Is culinary school really necessary? I always thought if you knew how to cook, you knew how to cook. It turns out I was wrong. If you want to go into culinary arts as a career, culinary school is just as necessary for you as law school is for a lawyer. I found that even if you are a great cook, there are simply skills and qualifications you will get from culinary school that you need when it comes time to enter the professional culinary arts world.

You, like many people, may believe that cooking is a talent that you are just born with. That is partially true, but many in the culinary arts industry recognize that it is indeed a talent, but it is also a skill. Though you may have an understanding of how to make food, in culinary school you will learn more about ingredients, foods, and how to combine them. By being well informed and educated, you will be able to take better advantage of your given talents.

You may also not realize that culinary school can prepare you for more than just becoming a “cook.” Most people think of chefs, caterers, and restaurateurs as the only people who attend culinary school, but that simple isn’t true. There are countless jobs available to graduates of culinary school. You can choose to be in restaurant management, work in retail food markets, or even become a food writer to name a few of the options. Culinary school is an education to prepare students for any career in food, not just becoming a cook.

The point is that if you really are serious about a career, any career, in culinary arts, then culinary school is necessary. Yes, like any education, it is expensive, but in the end wont it be worth it to be able to get a good job doing what you want at the restaurant or company with you want to do it? If you were to become a lawyer, you would have to go to law school and if you want to become a doctor, you need to go to medical school. So to have a successful culinary arts career, you have to go to culinary school.

When you go to select the culinary school you want to attend, you should look for one that is accredited and will get you the certificate or degree you need for the career you are after. A good culinary school will train you in the use of quality ingredients, proper presentation, and even balance for meals. The program will help you to understand everything about the food from the purchase of the ingredients to the presentation of the finished meal. With the overall culinary education you will get, you can then make full use of the talents you have.

If you love to cook and see yourself as a chef, restaurant manager, or even a food critic, you should consider culinary school. The knowledge and basic skills you will acquire there will allow you to pursue a long and successful career in the career you want.

If you would like the latest cooking secrets, or find more of my personal articles like the one you just read, visit my culinary site.

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Ingredients:

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups plain soy milk
3/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups cubed whole wheat bread, crusts removed
3 cups broccoli florets
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 ounces diced Canadian bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 ounces grated mozzarella cheese

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Lightly coat a 9″ pie dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle panko inside and tilt to coat bottom and sides. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Add bread cubes and stir to coat. Cover and set in the refrigerator until called for. Steam broccoli until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Rinse under cold water to retain color and drain well. Chop coarsely. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add diced bacon, onion and garlic and saute until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion mixture and broccoli to the egg mixture. Stir in cheese. Pour into the pie dish and evenly spread the mixture. Bake until light golden and set about 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes and then cut into wedges.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced fingerling or red potatoes (about 6 ounces)
1 large red bell pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
enough of your favorite pizza dough for a 12″ pizza
cooking spray
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup soft goat cheese
3 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives

Procedure:

Preheat broiler. Cook potato in boiling water 5 minutes, and drain. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 15 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and cut into strips. Combine potato, bell pepper, oil, oregano, salt, and black pepper, tossing well to coat. Preheat oven to 500°. Roll the pizza dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Place the pizza dough on a 12-inch pizza pan or baking sheet coated with cooking spray and sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges of pizza dough with fingers to form a rim. Arrange potato mixture over crust. Drop the goat cheese by teaspoonfuls onto potato mixture. Sprinkle with olives. Bake at 500° for 15 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven. Cut pizza into wedges.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup plain yogurt
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon ground powdered ginger
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3/4 cup thinly sliced celery
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup golden raisins
8 ounces cooked turkey breast, chopped
4 whole wheat pitas, halved

Procedure:

Toast almonds in small skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until they turn a light golden brown. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, sour cream, ginger, and pepper. Stir in almonds, celery,onion, cherries, raisins and turkey breast. Spoon about 1/3 cup turkey mixture into each pita half.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter, melted
12 ounces fresh baby spinach
5 ounces shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
3 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 large eggs
4 egg whites
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Pour melted butter into a 9″ x 13″ baking dish lightly coated with nonstick spray - tilt the dish to coat. Arrange the spinach evenly over the bottom - it will be quite full. Evenly scatter the top with the shredded cheeses. Place flour in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, egg whites, mustard, salt, baking powder, garlic, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne pepper. Pour milk mixture into the flour and whisk to combine. Pour over the cheese and spinach mixture. Bake until set and lightly browned on top - about 40 minutes. Remove and let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting. Makes 6 servings.

The energy level and flurry of activity within The Classic Catering People’s 24-hour commissary is the result of the creative and disciplined culinary team. Countless hours are spent cultivating sources for the freshest ingredients, developing recipes for seasonal produce offerings, extensive tasting and presentation sessions as well as researching equipment and food trends to ensure that The Classic Catering People stays at the forefront of the industry.

The Classic Catering People chefs experiment with new recipes every day, reflective of their individual training and exposure to international flavors. These dishes are then taste-tested by the team and refined into new menu items. What begins with an experimentation of tastes results in a dish designed to please the palette of the client.

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Ingredients:

600 grams pork chops (about 6 slices)
1 tbsp. margarine
1 piece medium onion, sliced
1 pouch (250 grams) Del Monte Italian Style Spaghetti Sauce
1/3 cup canned cream style corn
3/4 cup chicharo (pea pods)

Marinade:
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 tsp. pepper
1/3 tsp. cayenne powder (optional)
2 tsp. soy sauce

Procedure:

Combine ingredients for marinade and rub onto both sides of pork chops. Marinate for 30 minutes. Melt margarine and fry pork chops until nearly done. Set aside. In another pan, sauté onions in 1 tbsp oil. Add Del Monte Spaghetti Sauce, corn and 1/4 cup water. Add pork chops. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add chicharo. Simmer once. Makes 6 servings.

This is a different salad or condiment to serve with a barbecue or grill. Everything can be prepared ahead of time and mixed just before serving the mushroom salad.

Ingredients:

240 grams white, button mushrooms
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
1/4 tsp. brown sugar
salt and ground white pepper
2 cups Romaine lettuce
4 large leaves red lettuce
100 grams green asparagus
1 to 1-1/2 oz. sun-dried cranberries

Procedure:

Wash mushrooms under cold running water and trim stems. Pat mushrooms dry. Wash and tear lettuce leaves into smaller pieces. Mix the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Slice mushrooms into thin slices and place in a bowl; pour dressing over the mushrooms. Cut asparagus into smaller pieces. Add the chives, asparagus and dried cranberries. Mix through. Place the lettuce pieces in a large salad bowl and add the mushroom mixture. Gently mix. Serve as a starter or as a salad. Good with French or Italian bread. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
3 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound chicken breast tenders
2 tablespoons light sour cream
2 tablespoons low fat plain yogurt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
4 8-inch tortillas’
1 cup shredded romaine
1 cup diced celery

Procedure:

Whisk hot pepper sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tenders; cook until no longer pink the middle, about 3-4 minutes per side. Add to the bowl with the hot sauce mixture and toss to coat. In a small bowl; whisk together sour cream, yogurt, ground pepper and the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar. Gently stir in blue cheese. Lay each tortilla on a plate and spread with 1 tablespoon blue cheese sauce. Top each with 1/4 of the chicken, lettuce and celery. Drizzle a little of the remaining hot sauce on top of every tortilla. Roll into a sandwich and enjoy!

Ingredients:

Fish:
juice of about 2 limes
4-4 oz. fresh firm white fish, halved (we used Cod)
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. ancho chili powder
1 tsp. coarse salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne

Sauce:
1/4 cup plain yogurt (can use low fat)
1/4 cup mayo (can use lower calorie/fat)
2 tsp. sugar
1-2 minced chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
juice from 1/2 lime
4 tortillas and shredded lettuce

Procedure:

For the sauce: Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl and let stand at least 10 minutes. Keep chilled until ready to serve. Continue on to make the fish.

Heat oven to 500 degrees F. Marinate fish in lime juice for 10 minutes, turning to coat. Place baking sheet wrapped in foil on oven rack and heat for 5 minutes. Blend flour, cornmeal and next 3 ingredients in a shallow dish. Coat fish on both sides and set aside. Remove sheet from oven and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Place coated fish on the pan and roast for 5 minutes or until done to your liking. When the fish is ready assemble to your liking and enjoy! We warmed the tortillas then spread on the sauce. We placed the lettuce then the fish and rolled up.