Posted by Gerard on February 03, 1999 at 14:42:56:
In Reply to: Similar boat to Paris, Texas posted by Beth Kujawski on February 03, 1999 at 13:09:00:
Beth, a few points.
Forget what your friends call you, in reality you can't do anything professionally and have no useable skills to sell yet.
I never went to school but I started at 17, I get the impression you're no spring chicken so some accelerated schooling would be valuable, no need to do 4 yrs of worrying whether your tocque is on straight and ending up thousands of dollars poorer with still very limited professional exposure.
The CIA doesn't turn out cooks or chefs, no school does or is capable of doing that. They try to educate students in the disciplines of culinary whatever, 4 yrs really only scratches the surface, they still need 10 yrs to develop and mature...some don't stay with it.
The best path is the one you enjoy.
I've worked with CIA sous chefs who were useless, on the other hand some are very very talented so its obviously up to the individual.
You might want to look at the French Culinary institute in NYC.
Food critics?, bah.
Cheers, Gerard in Boston
where the critics and food writers sell their souls for self promotion.