"Chef School" on Food Network

[PaulH]

Did anyone else watch "Chef School" tonight on the Food Network? It wasn't as good as I expected, but it looks like its a multi-episode series (they had a preview of next week's show). What really got me interested is that it is at Johnson&Wales Rhode Island and focuses on their culinary program, but moreso the students and how they get through all the cooking stuff, etc.

[culinarian247]

From what I understand there will be a total of six episodes for this "season". I think, with the growing interest of culinary arts, they should do a series on the whole cooking school process. From application to graduation.

[ziggy]

It's an old program...there are six episodes.

Chef Barber was the Technical Chair at a competition I went to this summer in Kansas City....we were there for a week with him and everyone really enjoyed working with him. From what I've seen of the show(3 episodes last time it aired) it was a pretty good portrayal of his personality. It'd be great fun to have the opportunity to learn under him I think....

[chiffonade]

The last time I watched this series, I enjoyed it very much. It appears to be mostly live and not at all "spiked" with much pre-arranged dialogue. Last time they had a kid who was missing a hand and he had all these cool gadgets to attach to his forearm.

[ALynch]

For everyones interest Chef Barber now teaches American Regional Cusine at Johnson and Wales-Miami. He is a great teacher. Everytime I pass him in the hallways we have the same conversation. Chef Barber: "So your from Alabama, well I'm from the south too, southern Rhode Island." He has some phrase like that he says to all his students and he knows everyone by name. And last I heard they were making a second season of "Cooking School Stories" that's going to be set at the California Culinary Accadmy. Additionally Johnson and Wales and PBS are currently producing a tv series about cooking school that should be out next fall.