Learn basic food skills and nutrition
Cooking classes in everything from basic food skills and nutrition to salads, sandwiches and desserts are taught at a variety of venues throughout the country.
Pairing them with a sightseeing outing can turn a hands-on learning experience into a mini-vacation that satisfies your taste buds and tourism curiosity.
That was true for Marie Crawford. When she decided to enhance her culinary skills, she found that no cooking classes were offered in or very near to her Colorado hometown. She signed up to take a course at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction.
There, she learned to create recipes using locally grown, sustainable ingredients and “snout to tail” low-waste procedures.
Marie also turned her gastronomic gallivant into a sightseeing excursion. She visited the Colorado National Monument, which often is referred to as a “mini-Grand Canyon;” checked out Grand Mesa, the largest flat-top mountain in the world, and snapped photo after photo at Rattlesnake Arches, which boasts the second largest concentration of archways in the world.
Similar opportunities to combine a culinary learning experience with stimulating sightseeing abound throughout the United States. After a search to find cooking classes that are of interest, people may hunt for things to see and do nearby.
Find food basic skills, development and preparation principles.
Among the culinary courses at Bossier Parish Community College in Louisiana are food basic skills, development, and preparation principles. The region’s relationship with food traces back to the 1830s, when the Elysian Groves Plantation grew corn, sweet potatoes and other crops which were shipped to markets in the south and east.
Meal time in Texas often means brisket, chicken fried steak and pecan pie. At the Spread Oaks Ranch in Markham selections include fresh-from-the gardens and greenhouse veggies, and learning to pair wines with food. When they’re not preparing, or enjoying edibles, guests may select from a long list of activities including fresh and salt water fishing, hunting birds and stalking deer, wild hogs and alligators.
Agriculture has long shaped Idaho’s identity and the state’s food culture reflects a deep connection to locally grown ingredients and seasonal produce. Students at North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene may study classical cooking techniques, nutrition and baking fundamentals.
Culinary Essentials, Nutrition, Bakeshop I and II
These classes also are offered at the Danville Area Community College in Illinois. They’re augmented by courses in salads, sandwiches, farm-to-fork and other topics, all taught by master chefs in a state-of-the-art kitchen.
The choices at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis, Indiana are equally varied, and are available at nine locations. In addition to overall Culinary Arts classes they include baking and pastry, dietary administration and beverage management.
Hands-on experience is a focus of study at Edmonds Community College in Lynnwood, Washington. It blends classic cooking techniques with regional flavors. Students gain experience working in local kitchens, including the College Café.
Cook in a college café
Perfecting your pastry prowess, broiling brisket, and trying out regional recipes are just a few of the countless approaches to upgrading one’s culinary talents. Combining that learning experience with a sightseeing sojourn can offer benefits well beyond the plate and palate.
For a comprehensive list of cooking schools throughout the United States, log onto culinaryschools.org/us.
Victor Block retains the travel bug after gallivanting throughout the United States and to more than 75 other countries worldwide and writing about what he sees, does, and learns. He believes travel is the best possible education and claims he still has much to learn. He loves exploring new destinations and cultures, and his stories about them have won numerous writing awards.
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