Empowering the Culinary Arts

SEPTEMBER 2018 | EDUCATIONANDCAREERNEWS.COM

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Empowering the Culinary Arts

Learn how culinary school helped Emeril Lagasse become one of the most wellknown chefs in the world.

DISCOVER the important role food scientists play in our everyday lives.

READ about the four potential paths to take when beginning a culinary career.

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Exploring Culinary Careers for Students in Underserved Communities

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Experts Talk the Benefits of Attending Culinary School

Students from underserved communities need the chance to see the wealth of opportunities and jobs that await them in the food industry.

Introducting students to the workplace Nonprofit culinary programs play an essential role in connecting the classroom to the workplace and act as a bridge from educators to employers. They work actively with the professionals in the industry and provide students with a solid introduction to fundamental culinary skills. Employers then invite students to participate in programs where they apply their culinary studies directly to the workplace.

A strong foundation Through its holistic approach to culinary training and career exploration, Careers Through Culinary Arts Program prepares students by providing them with many professional perspectives as well as a solid support system.

Many young people from underserved communities struggle to identify their post-high school graduation path; the culinary arts provide them a track where they find something they can do well.

Karen Brosius, President, Careers Through Culinary Arts Program

Brian Peffley CEPC, CCE, AAC, Chief Instructor, Lebanon County Career and Technology Center

Miles Mitchell CEC, M.Ed., Chief Academic Officer, Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts

Lauren Kroeser Co-Owner, Honeycomb, Boston University Culinary Arts Program

Three experts share their experience attending culinary programs, as well as advice for those wondering whether a food industry career is right for them.

a total of 10 years of service there, I went into the retail bakery business for three years and then onto teaching for the past 22 years. There is no way a kid from rural Pennsylvania would have been able to attain all of this without varied educational experiences. It is not one experience but the wide range of varied educational experiences across the country that gave me such a rich and deep education. And I am now blessed to share those experiences in my classroom.

in school gave me an advantage when I stepped into their kitchens for the first time. I was familiar with the culinary influences from various chefs’ regions of the world and was able to keep up in fast-paced environments. With regard to alumni, being a member of an engaged network of fellow graduates has proven invaluable both personally and professionally.

How did a culinary education enhance your career? Do you think you would have achieved this much without one?

Brian D. Peffley: I was very fortunate to attend a well-run secondary program during high school. That program and competing in SkillsUSA launched my h o s p i t a l i t y e d u c a t i o n , a n d I attended an American Culinary Federation (ACF) apprenticeship program at the Hotel Hershey in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Working hard, I advanced to become the executive pastry chef at the Hotel Hershey at the age of 24. After

Miles Mitchell: The exposure to ingredients and cuisines from around the world and the professional network of alumni have been the greatest career enhancements I received from being a culinary school graduate. I’ve worked with chefs from around the globe, and the wide base of knowledge I obtained

Lauren Kroesser: Culinary school

was a huge opportunity for me that opened many doors. I went from being a decent at-home cook to a well-respected chef, teacher and business owner.

During culinary school, I made connections with chefs that led to multiple job opportunities down the road. The great thing about attending Boston University is that many of the teachers are actual Boston chefs who might hire you.

Publisher Chelsea Maizel Business Developer Joelle Hernandez Managing Director Luciana Olson Designers Chris Espino, Tiffany Pryor Copy Editor Lauren Hogan Director of Sales Shannon Ruggiero Director of Business Development Jourdan Snyder Director of Product Faye Godfrey Content Strategist Mina Fanous Production Coordinator Josh Rosman Cover Photo Sara Essex Bradley All photos are credited to Getty Images unless otherwise credited. This section was created by Mediaplanet and did not involve USA Today.

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Star Chef Emeril Lagasse Shares Advice About Honing Culinary Skills Emeril Lagasse reflects on his career and shares why education is an important first step towards culinary stardom.

With his much lauded “new New Orleans” cuisine, hit cooking shows and larger-than-life personality, it’s hard to believe that Emeril Lagasse’s career as a chef almost didn’t happen. As a teen, he nearly accepted a music scholarship at the New England Conservatory of Music to pursue his other burgeoning passion: percussion.

However, when the time came to make the choice, he enrolled

in Johnson and Wales University, where he earned a degree in the culinary arts.

The benefits of education “Culinary school definitely changed the track of my life and my career,” Lagasse reflects. “Who knows where I’d be without it?”

Lagasse describes his education as “one of the best” an aspiring restaurateur can hope for and says, “A culinary education is very important in learning the fundamentals of becoming a successful chef.”

Though he’s clearly grateful for what he learned in school,

Lagasse admits that the path to becoming a restaurateur is paved through practice. “I think most of the skills needed to manage and create a successful restaurant come from hands-on experience in the restaurant,” he shares.

Learning from experience Today, Lagasse owns 11 restaurants across the country. In a few years, his flagship restaurant, Emeril’s New Orleans, will celebrate its 30th anniversary — but it wasn’t always smooth sailing.

“It was a risky move to an industrial, abandoned neighborhood,” Lagasse shares. “People

thought I was nuts. I had trouble getting financing and permits, and purveyors wanted payments upfront in cash. I knew exactly what I wanted the restaurant to look like and the food to taste like, but I did not know much about the financial part or learning about the marketplace of the neighborhood.”

Thankfully, for Lagasse and for the millions who enjoy his food, there’s been help along the way.

Lagasse credits Ella Brennan as his “mentor and inspiration for many years.”

Lagasse urges other aspiring chefs and restaurateurs to seek

out a mentor of their own. “Never stop learning and reading. Find a mentor,” he urges. “Travel and work in as many kitchens as you can and learn something new every day. You will develop your own style the more you can expose yourself to different ways of cooking and managing people.”

Whether you are aspiring to run a kitchen, open a restaurant or find food-world fame, the chef offers one final, friendly reminder: “This business is not for the faint of heart, but with passion and drive, it’s incredibly rewarding.” n Emily Gawlak

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Discover the Role of Food Scientists The vital part food scientists play in our everyday lives often goes unnoticed, despite the fact that they influence each aspect of food production.

What exactly is food science, and what do food scientists do?

Everyday purchases First, think about the various items you would normally throw into your grocery cart: milk,

bread, canned goods, cereal, chips, cookies, soda, juice, cheese, etc.

Anything edible you throw into your grocery cart has been reviewed by food scientists who create, manufacture and market food items for you to take home and enjoy.

Fast food chain restaurants are also influenced by food scientists who ensure that the menu items are delicious, safe and ready to eat when you order.

At a trip to a convenience store, if you buy an energy drink, a donut

or an ice-cream bar from the freezer, know that a team of food scientists have worked to create, produce and sell these products for your convenience — whenever and wherever you want it.

Facets of food science Food science is the applied science devoted to the study of food. The Institute of Food Technologists defines food science as, “the discipline in which the engineering, biological and physical sciences are used to study the nature of

foods, the causes of deterioration, the principles underlying food processing and the improvement of foods for the consuming public.”

Activities of food scientists include the development of new food products, design of processes to produce these foods, choice of packaging materials, shelf-life studies, sensory evaluation of products using survey panels or potential consumers and microbiological and chemical testing.

Food science brings together multiple scientific disciplines. It

incorporates concepts from fields such as microbiology, chemical engineering and biochemistry.

Many well-known universities have world-class food science academic programs. These schools are the “feeder schools” for Fortune 500 food companies that need to hire food scientists on a regular basis to enable their business to grow, succeed and excel on a global level. n Amor Cagampang, Senior Manager, Research and Development, Starbucks

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A Different Route: Culinary Apprenticeships for Aspiring Chefs Chef Travis Brust shares why he believes apprenticeships are just as valuable as a culinary education.

Chef Travis Brust, CEC, began his career in the kitchen at 14-years-old.

“Growing up, I had this vision that I was going to become an orthopedic surgeon,” he says. “After I got my first job in a kitchen, I found out I had this amazing knack for cooking.”

In 1999, Brust became an apprentice at the Balsams Grand Resort in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire.

Over the next three years, he worked in kitchens across the country.

A viable path There are thousands of former apprentices with similar experiences. As the restaurant-worker shortage continues, combining on-the-job training and classroom instruction seems more important now than ever.

A 2017 study by the Office of the Washington State Auditor found that jobs in skilled trades sit vacant as students are steered toward getting bachelor’s degrees. In that same study, it was noted that 37 percent of members of the National Restaurant Association said labor recruitment was their top challenge.

Hands-on experience Of course, a kitchen isn’t a classroom, and things move quickly when the pressure is on. Those who learn better in a classroom setting might be better off in culinary school.

“The ideal apprentice is one who has more passion than ability,” says Brust, who is now the executive chef at the Colonial Williamsburg Resorts. “They want to be chefs. They want to change how people look at food. They want to feed people and make them happy.”

Apprenticing in a real kitchen under an experienced chef with all of these qualities — not to mention a few good recipes to share — is a great way to get there.

Jocelyn Tolbert, Editor-in-chief, The National Culinary Review

TRENDING The American Culinary Federation offers insight on how to jumpstart a career in the culinary arts by highlighting four entry points. Head to EDUCATIONANDCAREERNEWS.COM to learn more about what a culinary career could mean for you.