So, You Want to Be a Chef?: How to Get Started in the World of Culinary Arts

A love of food can lead to more careers than kids might imagine. So, You Want to Be a Chef? takes young readers inside the culinary world to explore cooking, baking, food businesses, and the many professions behind what we eat.

What can a love of food, cooking, and creativity become?

So, You Want to Be a Chef? takes young food lovers inside the exciting world of culinary careers, exploring the many skills, professions, and possibilities that can grow from a passion for the kitchen.

From preparing dishes as a sous chef or chef de cuisine to creating something sweet as a pastry chef, readers can explore different roles in the professional kitchen while discovering opportunities beyond it. Catering, restaurants, and culinary entrepreneurship show how creativity, organization, business know-how, and a love of food can come together in many different ways.

Tips and advice from real-world culinary professionals offer a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to work in the field, while inspiring stories from young cooks show readers that they don’t have to wait until they grow up to start experimenting, developing their skills, and exploring their own interests in food.

Packed with helpful resources and practical guidance, So, You Want to Be a Chef? encourages aspiring chefs, bakers, and young food lovers to get creative in the kitchen, discover their strengths, and imagine where their passion for food might take them.

J. M. Bedell spent her childhood daydreaming in hayfields, talking to cows, and finding her heroes between the pages of books. She is a full-time writer of historical fiction and nonfiction for children. She received her MFA in creative writing from Hamline University in Minnesota. She lives with her husband and two Siberian huskies in Portland, Oregon. Visit her at JMBedell.com.