Door Number Three: L'Academie de Cuisine

Lately it's much more fun to think of my life as a game show where my future is determined in the end by one fateful decision.  Right now I am standing in front of a selection of three doors, each housing a different opportunity in the form of culinary schools:

Door #1:  The Art Institute of Washington in Arlington, VA

Door #2:  Stratford University in Falls Church, VA

Door #3:  L'Academie de Cuisine in Gaithersburg, MD

So far, I am most tempted by the third door: L'Academie de Cuisine.  Patrick and I attended their open house earlier in September where we were able to taste a buffet of different foods prepared by both the culinary and pastry students.  Everything tasted amazing, but I'd have to say my favorite was the Coq au Vin.

This school emphasizes technique and skill, then encourages hands-on experience through their 6-month externship program where students work in an actual restaurant (usually a fine-dining establishment).  True to its foundations, it teaches in the spirit of traditional French cuisine.  All of their menus, I'm told, are written in French.  

Yesterday I visited the school again in order to speak more directly with the admissions director.  I came at a good time!  Every Friday the Phase II students compete in an "Iron Chef" competition, and I had arrived just in time to watch the final judging.  Each Thursday after class, the students are given certain ingredients or techniques that they have to incorporate the next day into a salad/appetizer, an entree, and a dessert.  This week the ingredients were shrimp, pork tenderloin, butternut squash, and pears.  I think the most creative dish that was presented was butternut squash ice cream.  

The judging panel consisted of the school's founder and director, Chef Francois Dionot, and the Phase II instructor, Chef Patrice Olivon. These two have very impressive resumes.  Chef Olivon has even participated on Iron Chef America.  If you have time, I recommend checking out his video on his website here.  Each week they also bring in a guest judge.  Yesterday the guest judge was supposed to be White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford (also an Iron Chef America participant), but she could not make it so the White House Executive Sous Chef, Tommy Kurpradit, came instead.   

It was very educational watching them critique each dish.  They had both positive and negative things to say (though all very constructive).  After the judging, they let me and another prospective student who was visiting that day meet the judges and taste all the dishes.  I tried to apply their comments to everything I tasted.  

Then they brought us into the kitchen and sat us at separate tables with a group of students to each lunch with them and chat about the school.  We ate the dishes that they had prepared for the competition, which were all really good.  Everyone was friendly and gave me a realistic portrait of what it's like going to school there.  The competitions were stressful, they admitted, but at the end of the day you leave with a feeling of relief, satisfaction, and accomplishment.  They also said you learn to be open-minded with what you cook and eat.  During Phase I, they learned to make dishes like escargot (aka snails) and during Phase II they made squab, which I learned was another word for pigeon.  So it's not exactly easy to practice at home.

Unfortunately I did not take pictures of any of this (that would not have been cool), but feel free to check out their website here.

What's nice about this school is that it caters towards "career-changers" like me who already have a Bachelors degree.  They focus solely on cooking and do not require any additional gen-ed classes like the other schools do.

Despite the 30 minute drive (with no traffic) to class everyday and the 7:00AM start time, I'm still tempted to choose this door.  It will be interesting to see if/when I do open this door, what awaits on the other side.

oo,