Education

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EDUCATION: Is Culinary School Worth It?

January 14, 2010 in Education | Comment

COOKSCHOOL

Interest in cooking as a profession has shot through the roof, and culinary schools have seen big surges in enrollment as a result. But in uncertain economic times, and for a field where few go on to earn huge salaries, the $100,000 price tag for tuition is a massive commitment. A culinary degree may seem like a necessity for aspiring cooks, but can you really afford to be saddled with that much debt while slaving your way up the ranks of low-paying restaurant work? Many can’t or won’t take on that burden. But skipping school isn’t a dream-killer. For every famous school-trained chef, there’s a Mario Batali or a Ferran Adria who did just fine without a degree. If you’ve ever considered enrolling in a pricey program, I recommend you first take a look at this report by Atlantic Food Channel writer Paul Wachter.

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ROUXBE.COM: Online Cooking School

November 4, 2009 in Education, How To | 1 comment

ROUXBE

I came across rouxbe.com recently, an new online culinary school that’s definitely worth a look. The site houses a library of videos on cooking techniques and recipes that mirrors the kind of curriculum you’d find at a real world cooking school. Some videos are free to view, but access to the full catalog requires a payed membership – of which there are several options: $15/month, $99/year, or $199/lifetime. The voice-over narration is almost comically flat, but the quality of the videos are top-notch: they’re clear and concise and focus very tightly on the food prep (rather than a yapping instructor). The close-up shots of the actual cooking are well-composed and extremely easy to follow, and I learned a few new things just from watching one of the free sample videos (on legumes). Considering the astronomical price of cooking schools, seems like you could learn a lot here for $15 a month! The paid membership also gives you access to personal chef support – not sure how attentive that service is, but the fact that they even offer it is a big incentive to try the paid membership. I have a feeling I’ll be using this site quite a bit. Curious to hear what people think – especially anyone who’s used the premium service. Drop us some comments if you’re a rouxbe.com user…

CLASSES: Brooklyn Kitchen Fall Schedule

October 15, 2009 in Education | Comment

BKITCHEN

Brooklyn Kitchen have massively expanded their operation with the huge new Brooklyn Kitchen Labs space. Scheduled to open in November, it will feature two giant kitchen classrooms to house their new cooking school program. They’ve just published their new fall class schedule today, and it’s first come, first served, so get on it quick if you’re interested. They’ve got classes on pig butchering, charcuterie, artisanal bread making, knife skills, and a lot more – check here for the full program.

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OPENING: The Meat Hook

September 15, 2009 in Education, Markets | Comment

MYLAN

Brooklyn meat evangelist/celebrity butcher Tom Mylan announces great news for carnivores and herbivores alike (from a post at Brooklyn Based):

“Well, now that we have permits and such I guess I can finally break the silence and spill about our new space. Me and Brent (Young, formerly of Marlow and Daughters) and Harry and Taylor from the Brookyln Kitchen have joined forces to open a food dork megaplex on the north side of Williamsburg on Meeker under the BQE.

Born out of an old bowling supply factory, we are opening a multi-use space we have been referring to as “The Lab.” It will house New York’s first real cooking school for home cooks, featuring a huge 2000-square-ft. teaching kitchen/dining room, a secondary teaching kitchen on the second floor, beer and wine making supplies, a full complement of professional baking goods, a serious selection of cookbooks and how-to manuals, as well as a whole room dedicated to bulk spices and local grains and legumes.

To top it all off the space will be home to The Meat Hook, me and Brent’s full-service butcher shop that will have local, sustainable meat and poultry, amazing sausages and a huge selection of ready to use stocks, sauces and prepared foods. We’ll be doing Wild Turkey wild turkeys, whole fresh and cured hams, glorious beef roasts for Thanksgiving and don’t get me started on the crazy things we have planned for the holidays, New Year’s and the Superbowl! There will also be plenty of butchering, sausage and charcuterie classes as well. Permits, construction and the gods willing we should open ourover-stuffed doors in late October for end of year food mayhem.”

The Meat Hook & Brooklyn Kitchen Labs
100 Frost Street | Brooklyn, NY 11211
Scheduled to open in November



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