| eer as a chef can be fulfilling and challenging, and if | | | | Understanding the make-up and nutritional content, |
| you have a passion for food culinary training may | | | | taste and value of ingredients and foods. In |
| be a perfect fit. However, it isn't easy. Anyone | | | | today's health-conscious society these courses |
| who has attended a culinary institute can tell you | | | | are more important than ever, particularly if you |
| that the education you receive goes far beyond | | | | would like to go on to work in a setting such as a |
| simply learning how to throw together a few | | | | spa or luxury resort. Understanding the way |
| meals. In fact, you learn much more than just | | | | various flavors and textures interact and react is |
| cooking. | | | | also a part of food science. |
| Being a successful chef also involves being able to | | | | Purchasing |
| manage your kitchen properly, work well with | | | | Learning cost analysis, how to evaluate and |
| your staff and understand nutrition, food | | | | purchase individual ingredients, and knowing how |
| purchasing and plenty of other things that go | | | | much you will need along with where to shop. All |
| beyond the stove or oven. Culinary training can be | | | | of these are elements of purchasing that are |
| an eye-opening experience for many students as | | | | central to being a successful chef. You can't cook |
| they prepare for their career in the food and | | | | well if you don't know where to get the right |
| restaurant industry. | | | | ingredients and how to work within a budget. |
| Training to be a chef may be challenging, but it's | | | | Mixology |
| also incredibly rewarding. There are few careers | | | | This is sometimes called beverage service or |
| that so perfectly blend creativity and a love of | | | | viniculture, and is the art of understanding how |
| food with a practical skill to yield a job that can | | | | wines, alcohols and liqueurs complement and |
| propel you onto a successful career path in any | | | | interact with foods. No fine meal is complete |
| number of areas. With the proper culinary training | | | | without the proper accompaniment of wine or |
| you can work at resorts, restaurants and clubs | | | | alcoholic beverage, and being knowledgeable |
| almost anywhere in the world. You may even find | | | | enough to select the proper accompaniment is |
| yourself working on a cruise ship. | | | | essential. |
| Choose Culinary Training That's Comprehensive | | | | Pastries and Baking |
| If you want the best training possible, look at the | | | | Some culinary training programs will offer pastry |
| curriculum offered at each school you are | | | | and baking education as a part of the culinary |
| considering. If the focus is just cooking, you will | | | | arts, while others will offer a complete curriculum |
| be missing some important components that will | | | | specializing in this as a separate discipline (some |
| make your culinary degree marketable when you | | | | offer both options). Baking science is much |
| graduate. The most comprehensive programs will | | | | different than cooking and has different rules and |
| have six distinct areas, each of which will break | | | | methods, so it requires separate attention to |
| down further into specific units, some with basic, | | | | some degree. Because there are so many types |
| intermediate and advanced courses. | | | | of breads and pastries, many schools offer a |
| Food Service and Sanitation | | | | complete course in this for those wishing to |
| This is the foundation of everything a chef or | | | | become specialized pastry chefs. |
| food service worker must know. If food is | | | | Some schools that offer culinary training will allow |
| improperly handled, nothing else matters. | | | | you to download their curriculum to review. This is |
| Unsanitary conditions are absolutely unacceptable | | | | a great way to see if they cover the basics, how |
| at any establishment no matter how talented you | | | | much time they dedicate to each topic and what |
| are. | | | | you will be covering in each class. Choosing a |
| Culinary Arts and Cooking | | | | school without seeing the complete curriculum is |
| The core of most programs, these courses will | | | | like purchasing a car without a test drive, so be |
| have a variety of names, but will usually focus on | | | | sure to know what you'll be learning and how |
| a variety of cooking styles and procedures, | | | | many hours you'll be spending learning each |
| usually focusing on savory dishes. | | | | technique or topic during your culinary training. |
| Food Science and Nutrition | | | | |