Anyone who loves to cook has heard of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). It is the premier culinary school of the United States and according to Paul Bocuse, “the best culinary school in the world.” What you may not know — I sadly did not — is that it is also the best food-lovers vacation as well! The CIA campus is best described as Hogwarts for chefs: from the buzz of food talk down every hall and corridor, the cathedral ceilings of their dining hall, to the scents that waft in every direction; there is a magical feel that must come from the dense concentration of master chefs and aspiring chefs all in one location. I felt a sense of home to a place I had never been before and I never wanted to leave. It is something every cooking enthusiast must experience for themselves.
While you are at CIA, take a tour. The grounds are beautiful, the kitchens have big viewing windows (you won’t be able to resist peering in), and you can start oogling over the restaurants. Definitely stop in at Apple Pie Bakery, where you don’t need a reservation. Have some pastries and a latte and make sure to take extras to go.
(The Flamiche is incredible!)
Dine at one of the four restaurants (American Bounty, Escoffier, Caterina de ‘Medici, St. Andrews Cafe). The best part, take a class! There are one-day food enthusiasts classes up to five day boot camps (at locations in San Antonio, TX; Napa Valley, CA; and Hyde Park, NY.) More about the surrounding area too in an upcoming post…
You might have to be a cooking geek to appreciate this video; well I am and I could have sat and talked cafe business all day with Matthew (manager at Apple Pie Bakery) and Jay Blotcher (CIA’s publicist). I wanted to share a little of that with you… AND, one lucky winner will get to go experience a class at the CIA!
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Give-Away:
FoodMayhem.com and the CIA are giving away a one-day Food Enthusiast class! Your gift certificate (value $250) is redeemable throughout 2012! This class happens on Saturdays at the CIA’s Hyde Park campus from 9am to 2:30pm. Take a day-long cooking class and go home with a CIA toque, apron, and your newly-honed culinary skills! To view all 2012 weekend classes, visit CIA’s website.
How to Enter:
1. Check out all the food enthusiast programs at the CIA and leave a comment here (and a way for me to contact you) telling me which class or boot camp would be your dream to take.
2. You can have a second entry by checking out the long list of one-day classes and telling me which one you’d choose if you won. (Don’t worry, you can switch to a different one if you change your mind.)
3. You can have a third entry by submitting a third and separate comment letting me know that you’ve subscribed to the CIA mailing list.
One winner will be selected at random at 10:30am on Monday, January 30, 2012
*Note: I was not compensated for this post. Although I attended a sponsored press trip to the CIA where I got to watch a bit of a class, eat lunch with the class, and sample a few pastries from Apple Pie Bakery without charge. I approached them for the give-away because I really thought the CIA was just so awesome!!
This might be our best give away to date, so go for it!
The winner is #64! Congratulations to Jeannie!
Filed under Give-Aways, Restaurants, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
I subscribed to several of the newsletters.
I love to take the appetizers class, I have been meaning to do a boot camp at the CIA, but in between work schedule and finance, it has been difficult.
I submitt to the CIA newsletter
I would love to take the pastry boot camp
If I had to choose just one I would have to go with the “French Cuisine” bootcamp!
My second entry would be choosing the “Baking at Home-The Desserts” class. The delights right at my fingertips! I also signed up for the newsletter! Luck wished to me!
I would love to do the •Mediterranean Boot Camp in NY. What a great way to go back to school!
For a one day class it would have to be ‘Taste of India’! That is my dream vacation place and comfort food to me.
It’s so hard to choose just one. I think I’d like to start with the basics. Really hone my skills.
I just subscribed to the newsletter. What a treat to get their Top 10 Appetizer Recipes too!
For the one day class, I would love the cake decorating class.
Subscribed! (But had already been looking at classes….) 🙂
And three: subscribed!
All the classes, weekends, and bootcamps sound wonderful!
Bistros and Brasserie’s will be my choice !
oh, and French Cuisine Boot Camp !
I’ve always thought the Christmas cookie classes would be fascinating.
I recently took the “CIA Favorites” class with my son. Teens can take classes too! So many classes, so little time.
I think I would like to take the “Baking for Brunch” class then have a bunch of people over for brunch.
Third and final. Signed up for the newsletter so I can keep up to date on the classes being offered. Maybe take another with my teen.
It would have to be the Italian cooking or the Bistros and Brasseries for me!
And I think I’m a bit backwards – but for the bookcamps – I’m predictable, but it would have to be the Italian Cuisine bootcamp!
And I’m all signed up for the newsletters to stay informed about all the classes. I’m lucky to live so close 🙂
I would love to take the Healthy Cooking food-enthusiast class. We’ve visited the CIA twice, many years ago and eaten at both the French and American restaurants. Thanks for offering the giveaway.
The 1-day class I’m interested in is Gourmet Meals in Minutes. I can be contacted via email.
I’ve signed for the newsletter. Thanks for reminding about the CIA. I’d forgotten about this resource.
Oh there are a couple of classes that sound great!
I would say…World Cuisine Boot camp
oops, I did not mean to hit submit….
then for the one day class, sharpening your knife skills. If that class was full, then I would take chocolates and confections.
I would love to attend •Specialty and Hearth Breads Boot Camp
•Baking for Brunch would be a wonderful win for me!
I subscribe to the CIA’s mailing list. I’ve already taken a few food enthusiast courses there. I would love the opportunity to take more.
I would happily take any boot camp, save baking. Asian Boot Camp. Mediterranean. Very happy!
I subscribe to several of the CIA’s newsletters and just signed up for a new one!
For a one day Boot Camp ~ I think I would like the seafood fabrication. I took the meat fabrication and while I do some “cutting” it was FABULOUS! Chef Elias was da bomb!
I would do the Asian Cuisine Boot Camp!
Likewise, I would do the Flavors of Asia one-day class.
So many good options to pick from. I’ll go with Under the Sea.
Seond choice would be Flavors of Asia.
Under The Sea, so I can be Ariel and eat my friends too. Hahaha!
Pastry Bootcamp sound divine.
Subscribed to mailing list.
baking for brunch! want to wow my guests at a party!
Hey Renee, sorry give-away is over. =( Try back soon for another one.
Hello! Someone in my Myspace group shared this website with us so I came to take a look.
I’m definitely loving the information. I’m book-marking
and will be tweeting this to my followers! Outstanding blog and
outstanding style and design.