The Triumphant Return

Here I am. I have returned to the delightful upper middle class city of Downingtown, PA. Back the the lovely meals at Chili's, Ruby Tuesday's, and the ever gourmet Applebees!

All judgment aside, I am excited to be back in a safe place that I am familiar with. The comfort of knowing where to go and how much things will cost is much appreciated. I am unfortunately returning to my hometown as a changed man. It really sucks that I didn't blog throughout my last year at school. From the time I returned from externship until I graduated was one of the most defining times of my life. I would have had some really interesting posts back then.

I have graduated from the prestigious CIA and am now ready to face the world as a culinary professional. WEIRD. I will be return to work at the lovely Savona (web page here) in Gulph Mills, PA. I am really excited to show off and apply what I learned. A lot of Alum from the CIA are really big headed and try to sit back and ride their degree trough life. I really hate people like that. They give me a bad name. The comforting truth is that the increase of culinary students in the world is making that laziness completely ineffective. There are 15 graduations a year from the CIA with an average class size of 80 students. that's 1200 students a year form one school.

With more and more Culinary degrees in the field, each degree means less. 15 years ago, an application with a Culinary Degree attached to it was a sure bet for a hire. Now, my Culinary Institute of America degree makes me no better than the 20 other Culinarians applying to Jean Georges each week.

Although it means that my $60 K buys me less prestige than it might have a decade ago, it does certainly level the playing field. A culinary degree is fast becoming an industry standard. Unless you served as an apprentice to Marco Pierre White, worked at the french laundry, and bussed tables at Daniel, you are not going to go anywhere if you're starting up with out a degree.

Ok, ok. That's clearly not true. I know some great cooks who have never set foot in an academic kitchen but the degree certainly does help. I have increased my knowledge of food, my professional network, and my confidence more than I ever could have by spending 2 years in the field. I am certainly proud of my Degree and I will make my effort in school and in life pay off. I have work too hard to be where I am to simply settle at a job that I don't want and can't grow with.

Hopefully I will be writing again shortly... But then again, we all saw how well my last post worked out.