Culinary Institute

[Melalvai]

Anyone know how to figure out what culinary institutes have the best reputations?

The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has the cutest name.

I'm helping my daughter research where she might want to go to school and what she needs to do to get into the school she wants. She has plenty of time to choose, or to change her mind, she's only 14.

[Zen]

http://www.cookingschools101.com/

courtesy of Google

[shootingstar]

I'm helping my daughter research where she might want to go to school and what she needs to do to get into the school she wants. She has plenty of time to choose, or to change her mind, she's only 14.

Meanwhile between now and entering choice culinary school, you might get some great cooked /baked dishes from her? Should be fun to see her explore right now. Solves part of your Christmas/birthday present ideas for her...cooking books, etc.

My partner's son is a chef --he did take some courses though not at a culinary institute. At a college. (Our "colleges" in Canada tend to be more applied/technical fields.) After being at a fast food chain, 5-star hotel restaurant, 2 restaurants where he had full control/creativity as the lead and now has taken over a gastro pub's kitchen, where you get more than just chicken wings. Works for a catering company on the side also.

We always look forward to his visits when he cooks or visiting him to enjoy his cooking. Some awesome meals....apple pie with buttery delicate pastry, buffalo, etc.

[alpinerabbit]

CIA is not only cute, it's probably a very good school. They have a campus in the napa valley, I'd kill for that alone.
Anthony Bourdain went to it and although I've never tasted his cooking, I devoured his book "Kitchen confidential".

[redrhodie]

Johnson and Wales' culinary program has an excellent reputation.

http://www.jwu.edu/college.aspx?id=19510

[Zen]

I'm usually not one to brag but I'm a graduate of The Betty Crocker School.

[Pedal Wench]

Johnson and Wales' culinary program has an excellent reputation.

http://www.jwu.edu/college.aspx?id=19510

I had a friend who went through their program - she's an excellent chef. And, I grew up near the original CIA in Hyde Park - their reputation is legendary. Can't go wrong with either.

[smilingcat]

CIA, Johnson & Wales are both very good.
So are New England Culinary Academy/Institute??

And there is always LeCordonBleu. They've expanded their school from Paris and now has schools in US, Japan and elsewhere. No they didn't originate the CordonBleu chicken. It's the school Julia Child went, it was the story line in Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn. Loved that movie BTW...

for more information go to school listings
and everything about cooking web site

I haven't been on chef2chef for several years so I'm not sure what's on their forum. Mostly nice people and no flamers as far as I remember. You can really get involved in talking about the concept of "umai" and other interesting tid bits. Also tricks of the trade.


uggghhhhh!!! I'm trying to find the culinary school in SF. A place an acquaintance went and she said it was the best thing for her. They actually run a restaurant so you learn about running one as well. Learn about being a host/waiter/waitress/cook... Learn about the front of the house and the back of the house operation.

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What does your daughter want to learn?? Pastries and baking or cooking?? There are also other "tracts" available. More serious schools have hotel mgmt as well.

[lo123]

Johnson and Wales' culinary program has an excellent reputation.

http://www.jwu.edu/college.aspx?id=19510

I have a friend who went there. It's expensive, but an advantage is that if she gets in there and decides she doesn't want to go the chef route, you can study to become a dietitian. Said friend now works in some sort of breastfeeding advocacy role. She decided slaving in a kitchen wasnt' for her after her Junior year externships.

[bluebug32]

I live near the CIA in NY and it's damn good! My friend just graduated as a pastry chef. From what I've heard, it's a great school. We've had some amazing meals there. The Hudson Valley is a pretty nice college town, too. And the CIA's campus is gorgeous and right on the Hudson River.

[shootingstar]

Does your daughter enjoy eating a wide range of food and cuisines at this time?

It might take awhile but this is very important for any aspiring chef so that they demonstrate real culinary passion, skill and creativity by understanding first taste, cooking properties of many types of fruits, veggies, meats, etc. --both common and unusual to North America.

It is interesting to watch the different chef reality contests on foodnetwork tv. Especially when they are faced with an ingredient that they've never eaten before, much less cooked with it.

I would argue heavily, that to invent/create your own quality, tasty fusion Asian-Western dishes cannot be done well unless one understands and has tried cooking for awhile at least one of the traditional Asian cuisines. Plus understanding French cooking technique. Otherwise one is just throwing together a dish that lacks soul /spark and proper integration of taste and ingredients.