It’s a question that every foodie has thought about I think. “Do I want to invest the time and effort to go to culinary school?” “Is it worth it?” “Will I really learn any more than I could if I just bought cookbooks and watched food shows?” The questions go on, but we’ve all thought about it at one time or another.
I’ve thought about it myself, my wife has been prodding me in that direction for years. For me the question is not whether I think I would learn something or whether I would enjoy the experience. I would, and I would. The question for me is Would becoming a chef help me in any way to help me have more fun cooking? I’m not thinking of cooking as a career. I don’t need a chef school credential to help me further my income or get a better position. If I decided to start a restaurant tomorrow, I already know just about enough to pull it off, so there is no pressing financial need. There is however, a very real intellectual need to do so.
There are things that I think you have to be shown to learn properly. The proper way to make a bechamel or hollandaise are both good examples. (Take it from someone who had to try 6 times to avoid scrabling the eggs in his sauce before he got it “almost” right.) A good chef-instructor can help you get the basics and introduce you to new flavors and combinations along the way. Diversity is more than important, it’s critical to avoid falling into a rut in your cooking habits.
A large problem in making the decision to attend a culinary school is in finding the right one for you. There are many out there. Some specialize in one cuisine and others run the gamut from french through Thai. It really depends on what you want to learn, and finding the right school can be a challenge.
Well, it used to be a challenge. Now all you have to do to have a look at all of the culinary schools you may want to attend is visit Culinary Schools USA. The site is a pretty comprehensive directory of culinary schools in the US, and well worth looking over if you’ve considered making the leap into professional food service. They list schools from Alabama to Virginia and everything in between, from the venerable Le Cordon Bleu to less known technical schools that may just fit the bill for what you’re after in culinary education.
Will I find myself in culinary school in my early 40’s? If my wife has anything to say about it, I will. It just seem’s like a bit too much effort to put in if I finally do decide to open a little place called “Jerry’s Grub Stop Diner”, though.
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Culinary school? No. Photography school? Maybe.
Annie wants to go to Pastry School. Probably because she loves being around chocolate. ;-)
Have you read “Back to School with Bethina 425″ http://bethina425.blogspot.com It’s a blog that chronicled this one person’s daily experiences in cooking school.
My sister-in-law went to Johnson and Wales in Charleston…..mainly I think because husband (her older brother) went to the Citadel there (in Charleston, SC)…
While I would love to go to a formal school, I think I will always just be a lover of all things in a cookbook!
What school is on your mind?
My brother graduated with a Bachelors at Johnson & Wales in Rhode Island in Culinary Arts. He is what I consider a go-getter. A’s in high school, Eagle Scout, gave tours at J&W, always busy and working, etc. He finished a few years ago with a high GPA. He loved cooking and worked in the field during and after school. He’s worked at some pretty top notch restaurants including the Ritz Carlton and was a food service director for two of the biggest college distributors, in fact that’s what he’s doing now.
Long story short, he hates it now. He told me he has basically topped out in pay in his field while still being anywhere near the kitchen and what he does now is basically babysitting for very unskilled cooks in a university (and they’re unionized which he says is a nightmare). I know he could land a job anywhere, I suggested he become a personal chef for some rich person and make bank while relaxing. He’s just plain burnt out with cooking though and is now looking to join the Navy in either nuclear program or advanced computers, about the furthest thing from cooking I can imagine.
Of course everybody is different and many graduates stay in the field. It’s just that it’s a tiring profession and stressful. I don’t want to discourage new students too, too much but I do at least want them to be aware of what kind of work you may run into and advancement opportunities. And be aware of burnout. I just encourage prospective students to do their research. I know this post is centered toward people who may just want to join culinary school as a hobby or to learn new things, but I thought I’d post a comment if some prospective students come along. Take care and good luck all!