History of Culinary Arts

Culinary arts is one of the fastest growing educational sectors in America today. The increasing numbers of youth and adults interested in taking these courses is shockingly high. In order to truly understand how far the culinary arts field has progressed, we must take a look back in history to see exactly how this phenomenon evolved and to take a look at the key people who have brought this field of study to the degree of popularity it has obtained today.

1896- Fannie Merritt Farmer graduated from The Boston Cooking School and wrote one of the first influential cookbooks called "The Boston Cooking School Cookbook". This cookbook taught individuals the importance of accurate measuring when cooking.

1946- James Beard began teaching cooking through television. Later, he opened a cooking school and taught professionals and non-professionals how to cook for over 30-years.

1946- The Culinary Institute of America was founded. The CIA became the first cooking school in our country which focused directly on cooking and the techniques related to culinary arts.

1963- Julia Child made her mark on the map when she taught the world how to cook French Cuisine. At this time she also created a lot of publicity and media attention and made the world realize the importance of being a good Chef.

1977-The California Culinary Academy opens.

1980- New England Culinary Institute opens.

1984- The French Culinary Institute opens.

1986- ACFEI Accrediting Commission was organized and five schools were accredited in the first year.

1986- Pennsylvania Culinary opens.

Since 1986 many culinary arts programs have evolved around the world. It is expected that the popularity of culinary arts programs will continue to grow in the years to come and will likely exceed most people's expectations. It is important to experience new types of foods from all over the world and because of cooking and other culinary arts programs we can not only experience, but we can appreciate fine dining in a way we never could before.

If you are interested in learning more about the history of culinary arts or about available cooking programs, feel free to click on our links at the top of the page.

About the author:

Mike Lansing is a retired chef who spent most of his time as a Head Chef in New Orleans after training in France. He spends his free time cooking for family and friends, as well as serving as a contributing editor for CookingSchools101.com which offers information on
Culinary Schools for those wishing to enter the trade.

Must Haves for Any At-Home Chef

With the holidays on their way soon, many people will be beefing up kitchens to handle the increased demand for ‘fit for a king’ meals. Not being a professional Chef shouldn’t stop you from being able to cook like one. But, you’ll need the right tools to create those tantalizing dishes. Read on and find out the five tools that no kitchen cook should be without.

Mixing Bowls

Make sure that you have a good, quality set of mixing bowls on hand – the bigger the better! Many dishes need to be beaten, blended or mixed. You’ll be glad you didn’t skimp on the mixing bowls when you need to perform any of those tasks. Most professional chefs prefer to use stainless steel mixing bowls. However, there are many quality plastic sets available, like the ones made by OXO. But be aware that plastic bowls can become hard to clean over time, especially if used for heavy duty sauces, and may need to be replaced.

Pre-Seasoned Cookware

Cast iron skillets, pots and pans have long been a choice of the pros. But, cast iron cookware can be a little daunting. Seasoning, pre-seasoning, re-seasoning, cooking the seasonings in, oils to use, etc. to ensure your skillet is ready, is a hassle many cooks would rather not deal with. Now you don’t have to. You can buy cast iron cookware galore – already seasoned – so that you have no fuss and still get the same great benefits of those using simple cast iron. Lodge is a well known maker of pre-seasoned cookware and offers many different types of cast iron cookware. Be aware –soap nor dishwashers should be used for your prized possessions.

Specialty Measuring Spoons

If you’ve ever seen one of grandma’s old recipes refer to a pinch, smidgen or dash and have had to take a guess at the meaning (and hope you’re right) then you absolutely must grab a set of pinch, smidgen or dash measuring spoons. No more guessing or testing your interpretations on your guests (as fun as that may be). This set also makes a great conversation starter – especially at family gatherings where elder members may take you on a trip down memory lane.

First out Pie Spatula

What could possibly ruin the perfect homemade Dutch crumb apple pie? Having it fall apart while you try to get that first piece out of the pie dish. Well, here is a secret of the pros – use a first out pie spatula. You bake the spatula in with the pie. When the pie comes out of the oven and cools, you make the cuts and lift that first piece out in perfect appetizing condition!

Kitchen Companion Guide

Ever wonder how long you need to steam asparagus? Not sure how to stick a thermometer in a turkey? Never butterflied a pork chop before? For all the weird, rarely used information you may need, while preparing a feast, you can turn to a kitchen guide. Look for a kitchen guide which specializes in everything and anything you may need to know while cooking any meal in any kitchen. For a complete guide that has gotten rave reviews, check out the Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Companion: The A to Z Guide to Everyday Cooking, Equipment and Ingredients.

Many of the above items may not be featured at your local retail store, so you might want to find a local kitchen specialty store near you or do your shopping online. But, if you enjoy the art of cooking and want to be armed with the best tools possible, you now have a few more to add to your arsenal which will help you cook like the pros.

About the author:

Mike Lansing is a retired chef who spent most of his time as a Head Chef in New Orleans after training in France. He spends his free time cooking for family and friends, as well as serving as a contributing editor for CookingSchools101.com which offers information on
Culinary Schools for those wishing to enter the trade.

The Secrets To Successful Cooking

Cooking is the process of using heat to prepare foods for consumption. Many common cooking methods involve the use of oil. Frying is cooking in hot oil, sautéing is cooking in a small amount of oil, stir-frying is a Chinese technique of frying quickly in small amounts of oil in a wok, deep frying is completely submerging the food in large amounts of fat, etc. As people have become more health conscious, preparing foods in oil has become less desirable. With the advent of nonstick cookware, sautéing can be done at lower heats using vegetable broth and fruit juices instead of oil. Stewing refers to cooking slowly in a small amount of liquid in a closed container. Slow stewing tenderizes tough cuts of meat and allows flavors to mingle.

Another slow-cooking method is braising, in which meat is first browned, then cooked slowly in a small amount of liquid in a covered pan. Poaching is cooking food in liquid below the boiling point, while steaming is cooking food that has been placed above boiling water. Roasting means baking in hot dry air, generally in an oven. Baking refers to cooking in an oven and differs from roasting mainly in its reference to the type of food cooked-for example, one bakes a cake, but roasts a chicken. Another form called broiling means to cook by direct exposure to heat, while barbecue refers to cooking marinated food by grilling.

Dining with others is one of the most common and frequent social activities. It can involve a family dinner, a meal with friends, or form part of a ceremony or celebration, such as a wedding or holiday. More and more people study cooking in schools, watch how-to programs on television, and read specialty magazines and cookbooks. In fact, cookbooks as a group outsell any other kind of book except for religious works.

Cooking is the act of preparing food for consumption. It encompasses a vast range of methods, tools and combinations of ingredients to improve the flavor and digestibility of food. It generally requires the selection, measurement and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure in an effort to achieve the desired result. Constraints on success include the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, tools and the skill of the person cooking.

The diversity of cooking worldwide is a reflection of the myriad nutritional, aesthetic, agricultural, economic, cultural and religious considerations that impact upon it. Cooking frequently, though not always, involves applying heat in order to chemically transform a food, thus changing its flavor, texture, appearance, or nutritional properties. There is archaeological evidence of cooked foodstuffs (both animal and vegetable) in human settlements dating from the earliest known use of fire.

While cooking if heating is used, this can disinfect and soften the food depending on temperature, cooking time, and technique used. 4 to 60°C (41 to 140°F) is the "danger zone" in which many food spoilage bacteria thrive, and which must be avoided for safe handling of meat, poultry and dairy products. Refrigeration and freezing do not kill bacteria, but slow their growth.

About the author:
cusine dumatre is the owner of N Cooking ]
which is a premier resource for Cooking information. for more information, go to http://www.ncooking.com