The American Academy of Chefs is the honor society of the American Culinary Federation. The American Academy of Chefs Scholarship is meant to offer educational opportunities to high school students, college students and professional chefs. Anyone who is looking to further their education or become certified, as well as student culinary teams currently competing at ACF Regional and National conferences, is welcome to apply. There are a few prerequisites, but it is worth making an effort for, as it is one of the best scholarship opportunities in this field.

Before applying for this or any of the other culinary scholarships that are out there, it is important to review the scholarship application for eligibility and application procedures. All applications must be submitted with all supporting documentation by the deadline that is listed on the application. Failure to do so could immediately disqualify your application from even being considered by the American Academy of Chefs Scholarship Committee in the first place.

If you would like to apply for the American Academy of Chefs Scholarship, send your applications via email to academy@acfchefs.net, or mail it directly to AAC Scholarships, 180 Center Place Way, St. Augustine, FL 32095. After receiving the completed applications, the scholarship review committee will assess all of the materials they have been presented with and prepare their funding recommendations for the American Academy of Chefs.

If you do not qualify for this scholarship, don’t get worried yet. There are many other culinary scholarships available if you know where to look. The Internet is a great source of information if you are looking for a scholarship or grant, whether it is for culinary school or any other program to further your education.

Institutions offering quality Culinary Arts Programs include The International Culinary Institute at the Art Institutes, Le Cordon Blue Schools, The French Culinary Institute, The Culinary Institute of America and Johnson & Wales University.

Find the perfect Culinary School or Culinary Arts Program today and start your path to a rewarding career.

• The American Academy of Chefs: The academy offers culinary scholarships through the American Culinary Federation Foundation for high school students seeking culinary or pastry degrees, college students currently in such programs, professional chefs looking to further their education and student teams competing in Regionals or Nationals.

• International Association of Culinary Professionals Foundation: The foundation, located in Louisville, Kentucky, offers many resources for culinary students looking for funding.

• The Restaurant School: This institution awards $4,000 culinary scholarships to incoming freshman entering two-year or four-year programs in Culinary Arts or Pastry Arts.

• Scholarship Information from Starchefs: This organization provides detailed information on numerous culinary scholarships including the Starchefs/New England Culinary Institute (NECI) Scholarship Fund.

• Scholarship Listings from Chef2Chef: Current and prospective students can come to this online resource for information on the Chef2Chef Scholarship Fund as well as a list of organizations that have awarded culinary scholarships.

• Women Chefs & Restaurateurs: The WCR Scholarship & Internship Program disburses a total of $100,000 annually to aid in its members’ professional development.

• The Culinary Trust – IACP: This is the philanthropic wing of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, which offers culinary scholarships to students and professionals in the field.

• The James Beard Foundation Individual School Scholarships: This is a comprehensive list of all the culinary scholarships offered by individual schools.

• James Beard Foundation – Friends of James Beard Scholarships: These culinary scholarships are awarded in the names of people and groups that have donated money, raised funds and/or held events for the foundation.

• The Charlie Trotter Culinary Education Foundation: This foundation provides culinary scholarships while promoting education and an interest in food and cooking to Chicago youth.

These are the top 10 culinary schools in the United States of 2009 according to the Chef2Chef community with rank, school name, location, number of votes and score:

1. Texas Culinary Academy, Austin TX, 420 votes, 4.22 score
2. Culinary Institute of America – Hyde Park Campus, Hyde Park NY, 446 votes, 3.46 score
3. French Culinary Institute, New York NY, 124 votes, 2.95 score
4. JNA Institute of Culinary Arts, Philadelphia PA, 129 votes, 2.91 score
5. Scottsdale Culinary Institute, Scottsdale AZ, 164 votes, 2.83 score
6. Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids MI, 175 votes, 2.79 score
7. New England Culinary Institute, Montpelier VT, 78 votes, 2.77 score
8. Orlando Culinary Academy, Orlando FL, 21 votes, 2.76 score
9. The Art Institute of Dallas, Dallas TX, 4 votes, 2.75 score
10. Johnson & Wales University, Providence RI, 120 votes, 2.73 score

Now, if this were a list of the top 10 culinary schools in the world, it would be a completely different matter altogether. The Cordon Bleu in France would most likely be at the top of the list, for starters, as well as several other prestigious schools throughout Europe, Asia and Australia. The Culinary Institute of America would definitely still be on the list, but smaller schools like Grand Rapids Community College would not. But if you’re going to attend a culinary school in the U.S., these are the schools more professionals recommend.

If you want to get into a good culinary school, you will need to start early. This is the first thing most experts tell prospective students that are wondering how to get into culinary school. If you can start developing your skills as early as high school and have something to show when you apply to these culinary programs, you will have a better chance of getting in. Even if you are an older adult student, you can begin participating in competitions and attending community classes to enhance your knowledge base.

There is no point trying to get into a culinary school if it is not going to provide a worthwhile education, so the next step is to find a reputable school. Only apply to schools that have good reputations among chefs, restaurateurs, journalists and former students. A little research goes a long way here.

It will help you determine how to get into culinary school programs if you look for simple information like deadlines, too. Each school has its own academic sessions that start and end at a particular time of the year and different deadlines for applying, so you need to find this out far in advance. They may also have varying requirements for admission that must be fulfilled before you can apply.

The requirements will vary for each culinary school depending on whether it is a vocational school, a community college, a four-year university or a prestigious institution. If you want to learn how to apply to culinary school, first decide which schools you want to attend and contact them individually.

When you apply for culinary school, you will be required to gather information on your own about the requirements. It is important to understand exactly what documents you need, how you are supposed to submit them, what information is required, and what format the admissions committee expects everything to be in. Applications often require written statements or essays detailing why you want to start a culinary career, for example. This is the most important of all culinary school requirements, as it is the first impression they get of you, so you’ll definitely want to take some time filling out the application.

The culinary school admission requirements for more competitive programs are likely to include a lengthy list of documents and information. They may also expect you to have experience including seminars, conferences and research about the culinary industry. Two- and four-year culinary programs will require a high school transcript, letters of reference from professors or employers and a detailed resume of your culinary experience. Some vocational programs may only ask for proof of a high school diploma or GED, while others may require work experience, and others might test your knowledge of weights and measurements or skills with important techniques.

The culinary school requirements that are expected of you will depend on the type of school you apply to, so if you want to take this route there is no time like the present to look into what the various programs require. Then you’ll be ready to go when you decide to apply.

Many of these institutions provide Associates Degree, Bachelors Degree, Certificate Programs, Continuing Education Programs, Diploma Program, Masters Degree, MBA Degree and Post Graduate Certificate Programs.

Le Cordon Blue International is one of the best schools in the world, if you are serious about starting a career in culinary arts. Le Cordon Blue International has campuses in London and Mexico City offering courses like Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry Arts. Founded in a long tradition of excellence, Le Cordon Bleus reputation has endured by actively keeping their courses up to date and industry relevant by constantly adapting to the current and future needs of culinary, tourism and hospitality services.

Tante Marie, Surrey in England is another reputed culinary school in UK with cookery courses for everyone. They also offer many scholarships and apprenticeships. Since 1954, the Tante Marie has been offering various extensive facilities for a high practical content in all their courses and is accredited by The British Accreditation Council (BAC)for Independent Further and Higher Education.

Edinburgh Cooking School of Food and Wine is a similar culinary school that offers various dynamic culinary programs for students across the globe. This school is located at Newliston in Edinburgh. Accredited by BAC, it offers one-day and evening courses to diploma, certificate and short term courses.

Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute is a well known culinary school in Canada. Other internationally acclaimed institutes in Canada include The Culinary Arts School of Ontario at Mississauga in Ontario, Loyalist College at Belleville in Ontario, George Brown College at Toronto in Ontario, Canadore College at North Bay in Ontario, Vancouver Community College at Vancouver in British Colombia as well as the Constellation College of Hospitality, which is located in Toronto, Ontario.

Le Cordon Blue School in Australia is another reputed culinary school in the world. It is located at Regency Park in South Australia. It offers Culinary, Bachelors and Masters programs in Baking and Pastry Arts, Hospitality and Restaurant Management as well as in Culinary Arts.

India is also a noteworthy destination of learning culinary science. International Institute of Culinary Arts, New Delhi is a famous culinary institute. Other well known institutes in India are College of Hospitality and Tourism situated at Gurgaon in Haryana, Culinary Academy of India at Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh and Mumbai College of Hotel Management & Catering Technology located in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Italian Institute for Advanced Culinary & Pastry Arts at Satriano in Italy is a well known European culinary school. France too is an ideal place of reputed culinary learning centers. Ecole Internationale de Pâtisserie, Perpignan; Cuisine et Tradition School of Provencale Cuisine in Arles offering Mini & Classic Gourmand and Gastronomicom at Vias are the famous French culinary schools.

There are many national as well as international culinary schools both in US and abroad offering a wide variety of scholarships. When you want to join a culinary school, you must fully be aware of its courses and programs and whether you can adjust yourself to those. You should not simply limit yourselves to brochures and literatures about these schools. If possible, talk to any of the students who are enrolled in the institution which you wish to join.

Another advantage is that you have a wider choice of different culinary programs and they include Baking and Pastry Arts, Catering Management, Culinary Arts, Culinary Management, Entertainment Management, Foodservice Management, Hospitality as well as Restaurant Management, Sports and Recreation Management, Travel and Tourism Management and also Wine and Spirits and Beverages Management. You can go in for any of these which you think will suit you the most. Almost in every state in US, you have at least one reputed culinary school and would never be a difficulty in selecting the institute of your choice.

The elite culinary institutes with international acceptance include The International Culinary School, Le Cordon Blue International and The French Culinary Institute. Other Schools which offer similar programs include Strayer University, Johnson and Wales University, The Culinary Institute of America, University of Phoenix and Kaplan Higher Education Group. All these schools are reputed in offering various degrees such as Associate Degree, MBA Degree, Bachelors Degree and Masters Degree. Not only this, these institutes are accredited with various other diploma programs and continuing education programs.

There are many universities which provide online courses and many of you who are busy with your current jobs can really opt for these online centers like Ashford University which has distance learning programs to its credit. University of Phoenix and Kaplan University also offer you similar online degrees.

So, as a potential student you are required to know the pros and cons of these programs offered by various institutes. You must simply not get satisfied with a certification at the end and the most important point is whether the degree you are being offered at the completion of a program helps your career or not. The culinary courses and programs that you learn from universities are the basis of your academics and this forms the foundation for your professional excellence. Be sure to get what you fully deserve.

Thus, selecting a culinary institute for studies till placement in a reputed company is a vast process and requires a wise approach from your part. All the institutions including those offering culinary management programs are characterized by their curriculum which leans on a wider scope of personality development. When all these factors are met, you are sure to come up in bright colors!

Today there are many culinary schools in the United States that are offering specialized programs in wine and beverages management. The key feature that makes this program unique and different from others is it is designed and supported by leading wine and beverage experts from some of the industry’s finest restaurants and hotels. The program educates you about all the key skills that you generally required to pursue a rewarding career in wine and beverage management. And, best of all, this program is it provides a platform where you can expand your knowledge of:
• Viticulture and Viniculture
• Tasting techniques
• Management of beverages for special menus

Graduating from this program can open all kinds of doors for you. In fact, once you complete your program you can begin a rewarding career as resident wine expert in different work settings like clubs, catering companies, restaurants, beverage agencies, cruise lines, and resorts or may even work in the beverage and wine supply industry. Apart from this, there are many other options where you can make your career as-

Wine / Beverage Sommelier: Working as a wine or beverage sommelier, your responsibilities may revolve around serving in a restaurant, including storage, and wine cellar rotation. He may even require to work along with the executive chef to find wines that complement a specific menu. However, if you are working in any restaurant then at times you may require preparing the wine lists or even provide training to other staff about the wines and wine service. If we talk in terms of salary then as a beginner, you could easily earn a decent salary as $28,000, but as you gain experience and certification, you may make between $80,000 and $160,000. Though to be a Master Sommelier, you need to pass a series of exams from the Court of Master Sommeliers.

Restaurant or Hotel Beverage Manager: This is another specialized field that combines the creativity of the kitchen along with the business of running wine and beverage operations. Now, working as a restaurant or hotel beverage manager, your skills may go beyond managing day to day beverage operations. A good wine & beverage manager is a good leader and manager of diverse staff, and so your day to day work responsibilities may include:
• Recruiting and providing training to staff
• Monitoring the staff performance and further provide the feedback
• Monitoring revenues and expenses
• Negotiating supplier arrangements for wine and beverage products

Casino Wine and Beverage Manager: No other job prospects have gained as popularity in the past ten years as the casino line jobs. In fact, the demand for casino wine and beverage manager in the last four years has doubled. Performing the role of casino wine and beverage manager, your responsibilities may revolve around managing different activities of the beverage function. Besides this, at times you may even require to identify or evaluate strategies in order to increase your revenue and guest satisfaction with the department’s services. In addition to this, you may also require monitoring the equipment and inventory levels and take appropriate action if required.

Cruise Line Beverage Manager or Director: Playing the role of a cruise line beverage manager, your responsibilities may generally include:
• Directing, supervising and evaluating the performance of all direct reports.
• Watching the overall operation of all wine and beverage outlets and the galley area.
• Managing the general wine, spirit and beverage budget by reviewing financial transactions and monitoring the budget to ensure an efficient operation.
• Administer the wine and beverage inventory and further ensure that the appropriate inventory controls are in proper place while managing carrying costs effectively.

Adding to this, working as a cruise line beverage manager you would be answerable for all of the Beverage Department’s financial matters. Apart from all these profiles and positions, today you may even enjoy your career as a Wine, Beer and Spirits Distributor/Sales/Owner. However, it doesn’t matter what role you play, you could be the very important professional working in one of the emerging industry.

Over the last few years, the wines and spirits sector firms are looking for experts who cannot just work with the marketing tools, but can also understand the different facets of sales and its techniques. To understand and master the sales technique, it is very important to have a good education. Attending an accredited culinary school is unavoidable if you are really looking to learn the tricks of this industry. Proper training can surely help in sharpening the skills required if you are deciding a make a career in this industry.

Nevertheless, before we proceed, it is pertinent to know concisely about the history of pizza. Many researchers talks regarding Neolithic Age evidences while speaking about the pizza’s origin. In the history of pizza, Italy is considered to be the hub of bringing in all sorts of variations in the early mound of flour that later shaped into a flavored concoction affectionately known as ‘pizza’. It was considered to be a peasant’s meal in Italy for centuries. But unfortunately it is not easy to say who invented the first pizza. Perhaps, we can also find the early stages of its modification even in Greek manuscripts and in Persian writings. Many food historians even believe that pizza like dishes were also served by peoples lived in the Mediterranean regions including the Egyptians and the Greeks.

However, the popularity of Pizza spread to other parts of the world, especially to the United States, England and Spain, after World War II. After conquering major territories of Italy, many U.S and European soldiers had the taste of Pizza for the very first time. In fact, it was the deep inclination towards pizza that made immigrants from Italy sell their Pizzas in their American stores for the very first time, but it was the soldiers who returned from Italy with a hunger for the saucy delight that pulled the taste of Pizzas out to the nearby Italian neighborhoods and in the main stream of every city’s day to day life all over the continent. The square “Sicilian Pizza” which is now well recognized was the forerunner of well-promoted “Party Pizza” is an American invention. And, today we celebrate the February 9 as an international Pizza Day.

Today on an average, almost every citizen of the United States and Canada eat 23 pounds of pizza each year. Adding to this, Cheese and Pepperoni is among the most favorite combinations, especially with the younger set. Apart from this, if we talk in terms of present context the concept and popularity of pizza has taken many forms such as Ice Cream Pizza, Mexican Pizza, Candy Pizza and many more.

Cooking pizza is an art, and to learn in the best possible way, enrolling into the culinary programs offered by any of the top culinary colleges is important. A good college always makes an inquisitive and hard-working student ready for both traditional and unconventional culinary challenges, and of course, in making pizza. The world class culinary schools have top notch facilities for assisting in gaining refined culinary knowledge and getting placed under famous brand names. All that one has to do is innovate and apply the culinary skills in preparing various food items, including the pizza.

Culinary science has professionalized this art of food making and it is widely accepted a job for millions to survive. Food itself got subdivided on the basis of regions.

Sandwiches
• Sandwich is one of the widely popular food items in the world.
• They are seen as dietary food rather than a full fledged meal.
• It is estimated that Americans eat more than 300 million sandwiches a day.
• Although, mainly non-vegetarian in nature, it veggie counterparts are widely popular in India.

Burgers
• Hamburgers are often served with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles
• 8.2 Billion Burgers were served in commercial restaurants in 2001.
• Burgers account for about 40% of total sandwiches consumed.
• 65% of Burgers are consumed away from home.
• Hamburgers and Cheeseburgers comprise 71% of the beef servings in commercial restaurants.

Noodles
• Noodles are made from unleavened dough that is cooked in a boiling liquid.
• China is the place of origin of Noodles.
• For Chinese, long noodles are eaten during birthdays to symbolize longevity.
• In Japan, it is polite to slurp loudly while eating noodles or soba.
• The oldest type of noodle is made from millet.
• It is the basic ingredient in dishes like spaghetti pasta, linguine, soba and udon.

Macaroni
• Macaroni is the Italian variant of Noodles.
• Macaroni and cheese is consistently on the list of top ten favorite food choices for children.
• The recommended wine to serve with macaroni and cheese is Burgundy wine.
• Thomas Jefferson is credited with introducing macaroni to the United States.

Breads
• Breads are the foundation of cooking in European as well as American Countries.
• Today, in specialized bakeries, you can even buy 11 grain bread.
• Whole grain dark breads have become more popular mostly due to their high fibre content.
• Bread is such a powerful food that in antiquity Egyptian governments controlled it from production to distribution as a means of controlling the populace.
• One can use mashed acorns, ground beans, crushed tree barks, nuts, or chestnut flour, but most balers use primarily finely milled wheat, or rye corn, barley, millet, kamut, spelt and other grains. Wheat flour is preferred because of its gluten content.
• The greatest thing since sliced bread” is a phrase commonly used to describe an innovative achievement.
• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid, E300) is added to “improve” and strengthen the flour, making it easier to mix the dough at high speed.
Buns
• A cross bun kept from one Good Friday to the next was thought to bring luck.
• Buns can be long and skinny, short and round and or come in many different shapes and sizes.

Pasta
• The Chinese are on record as having eaten pasta as early as 5,000 B.C.
• In the 13th century, the Pope set quality standards for pasta.
• There are more than 600 pasta shapes produced worldwide.
• To cook one billion pounds of pasta, you would need 2,021,452,000 gallons of water-enough to fill nearly 75,000 Olympic-size swimming pools.
• Christopher Columbus, one of Italy’s most famous pastaphiles, was born in October, which is now National Pasta Month.
• Pasta existed for thousands of years before anyone ever thought to put tomato sauce on it. The Spanish explorer Cortez brought tomatoes back to Europe from Mexico in 1519