GET YOUR TOES WET: A SHORT CULINARY PROGRAM

Wanting to cook better doesn't necessarily mean you want to become a chef at the Cordon Bleu. While it's true that doctors, lawyers, business professionals and even sports figures have all given up their original careers for a career in cooking, it's also true that most people who take a short culinary program won't suddenly be off to Paris to open their own restaurant. There are plenty of good reasons to take a short culinary program, besides the simple satisfaction of learning to cook better.





Learning In Your Neighborhood
This is a great option for people who live close to a city or town with a deluxe kitchen supply shop. Many shops, to promote fine cooking in general, install a gourmet kitchen on site and give cooking lessons.

It is no mere product demonstration, though. The best places bring in local chefs and fresh ingredients to create a special meal. A culinary program at a shop like this may be as short as one afternoon, or as long as a series of dates over weeks or months. They are best for people who have other jobs and responsibilities but would like to spend some serious time to improve their cooking.

A short culinary program at a shop is also the least expensive way to get training from a professional chef. Attending one lesson costs about $50 and up per hour. But savvy home chefs know that this is usually negotiable. Offer to volunteer as the dish washer or vegetable chopper for one session, and not only will you get that lesson free, but also most places will give you credit towards another culinary lesson. Check the phone book or the internet for cooking supply stores, and stop by to check out their facilities and get on their culinary program mailing list.





Diving In
So you're already a great entertainer and home chef, but maybe it is time to learn new techniques, study all those French words used in haute cuisine, and see how professionals plan things from start to finish. Go to school where the chefs do - at a professional culinary arts training school. Many schools offer two to five week intensive courses for amateurs on their campuses.

A culinary program like this requires some foreknowledge of kitchen technique. Teachers from the school will guide you through setting up your menu, planning your cooking time, and making all the dishes five-star. It is a good way for you to get experience and for students of the academy to practice teaching what they know to newbies.