[cape chef]

With more available options than ever before, choosing a culinary education can be a daunting experience. Today there are literally hundreds of professionally-geared culinary programs to choose from. America boasts such acclaimed schools as the Culinary Institute of America, Johnson and Wales, The New England Culinary Institute, The French Culinary Institute, The Baltimore International Culinary Arts Institute, The California Culinary Academy and Pennsylvania Culinary, just to name a few. In addition, community colleges in every area of the country offer degree programs in culinary arts. Culinary schools are one of the fastest growing educational sectors in America, and the history of this relatively new form of study is as varied as the food industry itself.

Before formal "chef’s schools" existed in the United States there were professionals who dedicated their life’s work to teaching people to cook. The Boston Cooking School, for example, was one of the first significant cooking schools in the US. In addition to teaching students to cook, they also taught how to instruct others to cook. In 1877, thirty year-old Fannie Merritt Farmer attended the Boston Cooking School. After graduation she began teaching and eventually became the school’s principal; she published The Boston Cooking School Cookbook in 1896. In an age when foods were measured by the pinch and handful, her teachings were very influential. Through her book and the school, she taught the importance of recipe accuracy and measurements. Her book is still a valid resource and remains in print today.

In 1946, when television was in its infancy, James Beard began to teach through this brand-new medium. Later he opened a cooking school in his Greenwich Village brownstone, and for more than 30 years taught professionals and non-professionals alike the significance of American cuisine. Often referred to as the grandfather of American cuisine, his former residence is now the headquarters of The James Beard Foundation. When Julia Child hit the air waves in the 1960’s she showed the entire nation how to cook French cuisine and brought much publicity to the craft of being a chef.

The 1940’s was an important period for culinary education in America—as the post-war economy boomed, so too did cooking schools.

The same year James Beard aired his television show, The Culinary Institute Of America (CIA) was founded. The CIA was the first career-oriented cooking school in our country. It was originally located on Yale’s campus in Connecticut and called The New Haven Restaurant Institute. In 1972 the school was relocated to its present location of Hyde Park, New York.

Prior to the opening of the CIA if one wanted to become a chef they generally apprenticed under a seasoned master and learned on-the-job. Apprenticing has always been the obvious choice for a European chef but it wasn’t always that simple if you were on this side of the Atlantic—an organized apprenticeship program is a relatively new concept in America. An apprenticeship today offers an excellent alternative to an aspiring culinarian. The American Culinary Federation Educational Institute (ACFEI) began the apprenticeship program in 1976 with the help of a grant from the US government. Currently the ACFEI apprenticeship program is the 7th largest apprenticeship system in the country. During the three year apprenticeship program, one can learn on-the-job while still earning an income. When the apprentice successfully completes the program they are a certified cook.

In response to the growing educational needs of the culinary field, the ACFEI Accrediting Commission was formed in 1986. Five programs were accredited the first year, and in 1990 the ACFEI was recognized by the US Department of Education as a legitimate programmatic accreditation. Currently there are more than 90 schools nation wide with ACFEI accredited programs. A school accredited by the ACFEI carries the same universal clout as an individual certified by the ACF.

There are also a variety of resources available to assist in the decision-making process of choosing a culinary education. The internet, for example, is a very good resource. A search of almost any professional food-related site will yield a comprehensive list of culinary schools. Two of the more popular print resources are The Guide To Cooking Schools, by Shaw Guides, and Becoming A Chef, By Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. In The Guide To Cooking Schools there are 881 culinary programs listed world wide, 358 of the programs are geared towards the professional. The courses are listed with such detailed information as the type of instruction, faculty credentials, tuition rankings, student profiles, and whether or not the program is accredited through the ACFEI. Becoming A Chef is a virtual encyclopedia of information. It has an inspiring forward by Madeleine Kamman, who incidentally owned and operated a cooking school—Modern Gourmet—during the 1970’s, and is currently the director of The School For American Chefs at Berringer Vineyards. Becoming A Chef lists cooking schools, apprenticeship programs, food-related organizations, recommended reading and even the trials and tribulations of operating your own restaurant. There are also interviews with chefs who reflect back on their early influences and give personal advice to the reader.

Significant Events In American Culinary Education

1896 The Boston Cooking School Cookbook is published by Fannie Farmer, who stressed the importance of accuracy in recipe measurements.

1929 The American Culinary Federation is founded.

1946 James Beard airs his first television cooking show, and later writes several cookbooks on American Cuisine. For more than three decades he owns and operates The James Beard Cooking School.

1946 The New Haven Restaurant Institute founded on Yale’s Campus. It is later renamed The Culinary Institute of America and is relocated to Hyde Park, New York.

1963 Julia Child airs The French Chef and demonstrates French cuisine to the American public and in the process brings publicity to the craft of being a chef.

1971 Madeleine Kamman’s Modern Gourmet Cooking School opensand inspires a generation of chefs

1973 Johnson And Wales opens.

1976 ACFEI Apprenticeship Program is instituted creating the first organized apprenticeship program in the US.

1977 The California Culinary Academy opens.

1980 New England Culinary Institute opens.

1984 The French Culinary Institute opens.

1986 ACFEI Accrediting Commission formed, five schools are accredited the first year.

1986 Pennsylvania Culinary opens.

1988 Shaw Guides publishes The Guide To Cooking Schools, the first comprehensive list of cooking programs worldwide.

1995 The Culinary Institute of America opens its West Coast campus in Saint Helena, California, offering a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts.

1995 Becoming A Chef is published, offering the first compendium of answers to some of the most common questions an aspiring chef can ask.

[chrose]

Now that's a post!

[foodnfoto]

Brilliant historical post, Cape Chef! A fine example of how America is not the culinary wasteland many who don't know us better would have you believe. Thank you.