
Culinary Schools in the U.S.
Many home cooks I know share the guilty pleasure of watching competitions on reality TV cooking shows such as Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen. But the average home cook knows that their love of cooking will never lead to an audition for a cooking show.
Most cooks with whom I’m acquainted learn the same way that Julia Child learned; kitchen skills are developed by trial and error in trying new recipes. However, Julia Child went far beyond the path that most home cooks take. Her book My Life in France, co-written with Alex Prud’homme, chronicles her years as a newlywed struggling to absorb French culture while learning to cook. She went on to attend one of the world’s most demanding culinary schools, Le Cordon Bleu, and attained the highest level it offered, the Grand Diplôme. From there, Julia went on to teach cooking classes, host the first cooking show on TV, The French Chef, and publish Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
While few home cooks will ever attain Julia’s level of fame, their ability to learn isn’t limited. Culinary schools are within reach in nearly every state in the U.S. Let’s take a quick trip around the country to learn about the variety of schools to consider.
Colorado
August Escoffier School of Culinary Arts has campuses in Boulder, Colorado, Austin, Texas, and online. Like Le Cordon Bleu, it offers classes for aspiring chefs as well as home cooks. Classes on weekday nights and weekends are geared to your level of experience. For information on classes in Boulder, call 877-249-0305.
New Mexico
The Santa Fe School of Cooking & Market offers classes from three hours to three days focusing on Southwest and New Mexican cuisine, as well as “Restaurant Walks” to popular Santa Fe restaurants. In the Market, you’ll find all the ingredients and flavors to recreate the authentic flavors of the Southwest at home. Online cooking classes cover making tamales, tacos, enchiladas, smoked chicken with mole sauce and more. Call 800-982-4688 for information.
Texas
A Little Bit of Texas Cooking School in San Antonio has day-long classes with chefs across the state. Call 800-713-9444 to learn about foods of Texas, Mexico and the Southwest in an outdoor setting, with lunch and guided tours of herb gardens. In Dallas and Fort Worth, Central Market is known for its selection of produce, cheeses and wines, and they also offer cooking classes in which you can learn to make anything from empanadas and pierogis to chocolate truffles and French macarons! Each class is taught by Central Market’s cooking school instructors.
Oregon
Hipcooks in Portland offers more than 50 cutting-edge courses for adults (no minors, please) interested in healthy, fresh organic food. Every class ends with a dinner party. Hipcooks also has locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Seattle. Call them at 323-746-8569.
Washington
With single classes for beginners and entire series for more experienced students, Bon Vivant School of Cooking in Seattle has the motto “Learn skills, not just recipes.” Classes are taught in private homes (and hosts who volunteer their home kitchen attend for free.) Call 206-525-7537 for more information.
Louisiana
Call ahead to Prejean’s Cooking School in Lafayette at 337-896-3247. Classes last a couple of hours and seat up to 50 people ready to learn the secrets of Cajun cooking such as crawfish etouffée, seafood gumbo and Acadian style bread pudding. New Orleans School of Cooking in the French Quarter hosts open demonstration classes and open hands-on classes with menus such as chicken and andouille gumbo, gulf fish with brown butter amandine, gulf crab served with pecan rice and bananas foster. Book online, and don’t wait until you’re in New Orleans. These classes fill up! (504) 525-2665.
Arkansas
Eureka Springs is home to Cuisine Karen, where cooking classes focus on good food with fresh ingredients. This school also offers travel packages to France and the Mediterranean. Call them at 479-253-7461 while you decide whether to stay close to home or venture abroad.
Nevada
Las Vegas is much more than the bustling strip and lavish buffets. Through Cozymeal, experience the best of local and international cuisines with cooking classes in Las Vegas. With the guidance of expert chefs, beginner cooks and advanced home cooks will have the chance to try something new in the kitchen. Call 702-712-4695 for information and book online.
Our quick trip around the country has touched on just a few of the cooking schools that can be found nationwide. If you have travel plans, do a little research to see what courses are offered at your destination. Call ahead to see if your favorite restaurant or chef offers cooking classes, or if a local kitchen store or university schedules lectures with guest chefs. You don’t need a Grand Diplôme to cook with class!
Sources: delish.com and epitourean.com.