Is attending culinary school on your list of New Year’s resolutions for 2019? Before you begin cooking or baking in the kitchens of ICC, there are many things that you can do to get prepared to go back to school! While experience is not necessary to begin in any of our programs — even our professional ones — it doesn’t hurts to gain tips from an experienced chef, practice a fundamental technique or read a new cookbook! While the holidays can be great to rest and recharge before the New Year, they are also the perfect time to plan your resolutions and prepare for your future. So, while you’re in between holidays, delve into a new recipe, get inspired watching Chef’s Table or even mark your calendar to join us for a chef demonstration in 2019 at ICC.
Below, find a few tips to jump-start your resolution to begin a new culinary or pastry career in the New Year!
WATCH THE PROS WORK
Whether its binge watching seasons of culinary shows on Netflix — check out our list of favorites featuring ICC deans and alumni — or attending a live chef demonstration, watching the pros work will open your eyes to the culinary world and help to expand your knowledge of the food industry.
Chef demonstrations and tasting events are essential to the student experience at ICC, providing additional opportunities to learn outside of the classroom from some of the best chefs in the world! Plus, as a student, you’ll have the opportunity to volunteer at chef demonstrations — learning alongside world-renowned chefs like Joan Roca of El Celler de Can Roca and famed cake artist Ron Ben-Israel. If you’re considering enrolling in culinary school, we encourage you to attend one of our demonstrations to see what it’s like.
LEARN A NEW TECHNIQUE
Solid technique is the foundation for a successful career in any aspect of the culinary industry. Although experience is not required to enroll, before attending culinary school, it can be helpful to try your hand at some of the basic skills you’ll use in school! Whether you practice how to chiffonade basil or pipe a rosette, you’ll become familiar with kitchen tools and techniques before beginning.
At ICC, we offer skills workshops, available to all current career program students, to practice proper techniques outside of the classroom. Just like study hall, these workshops offer additional time in the kitchen with your chef instructors to brush up on key techniques before an exam or practice a skill that you need more time to master. Some of the many skills workshop topics include: knife skills, butchery, piping skills, chocolate tempering and more!
BREAK OUT A COOKBOOK
Cookbooks, or other food & beverage titles, can be a great way to gain insight into the industry, while also inspiring you to expand your culinary horizons. Steal some alone time between the holidays and check out our culinary reading list to prepare you for a culinary career and give you the motivation to go back-to-school! You’ll find all of these titles, and 5,000+ more in the ICC Library, free for students and alumni to keep connected with the latest trends and industry conversations.
This blog post was originally published by the International Culinary Center (ICC), founded as The French Culinary Institute (FCI). In 2020, ICE and ICC came together on one strong and dynamic national platform at ICE's campuses in New York City and Los Angeles. Explore your culinary education where the legacy lives on.
