Culinary Arts Training
Transform your passion for food into cooking mastery. The hands-on curriculum offered at either a culinary arts program or a culinary academy can equip you with the essential skills to thrive in the culinary world.
- Master the Fundamentals: Knife skills, classical techniques, and in-depth knowledge of ingredients are the building blocks of culinary success.
- Explore Diverse Cuisines: From French pastries to Asian fusion, delve into a world of culinary traditions and expand your repertoire.
- Refine Your Plate Presentation: Learn the art of plating, turning every dish into a masterpiece that wows both taste buds and eyes.
- Business of Food: Understand restaurant operations, menu planning, and cost control to excel in the professional kitchen. Industry Connections: Build valuable relationships with chefs, restaurateurs, and industry professionals through guest speakers and internships.
Education
If you choose a culinary arts program, you may take advanced cooking courses. Check with the registrar's office for an updated schedule of culinary arts certificate classes, registration deadlines, and a list of cooking school requirements. The science of nutrition extends beyond a biochemical analysis of food, assimilation, and digestion within the body. Whole foods provide the energy and nutrients you need to maintain health.
It takes more than superior cooking skills to become a chef. Most chefs and head cooks learn their skills through work experience at a restaurant. Others receive their initial training through community college cooking courses or in a technical school. This training can be grueling, from attending a culinary arts program to serving a long apprenticeship in a commercial kitchen, under the watchful eyes of a master chef. Be sure that any cooking school that you attend is certified by either the American Culinary Federation or the National Restaurant Association.
Accredation
The American Culinary Federation accredits more than 200 academic training programs at culinary arts schools, and sponsors apprenticeships around the country. Apprentices will receive about 2,000 hours of both instruction and paid on-the-job training per year. Finally, cooking courses may cover food sanitation and safety, basic knife skills, and kitchen equipment operation. If you are thinking of opening your own restaurant someday, it's wise to gain actual restaurant experience, and save up money to cover starting costs.
Important Qualities
Communication skills. Chefs must be able to direct kitchen staff, bid on large orders, and plan work schedules. Chefs talk to customers on a regular basis in order to seek feedback and guide menu preparation.
Dexterity. Cooks must be able to maneuver pans and cooking tools precisely, often in tight spaces.
Physical strength. Standing on your feet all day can be exhausting. Chefs may invest in special footwear to ease their burden.
Troubleshooting skills. Cooks may be called on to find, diagnose, and repair common kitchen problems. For example, they may need to check gas lines an fittings to pinpoint the location of a possible leak.
Healthy Food
Whole foods provide the energy and nutrients you need to maintain health. Required nutrients include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water in abundance. Healthy eating isn't hard in fact, but it's a skill that must be learned. The key to nutritional science is to eat a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products. Further, rehydrate with lots of alkaline, ionized mineral water, and limit your intake of salt, sugar, alcohol, saturated fat, and trans fat in your diet. The high water and fiber content in most fruits and vegetables makes them hard to overeat.
Start the morning by skipping high-sugar, processed cereals, and replace the eggs and some of the cheese in your omelet with vegetables. Swap out some of the meat and cheese in your sandwich with healthier veggie choices such as lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, and avocado. Instead of a high-calorie snack, such as chips and dip, try baby carrots with hummus, or crunching on a fresh apple.
Soft drinks including soda and energy drinks are a huge source of calories in many poor diets. One can of soda contains between 10-12 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories, so a few soft drinks can quickly bloat your daily calorie intake. Switching to diet soda isn't the answer either. Instead, try switching to water with lemon, unsweetened iced tea, or carbonated water with a splash of juice.
Organizations
Whether you’re a new graduate or have several years of experience, there’s an industry trade group ready to offer training, networking opportunities and other specialized resources that can help you stay current in your field and manage your career.
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1. American Culinary Federation (ACF)
2. National Restaurant Association (NRA)
3. American College of Chefs (ACC)
4. The United States Pastry Alliance (USPA)
5. International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP)
6. American Academy of Hospitality Science (AAHS)
7. Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR)
8. American Iranian Chefs Society (AICS)