FSR September 2022

YourTake

value walking into a kitchen, and being humble and patient and learning from the people around you. If you have that culinary degree and walk in for an interview with me, I will absolutely give you quite a bit of time in my interview because I know you bring assets to the table. But, I’ve seen somany people with culinary degrees who still don’t have basic food-safety knowledge or have never exhibited autonomy in the creative process. If I say, ‘Hey, we’ve got this zucchini; make me something with it,’ many peo ple just stop right there and they can’t take it any further. They need someone to tell them what to do, or if it’s some thing that they did in culinary school, they go straight to what they’ve learned. I think people who are self-taught— in my experience—have already been forced to figure things out. So if you’re having trouble creating a dish or plat ing a dish, you have to find resources to make it happen. They are bringing a dif ferent level of creativity that doesn’t have the same shackles on them because they were told this is how to do it. I also find people who don’t have culinary school backgrounds will question authority and standards and rules and kitchen expec tations. Tome, that’s a good thing. I want novelty and innovation. I want to run a kitchen that excites and challenges peo ple. To do that, you have to give them some creative control with that nurtur ing hand. I really value culinary school train ing, but so many people think it’s this golden ticket. Regardless of your expe rience, you should go in and say, ‘I’m here to learn from the people around me. Whether I think I know anything or not is irrelevant.’ Go to learn, and when there’s nothing left to learn, move on and that’s whether you’re in culinary school or a kitchen. CHEF KATHLEEN VOSSENBERG Vice President of Academic Affairs AugusteEscoffierSchool of CulinaryArts

Chefs that are culinary school grads may be more likely to hire current culi nary students or recent graduates and help further their education during the externship. While it is possible to work as a cook without a formal culinary education, future success greatly depends on the mentorship a cook receives. Cooks with out a culinary degree are often quite good at producing the menu of the estab lishment where they work. Their chal lenge sometimes lies in understanding the “why” behind the cooking process, and they may have difficulty transfer ring those skills to a new recipe, food, or business establishment. Without a mentor to show them the way, change can be hard. By contrast, culinary students focus on becoming adept at techniques and understanding cooking as a process. A cook might be able to execute the grilled chicken dish at their restaurant. But with a proper understanding of tech nique, the culinary graduate can success fully grill chicken, steak, vegetables, fish, etc. Plus, they will have learned which cuts should be considered for grilling, which sauces are meant to accompany grilled foods, and alternative cooking techniques if grilling is not suitable for a specific foodstuff. This level of under standing may make grads higher per formers in the workplace, leading to higher wages, more responsibility and faster promotions. Culinary school encourages multiple mentorships, instead of a one-on-one relationship on the job. Students inter act with several facultymembers, each of whomhas walked a different career path. The faculty-student relationships along with career services teams can help students explore various types of jobs available, from a restaurant line cook to institutional dining to resorts and other hospitality venues. This is the foundation of a solid network of like minded professionals, which will ben efit the student for years to come. I encourage prospective students to reach out to understandmore about how “worth it” culinary school is.

make. It prepares students for jobs after graduation and sets them on long-term career paths. Most culinary schools include a base line curriculum covering cooking fun damentals. What differentiates one school from another can help potential students select the best program for them. For example, schools like Auguste Escoffier focus not solely on cooking techniques and food science, but also offer business-related courses and more. Culinary school often goes beyond knife skills and the basics; instead, it empha sizes the scaffolding of skills, allowing students to advance to complex tech niques in later coursework. Some culinary programs include industry externships with employer partners. Internships, externships, and apprenticeships can give students an opportunity to put their skills into prac tice in a real-life work setting under the guidance of an industry chef who val ues the student’s education experience. “Culinary school often goes beyond knife skills and the basics; instead, it emphasizes the scaffolding of skills, allowing students to advance to complex techniques in later coursework.”

Attending culinary school can be one of the best investments future chefs can

AUGUSTE ESCOFFIER SCHOOL OF CULINARY ARTS

SEPTEMBER 2022

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