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I've played around with the thought of taking a course of some kind, just for fun. I almost feel like it would take the fun out of it, though, as opposed to learning as you go along. (I feel the same way about learning about wine.) Maybe that's a silly way of looking at it. I love cooking and I cook a lot, and I've picked up a lot by osmosis from watching cooking channels, so I'm not a beginner, but I would like to learn across-the board techniques so that I can cook more effortlessly and intuitively. I tend to be a little OCD-ish about it.
Have any of you done this, either just a short, basic class or a full-on degree-earning course? I'm curious as to how much you enjoyed it, how it changed you as a cook, and if you feel it was worth your time and money. Also, if you don't mind saying, I'd like to know how much you paid and whether, if you had it to do all over again, you'd pay more or less.
If you want to do it just for fun, and you can afford it, go for it. I will say upfront that you will get out of it what you put into it. I also recommend a short program rather than trying to get a degree, for your intended purposes. You can get a feel for it, and take more classes if/when you like. Most culinary school curriculum is designed to prepare you for an entry level job as a cook in a hotel, country club, or higher end dining establishment (associate's degree) and then, as though you are planning to run your own restaurant after graduation (if you continue on to a bachelor's degree). The schools are not exactly like medical school; you can graduate having learned very little, or if you are self-motivated, the teachers will step up and you can learn a lot.
I do have a degree. It cost a lot of money, and no I do not feel it was worth it. It didn't help my career much, but I knew that going in, because I had worked in the industry long enough beforehand to know how it goes. I went to school anyway, because I wanted to learn, and to meet people. And I did. I loved the learning. It was frustrating in the beginning, especially, because the majority of the students were young and naive, going into huge amounts of debt to pay the tuition, and they truly believed that they were going to graduate making $80k/yr to start, cooking their grandmother's fried chicken recipe. Seriously.
Thanks, Food Network. And to our society for pressuring everyone to have a degree. Even if it means poor kids taking out $50k in loans only to make $10/hr after graduating (if they graduate). Oh, and thanks to the criminal private schools, too, for taking advantage of those poor kids.
Anyway, hope this helps. Sorry for that last paragraph ranting. If you have any other questions I will be happy to help.
It kind of depends upon where you are coming from. My husband’s nephew graduated from Johnson & Wales, but did not stay in the restaurant business.
My DIL s aunt attended a week long bread baking class in Chicago, and loved it.
I know that I would not like the full time restaurant life, but I would love a week or two of intensive training in a subject like baking. I think there are even cruises with themes like this.
If you want to do it just for fun, and you can afford it, go for it. I will say upfront that you will get out of it what you put into it. I also recommend a short program rather than trying to get a degree, for your intended purposes. You can get a feel for it, and take more classes if/when you like. Most culinary school curriculum is designed to prepare you for an entry level job as a cook in a hotel, country club, or higher end dining establishment (associate's degree) and then, as though you are planning to run your own restaurant after graduation (if you continue on to a bachelor's degree). The schools are not exactly like medical school; you can graduate having learned very little, or if you are self-motivated, the teachers will step up and you can learn a lot.
I do have a degree. It cost a lot of money, and no I do not feel it was worth it. It didn't help my career much, but I knew that going in, because I had worked in the industry long enough beforehand to know how it goes. I went to school anyway, because I wanted to learn, and to meet people. And I did. I loved the learning. It was frustrating in the beginning, especially, because the majority of the students were young and naive, going into huge amounts of debt to pay the tuition, and they truly believed that they were going to graduate making $80k/yr to start, cooking their grandmother's fried chicken recipe. Seriously.
Thanks, Food Network. And to our society for pressuring everyone to have a degree. Even if it means poor kids taking out $50k in loans only to make $10/hr after graduating (if they graduate). Oh, and thanks to the criminal private schools, too, for taking advantage of those poor kids.
Anyway, hope this helps. Sorry for that last paragraph ranting. If you have any other questions I will be happy to help.
Thanks so much for your input, Ivy. Yes, I figure it doesn't really make sense for me to put so much into it if I'm not pursuing it as a career, but I just want to be really good at it and want to figure out where the right balance is, for me, as far as effort/money vs. the payoff. Food can bring so much pleasure, and I'm very passionate about it. I want to be REALLY good at it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by gentlearts
It kind of depends upon where you are coming from. My husband’s nephew graduated from Johnson & Wales, but did not stay in the restaurant business.
My DIL s aunt attended a week long bread baking class in Chicago, and loved it.
I know that I would not like the full time restaurant life, but I would love a week or two of intensive training in a subject like baking. I think there are even cruises with themes like this.
I definitely want to keep it fun. Like English Ivy said, I love just learning new things, and I don't want to turn it into a "chore." There's no way I could handle the stress of a restaurant kitchen, so that's not even an issue. lol
Do you mind my asking why the nephew left the business?
Just be realistic about it. All the Food Network and and other cooking shows have really glamorized the profession, but I think the reality is probably a little different.
I have a good friend who's son owes almost $50,000 to Johnson and Wales for a culinary degree. The best job he could find as a chef was on a cruise ship, and he didn't want to do that because it would take him away from his family for weeks at a time. He is now working as an accountant.
Of course, we are in Charlotte. If someone is close to a truly major city like New York or Chicago, they may do better.
I learned so much from the Grand Diplôme Cooking Course series I picked up on a yard sale when I was a teen. It was well illustrated and had a lot of step-by-step instruction on every basic cooking or baking concept I can think of. I learned to make choux pâte, pie crusts, bavarois, so many methods of food preparation. Based on the reviews on Amazon, others are also singing their praises of this series. I'd rather spend $30 on this 20 volume set than thousands for instruction that is probably not even one-on-one.
Just be realistic about it. All the Food Network and and other cooking shows have really glamorized the profession, but I think the reality is probably a little different.
I have a good friend who's son owes almost $50,000 to Johnson and Wales for a culinary degree. The best job he could find as a chef was on a cruise ship, and he didn't want to do that because it would take him away from his family for weeks at a time. He is now working as an accountant.
Of course, we are in Charlotte. If someone is close to a truly major city like New York or Chicago, they may do better.
Yep, like I said, I'm not looking to become a pro chef. For one thing, the hours are less than desirable. I like to celebrate weekends and holidays, and who's always working at those times?
Quote:
Originally Posted by DontH8Me
I learned so much from the Grand Diplôme Cooking Course series I picked up on a yard sale when I was a teen. It was well illustrated and had a lot of step-by-step instruction on every basic cooking or baking concept I can think of. I learned to make choux pâte, pie crusts, bavarois, so many methods of food preparation. Based on the reviews on Amazon, others are also singing their praises of this series. I'd rather spend $30 on this 20 volume set than thousands for instruction that is probably not even one-on-one.
Have you thought about staging (pronounced stah-jing)? It's basically an unpaid internship at a reputable establishment. They get free labor; you get to learn the nitty gritty and you get something cool to put on your resume. If there are any high end restaurants, catering companies, or country clubs nearby, contact them. Tell them you want to stage with them because you love cooking and want to learn more, to become really good at it. See what they say. You could also directly contact chef instructors at culinary schools and see if any of them would be interested in giving private lessons. They often have side gigs.
For additional wine education, I really enjoy the books from the WSET (wine and spirit education trust). They are coursebooks for certifications in the industry. You may be interested in this one: https://shop.wsetglobal.com/collecti...nt=17691971911
You can also look on the website for local classes if you are interested in beverage certifications. Or contact a local culinary school.
Have you thought about staging (pronounced stah-jing)? It's basically an unpaid internship at a reputable establishment. They get free labor; you get to learn the nitty gritty and you get something cool to put on your resume. If there are any high end restaurants, catering companies, or country clubs nearby, contact them. Tell them you want to stage with them because you love cooking and want to learn more, to become really good at it. See what they say. You could also directly contact chef instructors at culinary schools and see if any of them would be interested in giving private lessons. They often have side gigs.
For additional wine education, I really enjoy the books from the WSET (wine and spirit education trust). They are coursebooks for certifications in the industry. You may be interested in this one: https://shop.wsetglobal.com/collecti...nt=17691971911
You can also look on the website for local classes if you are interested in beverage certifications. Or contact a local culinary school.
You're a font of information. I really appreciate it.
English Ivy laid out the reality of culinary school very nicely.
If you want to explore more you can always integrate it into your travel, be it domestic or international there are always classes that you can explore and have fun doing. Learning regional cuisine can be very interesting and teach you new techniques to use in everyday cooking.
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