Chef - Cooking

Celebrity chef, Vikas Khanna, was 17 when started his own banquet and catering business.

He graduated from the famous Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, and then trained under renowned chefs of Taj Group of Hotels, Oberois, Leela Group etc.

He has also studied at the Culinary Institute of America, Cornell University and New York University and the prestigeous Le Cordon Bleu, Paris.

Why are we discussing about him at the moment is about the career he have chosen at right time had made him the wow ICON of FOOD industry.

Today, cooking is more than an activity confined to traditional kitchen – it is a high flying career option! The skills of a chef today have become very modern and now combine passion, creativity and hard work for the art of cooking.

To cater to the ever–growing market and demand for professional and competent chefs, a plethora of courses in food processing, catering technology and other relevant areas are being offered by different institutions.

Generally the hierarchy of chefs is something like this:

Chef Vikas Khanna

Executive Chef - Usually he is in control of everything inside the kitchen including menu creation, personal management and business aspects.
Sous Chef - He is the assistant chef and looks after menu-planning, costing and ordering.
Expeditor - They usually make sure that the food is plated in time for the waiters to serve orders.
Cooks and Assistants - They are assigned specific duties inside the kitchen. Usually a person starts from Commi3, then Commi 2, Commi 1, Demi-chef-de -partie and Chef-de-partie. As Chef-de-partie the person is usually made in charge of one section, like Chinese, French, Italian, Continental, Banquet, Pastry etc.

Chef Eligibility Criteria

Qualification: 

Minimum 10+2

Bachelor/Diploma of Hotel management

Certificate chef courses that last 6-12 month

Personal attributes: 

An inborn love for first-class food is the primary pre-requisite. Additionally, one must have an experimental bent of mind and the inquisitiveness to know the chemistry of different food ingredients. 

One should possess thorough knowledge about different varieties of foodand cuisine and how they are cooked, prepared and finally presented to the guests. One should possess an outgoing and friendly personality and also an ability to work in a team.

Chef Job Prospects

After completion of a diploma or the certificate course in Hotel Management, one can join a hotel as an intern or canopt for apprenticeship after 10+2 directly. 

A trained chef has many employment avenues which are varied and interesting. Hotels/restaurants, air catering, food processing companies, catering in confectioneries, cruise liner and corporate catering all require chefs. 

One can also dabble in the area of food writing like Ms. Tarla Dalal or one can choose to become an entrepreneur by setting up food chains. It is closely linked with the tourism industry which is already on the upswing.

Chef Pay Package

Graduates become trainees, who after being trained are paid about Rs.7,000 - Rs.10,000. Pay increases with experience and the lifestyle is brilliant.

Chef Institutes/Universities

Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition (21 centres located in New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Calcutta, Chandigarh, Chennai, Goa, Gurdaspur, Gwalior, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai, Srinagar and Thiruvananthapuram & other places).

Institute of Hotel Management (IHM)

21 IHMs that are regulated by the National Council for Hotel Management & Catering Technology (NCHMCT). Click here to see list of all IHMs

Institute of Hotel Management (The Taj Group of Hotels)

Dr Rafiq Zakaria Campus,

Rauza Bagh, Aurangabad 431 001,

Maharashtra, India

Tel: 0240–238 1113, 0240–2381127

Fax: 0240–2381104

The Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Management

Manipal, Karnataka, offers a degree level graduate programme.

WGSHA, Valley View International

Manipal - 576104

Ph: 0820 25711010820 2571101

Fax: 2571327

Email: office.wgsha@manipal.edu

Banarsidas Chandiwala Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology

(Approved by AICTE and affiliated Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University)

Chandiwala Estate, Maa Anandmai Marg, Kalkaji,

New Delhi-110019

Phone: + 91-11-26382276+ 91-11-26382276, + 91-11-4902030091-11-49020300, +91-11-49020301+91-11-49020301

Culinary Academy of India (CAI) (Affiliated to Osmania University)

6-3-1219/6A, Umanagar, Begumpet, Hyderabad - 16, A.P., India, E-mail: iactca@yahoo.co.in

The Oberoi Group's Systematic Training and Education Programme (STEP) - Kitchen Operations Programme [leading to Bachelor of Tourism Studies degree from the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)]

7, Sham Nath Marg, Delhi-110 054, India 

Mail: step@oberoigroup.com

Phone: 011-23906422011-23906422/23.

Delhi Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology

National Park, Lajpat Nagar IV

Near Lady Shri Ram College

Delhi-110024, India

Phone: 011 2621 4812011 2621 4812

Email: dihm.net@gmail.com

College of Hospitality & Tourism (CHAT), Rai University

Saroda, Dholka Taluka, Ahmedabad, Gujarat – 382260

Admission Helpline:

+91-8980004322+91-8980004322, +91-8980004323+91-8980004323, +91-8980004324+91-8980004324, +91-8980004326+91-8980004326

Indian Institute Of Hotel Management & Culinary Arts

7-91/5, Nagendra Nagar, Habsiguda Cross Road, Habsiguda, Habsiguda, Hyderabad, Telangana 500007

Phone:040 2715 4304040 2715 4304

PHOBIA means

Almost everyone has an irrational fear or two—of mice, for example, or your annual dental checkup. For most people, these fears are minor. But, when fears become so severe that they cause tremendous anxiety and interfere with your normal life, they’re called phobias. The good news is that phobias can be managed and cured. Self-help strategies and therapy can help you overcome your fears and start living the life you want.

What is a phobia?

A phobia is an intense fear of something that, in reality, poses little or no actual danger. Common phobias and fears include closed-in places, heights, highway driving, flying insects, snakes, and needles. However, we can develop phobias of virtually anything. Most phobias develop in childhood, but they can also develop in adults.

If you have a phobia, you probably realize that your fear is unreasonable, yet you still can’t control your feelings. Just thinking about the feared object or situation may make you anxious. And when you’re actually exposed to the thing you fear, the terror is automatic and overwhelming.

The experience is so nerve-wracking that you may go to great lengths to avoid it — inconveniencing yourself or even changing your lifestyle. If you have claustrophobia, for example, you might turn down a lucrative job offer if you have to ride the elevator to get to the office. If you have a fear of heights, you might drive an extra twenty miles in order to avoid a tall bridge.

Understanding your phobia is the first step to overcoming it. It’s important to know that phobias are common. Having a phobia doesn’t mean you’re crazy! It also helps to know that phobias are highly treatable. You can overcome your anxiety and fear, no matter how out of control it feels.

Savitha’s fear of flying
Savitha is terrified of flying. Unfortunately, she has to travel a lot for work, and this traveling takes a terrible toll. For weeks before every trip, she has a knot in her stomach and a feeling of anxiety that won’t go away. On the day of the flight, she wakes up feeling like she’s going to throw up. Once she’s on the plane, her heart pounds, she feels lightheaded, and she starts to hyperventilate. Every time it gets worse and worse.

savitha’s fear of flying has gotten so bad that she finally told her boss she can only travel to places within driving distance. Her boss was not happy about this, and Savitha’s not sure what will happen at work. She’s afraid she’ll be demoted or lose her job altogether. But better that, she tells herself, than getting on a plane again.

“Normal” fear vs. phobias

It is normal and even helpful to experience fear in dangerous situations. Fear is an adaptive human response. It serves a protective purpose, activating the automatic “fight-or-flight” response. With our bodies and minds alert and ready for action, we are able to respo

nd quickly and protect ourselves.

But with phobias the threat is greatly exaggerated or nonexistent. For example, it is only natural to be afraid of a snarling Doberman, but it is irrational to be terrified of a friendly poodle on a leash, as you might be if you have a dog phobia.

Many childhood fears are natural and tend to develop at specific ages. For example, many young children are afraid of the dark and may need a nightlight to sleep. That doesn’t mean they have a phobia. In most cases, they will grow out of this fear as they get older.

If your child’s fear is not interfering with his or her daily life or causing him or her a great deal of distress, then there’s little cause for undue concern. However, if the fear is interfering with your child’s social activities, school performance, or sleep, you may want to see a qualified child therapist.

Which of my child’s fears are normal?
According to the Child Anxiety Network, the following fears are extremely common and considered normal:

0-2 years – Loud noises, strangers, separation from parents, large objects.
3-6 years – Imaginary things such as ghosts, monsters, the dark, sleeping alone, strange noises.
7-16 years – More realistic fears such as injury, illness, school performance, death, natural disasters.
Common types of phobias and fears

How to Deal With Exam Anxiety

How to Deal With Exam Anxiety

If you spend sleepless nights agonizing over exams, days or weeks before they take place, read on.


Find out what it is about exams that makes you anxious.
Is it being under-prepared, the possibility of failure, or the hype surrounding the major exams?.

Prepare well for the exam. Practice exam style questions and get them marked. Read over these if you are feeling particularly anxious or daily to remind yourself how well you're doing.

Ignore and avoid people that are making predictions or complaining of failing even before the test or exam takes place.

Review your notes the night before. This will leave information fresh in your memory, however if you feel this will add more pressure then don't. For some people this works, however for some cramming information simply makes it even more complicated.

Go to bed early and try using meditation or aromatherapy to calm down.

The day of the exam read over your practice questions. Breathe slowly and try to relax.

During the exam read the entire paper slowly. Don't panic. Highlight what you think you'll be able to answer. Before starting remember that you start every exam with 100%, not zero.

If the anxiety is persistent and severe, talk to your guidance counselor about it. He or she might be able to work with you to come up with strategies to overcome it.

He or she might also be able to speak to your teachers about it. If they know, they might be willing to give you more time to take the exam, if an anxiety attack happens to slow you down.