Showing posts with label culinary school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label culinary school. Show all posts
Many people are aware that a person who has studied in a culinary school can be called an expert in the field of meal preparation. But how easy is it to enter a culinary school, especially for those aspiring to become the best cooks in their fields?

A culinary school offers several programs and disciplines so before applying, you should have already decided on the specialty or the area that you are interested to focus on.

Future cooks can choose from a two-year associate degree program, a bachelor’s degree program or from a variety of certificate or diploma programs.

A person who wants to be educated in the area of culinary arts but who cannot decide on a specialty can opt for an associate degree program since it involves the basics of culinary arts like proper nutrition, food presentation, kitchen procedures and the basic knife skills. Most schools offering an associate degree programs in culinary arts require their students to do undergo an internship program before they are allowed to graduate. A culinary arts associate degree holder can find work in hotels and restaurants and in private catering companies particularly in the areas of food production and management of the kitchen. The associate degree course can be credited when the person with an associate degree decides to pursue a four-year course.

Interested students can also choose an associate degree in restaurant and hospitality management where they will have hands-on training on the industry’s business aspects, pastry and baking or professional catering where they will learn the intricacies of food preparation and the business aspects of establishing their own catering businesses.

The Bachelor’s degree program focuses more on providing management skills as well as culinary arts courses to the students. Some institutions require students who take up the Bachelor’s degree to also take up business management to prepare them for managerial positions in the industry. Among the programs offered under the Bachelor’s degree include management programs for food and beverage, pastry and baking, culinary as well as for hospitality establishments.

Those who want to take up short term courses can choose from the certificate and diploma programs in the areas of pastry and baking, cooking, managing a restaurant and culinary arts. These programs can be easily completed in several weeks and is ideal for those who are already gainfully employed but who lack formal training.

If you enjoy cooking and other people also enjoy what you cook for them, then you may just have the potential of becoming a good cook or baker or perhaps, the owner of a restaurant someday. Learn the basics of culinary arts and restaurant management by enrolling in culinary schools. Who knows, this may be the beginning of a good business venture or a lifelong hobby.
Read More... Why Go To A Culinary School?
Because braising involves cooking in liquid for longer periods of time, your house is sure to be filled with the most delightful aromas, and your meat will be fork-tender

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Remember visiting grandma's house and walking into a kitchen overflowing with the most luscious smells you've ever encountered? There was always a large pot on the stovetop simmering away. And when that pot was opened at dinnertime, you found yourself face to face with a plate of the most tasty meats and vegetables you've ever eaten. Nobody could cook like grandma!

Not to diminish your childhood memories, but you can now cook every bit as good as grandma. Chances are, in that stovetop pot, grandma was braising. Braising is a method of cooking meats and vegetables. It is especially effective for tougher, cheaper cuts of meat such as shanks, briskets and rumps. This is a primary technique taught in culinary school. Braising is not only great for home cooked meals, it is also a method for gourmet preparations straight from New York or Hollywood. Cooking school graduates have developed some wonderful variations to the meats, liquids, vegetables and spices included in braising to create some truly elegant meals.

Regardless of what you include in your pot, one thing is certain. Because braising involves cooking in liquid for longer periods of time, your house is sure to be filled with the most delightful aromas, and your meat will be fork-tender… just like grandma’s.

In culinary arts school, professional chefs learn to start the braising process by searing the meat in hot oil. The reason for this is twofold. First, searing seals the meat (trapping the juices inside) so the meat doesn't become dry when cooked. Second, searing your meat before braising brings out a lot of flavor. The caramelization of the meat on the bottom of the pan gives an extra layer of rich essence to the recipe.

Once the meat has seared and is browned on all sides, remove it from the pan. Create a bed of chopped vegetables (called a mirepoix) on the bottom of the pot. In culinary school, professionals are taught to pair the meat with the flavors of the vegetables. For beef or lamb, you might select carrots, onions and celery for your veggie mix. Allow the vegetables to sweat (cook just until they begin to produce liquid) then add your meat and liquid.

Add the meat back to the pan, add your spices and pour in your liquid. This is where your creativity will come in. In the south, you might find braised dishes such as traditional pot roast with carrots and potatoes. Seasonings could include garlic, salt and pepper. Liquids might be a combination of beef stock and Worcestershire sauce.

In the Los Angeles or Hollywood area, you may be more likely to find lamb shanks braised with rosemary, tomatoes, garlic, onion, chicken stock and red wine. Culinary arts school instructors usually tell would-be chefs to pick up on local flavors whenever possible to bring authenticity to their creations.

Once your favorite seasonings and liquids are in place, reduce the heat to a low setting for stovetop cooking or transfer your pot to the oven and bake at approximately 300 degrees. (Be sure you have an ovenproof pot.) Cook for about 3 hours on the stovetop or 2.5 hours in a 350-degree oven. Plate up your meal and serve with some of the delicious sauce left in the pot! It's a meal everybody will love.
Read More... Pro Cooking Tips: Braising Meats for Tenderness and Flavor