has anyone gone to culinary school?
 

I am seriously thinking about going. We are moving back to the south Bay Area and there is a brand new school in Campbell. http://www.pcichef.com

Any advice from anyone who has been? I'm wondering if it it's good or bad to go to a brand new school.

Oooh! You can be on Hell's Kitchen :)

I hear people get fat when they go to those schools. You've been warned

If a chef isn't fat, it's most likely cauz he's a vegan chef or he sucks.

You'd be better off trying to find a Chef to be an apprentice under and learn that way. Most of the Culinary Schools in the U.S. are garbage. They are the fly-by-night non-accreditated schools that push people through the system faster than last night's burrito. They are expensive and not worth it one bit. :2 cents:

If you do decide to go to culinary school, make sure it's in any other country than the U.S.

please tell KC to stop requesting pics of my penis... thank you

hehehe

I went to eat at the CIA :food-smil .

You may have forgotten but I HAVE a pic of your weiner!!!!!

Most real chefs will only pick up apprentices that are properly taught via culinary school. Contrary to some belief there are many great culinary schools in the US, primarily on the East and West coast.

PCI is unique in the way that it is the only school in the US owned by a chef and a renowned one at that. It may be worth looking into. Though I would be a little reluctant to not also check out http://www.baychef.com/ in San Francisco while your at it. It is an accredited Le Cordon Bleu school.

I am sure at either school you would pick up the basics and typically enough to get more than started and either land a fairly good job or have enough knowledge to get into a line at a quality restaurant.

not true at all....not one bit

i was a chef at a restaurant in over 5 places in nashville before I worked my way up to head pastry chef for 4 years...in all the places I worked at (over 20 different 4 star and above places), most of them only hired soux chef's out of school, the rest were people that just had great experience

fact is, most kids out of culinary school are snobby know it all with NO experience in a real work place, and they fail miserably for the first few weeks and just aren't worth the hire

a lot of hotels/catering and stuff like that hire all culinary school graduates though

and just so you know, i am not blowing smoke out of my ass

i have worked under Chef Will Greenwood (post white house chef) and Pastry Chef John Twitchell (co-creator of Death By Chocolate).

I have also personally cooked with Marcel Desaulniers, Susan Spicer and Wolfgang Puck

What you said may be true in regards to experience. Though honestly who stands a better chance at getting hired out of the gates. Someone trying to gain experience and get enough notice to be taken on by a chef or someone out of school with the experience? All things equal of course, basicly someone with limited experience and knowledge to start with.

I know you are not blowing smoke out of your ass. I have seen the things you have posted before in regards to cooking. :winkwink:

Experience is always key, but the best thing you can do it get a job in a kitchen....

don't always assume that someone graduating from a school has experience though...I have seen top of the class CIA grads crumble in 2 weeks from the pressure of a kitchen job, which is why REAL experience (not fake school kitchens) is the biggest factor

but I agree, that if you don't know anything about professional cooking, a little bit of school is always good, just for the basic knowledge

cool...a lot of people think i bullshit about the cooking thing, they just can't believe someone like me would have been a chef before...LOL

btw, here is the chef I trained under
http://hometown.aol.com/chefgreenwood/
he is awesome, I still talk to him....for some reason we clicked, and he took me under his wing and taught me everything he could, it was pretty cool

oooo, go for it Esa Esa & the Cult Jimmy!



I've wanted to go get certified as a Macrobiotic counselor/cook up in either the NE or at a school in Oroville...cooking is wicked relaxing :thumbsup

hell yeah...i love to cook...all the time

after working in restaurants for like 6 years, i got super burned out on it, I didnm't cook shit for like 2 years other than mac and cheese and cookies

once I got back into it again, i started writing recipes again and everything...my wife LOVES it...

nothing is more fun to me than whipping an entire 3-4 course meal all at once from scratch...well, the sex my wife gives me afterwards is pretty nice

Shh do not give up the secret man.

haha, now you all got me thinking about shit...LOL...i should post some of my recipes...what is the point of them if they aren't shared for all to enjoy?

oh hell yeh, that'd rock...post onnnn

:thumbsup :thumbsup

not making enough in the biz anymore? or did you retire comfortably and just want to do somethign new?

my sister took up food technology in college. I don't know if you're aware of such course

bump....

wow I didnt' know that Jace used to be a cook!!

I am thinking about going to school to take some cooking lessons but specialized courses like sauces, etc.. I have the fundamentals in cooking but want to refine some of my skills...

but I agree w/ Jace, just b/c you went to CIA doesnt' mean you have any experience.