Speed Your Way to a Culinary Career

Indy and Nascar drivers have to eat. Who keeps these speed demons nourished and healthy? Car Star Chefs. We all can't be winning racers, but here's a culinary racing career opportunity for you.

by Sue Booth
sue.booth@cooking-school-search.com
Cooking School Search Columnist

Behind top drivers like Mario Andretti and his competitors are race team chefs who pamper the crew with culinary inventions to maximize team performance. There could be a unique culinary career waiting for you when you cross the finish line of a culinary degree.

A Culinary Career on Track

Most racing teams have chefs who travel the circuit with them. Chefs are a necessity when the team is in a remote location with no culinary cuisine for miles around. Obviously, racing athletes and their crews need healthier culinary choices than hotdogs from track stands.

The Way to a Driver’s Heart Is Through His Chef

Drivers tend to stay fit and stick to culinary habits. There are a few culinary rules that racing chefs should follow when preparing culinary delights for most drivers:

• As a chef, you may have to follow strict culinary guidelines of the team nutritionist or fitness trainer.
• Fuel notwithstanding, a chef should never prepare gassy foods for drivers before races; therefore, onions and broccoli are culinary taboos.
• A race team chef shouldn’t use peanuts. Legend has it that a peanut once ruined a racecar engine; therefore, they’re also culinary bad luck.
• Chefs consistently prepare culinary creations about 2 to 3 hours before race time.
• Drivers can burn up to 3,500 calories during a race. Chefs may prepare standard meals like pasta with white meat chicken as healthy calorie-packed culinary alternatives.

Although you’ll be required to cater on a whim, your culinary efforts will be well rewarded. A culinary career in racing can help you earn at least $12 an hour more than standard chefs. Set your wheels turning to a culinary career on the fast track.

Sources:

Chefs, Cooks, and Food Preparation Workers
Chef Keeps Diet on Track
Racing to Unique Career Opportunities

About the author

Sue Booth is a freelance writer and a former product analyst for Good Housekeeping magazine. Sue holds a B.S. in Physics and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering.

Posted on October 22, 2006 at 3:00 PM

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