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Happy holidays everyone!  Between the move, preparing for the culinary school, and spending lots of time with family and friends over Christmas, it has taken me significantly longer to get this post up than I originally anticipated.  Both of my parents came back from the U.K. for the holidays and my sisters both were able to travel down from San Francisco and NYC to join in as well.  It’s been a while since the house has been full with the five of us!

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During my big announcement post, I didn’t share any of the details of my culinary school program, besides the fact that my start date is January 3rd.   As in, next week.  I’m still wrapping my head around this!

In an effort to let you know everything I’ll be up over the next year, I’ve compiled a few FAQ to share all the fun details.  I’m planning on writing an updated FAQ post once the program starts as well!  So without further ado…here you go:

Culinary School FAQ

Where are you going to culinary school?  

I’ll be attending the professional culinary arts program at  L’Academie de Cuisine, which is located just outside Washington, DC in Gaithersburg, MD.  It is about a 30 minute drive from my current apartment in Arlington, VA.  It is considered one of the top ten culinary schools in the country!

When do you start classes?

I start next Tuesday, January 3rd.  I’m becoming more and more excited (and nervous!) as the day steadily approaches.  The first day starts at 10 am and will consist of an orientation, where we will be meeting our instructors, fellow students, and picking up our supplies and uniform.

The following day we head into the kitchen and start cooking!

Are you doing a culinary or baking/pastry program?  How long is it and what will you be learning?

After about eight months of deliberation about whether or not to attend culinary school, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to pursue culinary arts, as opposed to a program geared specifically towards pastry/baking.  As much as I love sweets, I decided that I was interested in everything and wanted to get a well-rounded culinary education.

The culinary arts program that I’m attending consists of three phases.   The first and second phase consists of 6 months in the classroom—where I will be learning all the fundamentals and techniques to be prepared to work in the industry.  The program combines classic French techniques with modern twists from cuisines from all over the world.

The last phase is a required 6 month (paid) externship at a fine dining restaurant in the Washington, DC area.  I’ll definitely be talking about this more in the future!

What is your school schedule? 

Every culinary school is different, but my program is 4 days/week (Monday-Thursday) from 7:00 am to 2:30 pm for the first months and 8:00 am to 3:30 pm for the last three months at campus.  My uniform consists of checkered pants, chef’s jacket, apron, neckerchief, hat, and sturdy kitchen shoes/clogs and I am required to change at the school before the start of each day.  No make-up or nail polish is allowed!

I won’t be working during the program, so my day-off will most likely be spent working on projects, homework, and eventually starting the process of securing an externship.

Will you blogging during culinary school?  What will your posting schedule be like?

ABSOLUTELY!

I am incredibly excited to share my culinary school experience with each and every one of you.  I know how helpful this would have been to me during my decision making process and I want to be able to share an insider’s perspective.  I plan on sharing all the ups and downs along the way!

I actually plan on increasing my posting schedule once school starts. With occasional exceptions here and there, I fully intend to post at least something every day once school starts.  Not only do I want to keep you all informed about what I’m up to on a daily basis (as it is sure to change each and every day!), but I also want to be able to look back in the future and remember all the little details.  Small point and shoot cameras are allowed in school, so I will try my best to share photos as well.

Of course, if there is anything else you want to see on the blog, don’t hesitate to contact me and I will try my best.