Starting culinary school is exciting, but it can also feel like a lot at once.
For many students, it’s their first time in a professional kitchen, which is the point, of course.
Your Chef-Instructors don’t expect you to know everything — in fact, they don’t expect you to know anything. (The Institute’s curriculum model was designed to accommodate both absolute beginners and those who already have substantial skill.)
The point is, wherever you are on your learning journey, you’re attending culinary school to build the habits, techniques and mindset that professional cooking requires.
Start With the Fundamentals
Strong habits come first. In culinary school, you’ll spend time developing core techniques — skills that are designed to improve with repetition and carry over to every kitchen, whether you’re training in New York City or Los Angeles. Start here:
- Clean as you go: Organization is non-negotiable in professional kitchens.
- Work in metric: Precision matters. Grams and liters are the standard.
- Read before you cook: Review each step before you begin. Preparation sets the pace.
Learn How Kitchens Communicate
Professional kitchens run on clarity and speed. Understanding the language helps you move with the team:
- Mise en place — ingredients prepped and ready
- Brigade — the structure of the kitchen
- Fire — begin cooking
- Heard — instruction received
- Behind — moving through a tight space
- Stage — (Pronounced st-ah-j) a short-term, hands-on experience in another kitchen (pronounced stah-j)
- “Yes, Chef” — respectful acknowledgment of chef’s command
- Mother sauces — the five foundational sauces that build countless variations of sauces
Treat Food Safety as a Skill
Food safety isn’t a checklist — it’s a habit. Keep in mind:
- Hold perishable foods below 45°F or above 135°F.
- Avoid leaving dairy or proteins at room temperature.
- Maintain refrigeration below 41°F.
Over time, these standards should become instinct — both in training kitchens and in professional environments.
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What You’re Really Learning
Culinary school isn’t just about recipes. It’s about how you move, how you organize your time, your person and your station, and how you work and anticipate needs under pressure. These habits carry into restaurants, bakeries and beyond.
At the Institute, that process is built through hands-on training and repetition, giving students the opportunity to develop technical skill alongside real-world confidence. You don’t need to arrive with everything figured out. You just need to be ready to learn.
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