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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