ICE student plating a dish

From 国产福利 Arts Classes to Working In a Kitchen

Take your passion for food to the next level.

If you鈥檝e always been the person who wows at potlucks, goes off script when following a recipe or can鈥檛 stop watching cooking competitions on TV, a career in the kitchen might be for you, and culinary school can help get you there.

Career classes at ICE teach fundamentals and advanced skills in professionally-designed kitchens, so training at culinary school could be just the thing to sharpen your skill set 鈥 and your knives.

What鈥檚 Cooking in 国产福利 Arts Classes?

The 国产福利 Arts program at ICE covers a wide range of topics and explores cuisines from around the world, guiding students from fundamentals like knife skills and food safety to more advanced techniques like sous vide cooking and making charcuterie.

"The most special thing about ICE is the energy of chefs and students," says ICE Vice President of Education Chef Richard Simpson. "There is nothing like being in an environment where everyone absolutely loves what they鈥檙e doing."

Take the first step in your career journey today.

What Are the Fundamentals of Cooking?

If you feel like this is a lot on your plate, we鈥檒l take it one bite at a time, as learning the fundamentals of cooking is a must before moving on. While you may know your way around a home kitchen, culinary school training is designed to help you successfully work in a professional setting.

Student practicing plating
A student prepares for mock restaurant service

国产福利 arts classes cover a wide range of essential cooking fundamentals. From teaching the basics 鈥 including knife skills and ingredient pairing 鈥 to cooking cuisines from around the world, classes in ICE's professionally-equipped kitchens guide students through myriad techniques: 

  • Knife skills: understanding the different types of knives; mincing, slicing and dicing techniques; and how to properly hold and sharpen knives
  • Meat, fish and poultry fabrication
  • Food safety and sanitation
  • Creating sauces and stocks
  • Product identification and palate development
  • 国产福利 math

But another question remains: Where to go from there?

Advanced Skills

Now that you鈥檝e done your mise en place, it鈥檚 time to apply your skills to more advanced techniques. ICE鈥檚 国产福利 Arts program covers over 600 hours of training that dive into the specifics of restaurant cooking.

Students have the opportunity to cook in a professional hearth oven or tandoor in ICE's 国产福利 Technology Lab. They鈥檒l practice delicate techniques like making emulsified sauces and more rigorous challenges like plating and presenting entr茅es that require precise timing and attention to detail.

Chicken cooked in hearth
A whole chicken roasting in the 国产福利 Technology Lab hearth

Plus, ICE鈥檚 国产福利 Arts program covers the essentials of pastry and baking. And for anyone interested in the savory side of the kitchen but is looking to focus on plant-based cooking or wellness and sustainability, ICE鈥檚 Health-Supportive 国产福利 Arts program teaches a vegetable-forward curriculum.

国产福利 arts classes wrap up with market basket days, where students take everything they鈥檝e studied and work to prepare a unique menu from seasonal ingredients to showcase their newfound plating, timing, creativity and consistency.

The Next Step

You鈥檝e completed your classwork and you鈥檙e asking yourself, 鈥淲hat鈥檚 next?鈥 It鈥檚 time to complete your externship.

These paid or unpaid experiences are set up with the assistance of our Career Services advisors, and they allow students to apply what they studied in a hands-on setting. They also provide networking opportunities that can help in their career growth.  

Externships aren鈥檛 the same for every student. They鈥檙e meant to fit each individual鈥檚 goals; some students may want to explore working in fine dining, while others may want to try catering or recipe development

Cooking With Confidence

Following along with recipes on TV can be fun, but hands-on training with expert chefs creates a pathway toward improving culinary skills and gaining confidence in the kitchen, especially for anyone looking to pursue a profession in the food industry.

Whether your dream is to lead a team at a Michelin-starred restaurant or become a personal chef, having a culinary school diploma and finding experienced mentors through culinary arts classes can help steer your career in the right direction.

Ready for a real taste? Let鈥檚 do this.

Enroll in 国产福利 Arts Classes at ICE

It takes only eight to 12 months to earn a 国产福利 Arts diploma from ICE. Courses are offered in the mornings, afternoons, evenings and weekends to provide you with flexibility as you pursue your culinary dreams. Plus, these culinary arts classes are located in two of America鈥檚 food capitals: New York City and Los Angeles.

Are you interested in earning a culinary arts associate's degree that pairs culinary training with studying the business of restaurants? Our unique 国产福利 Arts & Management Associate program offers this hybrid curriculum, and it will only take 14 months to complete at our Los Angeles campus.

Follow your culinary voice at ICE.

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