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Culinary Training
Posted on 12/12/11 at 9:51 am
Posted on 12/12/11 at 9:51 am
I have a 17 year old Daughter who loves cooking and being in the Kitchen. She wants to take some formal Culinary training in lieu of standard College.
What can this board lend me in the way of advice, pro's & con's of different schools, etc???
What can this board lend me in the way of advice, pro's & con's of different schools, etc???
18
Posted on 12/12/11 at 9:53 am to TreeDawg
tell her to start working in a restaurant doing anything then go to culinary school. Most chiefs I know learn on the job and expereince is worth way more than a culinary degree.
Posted on 12/12/11 at 9:58 am to TreeDawg
Friend of mine dropped 60 grand on culinary school. He currently is a sous chef at a very nice restaurant. His advice to me when I asked him if he thought I should look into it was don't waste your time. He said you learn just as much if not more by volunteering to work in a kitchen, hone your skills for free, and work your way up. A lot of restaurants like people that volunteer because they can train them to do things their way.
The executive chef/owner of Fit Gourmet went this route. She volunteered at Commander's one time and parlayed that into a 2-year apprenticeship. Only made $5 an hour when she started. Here's her bio:
Dione M. Duhon
The executive chef/owner of Fit Gourmet went this route. She volunteered at Commander's one time and parlayed that into a 2-year apprenticeship. Only made $5 an hour when she started. Here's her bio:
Dione M. Duhon
Posted on 12/12/11 at 10:01 am to TreeDawg
you will find a lot of people who say this unnecessary. work in a kitchen, get the experience, etc. and surely you do not need the formal education to do so, and if money is an issue then it should not be a top priority. but you will also find that A LOT of people working in restaurants DID go to culinary school. and the education you'd get there is different than the trial-by-fire education of a kitchen.
i would look into schools in Europe if possible.
i would look into schools in Europe if possible.
Posted on 12/12/11 at 10:02 am to 800lbgorilla
quote:
tell her to start working in a restaurant doing anything
This, but mainly to let her get a feel for the industry. Cooking at the basic level in restaurants is not like cooking at home. Plus the restaurant business in the back of the house is generally male dominated and isn't usually a glamorous job.
If she still feels like pursuing a job in the culinary industry she will have several decisions to make.
Posted on 12/12/11 at 10:03 am to 800lbgorilla
quote:This is definitely good advice.
tell her to start working in a restaurant doing anything then go to culinary school. Most chiefs I know learn on the job and expereince is worth way more than a culinary degree.
Cooking for friends is one of the greatest joys I have in my life -- if I could do it over, I would have forgone traditional college in lieu of culinary school. The best school in the country is the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). They have four locations nationwide with their "flagship" in Hyde Park, NY. It is my understanding that there is quite a lengthy waiting list for admission.
I would definitely recommend working in a kitchen prior to enrollment. Get her a nice chef's knife ($100 plus) for Christmas so she can start honing her cutlery skills.
And don't forget -- undergrad school will always be there if it turns out culinary school isn't for her.
Posted on 12/12/11 at 10:03 am to TreeDawg
Tell her what my parents told me. "You're gonna go to college and get a degree then you can do whatever you want with your life." Needless to say I decided against culinary school.
Make sure she realizes that cooking for a living is work and not fun. Most chefs over the age of 40 hate cooking now and do it to pay their bills.
Make sure she realizes that cooking for a living is work and not fun. Most chefs over the age of 40 hate cooking now and do it to pay their bills.
Posted on 12/12/11 at 10:05 am to Filthy Mitten
quote:I know quite a few chefs here in Atlanta who run their own places. They are some of the happiest, jovial people I know. Of course, they are running their own place and not working for someone else.
Most chefs over the age of 40 hate cooking now and do it to pay their bills.
Posted on 12/12/11 at 10:08 am to Filthy Mitten
quote:
Tell her what my parents told me. "You're gonna go to college and get a degree then you can do whatever you want with your life."
are we siblings?
Posted on 12/12/11 at 10:11 am to Nuts
This thread will be shared with my Daughter and all input is helpful......... 
Any go to cookbooks or related industry books for a 17 year old??
Any go to cookbooks or related industry books for a 17 year old??
Posted on 12/12/11 at 10:19 am to TreeDawg
Contact Delgado or the Chefs Association of NOLA about the apprenticeship program. One day of all day classes, along with employment in a restaurant/hotel kitchen in the area. If it still is at the level in was long ago it will be worth the time expended(threee years) for her. Yes ther are other alternatives, but at what price. Le Cordon Bleu, Johnston and Wales, the CIA et al are in the classroom for a long time, then the students are farmed out for real life. ETA books, one LaRousse Gastronomique a used one will be more than worth it, but if a new one is desire do so. It is the Encyclopedia Brittainica of food, Escoffiers' book from 200 years ago is a gold mine, Jacque Pepins' Complete Techniques is a how to book for the home or commercial chef. As was noted above, it does become a "job", but only if you decide to make it one.
This post was edited on 12/12/11 at 10:27 am
Posted on 12/12/11 at 10:20 am to Nuts
quote:
Of course, they are running their own place and not working for someone else.
I would venture to guess that this has something to do with it. Most of the older guys I've worked with are some truly jaded SOB's, especially if they're working for the man.
R2R to answer your question....No we're not related, just raised by smart people.
Posted on 12/12/11 at 10:21 am to Filthy Mitten
quote:
Tell her what my parents told me. "You're gonna go to college and get a degree then you can do whatever you want with your life." Needless to say I decided against culinary school.
Make sure she realizes that cooking for a living is work and not fun. Most chefs over the age of 40 hate cooking now and do it to pay their bills.
Meh
A college degree doesn't promise you anything and many of them aren't worth much
I recently met a girl that has a graduate degree from Tulane and works as a social worker. Well she DID work as a social worker. She is unemployed now. I don't have a college degree(i do have some college) and my income is above the median income for college graduates.
Posted on 12/12/11 at 10:22 am to TreeDawg
quote:You can get pretty much any recipe off the internet these days, a cookbook might not be necessary. Unless she wants to learn a type of cooking - cajun, french, etc.
Any go to cookbooks or related industry books for a 17 year old??
But if you are looking for one, my newest favorite is A New Turn in the South. It's by the chef/owner of Empire State South here in Atlanta. Hugh is a great guy and a world class chef, and these recipes are extremely solid. They are southern recipes with a focus on local, seasonal ingredients. Definitely worth the money if you're looking for a cookbook:
LINK
This post was edited on 12/12/11 at 10:29 am
Posted on 12/12/11 at 10:29 am to TreeDawg
I know a young girl whose parents paid her way through Brown (Ivy League). She got a degree in English Lit. As soon as she graduated she told them "I want to be a chef."
She works at a nice restaurant in Dallas. But her degree was a huge waste of money.
She works at a nice restaurant in Dallas. But her degree was a huge waste of money.
Posted on 12/12/11 at 10:35 am to TreeDawg
She needs to work in a kitchen for a couple of years before spending money on a culinary degree. (I would say this for any degree, but cooking is one of those rare professions where its readily available.)
And have her read "Kitchen Confidential" by Bourdain.
It depends a lot on where you work, but cooking is very difficult work, for not a lot of money until you get to a certain level. And the industry has a lot of degenerates in it. Not everyone by any stretch... but the lifers are by and large people that couldn't fit in anywhere else.
All that being said... if she has a real passion for cooking, and this type of work makes her HAPPY, then she should go for it.
And have her read "Kitchen Confidential" by Bourdain.
It depends a lot on where you work, but cooking is very difficult work, for not a lot of money until you get to a certain level. And the industry has a lot of degenerates in it. Not everyone by any stretch... but the lifers are by and large people that couldn't fit in anywhere else.
All that being said... if she has a real passion for cooking, and this type of work makes her HAPPY, then she should go for it.
Posted on 12/12/11 at 10:39 am to coloradoBengal
A five hundred degree + flat top range will kick your arse after a bit of time at the front of it.
Posted on 12/12/11 at 10:39 am to Powerman
quote:
Meh
A college degree doesn't promise you anything and many of them aren't worth much
quote:
I don't have a college degree
ya don't say?
Posted on 12/12/11 at 10:43 am to Zach
Mike Loupe is a friend of mine and a great chef here in Baton Rouge. He told his father, who is an Orthopedic Surgeon, in lieu of college the money should be spent for culinary school. He went to Cordon Bleu in Paris with his college money and has never looked back.
Another friend is Kelly Patrick Williams who after getting her under grad passed on med school and went to CIA, Hyde Park. A phenomenal chef who never looked back either.
They have local schools as well. Delgado is well respected, John Folse has a program at Nichols and even the BR school on Airline. All would be good at least to start.
A lot of smart people have become chefs.
Another friend is Kelly Patrick Williams who after getting her under grad passed on med school and went to CIA, Hyde Park. A phenomenal chef who never looked back either.
They have local schools as well. Delgado is well respected, John Folse has a program at Nichols and even the BR school on Airline. All would be good at least to start.
A lot of smart people have become chefs.
Posted on 12/12/11 at 11:07 am to TreeDawg
quote:
Any go to cookbooks or related industry books for a 17 year old??
The Joy of Cooking is a good book as it teaches you methods and has tons of recipes.
Not sure about others, the last No Reservations I saw reccomend tons of books, but IDK.
Maybe tell her to take Culinary at the community College to see if she likes it. Or just work back of the house at a hotel restaurant. I saw hotel as they are usually the most structured and also the easiest to start off in, next to maybe a corporate chain. Then try and move to another place. Many great cooks have little to no formal training.
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