the kitchen hierarchy is called the brigade de cuisine and was developed by Georges Escoffier. It looks something like this: Chef de Cuisine (Executive Chef) Sous-chef de cuisine - The executive chef's second in command Chef de Partie - Manages a given station in the kitchen Cuisinier - cook Commis - junior cook Apprentice There are like a bazillion different stations in the kitchen. I can't remember them all. I believe they are divided into hot kitchen and cold kitchen. Garde Manger (pantry) Saucier (Sauces, hors deuvres?) Rotisseur (Roast) Grillardin (Grill) Boulanger (Baker) Potager (Soups) Legumier (Vegetables) And then there's the third world positions of the dishwashers.
I am currently attending Western Culinary Institute in Portland,Oregon and from what I've been taught is there are 5 departments to a kitchen; Stove, deep fryers, rotisseries, grill, garde manger`.
A chef is typically the head of the kitchen or a station in the kitchen. Chef is the french word for chief. A cook is some one who cooks on the line. A cook, cooks to live. A chef, lives to cook.