Culinary School in Atlanta

Creativity in the Kitchen: Break Out of Your Culinary Mold

Written By: Writer

A lot of people have sat watching a cooking show and thought “I wish I could cook like that!” While fine cooking certainly does take years of dedication, fine-tuned skills, and vast experience, it doesn’t exclude the everyday person from being a little more adventurous with their own culinary ventures. Changing how you do things in the kitchen can be a little daunting, but with a little know-how and imagination, the possibilities are endless! Here are a few tips and tricks for getting yourself started on a new culinary adventure.

1. Take what you know and expand on it. Whether you have already existing repertoire of recipes, or you’re totally new to the game, it’s good to start with the basics of what skills and knowledge you already have. A standard, familiar recipe can be altered and shifted to create something new and exciting. Take a waffle recipe for instance. Try substituting regular milk with almond milk (1),and exchanging vanilla extract for caramel extract. The almond milk adds a hearty, nutty flavor to the waffles and the caramel extract brings in a sweet, buttery note to the dish. Just these couple of substitutions delivers a new dynamic to a breakfast classic.

2. Don’t be afraid to be bold! Everyone has their favorite flavor combinations and sometimes it’s the contrasting nature of those flavors that bring a dish alive. Try combining different flavors to come up with something unique that excites the palette. One seemingly odd but bold combination is adding spice to chocolate (2). A hint of cinnamon and cayenne pepper to a basic chocolate sauce can bring something that’s ordinary to the level of extraordinary! The sweetness of chocolate combined with the heat from the spices sets off a new dimension of flavor, giving off a delectable sweet heat. A spicy chocolate sauce could be served over ice cream, used as a glaze for a cake, or even drizzled over fresh fruit. This is just one of many examples of the limitless combinations that can be put together to create something delicious. Just remember- don’t overdo it! Sometimes less definitely is more, and too many flavors can become muddled and lost amongst each other. Try different!
flavors together to see what you can create!

3. Allow for trial and error. Just like scientist testing a hypothesis or a writer brainstorming a new novel idea, creating in the kitchen is subject to both successes and failures. Some substitutions can throw off a dish’s cooking time, or some flavor combinations might contrast in a negative way, leaving the dish to be dissatisfying. The key is to not get discouraged when things don’t go right. Take your failed experiments as learning experiences, and try a different approach next time around. When successes do happen, embrace them and take what you’ve learned to and apply it to future projects. While those chipotle flavored egg rolls might not sit well with your stomach, don’t be afraid to try, try, and try again!

4. Learn, learn, and learn some more. Whether you’re a seasoned cooked or a complete novice, adding to your knowledge base is always necessary. With new and innovative ideas being brought to the table every day in the culinary world, everyone can always learn something new. Reading cookbooks and culinary magazines, trying out new recipes, exchanging information and ideas with other people, watching cooking shows or online tutorials- these are all resources that are available to most everyone! Take some time to learn a new technique or a new recipe. Whatever it is you want to learn- the knowledge is out there and ready for you to grab it!

Taking the steps to be creative in the kitchen starts with the self. What has been provided here is a basic guideline to help you get some ideas on the table and get that imagination pumping. Now take those ideas and make them happen!

Add Punch Without Knocking Out The Budget

Written By: Jane Atchley

Art prints are available in many varieties, but for simple purposes break down into two groups: original prints and reproduction prints. Artist use different methods to achieve the desired effect on original prints. Intaglio is one process of etching or engraving an image into a plate. The artist applies ink to the plate and wipes off the excess. When pressed, only the ink remaining in the grooves forms the print. In US paper currency, the one-hundred dollar bill provides a ready example of intaglio printing. The intaglio print process produced the oval around the Benjamin Franklins portrait and the fine lines in the background. It produces a crisp clean line that is very difficult to counterfeit.

Other methods of producing original prints include relief, stencil, monoprint, monotype, and lithograph. Monotypes and lithographs are worth special mention because they can both have substantial value. Monotypes do not require a reusable plate. They are singular works. Like monotypes, lithographs do not require etched or carved plates, but the process is very time consuming. Consequently, handmade lithographs have significant value in the art world. Reproduction art prints provide consumers an affordable way to bring art into the home.

Commercial offset printers produce beautiful inexpensive lithographic prints, and todays digital art produces high quality fine art reproductions of original works printed on canvas or other mediums at a fraction of the cost. Artist approved commercial reproductions are often signed and numbered in the same manner as original prints. Whether in the market for original prints or reproductions due diligence is the key. Do not assume every print found in a gallery is original. Ask questions. Shop around. Framed reproduction prints selling in a gallery for $250 can sell for as little as $20 unframed. Remember great art prints do not have to be expensive.

Passion and Practicality: Cooked to Perfection in Culinary Schools

Written By: Danielle Bradford

Culinary schools are rapidly gaining notoriety as an attractive alternative or additional option to time spent at a liberal arts college. Training in a program at a culinary school combines passion and creativity with the practical skills necessary to working in the restaurant and hospitality business. Exotic scenes are conjured up in the name of culinary school”, of bakers learning the time-old arts of French cuisine in Paris, sous-chefs managing bustling kitchens in New York Citys finest restaurants, and sommeliers marrying wine and local-grown foods in sun-kissed Napa Valley, California. All of these professionals began as students in the world of culinary schools. Between such a romantic image and other foodie celebrities”, made role models via food blogs and the television shows on the Food Network, there are a multitude of food professionals throughout the world using culinary school as the foundation for a sustainable and fulfilling career. The reality is that the culinary world holds the potential to fit many different agendas and preferences. Whether at a mom and pop diner or a fine dining establishment, there are opportunities for motivated and passionate students to learn about the business. Opportunities to work within this unique world even extend beyond the kitchen to restaurant and cafeteria managers, caterer managers, food critics, photographers, researchers, and consultants. With a variety of options in terms of program and pricing, each aspiring culinary professional is encouraged to research which school and program would provide the best fit. A common factor among culinary schools, whether a community college or world-renowned culinary institute, is the opportunity to hone skills, gain business management tools, and network among culinary professionals. With so many programs waiting to get you started on your way to a culinary career, what are you waiting for? Dinner is served.

Culinary Arts Programs

Written By: Marie

Each year in America thousands of students enter culinary schools. Schooling ranges from a two year Associate degree program to a full four year program that offers a Bachelor of Arts degree. The cost of the schooling depends a great deal on the type of educational institution chosen. A degree from a community college-based program is often far less expensive than one obtained at either a four-year university or a famous cooking academy. The lower level degrees tend to be geared toward allowing the graduate to obtain a more entry-level and therefore lower-paying position than the four-year degree would. Some of the more famous four-year culinary arts programs include Johnson and Wales University, Le Cordon Bleu, Bob Jones University, the Culinary Institute of America, and the Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College. One can visit these schools for tours, eat in student run restaurants, or buy a pastry in a shop on campus. The on-campus experience can be a good way to discover if one of these schools is a good fit for someone interested in pursuing a four-year degree. Admissions counselors are generally available to answer questions and financial aid officers are very helpful in planning for the financial responsibility associated with enrolling in one of these culinary schools. After completing a four-year program in the culinary arts there are several employments options available. Depending on the concentration one chose while in one of these culinary schools, there are many job opportunities in the field; for instance, one could opt to be a chef, a caterer, a food stylist, a wine and beverage manager, a restaurant owner, or a pastry chef. There is a wide range of salaries associated with each of these jobs depending on factors such as the size of the restaurant, the volume of clients served, the reputation of the business and the number of hours one wants to dedicate to building a good reputation. As with all careers, hard work and dedication after completing one’s degree is the pathway to success.

The Next Level

Written By: nada saleh

Do you find your creations irresistible? Or sometimes just wonder where to begin? Is it hard for you to control yourself? Well, if you are thinking what I am thinking then the answer is yes. And if your mind is in the same place as mine, then we are both in the kitchen. A person’s individuality can really surprise you when you put a couple of ingredients together. With a little instruction you can really see where your mind can take you. Culinary school can guide you to taking your art to the next level. Not only do you acquire tips and tricks of the kitchen, but you are taught about serving the food, setting it, and at the same time being as sanitary as can be. There can be two different types of cooks. There are those who are gifted. They have natural abilities. Their great instincts tell them which ingredient complements the other. Now their gift can get taken to the next level. All of the sudden they learn that their cooking is not just food, but cuisine. Their delicious leg of lamb is not only delicious but beautifully garnished. And then there is the other type of cook; the one who loves cooking but does not know the difference between baking soda and yeast. They have to make ten cakes to finally figure out how thick the batter should have been and what temperature they should have been baked in. All of this guessing can be finally put to rest when you have an instructor willing and ready to teach you. In culinary school it is not about skills and luck; it is about passion. It is about drive. Food is one of the most diverse things. It can be creative and artistic. It varies all over the world. Culinary school can take you to all seven continents and back while leaving your passport at home.