Chef

Flétan poché “sale sucré” gâteau d’oignon à l’anchoyade et tapenade verte aux amandes, huile de pistache au Chardonnay (sweet and salted poached halibut with almond tapenade, oignon galette “a l’anchoyade”, pistachio oil with Chardonnay): The French side of the menu at SIGNATURES BY LE CORDON BLEU PARIS is impressive. Descriptions from the English side also sound like they were pulled from the pages of a torrid Danielle Steel novel. Choose from emulsified butter with scallops, noisette of venaison with a bitter chocolate and juniper berry sauce and white chocolate and blood oranges mousse. It should come as no surprise that this five-month-old restaurant is packed every night.

At the center of all the action is one of the “chef de partie” Tomasz Gurzynski. Originally from Poland, Gurzynski previously studied hotel and restaurant management. His education focused on what he refers to as both "front-of-the-house" and "back-of-the-house" operations. After learning everything from accounting to investing to customer relations, Gurzynski decided that he wanted to work behind the scenes. He wanted to be a chef. So he enrolled at LE CORDON BLEU PARIS (http://www.cordonbleu.net), one of the most respected culinary institutes around.

After graduating from LE CORDON BLEU PARIS in London (there are branches of the school all over the globe, including Ottawa, Tokyo, Sydney, U.S.A., South America and of course Paris), Gurzynski took various jobs in the culinary industry. He worked at a variety of restaurants and as a banquet caterer. It wasn't long, however, until he wanted to return to LE CORDON BLEU PARIS school. When the school in Ottawa opened a restaurant, it was a perfect match. Now, Gurzynski is in charge of one of the two teams of “cuisiniers” there.

The restaurant staff is divided into a morning shift and a night shift. The teams stay the same, but their hours change each month. Gurzynski puts in an average of 40 hours each week, working from either 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. or from 3 p.m. to 11 at night. Each day, he checks the food that has come to the restaurant and rearranges the restaurant's inventory based on the goods. He then prepares the day's sauces in anticipation of the bustling kitchen ahead. When Gurzynski’s cooks are working, it is his job to supervise them and their creations.

Despite the mouthwatering French pastries at your disposal, working at a classical French-cuisine restaurant is serious business. "Everyone is very professional. It's run like a kitchen in France," says Gurzynski. "It is organized and clean, and everybody on the team has training." He believes that one can't accurately compare environments of different restaurants, as different cuisine, different staff members and different clientele make for apples and oranges. He says that French cuisine is his favorite kind to work with, since he’s working with tradition. "Classical French cuisine now is basically the same as it was 50 years ago, except for technology changing a little," Gurzynski says.

The real thrill, though, is in the food. He uses only the freshest ingredients and won't allow his team to make substitutions in recipes. All of the ingredients must be in season nearby or imported from where they are fresh. For example, some of the mushrooms used come directly from France. That leads to another part of Gurzynski's job: menu planning.

The executive chef plans four menus per year and Gurzynski and his team get to learn a new menu every four months. Trying new dishes and discussing the evolution of the restaurant menus are Gurzynski’s favorite parts of his job. Perhaps that's why Gurzynski is looking to become either an executive chef (every chef's dream, he explains) or a culinary instructor. He thinks that getting the right education is the key to succeeding in this competitive industry. Training is intense and requires students to go through three levels of culinary education: basic, intermediate and superior. The financial payoff is significant over time.

This career also offers the opportunity to travel. Since there are fine restaurants everywhere, this career is an international passport. Gurzynski insists that it's all worth it. He has learned about professionalism and is an expert in working with and presenting food. He has learned the value of details. In fact, one team member’s job is to arrange the garnishes for meals! As a team leader, Gurzynski motivates and takes control. He holds himself responsible for everything his team creates. Plus, there are some great perks. Later this year, he will go to Guatemala to assist his executive chef, Mr. Frédéric Filliodeau, giving a presentation about classic French cuisine in a palace hotel.

High school students interested in the culinary arts should pursue the career by cooking constantly. Friends and family are usually great guinea pigs for your creative ventures. Also, look into cooking classes. Your neighborhood recreation center is likely to have fun courses to take, or you can look into classes at a culinary school, such as LE CORDON BLEU PARIS, that offers short courses in various topics for students at all levels.

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