Culinary Institute Boot Camp Programs - A Learning Experience for Would-Be Chefs

A culinary institute boot camp teaches the basics of culinary arts to those who wish to traverse a path towards becoming a professional chef. Mind you, people who wish to enroll just for the fun of learning how to cook will not be turned away either. A boot camp, as defined in military terms, is an initial training and indoctrination process for new personnel. It is the same with culinary arts; boot camps are for those who wish to be indoctrinated in the art of cooking.

There are a number of cooking schools and culinary arts institutes that offer boot camp programs. One of them is the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). In CIA's Hyde Park, New York unit, several boot camp programs are being offered. The lessons are conducted from two days to five days, depending on which program a student prefers. There are boot camp programs for baking, dinner party cooking, Italian cooking, healthy food preparations, hors d'oeuvres, gourmet meals, Asian and French cuisines and other specializations related to the art of cooking.

According to the CIA program list, these boot camp programs are not all about cooking, they also include lessons in esthetic preparation of food, techniques in hosting events like dinner parties, party-planning methods and even choosing the right ingredients for the dishes being prepared. In short, all the nitty-gritty of food preparation.

Another culinary institute that offers boot camp sessions is the Fairburn Farm Culinary Retreat and Guesthouse. Fairburn has spring and fall boot camps comprise of five days of cooking lessons. These programs focus on farm to table skills that include harvesting, preserving and cooking farm produce. The school accommodates both professional and beginner cooks. Fee starts at $1,995 which includes accommodations, meals and preserves that can be taken home. Arguably, the best part of these programs is the chance for aspiring culinary artists to see bakers, cheese makers, wine-makers and farm producers at work and understand how each discipline contributes to the creation of meals.

For a more interesting setting, cooking enthusiasts can opt for the University of Alaska Anchorage's Culinary Arts and Hospitality boot camp programs. The university offers both culinary and bakery boot camp sessions. In the bakery program, the basics of bread-making, pastries, cookies and other baked goods preparation are taught. There is also a specialized program for younger students aged 12 to 17 and an advanced course for those who already have knowledge of advanced baking and cake decorating. Under the school's culinary boot camp session, students can learn how to prepare entrees, salads, sandwiches and even acquire knife skills, learn kitchen safety and proper kitchen and food sanitation.

A culinary institute boot camp can be as basic as cooking lessons and can be as comprehensive as learning other things about food preparation, like sanitation and safety in the kitchen. Whichever part of culinary arts a person is interested in, most of these programs are likely to provide it.