An unexpected delight during vacation was a tour of the Culinary Institution of America in Hyde Park, New York. The individual giving the tour was in the bakery program which requires a total of 21 months, broken up into 3 week classes that meet for 6 or 7 hours a day. They have 16 or so cohorts moving through the training with a graduation held every 3 weeks. There is a banquet each time, prepared and served by students earlier in their program. But our first exposure was at a fine French meal.
The CIA has multiple restaurants at which these aspiring chefs and bakers learn the "front of the house." Our trip coincided with the start of a fresh rotation so almost everyone was new to their jobs. For example, the bottle of champagne I ordered was the first our waitress had ever opened table side. What I found so fascinating and delightful as an educator was that an expert was literally at the student's elbow to work her through the process. This guy wasn't simply the maitre d' or the most experienced: he was the lecturing instructor in table service. We also saw him instructing uncertain waitresses as they sliced and served Châteaubriand. And Bananes Flambées. But beyond the drama of the performance, I wa caught up in the gentle presence of instructors.
Back to the tour. We were able to look into maybe 4 to 6 classrooms in which young cooks were learning to make pastries, decorate cookies, etc. There was no joking around as everyone was very intent upon their work. They didn't cower from the instructor but they obviously had great regard for the Chef. Our tour guide pointed to one older gentleman ... who she credited with bringing creme brulee to America. Wow! I'm still trying to sort out the possible parallels to teacher preparation and/or educational researcher development. The meal was fantastic on the palate and in the belly. The environment continues to tantalize my mind.
The CIA has multiple restaurants at which these aspiring chefs and bakers learn the "front of the house." Our trip coincided with the start of a fresh rotation so almost everyone was new to their jobs. For example, the bottle of champagne I ordered was the first our waitress had ever opened table side. What I found so fascinating and delightful as an educator was that an expert was literally at the student's elbow to work her through the process. This guy wasn't simply the maitre d' or the most experienced: he was the lecturing instructor in table service. We also saw him instructing uncertain waitresses as they sliced and served Châteaubriand. And Bananes Flambées. But beyond the drama of the performance, I wa caught up in the gentle presence of instructors.
Back to the tour. We were able to look into maybe 4 to 6 classrooms in which young cooks were learning to make pastries, decorate cookies, etc. There was no joking around as everyone was very intent upon their work. They didn't cower from the instructor but they obviously had great regard for the Chef. Our tour guide pointed to one older gentleman ... who she credited with bringing creme brulee to America. Wow! I'm still trying to sort out the possible parallels to teacher preparation and/or educational researcher development. The meal was fantastic on the palate and in the belly. The environment continues to tantalize my mind.
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