The (Mis)education of America’s Culinary Schools

cheryl

cheryl

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The (Mis)education of America’s Culinary Schools - Eater

Coursework at traditional culinary schools has yet to reflect the diverse cooking happening in today’s restaurants

hen MJ Sanders was a student at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, she looked forward to the “Cuisines of America” class. This was 2009, and the class focused on regional cooking in North and South America. One day of the course was dedicated to the American south, an ambitious task given the diversity and sheer expanse of the region. Sanders, a Georgia native, knew the lesson wouldn’t cover everything, but she hoped it would convey the breadth of ingredients and cooking techniques that define southern cuisine. That day, she suited up in her school-issued chef whites, ready to dive in.

“We made a plate of fried chicken and collard greens,” Sanders remembers. Instead of exploring the abundant seafood of the Gulf Coast, or the round, layered umami of Lowcountry cooking, her instructor compacted the lesson into one lumpish look at one of the region’s most enduring culinary stereotypes. The tasks for the day were divided among students so Sanders didn’t even get to participate in making each component on the plate. “We spent at least 12 weeks learning French food and technique,” she says. “This is supposed to be the premier American culinary school — so how is this the only southern food we’re learning?”
 
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