June 5, 2015 | Short Order

Chef’s Connection hopes nine training days will lead to a lifelong career.

By Kaitlin Hill


The soon-to-be chefs practice knife cuts with varying success.

           After taking his first food photo in 2001, Alan “Battman” Batt, became the photographer to New York City’s best chefs and started self-publishing cookbooks with stunning food photos. That led to his newest obsession, recruiting and training cooks in his ambitious Chef’s Connection Program. The idea came to him at 3am when he was suddenly struck by a solution to help restaurants in dire need of line cooks and the unemployed or those looking to switch their career path. He posted an ad on craigslist offering to train anyone interested, who could pass his muster, to become a restaurant quality chef in nine days, for free.

           The catch? There isn’t one. Battman’s candidates gather in the kitchens at The Food and Financial High School and are provided with tools, a chef’s coat, and an impressive chef instructor from Batt’s long list of culinary contacts, someone with real cred, that many chefs would kill to work with.


Chef Machovec looks on as students timidly practice with her knife.

           Today’s instructor, Heather Machovec, executive chef of David Chang’s Momofuku Má Pêche, is teaching the six students of this week’s rotation how to sharpen their knives using a wet stone. As she demonstrates, she answers questions about different types of knives, working in a restaurant, and what to expect during job interviews and trails. “Never ask to smoke a cigarette,” she warns.

           Next, students are given carrots and celery to hone their knife skills. They practice various cuts from large dice to lozenges as chef Machovec circles the room to inspect progress and give professional tips, such as creating flat sides on the carrot before attempting to dice it.


Can a student master large dice in three hours? Perhaps with expert guidance.

           Classes last three hours, from 4 pm to 7 pm, and the topics vary, depending on who is teaching. In addition to classroom work, the students are given the opportunity to tour the various instructors’ kitchens. Recently, they visited Spice Market to get a taste of what life might be like when they graduate.

           Some of the students admit, at first, they were suspicious that Batt’s offer was, “too good to be true.” But they were persuaded to gamble. 

           However, by day five, the students seem optimistic. And why shouldn’t they be? Battman boasts a high success rate in placing his grads in serious kitchens. Twelve out of sixteen from a previous class were hired as line cooks their first day out of the program. For Batt, author of “Small Things Sweet” and “Small Things Savory,” hailed as food porn at it’s best, it’s another triumph and an opportunity to help young cooks follow their passion and pursue a more rewarding career. 

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