| Have you ever thought about the
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| | [your state]", and you will find hundreds
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| possibility of going to culinary school
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| | of leads to schools worldwide. Type in
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| to become a professional chef or start a
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| | culinary schools with a city and it will
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| new career in hospitality management?
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| | narrow down the field even more.
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| Maybe you want to go to school just to be
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| | There is also a listing of top schools
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| a better cook at home? The good news is
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| | listed by state at The Reluctant Gourmet
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| there are a lot of great schools and
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| | web site. Go to and click on the state
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| colleges in every state to help you
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| | of your choice and pick a city of
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| accomplish your goals.
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| | interest.
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| Based upon the number of cooking schools
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| | Once you find a few schools that look
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| opening each year, there must be a lot of
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| | promising, read a little about them to
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| folks interested in getting into the
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| | see what they have to offer. Most sites
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| culinary world. I recently read an
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| | will provide a short form that you can
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| article in our local newspaper about the
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| | fill out for more information. Once you
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| growth in local culinary schools, and the
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| | fill out the form and send it back to the
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| numbers surprised me. It appears that
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| | school, someone will call you within a
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| supermarkets, gourmet stores, local
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| | day or two to answer your questions,
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| restaurants, colleges, ex-chefs, and just
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| | provide you with additional information,
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| about anyone else who has the room and
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| | and offer to send you some brochures and
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| expertise is putting on an apron and
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| | an application.
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| opening a school.
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| | Be sure to have a list of questions you
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| Many of these schools are there for
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| | want answered when you speak with a
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| absolute beginners who just want to learn
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| | school's representative. You might also
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| how to boil water and get around in the
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| | ask for a list of current students and
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| kitchen without hurting themselves.
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| | graduates to contact for their assessment
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| These classes tend to be more fun where
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| | of the school.
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| you watch a professional chef prepare a
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| | This is also a good time to ask about
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| meal and then you get to share it with
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| | scholarships and what the school has to
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| the rest of the class. It's a good way to
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| | offer. If financing is going to be an
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| meet some interesting people, learn a few
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| | issue, it's better to find out
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| culinary tricks, and taste some delicious
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| | alternatives now rather than wait until
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| food.
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| | you have been accepted. Remember, the
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| And then there are schools for home cooks
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| | school representatives are there to help
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| who have some experience but want to
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| | and most, I've found, don't push too
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| build upon their skills and learn some
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| | hard--although it is their job to sell
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| new techniques. These schools tend to
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| | you on the school.
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| have classrooms with individual stations
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| | Step 4 - Narrow down the field.
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| where the students learn by doing. Often
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| | Once you look over what the schools have
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| these classes will specialize in one
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| | to offer and have spoken with the
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| particular technique or cooking style.
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| | representatives, start eliminating those
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| But what about the individuals who wants
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| | that just don't fit in with your needs.
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| to make cooking their career and go back
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| | Maybe a school is too far, too costly, or
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| to school for a degree in culinary
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| | just doesn't offer the courses you are
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| education? They may want to learn about
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| | interested in taking.
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| hospitality management to master the
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| | Step 5 - Visit the schools that fit best.
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| skills needed to run a resort,
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| | In my opinion, this is one of the most
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| restaurant, or theme park. Or they may
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| | important steps you can do to make sure
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| want to become professional chefs and
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| | that you are going to be happy at any
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| cook in some of the best restaurants in
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| | cooking school. You want to see the
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| the country.
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| | actual classrooms you will be attending,
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| Lucky for them, there are now more than
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| | see some of the teachers and students in
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| 500 vocational, college, and university
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| | action, and get a feel for the
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| programs scattered around the country
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| | surroundings to make sure you will fit
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| with more schools opening each year that
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| | in.
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| offer first-rate educational degrees in
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| | I once made the mistake of taking a new
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| this field. The bigger question is: how
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| | job on Wall Street with a competitor
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| do you choose the best culinary school
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| | without ever seeing the offices I'd be
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| for you?
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| | working in. Sure the money was better
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| Here are a few steps to help you narrow
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| | and I thought I would make faster
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| down the field and simplify your
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| | advancement, but when I arrived for my
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| decision:
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| | first day of work, I couldn't believe the
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| Step 1 - Figure out what you want to do
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| | conditions they wanted me to work in.
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| after you graduate.
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| | The office space was old, dirty, and
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| Do you want to start a catering company,
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| | outdated compared to where I was working.
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| make pastries and fancy desserts, or how
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| | I was horrified and only lasted about
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| about manage a restaurant? Once you have
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| | four months!
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| an idea of what it is that you would like
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| | So, make sure that the school in which
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| to specialize in, you can limit your
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| | you are thinking of investing your time
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| search to only those schools that offer
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| | and money is as good, if not better, than
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| the necessary classes.
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| | the brochure they send to you.
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| If you have no idea what you would like
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| | Step 6 - Apply to your top picks.
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| to do in the culinary field, be sure to
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| | After you make your visits, narrow down
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| go to a school that offers a number of
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| | the field to your top choices and prepare
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| choices in every field of the industry-
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| | the applications you were sent. Be sure
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| sort of like taking a liberal arts'
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| | to be neat and complete, and provide the
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| approach.
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| | schools with everything they ask you for.
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| Step 2 - Determine what's most important
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| | If you have any questions about the
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| to you in a school. Some topics you may
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| | application, pick up the phone right away
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| want to think about before choosing a
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| | and get answers. You don't want to be
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| school are:
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| | sending in incomplete forms.
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| Location
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| | Step 7 - Choose your school.
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| Entry requirements
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| | Once notified by the schools of your
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| Length of program and class schedule
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| | acceptance, you can decide which school
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| Costs and financial aid
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| | works best for you. Because you did your
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| Class size and student-to-faculty ratio
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| | homework and followed the steps above,
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| Classroom facilities
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| | this final choice should be easy.
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| Class schedules
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| | Be sure to inform the school of your
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| The school's faculty and reputation
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| | choice that you will be attending, and
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| Degrees and accreditations
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| | find out what steps are required to get
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| Externship opportunities
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| | you enrolled and what you will need to
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| Location and housing
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| | start school.
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| Schools contacts, job placement, and/or
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| | Although this article was written for
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| internships
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| | those of you interested in going to
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| Step 3 - Create a list of schools to
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| | culinary school, you can follow these
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| contact for more information.
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| | same procedures when choosing any
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| You can start with your local yellow
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| | continuing education degree. If you
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| pages but if you don't find a school
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| | think about it, it's just like getting
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| close enough, or one that strikes your
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| | everything prepped and ready to go (mise
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| fancy, try doing a search on the
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| | en place) before starting to prepare a
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| Internet. Just type in "cooking schools
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| | meal.
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| in [your state]", or "culinary schools
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| | Copyright © 2005 G.
|
