Brooklyn Brewery At The Culinary Institute of America

The Culinary Institute of America just got a major upgrade. Brooklyn Brewery, one of America’s top craft beer makers, is coming to the CIA’s Hyde Park campus in the Summer of 2015. This has been the long-time dream of Prof. Douglass Miller who teaches Mixology, Spirits and Brewing on campus. It is a major victory for him and the campus as a whole, as they try to expand the education of the students and encourage visitors to come to the campus.

The operations of the brewery will fall to the students themselves, as it will be integrated into the curriculum for students pursuing a concentration in Advanced Wine, Beverage and Hospitality. Through the new program, they will learn the ins and outs of brewing and fermentation, in addition to business aspects of running a small brewery/cafe. As a part of the new partnership, the CIA will brew its own beer, including some seasonal flavors. Brooklyn Brewery’s brewmaster, Garrett Oliver, will visit the operation on occasion to help develop the curriculum and develop recipes. The location of the on-campus brewery will be in the new student center that is currently under construction. Expect not only great beer, but great food to go along with it. Beer and food pairings are a new trend in the food world, so it would only be natural for the CIA to teach not only students, but visitors, about which beer goes with each dish.

I am very happy for the school and Prof. Miller. This is a new and exciting program coming to the CIA and it looks quite promising. Students have been wondering for years why there wasn’t a concentration for beverage, outside the wines course and this answers their prayers. I’m just sad that I won’t be able to take part of this program as a student! At least I can go visit and so should you.

Artist rendition of the completed Brewery, in the new Student Center

Life in the CIA: A Look Back

Well, here we are. I’ve started my last class as an Associate’s Student here at the CIA. Come March 23rd, I can call myself an alumnus of the school…until I come back in June for Bachelors. But that’s another story.

This journey I began a little over 2 years ago is almost done. Over those two years, I have progressed so far and learned so much. I’m certainly not the same person I was when I began. I was scared first starting out, but at the same time, I was certain that this was the correct move to make at this part in my life. I wanted to ensure that I did all I could to combine my love of food and love of writing a reality. It’s been a rough road filled with many hardships and a setback or two, but here I am, so close to the end.

I’ve met some incredible people and some wonderful chefs along the way and I am so thankful that I have. I’m, thankful for all the lessons I’ve learned and all the skills and recipes that I’ve acquired. I look forward to continuing my education when I return in June, thought the break will be nice and may I add, well-deserved.

I’ll keep this short for now. I hope to end on a positive note!

Life In The CIA: The New Program

Sorry for the prolonged hiatus everyone! The class schedule has been running me ragged, but I am back and I have PLENTY to write about.

One major thing making the rounds amongst CIA-hopefuls is word of a new program layout for incoming students. And yes, this is actually happening and as of my making this entry, is in effect at the school right now.

Essentially, the school is getting rid of the traditional “block” schedule in favor of a more traditional college-style course layout. This means both academic and kitchen classes will be alternating on a weekly basis and throughout both AM and PM timeslots. So, one week will be all academic classes, the next will be all kitchen classes. This is to lighten the workload on the students and possibly the teachers. This new schedule, by the way, only affects incoming students and not students already here at the CIA (myself and my classmates, for example). I have heard little complaints from the new students about this change. The majority of the discontent around campus stems from students who are already here and many chef-instructors as well; myself included.

The one major detriment of the new schedule is that the newer students will have nowhere near the amount of hands-on learning that those who benefited from the block schedule did. Yes, class length was much longer and very rough on the students, but that was for a good reason. It was to prepare them for the rigors of the industry and to get them used to what they would experience on externship. By changing the schedule to make it easier, you’ve just given every new student a huge disadvantage. They will nit be ready for the harsh life that the food industry demands of them. When faced with such facts, even new students have agreed with me in saying that they may not be as ready as they would like to be. In addition, the transition period of the old schedule to the new schedule means that there are some changes that affect the whole school. many production kitchens that would be serving lunch or dinner, no longer do so until the new students reach that level. This of course, means that it will become even harder to find a meal on campus. Luckily, what some kitchens are doing is hiring temporary workers from the students still on campus to work and make food, until the newer students reach the production areas. Still, this is a major detriment to the student body as a whole and one that, to many of us who disagree with the school, was not thought out very well by the faculty. Whether or not this new schedule will work out for the better, only time will tell.

Life in the CIA: Post-AOS

In the past few months, I’ve cleared a major hurdle in my education here at the CIA, only to reach another one. Between April and August, I completed my externship and in doing so, was able to stay on campus and complete the rest of the Associates Program (AOS) here at the CIA. So far, post-externship classes have been really fun and informative. It’s all AM classes now and I couldn’t be happier than I am right now. I’m learning so many new techniques and working with all sorts of new and exciting decorating mediums. The one thing that has dawned on me now, is that my academic life here seems to be on fast-forward.

The first batch of classes, which lasted 6 weeks as opposed to the normal 3, went by in a flash. Now, the class I’m in is almost done and it seems like only yesterday that it just began. I’m sure part of this is because the group I’m in is very fun to work with and makes even a 7-hour class seem like nothing. And I’m sure that, the fact that I thoroughly enjoy the material being taught also makes the class go by much quicker. That being said, time seems to be going by and an abnormally fast rate and I only have a handful of classes left before my AOS Graduation on March 23^rd, a date that is now rapidly approaching. I’m excited and nervous at the same time. I can’t wait for the next few classes in the AOS program to come around, but at the same time, I want to savor each one, because I know that they’ll be really fun classes (see: Chocolates & Confections).

That being said, I still can’t wait for graduation and what comes after. Many students opt to end their time at the CIA here, after AOS is done. Two years and then it’s off to the industry, which is a great idea, don’t get me wrong. I’m just opting for the other route, which means sticking around for the Bachelors Program. It’s another year of schooling, although more academic this time around. Classes such as Management and Accounting form the core of the curriculum, but there are electives such as Food in Literature, Anthropology of Food, and The History of The Americas that make the overarching BPS program that much more interesting. The one thing that really makes the program interesting is the Food, Wine and (Agri)Culture class and the class trip. To me and many of my friends, this is the crux of the program. As a part of this class, you get to visit any one of the following locations and study the culture and food of the area:

• Northern California
• Southern California
• Pacific Northwest
• Italy
• Spain
• France
• China

I feel like in addition to the trip being incredibly fun, it will really help in expanding your culinary knowledge, as well as help you grow as a person. Can’t wait for BPS.

Life in the CIA: My Externship – A Summary

Well, my externship period is over. Four months have come and gone in a flash, even thought at times, it seemed like it would drag on forever. Despite my ups and downs, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Berkshires and will take all those experiences (and injuries) with me as I finish my tenure at the CIA. I will say that my externship was a very humbling experience. It taught me to look past my own weaknesses and embrace my failures as learning experiences. It also made me expand my sense of humor in many ways.

During my time at the Store and the Inn, I had the opportunity to experience brand new ways of working in a professional kitchen, using tools and techniques that I have never seen before. Moreover, I had the opportunity to bond with a whole new set of coworkers whom I had never met until then. Truth be told I was a little frightened, but excited at the same time. It was a bit awkward at first, bonding with everyone. It was very much like being a freshman at college all over again, complete with many, many hazing rituals. I understand that many, if not all kitchens use racial slang and/or terminology as a joke or because they’re just comfortable with it. Honestly, I was very uncomfortable with the whole thing throughout the entirety of my externship. Even when asking Chef Peter for feedback on my performance, he would drop some form of Asian stereotype while doing so. I voiced my concern to my coworkers about this matter, and they did stop using the stereotypical slang as much, though they still did. However, I did learn that it was just one of those things that goes on in a kitchen. They did not mean any disrespect towards me for my race, but instead meant it as a joke or a nickname (as they kept calling me “Chino”). In return, I treated them with the same amount of respect and trust that I have since day one.

All the different methods and techniques that I was introduced to while working helped to broaden my mind and see possibilities for any dish, savory or otherwise. The most important lesson they taught me was that the line between pastry and culinary, while present, is not a dividing factor, but merely a small obstacle that can be easily crossed. Many pastry items that I would only ever see in a bakeshop actually got a fair culinary treatment, as either a main ingredient or just backup to the larger dish. In any case, it served to let me see that the food industry is not as black and white as many would have us believe. It is this mentality and outlook that has helped me focus on my ultimate career goal of being a food writer, even more so. Despite not having a lot of free time to do actual writing on my day off, my externship did give me the clarity and focus needed for such a career. Many new ideas are are swimming about in my mind. My outlook on the food industry as a whole is renewed and refreshed. One of my coworkers even said he’d pass my name onto someone who works for a major publication, once I graduated. So I suppose I have a bit of a head start in that regard, and for that, I am ever thankful for my coworkers.

If given the opportunity to do this externship over again, I would change a few things. Make myself more assertive in certain situations, push myself a little harder, etc. But mostly, I would do exactly what I did, and that’s work as hard as I can, no matter what. It is this new-found confidence that I am most thankful and it is with this new-found confidence that I can face any challenge that comes my way.

Life In The CIA: Your Externship Manual

There is one very important piece of equipment that you, as a CIA student, need to bring to your Externship site, and that is your Externship Manual.

Believe it or not, the CIA actually gives you more work to accomplish while you’re working full time at your extern site. Overkill? Depends on who you ask. It’s the school’s way of keeping track of your academic progress, as you build on your skills. This also is how they grade you for Extern so DO NOT LOSE YOUR MANUAL.

Basically, your manual contains a variety of weekly assignments for you to complete and for your chef/boss/supervisor check and sign off on, when those assignments have been completed. That brings me to my next point: be timely about your manual. Don’t wait 4 or 5 weeks into your Extern and then pile up assignments on your chef’s desk to look at later. That’s a quick way to get yourself in trouble and to quickly fall behind on your extern manual. Remember, this is a class grade. Set aside time to accomplish these weekly assignments and you’ll be set. If need be, give your chef a warning in advance about your extern manual, so you don’t catch them off guard.

Finally, and quite possibly the most important part of dealing with your extern manual: KEEP IT NEAT. If your hand-writing isn’t very neat, type out the assignments and attach them to the manual. Remember, your instructors at the CIA will be grading this. It’s very important that they understand what they’re reading so they can grade it accurately. One of my own chefs said before I left that he just gave one manual a failing grade because he couldn’t read it.

Sorry this entry is a tad short. I just wanted to get this one out of my head an onto the blog. Tomorrow there’s going to be a much bigger entry so stay tuned!

Food Bites: First Impressions of the CIA

Howdy ya’ll! I’m finally moved in and have my internet connection working! No new recipes as of yet, but I can assure you, they’ll be posted up as soon as I learn them. In any case, I just wanted to give a small update on how things are going here at the moment.

I moved in yesterday and met my two roommates (yeah I’m in a triple). It’s a lot better than Fairfield’s rooms, I can tell you that much. There’s loads more room and my roomies are pretty chill. One is from Mexico and the other is from Minnesota. Needless to say, it’s quite an eclectic mix! I’m the only Baking/Pastry Arts student in the room, but i don’t mind. That just means that I’ll have people to share my homework with (and by “homework” I of course mean recipes).Today and tomorrow are orientation days. I pick up my knives and class schedule tomorrow. I’m nervous and excited at the same time. I really want to get some work started and get my culinary journey. From what I’ve been hearing around campus, the chefs are really fantastic to work with and will basically help you with any problem you may have. I’m glad to be in such a prestigious place and learning from some of the best culinary instructors in the world.

That’s all for now! Stay tuned for more updates and recipes guys!