Now You're Cooking

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, May, 2000 by Jane Bennett Clark

RELATED ARTICLE: FINDING A SCHOOL THAT SUITS

Identifying the best cooking school is like debating the best bouillabaisse: There's just no arguing over taste. Still, you'll increase your chances of matching your skills to the school if you follow the following recipe.

* Check out the chef. "Anyone can hang a shingle and say this is Aunt Betty's cooking school," says Sarah Labensky of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. Before you sign up, ask about the chef's background, including culinary education, teaching methods and cookbooks he or she has written.

Practical experience in a fine restaurant counts, too, says Deborah Ward of Cuisine Unlimited: "You don't want a guy who's been sitting in a classroom for years." And consider the letters "CCP" following the chef's name, which indicates certification by the International Association of Culinary Professionals: Such certification isn't essential in a good teacher, says Labensky, but "it represents a knowledge of core information" on everything from sanitation to ethnic cuisine.

* Class size and setup. Unless you're already an expert, pick a school that offers hands-on training, says Labensky, and has no more than 12 students for every teacher (six to eight is preferable). Some schools mix hands-on training with demos, which can seat as many as 200 students. With such a large group, she says, make sure the school uses cameras and projection screens, not just an overhead mirror, to enhance the view.

* The extras. Tuition typically covers classes and meals prepared at the school, according to the Shaw Guide to Cooking Schools, and often includes sightseeing and other meals. But ask whether tools and uniforms will be provided. Some schools ask, you to bring your own or charge fees of $25 and up to use theirs.

* The package. For a vacation setting, check out programs that cover accommodations and resort amenities along with the cooking program. For instance, La Varenne, a well-known cooking school founded by Anne Willan, provides five-star accommodations at the Greenbrier in West Virginia, including a week of cooking classes, meals and resort activities, for $2,150.