah Winfrey and King World Productions to host a syndicated daytime TV talk show.^[13] The show, Rachael Ray, premiered on September 18, 2006. Recurrent appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show were used to fuel the launch, much as Dr. Phil's show was spun off based on his own frequent visits to Oprah.^[14] The show tapes in New York City. In coordination with the syndication announcement, Ray said, "People know me for my love of food, but I have so much more I want to share."

Ray has appeared on The View, The Today Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Nightline, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Larry King Live, Cake Boss, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and The Dr. Oz Show.

For Sesame Street’s 38th season, Ray appeared in an episode to present "pumpernickel" as the word of the day.

On January 12, 2008, Ray's television series Rachael's Vacation premiered on the Food Network.^[15] The show is a five-part food travelogue shot in various European countries.^[16]

In 2008, Ray became a television executive producer^[17] of a short-ran Latin cooking show on the Food Network called Viva Daisy!, starring Daisy Martínez.

In August 2009, Ray appeared as herself on Million Dollar Password for charity for Yum-O! and her own charity for animal rescue with Regis Philbin.

Ray also appeared on the hidden-camera show I Get That a Lot, pretending to be an employee at a dry cleaners.

In September 2010, a new show, her first new cooking show in eight years, Rachael Ray's Week In a Day began airing on the Cooking Channel.

In January 2012, Rachael will be one of the two team captains (along with Guy Fieri) in the Food Network reality series Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off.^[18]

Magazines[link]

In 2003, she posed for the men's magazine FHM. A writer for The New York Times wrote, "The shots feature Ray in short-shorts with an exposed midriff, licking chocolate off a big wooden spoon, eating a strawberry and sitting in a sink, laughing as suds cascade down her thighs."^[5] In a March 2009 interview with Nightline co-anchor Cynthia McFadden, Ray defended her decision to pose in the magazine.^[19]

The Reader's Digest Association launched Ray's eponymous magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray on October 25, 2005. The magazine featured seven issues in 2006, and increased to ten issues in 2007.

On October 12, 2011, it was announced that Meredith Corporation had reached an agreement to acquire Every Day with Rachael Ray. ^[20]

Product endorsements[link]

In November 2006, Ray became a spokeswoman for Nabisco crackers. She appears in commercials and on boxes for the many Nabisco products. Many boxes with Ray's picture have her recipes.

In February 2007, WestPoint Home launched sheets, blankets, and coverlets designed by Ray.^[21] Within six months, WestPoint expanded Ray's bed and bath line to include the "Moppine", a two-in-one dish towel/oven mitt, as Ray is often seen with a kitchen towel over her shoulder that doubles for her as an ersatz mitt.^[22]

In March 2007, the Dunkin' Donuts company announced Ray as its celebrity endorser, mainly of its coffee, since she had denied being able to make coffee herself.^[23] As part of a promotional campaign, Ray describes the company's coffee as "fantabulous."^[24] Celebrity chef and Travel Channel personality Anthony Bourdain, however, disparagingly referred to Ray's affiliation with Dunkin' Donuts as "evil," and went on to compare it to "endorsing crack for kids."^[25]

In May 2007, Ray's recipes were made available on AT&T cellular phones via the "Rachael Ray Recipes on the Run" feature.^[26]

In July 2008, Rachael Ray Nutrish pet food was introduced. The dog foods are created from recipes that Ray developed for her pit bull, Isaboo. All proceeds from the sale of these products go to Rachael's Rescue, a charity founded by Ray to help at-risk animals.^[27]

Awards and recognition[link]

Rachael Ray attending a high school social event in Enterprise, Alabama in 2007

• 2004: ranked #92 on "FHM-U.S.'s 100 Sexiest Women 2004"
• 2006: ranked #71 on "FHM-U.S.'s 100 Sexiest Women 2006"
• 2006: 30 Minute Meals received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Service Show. Ray was also nominated for Outstanding Service Show Host
• 2006: named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people. She was nominated by fellow Food Network star Mario Batali^[28]
• 2006: according to Forbes magazine, Ray earned about $6 million June 2005–June 2006^[29] from her books and television shows (excluding her new series, Rachael Ray)
• February 21, 2007, Ray announced on her show that a wax creation was made of her and that this wax figure will be on display at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in New York City
• 2007: nominated for Daytime Emmy Award, Outstanding Talk Show Host
• April 2007, Ray launched a charity, "The Yum-O! Organization", with help from Bill Clinton, to help children eat healthier^[30]
• June 2008, The Rachael Ray Show received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show/Entertainment^[31]
• June 2008, according to Forbes magazine, Ray earned about $18 million June 2007-June 2008^[32]
• June 2009, according to Forbes magazine, Ray earned about $15 million in the year ending June 2009, as well as naming her as the 79th most powerful celebrity in the world^[33]
• August 2009, The Rachael Ray Show received a second Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show/Entertainment^[34]
• January 2011, Ray won a People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Chef, over fellow nominees Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, and Paula Deen

Charity work[link]

In 2006, Rachael Ray launched a nonprofit organization called Yum-O! The mission of Yum-O! is to “empower kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking. This is achieved by teaching families to cook, feeding hungry kids, and funding cooking education”.^[35]

Bibliography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rachael Ray

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Rachael Ray

• Official website
• Rachael Ray at the Internet Movie Database

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (March 2008)

Anthony "Chef Tony" Notaro is an infomercial pitchman.

Products[link]

He is most noted for selling the patented Miracle Blades. Tony also endorses the Ultimate Chopper (in an infomercial co-hosted by Jenilee Harrison). He also endorses Smartware bakeware, which is made of non-stick "Temperflex" silicone.

References[link]

External links[link]

• ChefTonyTV.com
• Review of the Miracle Blade