Cooking School Is Not For Everyone

September 13th, 2007 by RG in Ask A Chef, Culinary School

“Does my daughter need to go to a “big” named culinary school?”

Because of the number of popular culinary schools I have posted on my web site, a lot email is sent my way from high school students and their parents wanting to know more about attending culinary school.
One of those emails was from Vicky, whose daughter is interested in going to culinary school for pastry/baking. Here’s what she wrote:

Hi RG! I have a 16-year-old daughter who’s interested incooking school. We’ve started to look at this a bit and are curious if it’s necessary/best to go to one of the “big” schools–such as CIA or Le Cordon Bleu. She’s interested in pastry/baking and her goal would NOT be to work in a big name restaurant, but probably something smaller. Do smaller schools, tech schools allow people to get the necessary skills–and a job! — or is it a situation where you must go to a “name” school. Thanks for any thoughts you can share.

I immediately sent this email to Chef Leslie Bilderback, Certified Master Baker and author of Success as a Chef. Not only did she attend a “big name” culinary school, but also taught at the California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, CA and then was the Executive Chef at CSC when it partnered with Le Cordon Bleu.
As she mentions in her response, her book Success as a Chef was written with questions like this in mind. I really appreciate her honesty in her reply. Chef Leslie doesn’t candy coat a career in the food industry. Just the opposite, she comes right out and states culinary school is not right for everyone and “most students are not the right type” to go to one.
Read her response to Vicky to see why and whom the “right type” is who will do well in culinary school and be successful in the food industry.

“Dear Vicky, first, without seeming like I am pushing my book, I really wrote it exactly for this situation, so if you get a chance to look at it, I think you should.  There is a lot of pertinent information for just this occasion.
I have a couple of points to make.  First, here is the low down on culinary schools:  They are expensive, and they do not necessarily prepare you for the real world.   Big or small, the education is generally the same.  Cooking skills don’t change much.  And the name of the school will only get her in the door.  It’s her skill that will get her the job.
Please understand, I went to a big culinary school, I taught at one, and I was the Executive Chef of one.  They can be terrific for the right type of person.  But most students are not the right type.
The right type knows exactly what their dream culinary career entails.  They have researched the job market, including job availability, salaries, and competition.  They know from experience what a food-service job entails, because they have already worked in food service, and they love it.  (They love the sweaty heat, the tired aching feet, the foul language, alcoholism and drug abuse, low pay, no paid vacation or health insurance…unless they join a union.)
They are comfortable working for someone else; they know how to take direction, and criticism.  Also, the right type of culinary student has no delusions of grandeur.  They know, and are comfortable with, the fact that very few culinarians become rich and famous.     (Most barely make it a year in the industry.  Some hang in for 2 or 3 years before giving up.)  The success rate of small restaurants and bakeries is pretty low, too.
The culinary schools are not packed with these kinds of students because they have little criteria for entrance.  We use to joke that all a student needed to get into our school was a checkbook and a pulse.  I know there are schools out there with integrity.  I’m just not sure which ones they are.  (In my book, I have lists of questions you should be asking these institutions).
My second point is that the best pastry chefs are good cooks first.  It is better for a career to know it all, and then specialize.  You are more marketable, more versatile, and more respected if you have a culinary degree, not just a pastry diploma. It’s like going to high school and only taking electives.  You won’t get very far.
One last thing…
As a food service professional, and a parent, I strongly encourage kids to at least get an AA degree, if not a full on BA.  If this means a couple years at the local JC, (perhaps while trying out a food service job) it’s totally worth it in the long run.  Many, many things change in the future, and no one gets very far, even in food service, without a degree.
And FYI mom, culinary school aint cheap.  And student loans are hard to pay back with a $9/hour bakery job.  Be sure to look into that end (also covered in my book).
Sorry to be kind of a downer.  It is a problem in our industry, thanks to food TV, that too many of the wrong type are flooding the market.  They graduate school, get a job, decide it’s not for them, and then quit.  The restaurant is then saddled with more recruitment and training costs, which in turn keeps overall salaries down.   We will never raise this industry to the level it deserves unless this stops.  So people out there…be sure it’s what you want!!
And if it is…Best of Luck! “
http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/blog/ask-a-chef/cooking-school-is-not-for-everyone/

Compotée de rhubarbe et abricot à la chantilly de mascarpone

• Recette de cuisine 3.60/5

Difficulté

Ingrédients (6 personnes):

Pour 6 pers
il faut :
500 g de rhubarbe
500 g d'abricots
150 g de mascarpone
20 cl de crème liquide
90 g de sucre glace
70 g de sucre en poudre
1 pincée de clou de girofle moulu
1 pincée de gingembre moulu 

Préparation:

Eplucher la rhubarbe et la couper en tronçons , dénoyautez et coupez les abricots en morceaux , mélangez le sucre en poudre aux épices
Mettez les abricots dans une casserole , saupoudrez-les avec le sucre aux épices , et laissez cuire pour 10 mn ( env )sur feu doux en remuant , ajoutez la rhubarbe , puis après 5 mn mouillez de 5 cl d'eau et prolongez la cuisson de 15 mn à couvert
Retirez du feu et laissez refroidir
Montez la crème liquide en chantilly , incorporez à le fin la moitié du sucre glace en pluie , fouettez le mascarpone avec le reste du sucre glace
Mélangez délicatement le mascarpone sucré avec la chantilly
Dressage des verrines :
Mettez une couche de chantilly dans le fond des verres et remplissez ces dernières en alternant compotée de fruit et chantilly
J'ai décoré les verrines de framboises et de menthe fraiche
Servir sans attendre
Source :le hors série "Avantage"

http://www.lesfoodies.com/sacha/recette/compotee-rhubarbe-et-abricot-chantilly-mascarpone

Courgettes "comme des gressins"

• Recette de cuisine 5.00/5

Ingrédients:

2 petites courgettes
6 cs de parmesan râpé
9 cs de chapelure
2 blancs d’œufs
2 cs de lait ribot

Préparation:

Huilez lgèrement une feuille de papier cuisson posée sur une plaque au pinceau ou à l’aide d’un spray. Préchauffez le four à 205°C. Lavez et coupez les courgettes en 4 dans le sens de la longueur. Dans un plat, mélangez la chapelure et le parmesan. Dans un autre plat, mélangez les blancs d’œufs et le lait à la fourchette. Trempez les bâtons de courgette dans le mélange de chapelure, puis dans les œufs, puis à nouveau dans la chapelure.

Posez les courgettes sur le papier et sprayez d’un peu d’huile. Faites cuire 15 à 20 minutes jusqu'à ce que les courgettes soient tendres à la pointe d’un couteau et la chapelure dorée.

Dégustez avec la sauce de votre choix.

http://www.lesfoodies.com/lolottesam/recette/courgettes-comme-des-gressins

FAQs on Baking and Pastry Arts Programs

Pursing a career in the art of delicious dessert making and baking, like the culinary arts in general, requires dedication (long hours are common), patience (knead gently!), and an understanding of the ways flavors, textures and environments can work for (or against!) the final products.

What is the diference between Baking and the Pastry Arts?

Baking and pastry arts are very closely related. In fact, many schools offer programs that combine the two. Baking refers simply to the act of combining and baking ingredients at specified temperatures for certain amounts of time. Many bakers early in their careers work for industrial bakeries and wholesale outlets, and are restricted to following recipes developed by that company.

The pastry arts, on the other hand, are more creative. Pastry chefsdevelop and test new recipes for pastries, desserts, bread and other baked goods. They use skills in baking, as well as other culinary arts skills, to create their final products.

What will I learn in the pastry and baking program at culinary school?

You’ll work alongside professional chefs who will teach you fundamental baking skills and theoretical knowledge required to be successful in this demanding field.

Whether you’re looking to sharpen your skills or start a new career, you’ll learn how to design and create edible showpieces, plate desserts, and master other culinary skills like artisanal bread production. Emphasis is also placed on business essentials and critical thinking if you're interested in opening your own businesses. 

What jobs can I pursue with a pastry and baking degree?

Careers with a baking degree can include but are not limited to: pastry chef, line and pantry cooks, bakery owner, chocolatier, caterer, artisan bread baker, cake decorater, and more. With a degree in patisserie and baking, you’ll be able to take your culinary skills anywhere in the world. Bread is, after all, a fundamental human food.

What’s the salary range and industry outlook for careers in this field?

Salaries for pastry chefs and bakers can vary depending on where you live and work. The highest paid individuals are usually found in upscale restaurants and hotels in metropolitan cities.

Pastry chefs make between roughly $36,000 - $56,000, depending on area and experience. Executive pastry chefs in New York can make as much as $72,000*.

Although competition will be steep for upscale restaurant jobs, job growth for pastry chefs is comparable to that of other highly skilled chefs and cooks. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job growth of 6% through 2018, about as fast as average.

What culinary schools offer baking programs?

Two culinary academies with campuses across the nation include Le Cordon Bleu and The Art Institutes. Both campuses also offer their students hands-on training in facilities with equipment widely used in the industry today.

Finding the Right Culinary School

By Mary Ann Matysik, CookingSchools.com Contributing Writer

How do you pick the perfect culinary school? You pick the one that's right for you.

If you're a recent high school graduate -- and you'll need that diploma or GED before you can start -- you can shop as you would for any college or vocational school, balancing the size, location, cost, and reputation. If you're a returning student changing your career or honing your skills, you'll also want a program that lets you schedule around existing job and family responsibilities. That's not an insurmountable problem.

The initial question: Do you want a career-based education, with the focus on culinary techniques, plus a dollop of food safety and sanitation? Or do you want your new culinary skills to be part of a larger degree-based experience that includes restaurant management and general education classes? If the level of accreditation and transferability is important to you, keep that in mind as you evaluate your choices.

Class Size

While schools may register from a couple of hundred to over a thousand students, most classes are kept relatively small, since you'll need hands-on experience and access to equipment. In order to maximize enrollment, and to some degree mimic a restaurant's long working day, schools will offer morning, afternoon and evening sessions, and you'll be placed in the same group, on the same schedule, throughout the program.

Housing

Student housing is available through most schools, but that may mean off-campus apartments. At Culinard - The Culinary Institute of Virginia College, about half of the 450 students are older than the traditional college freshman. Bibbie McLaughlin, senior vice president of admissions there, notes that chefs have relocated from around the world to take advantage of the Culinard program, but even there, only "seven to nine percent of the students have moved from other areas or other states." While other culinary schools may have a larger proportion of younger "traditional" students, most of these recent grads find programs they want close to home.

Admission: Passion Trumps Punctuation

On the whole, entrance into most culinary schools is not dependent on SAT, ACT or entrance exams. A personal interview and/or essay may be required, but you're being graded for passion, not punctuation. Admissions offices are looking for candidates who take their careers seriously. They are screening applicants to find those who have a personal commitment to the industry, and who understand that mastering the skills is only the beginning step. Carolyn Serrano, director of admissions and human resources at the San Diego Culinary Institute, cautions students that it is not the certificate that changes a student into a chef. "The establishment that you work for bestows the title of Chef upon you," Serrano says.

"Becoming a chef is a lifetime commitment to an ever-changing, challenging industry and demanding customers. The cooking part is the easy part. The leadership part is what will determine whether you will become a Chef," she explains. "Passion, commitment, positive attitude, progressive innovation, teamwork, experience and professionalism play a great part in moving you up the ladder."

Tuition and Income

The price tag on a culinary education varies widely, depending to a large degree on the local market and the content, length and intensity of the classes. In the red-hot Southern California market, costs can range from $10,375 for a Professional Culinary Arts certificate program at the San Diego Culinary Institute, to $73,866 for a Bachelor of Science - Culinary Management degree at the Art Institute of California - San Diego. In any market, however, tuition for a 12- to 24-month course will probably range from $30,000 to $40,000.

The good news is that these costs often include registration fees, books, a professional knife or pastry kit, and complete chef uniforms -- you may not be a chef yet, but you can't cook in these pristine kitchens in torn jeans and yesterday's tee shirt. Except for insurance and housing costs --and the shoes to go with the uniform - what they say is what you pay.

It's not inexpensive, but all of the schools have an active placement service, almost guaranteeing a job upon graduation - and the difference in eventual income justifies the investment. Is it worth all this effort? According to the American Culinary Federation, a professional networking group for 75 years and an accrediting commission since 1986, "the number of food service operations has nearly doubled since 1972, and the industry continues to grow and change rapidly." Combine that image of a healthy industry with figures from the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics that show that, even without factoring in more responsible positions, salaries for the highest level of food preparation are three times higher than those at the lowest salaries. The numbers say that it's worth the effort.

The real bottom line, though, is your success at and satisfaction with your life's work. After all, there are a limited number of livelihoods where you can express your creativity, graciously nurture others in the community, and share your passion with the world, says Dominick Cerrone, director of culinary arts at New York's French Culinary Institute.

"Provided you have a strong work ethic and are truly passionate about it, a pursuit in the culinary field can be one of the most gratifying experiences you can imagine."