‘If you’re a chef, you can go anywhere in the world and do your job

In Germany, as in all of Europe, knowledge of the culinary crafts is a highly profitable skill, according to Scripps Ranch resident Kurt Ehrlich. So, after becoming certified as a chef in Germany, Ehrlich brought his trade to New York in 1964, where he worked as a chef for several prestigious hotels and met the likes of David Rockefeller and former President Richard Nixon. Ready to move on, Ehrlich came to San Diego where he opened a catering business. He has recently opened a restaurant, Kurt’s at the Winery. The successful 45-year-old is eager to share his talents with others, so, in addition to running his thriving businesses, he also teaches cooking classes and trains young people in the culinary crafts. Ehrlich was interviewed by Times staff writer Terry Rather in his office and photographed by David McNew.

I was born in Germany in 1944. When I graduated, I chose not to go to college. I wanted to get hands-on experience in a job. I figured that if I went to chef school, I’d always have something to eat.

I thought there will always be a demand for restaurants and hotels. I felt very secure being in the food business.

If you’re a chef, you can go anywhere in the world and do your job.

I came to the United States in 1964, after graduating from chef school.

In New York I worked for the Waldorf Astoria and the Playboy Club. In 1974, I moved to San Diego and worked as a supervisor and a general manager. In 1982, I started my catering business.

I’ve always been interested in catering. In Europe, the food business is an art. It is looked upon differently than here. You have more schooling, more certification is required than here.

I did lot of catering when I was in New York. What I like most about the catering business is you get a chance to meet people you normally wouldn’t meet.

To become a chef takes about three years. And you can add another three to four years before you really know what you’re doing.

But you can make a very good living, especially on the East Coast.

I go to high schools all the time and talk to the kids. I see some with attitude problems. Some kids don’t want to change, take their earrings off or cut long hair, even for a job.

If you go to a high school in the U.S. and ask 100 kids what they want to be, I bet not one will say a chef.

We live in an age where everything is computerized and everyone wants to be a doctor or a lawyer. People don’t realize that as a chef you can make a lot of money, sometimes more than a lot of lawyers make. There’s a lot more opportunities, and it’s easier to get into.

And fast-food work is so demoralizing. You learn nothing, the standards are low and you work for minimum wage.

I have seen how they treat the kids. It’s not very glorifying. Some kids are more qualified than that.

But in hotel or catering business, kids can learn so much. In fact, three kids who worked for me for a while have gone on to chef school.

Sometimes the kids get kind of scared, because it takes a tremendous amount of discipline because you are working with food. But it’s profitable, because I have had a lot of kids from high school work here over the summer and they were surprised at how much money they made.

The working conditions are better in catering, and it’s much more fun than working fast food.

I think more people should go into the food business and learn how to be chefs and caterers and things like that.

The country needs qualified workmen.

For a while I taught classes in how to start a catering business, and the advice I gave everybody is, if you don’t have the entrepreneurial spirit and if you don’t believe you are eventually going to make it, then don’t even go into it.

The best advice I give anyone for any field is to be honest with yourself and only do the things you absolutely can do.

Don’t overstep your boundaries. Make sure that you have enough experience to do it. If you don’t, sometimes it can really be a disaster.