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.
If I had enough time/money, I would love to take them all, but the one I would take first would be the Skills Development Bootcamp.
The Art & Science of Cooking Boot Camp looks freakin’ phenomenal!
I love pastries so Pastry Boot Camp!
The class I would love to take is baking for brunch
Subscribed to CIA =)
The 5-day Culinary Boot Camp – Basic Training would be my dream enthusiast program to take.
My choice for a 1-day class is Home-Baking Skills for Profit or Pleasure.
My choice for a one day class would be Cake decorating
I signed up for the CIA newsletter
I subscribed to one of the CIA’s newsletters.
i love bread (carb-lover here), so the artisan bread class would be my dream class to participate in.
PS Your kid is so cute! More photogenci than the food, hee.
Again, bread lover here, so the •Specialty and Hearth Breads Boot Camp’ sounds like a gem to me.
I love italian cuisine, my choice would be Italian cooking at home.
I love this idea for an article. Cooking food is all about trying new things, sharing and making the experience an event. I would love to take the World cuisine boot camp or the Bistro boot camp and use what I learn for all of the above.
Baking is on the new side for me. I’d love to take the creative cupcakes class and make them for my kids.
I subscribed to the CIA mailing list!
I would love to take the flavors of Asia course! Last night we made a large Korean BBQ spread at home, and some of the dishes were just right, but I still have much to learn. Thanks for this offer!
The Culinary Travel Program to Italy looks awesome!! I would love to spend 9 days in Italy enjoying great food and learning new culinary techniques.
I have a sweet tooth and the Chocolates and confections at home class is right up my alley.
I subscribed to the mailing list. Thanks!!!
My dream would be to attend the Culinary Travel Program. I have been researching it on the web, but the course fees are beyond my affordability.
I subscribed to the mailing list!
The artisan bread clas would be my choice for the one day class. I have tried on several occasions to make bread at home. I was not very successful!
I’d take my parents to the Healthy Cooking at Home class!
The Specialty and Hearth Breads Boot Camp sounds amazing! I’d love to always have freshly-baked bread at home
I’ve subscribed to the CIA mailing list. Thanks!
Dream class: World Cuisine Boot Camp (Hyde Park, NY)
One day class: Healthy Cooking at Home (Hyde Park, NY)
Signed up for the newsletter 🙂
Thank you!
Wow, who knew? Mediterranean Boot Camp would be amazing
I’d like to attend culinary boot camp. Because I could use the basics and it would help me get better and making all dishes instead of being tied down to one direct dish. I enjoy cooking all dishes but need to learn basics.
there are so many one day classes it’s hard to choose. Mine would be
Poultry from Roosters to Roasters
I have been cooking for years would love to be able to attend world cuisine boot camp (Hyde Park NY) would be so inspired! Nothing better than Good food,fine wine, and Great friends!
If I won I’d choose the Italian cooking at home. Mainly cause I loveeee pasta and enjoy cooking with garlic and olive oil! Never been to Italy but would love to learn to cook like I lived there!
i would obviously and eagerly take the dessert boot camp–what a dream come true!
Subscribed to CIA mailing list !
Skill Development boot camp, or Italian Cuisine!
For the one-day class, I’d love to take Italian Cooking at Home!!
I signed up for their mailing list!
Would love to take Basic Boot Camp and Skills Development, but I am also so intimidated by baking that it would be great to take the Specialty and Hearth Breads Boot Camp! Overcome my fear of YEAST!
For a one-day class, I’d love to take “An Indian Feast”. I was lucky enough to take three days of classes with Julie Sahni last year, immersing myself in Indian, but the cuisines of India encompass so much! There is so much to learn! Another day would be wonderful!
I would love to take every one of the Boot Camp offerings, and would start with the Dessert Boot Camp in Hyde Park!
If I were picking a one-day class, it would be Cookies at Home!
I have subscribed to several of the CIA’s newsletters for years now.
I’d like to attend the Mediterranean boot camp!
I am a subscriber to the CIA newsletters
My one day class choice would probably be “Behind the Meat Counter”
It is my dream to take the culinary boot camp in Franklin Tn. I live too far from CIA to go in person, but the fact that they are coming to me? AMAZING.
The basic skills bootcamp would be fantastic, but will probably always be a dream since it isn’t cheap.
Artisan breads would probably be my one day choice.