Conference turris::cooks

    I don't know the name of it, but a friend of mine took a series
    of classes in Cambridge before opening a catering service. 
    
    Have your wife check the yellow pages for Cambridge. Also, Rosalie
    of Rosalie's in Marblehead was offering classes at one time. I know
    she had a long waiting list but don't know if she's still doing
    them.
    
    Maryan
    

  My wife also attended a school in Cambridge (possibly the same one),
  which was at the time called Creative Cuisine. It still exists, and is
  run by a woman named Roberta Dowling, but I think she now calls it The
  Cambridge School of Culinary Arts, or something like that. It was
  moderately expensive (a couple thousand dollars for 9 months), but was
  intensive - 2 eight-hour classes per week. My wife would come home
  pretty tired, and I'm not sure she feels it's worth the latest price
  (which is higher), but *I* think it was worth every penny - I'm eating
  the results every day. The program covered food basics (basic
  techniques and what food does when you work with it - helps you know
  why your bread is as dense as a neutron star, and how to fix it),
  provincial and classical French and Italian from the major regions of
  those countries (thiese sections done quite well), a smattering of
  other countries (Spain, Germany, etc), desserts (a special instructor
  for this section was very talented), food sanitation, and a couple of
  other categories of interest to professionals (buying meat and fish,
  etc). Roberta's teaching style might not suit everyone - she's
  eccentric, but what cook isn't? - but the amount of material covered,
  and the depth, in such a short course was really good, in my opinion.
  She probably attracts a number of us "Yuppie" types, but I had the
  impression that many of the people were interested in a career in the
  food business, and several of them, in fact, have continued as
  professionals, including one who is now a caterer (the same as your
  friend?).

  If you either don't have the time, or can't relocate, to attend
  someplace like the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, NY, or Johnson &
  Wales, in RI, Roberta's school is probably a reasonable choice.

    In Merrimack, NH, the woman at the MY THAI restaurant offers[ed]
    wonderful Thai cooking classes, as well as Indonesian and Szechuan.
    Before coming to the U.S. she taught at a very fine cooking school
    in Bangkok.
    
    The restaurant itself is a ticky-tacky little place as when she
    opened she only want to have classes and do carry-out and catering.
    
    	AnnieJ 

    This is late, but...
    
    My wife is leaving DEC this week to persue a full-time education in the
    culinary arts.  She narrowed down the choices to:
    
    	Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, NY.
    	Johnson & Wales University, in Providence, RI.
    	New England Culinary Institute, in Montpelier, VT.
    
    
    These do not cater to the part-time/adult education crowd.  They are
    real 2-year full-time schools specializing in culinary arts, graduating
    you with with an Associate's degree in Occupational Studies. The
    training is general, i.e. you don't learn a particular cuisine
    (although J&W has specialized tracks for Pastry Chefs and Food Service
    Management).  A common feature is that the school year is divided into
    about 6 months of classes and 6 months of "Practicum" --- working in a
    real restaurant as a line chef.   (Actually, the 6 months of classes is
    mostly working the school's restaurants too.)
    
    A graduate typically starts somewhere as a sous chef (the kitchen
    hierarchy is line chef, sous chef, then executive chef).
    
    Approx. cost is $14K/year.  As with any accredited college/university,
    numerous forms of financial aid are available.
    
    Her choice was NECI.  If anyone is interested in learning more, send me
    mail.
    
    
    John DeRosa

    re: .11:
    
    Well, I hesitate to do this, because what was important to my wife may
    not be very important to anyone else.  
    
    Having said that, here's a brief list of some of the pros and cons of
    each school, as my wife saw them and as best as I can recall them.
    
    The differences in curriculum tended to get overshadowed by other
    concerns.  J&W has 3 different culinary majors (chef, food managment,
    and pastry arts).  CIA has 16 entry dates a year.
    
    RE: NECI not being well known: It's only 10 years old and has much more
    vitality than the other two schools.  Reputations are a funny thing:
    you have to look at where it's going as much as where it is now. E.g.,
    NECI's reputation is growing while CIA's is in decline at the moment.
    
    The background: my wife has always enjoyed cooking.  She's been a
    secretary for about 10 years and has been at DEC for the last 8 years. 
    This is a career change.
    
    
    -----------------------

    
    3rd place: CIA.

    Con: Heard from more than one person that CIA is not very "enlightened"
    about women, and saw first-hand evidence of that during the tour.
    Campus & location are mildly depressing. Went out of their way to
    defensively criticize J&W and NECI in a heavy-handed way.  They are
    only now just discovering "nutrition" in their curriculum. High
    Teacher/student ratio. Rely heavily on videotapes and lectures for
    teaching. No emphasis on health.

    Pro: You can enter at any of 16 times during the year.



    2nd place: J&W.

    Con: Location is not great. Near-fascist attitude toward students
    (e.g., the school can enter your room at any time without warning. Our
    tour guide actually did this during the tour while 4 students were
    sleeping). Dorm housing is cramped. Seems like a school that will take
    anyone who can pay. High teacher/student ratio.

    Pro: Great kitchens. Different culinary majors possible. Facilities
    were very good.  Very well run school, admistratively-speaking.  


    1st place: NECI.

    Con: School is only 10 years old. No teaching kitchens; all teaching is
    done in real restaurants. Administratively, not very well organized.

    Pro: Small school. 7:1 teacher/student ratio. Great location. School
    was very pleasant to deal with; atmosphere was best of the 3.  Have 2
    campuses: Montpelier and Essex Junction. (EJ is an Inn, with a catering
    business.) Head chef is a blast, and our guess was that his positive
    attitude would filter down to the staff. So far, it seems like that's
    true.  More emphasis on health than the other 2 schools: there's a
    physical ed/lifestyle "wellness" graduation requirement.

  Thanks, that's great information. NECI sounds like it may be a real
  contender in the near future. One factor which will be important is
  the quality of instruction and the depth and breadth of education
  which the students will receive, as this will be the main point of
  interest to potential employers who aren't, unfortunately, too
  interested in the quality of life during the program.

  I had heard that about CIA's bias against women, and agree it should
  be a big consideration in choosing which school to attend. Even the
  European schools, which are notorious for being very old-fashioned and
  conservative, aren't overly biased in this respect, although you can
  certainly see the attitude in many students.

    Has anyone looked into the Newbury College which is currently running
    television ads on Boston's Channel 5?  Located in Brookline only 10
    minutes from downtown, the TV ad is offering a toll free 800 number
    for those wanting a brochure.  The ad briefly flashes "2 Year" across
    the screen and announces that financial aid is available.
    
    I called.  The person taking the call asked me if I was interested 
    in the 5-day weekly program or the weekend program.  I opted for the
    weekend.
    
    I have not received their brochure yet, (it's only been a week).
    
    Has anyone else had any prior knowledge of or experience with this
    institution?
    
    Jim
                                         

The moderators have said not to start new topics so I'll try re-activating
this topic, with a twist...

    How would any of you suggest advertising a cooking workshop to be held
    in a New Hampshire Bed and Breakfast this June?  I've hunted on the
    internet to no avail, and I doubt that the B&B can afford an ad in Bon
    Appetite, so how would you suggest getting the word out? They do have a
    regular ad in Yankee which we are hoping to change for this event.

    Details:

    - Three workshops: Sat AM - fancy breakfasts, Sat PM - fancy dinners,
      Sun AM - students to show what they have learned on the breakfast front
    - A welcome and expectation setting buffet on Friday night
    - Instructor is the inn keeper, who does a wonderful job of cooking. Not
      sure how good a presentor he is, but I'll coach him before the event
    - Weekend set up so non-cooking spouse/SO can play golf, fish, hike, bike,
      antique, hang-out in front of the fireplace or whatever

    Disclaimer: I have no monetary interest in this event. I have offered to
                help the inn keepers because they are my friends and I'd
                like to see them expand their clientele beyond the hikers
                and bikers who are regulars.
    

    Other than flyers at fancy cookware shops and specialty food stores, I
    have no brilliant ideas about how to advertise,

    but....

    Once they decide on a method, please let us know!

    
    	Flyers in the local tourist info centers might help too, maybe not
    	on the traveler's current trip but on the next one. Along the same
    	lines, an ad in the regional 'tourism-based' newspapers they give
    	out there might help too. 
    

    Yep, getting the word to the local chamber of commerce might help.
    Also, send flyers to restaurants who specialize in good food and or
    wine.
    Send flyers to past guests of the inn.  I rec'd a flyer last fall about
    a cooking weekend at an inn where I spent my honeymoon. 
    
    Put the info here too! 8)
    
    Kath

    Thanks for all the suggestions on how to get the word out about the
    cooking workshop (904.15), we'll use them.
    
    The last reply and several off-line e-mails have asked that I put the
    information about the workshop in this note. I would be happy to do so,
    and I even started to do that in my original note. I did not include it
    for fear that such an inclusion might be considered advertising.
    
    If anyone here would like to receive the flyer for the event, please
    send me your mail address (US Mail) and I will add you to the
    distribution list.  (SDTPMM::SMICK or Van Smick @ZKO) 
    
    cheers!
    Van
    

    re:  .19

    
    I was the first one to call the Inn and get on the list for
    this event.  It was held this past weekend and I had a won-
    derful time sunning myself in the front room in my lounging
    outfit while hubby did the lesson bit.  I played the taster
    role with the rest of the lessoners at all the meals!!! Can
    you say it was a FANTASTIC weekend???  I know you could!!!
    I understand that there are going to be more run and one can
    sign up  with the Inn.  One does not have to be a cook or
    even act like one to enjoy this event.  The company of persons
    attending was varied.  We had a family group from many parts
    of Canada involved, which was a neat experience.  

    I got to meet Van in person...it would be great to meet some
    more of the COOKS group also.  Jim, of Tuscan bread fame, came
    with his spouse and both of them marathoned all the workshops!

    Comfortable beds, excellent food, great guests, and ease of 
    not doing dishes make this event worth more than what was 
    charged.

    justme....jacqui

    p.s.  Nobody paid me to say the above!!!  

    re: .20
    
    The B&B will offering two weekend classes this fall -- the class jacqui
    attended and a new class. If anyone is interested, feel free to send me
    mail to SDTPMM::SMICK
    
        Van