Written by guest contributor Andrew / Mr. SoCal Field Trips
In September, my friend Don “The Godfather” and I had the great pleasure of visiting Orange County’s new premier culinary school called the CulinaryLab Cooking School! If you are serious about becoming a professional chef, you need to check this school out. The school is a work of art, located at the Anaheim Packing District in Anaheim, California. The entrance alone sits behind the veil of some impressive works of art. And that’s just the beginning!
Let’s start with the foundation of the school, the brains behind this fantastic creation; I’ll call them the fabulous four! Meet Chef Ryan. A successful restaruantreprenuer (…hey, that’s a real word, right?), he brings over 20 years of experience to the table with impressive credentials and experience. He’s been on the Food Network, has owned successful businesses and is a proclaimed “Food Geek”! Yes, you want to learn from someone this passionate about food!
Chef Ryan and his team bring cutting edge technology to the chopping board (…I like that pun too!). When you enroll, you automatically received a Google Chrome book, laden with video driven curriculum. This game-changer of a culinary school also takes a ‘hands-on’ approach with its students…that is, getting your hands working in some of Orange County’s top-rated restaurants. That’s right, you get your internship from the get-go!
Upon entering the CulinaryLab Cooking School, we were greeted by Golgi, who is a fountain of knowledge when it comes to cooking sustainable food. She has a graduate degree in Food Culture and has traveled the globe working the food chain from farmers to chefs. Golgi gave an informative presentation on various herbs and provided us a sample of those herbs, aromatic and refreshing to the palate.
Next up is Chef Mike, AKA “The Diver”. He’s a CIA graduate and seafood specialist, and yes, he’s a sea diver too! He did a wonderful presentation on preparing and marinating beef (consistency of filet mignon) in a couple different ways, served alongside thinly sliced potatoes. Both were delicious. Mike also did a presentation on preparing and serving tuna sashimi.
The grand finale was Chef Colleen. We had the great pleasure of sampling some of Colleen’s treats such as ice cream made with nitrous oxide and freshly prepared brownies. By far, it was a very tasty education! Colleen is also a very accomplished chef, with international experience and has worked with some of the greatest chefs in the world. She has a true passion for educating aspiring chefs, having worked at Cal State University Long Beach.
For sure, some of the world’s up and coming chefs will be born from the premise of the CulinaryLab Cooking School. Even Don, my 81-year-old “godfather” who I brought along for the evening, asked about enrolling!
Happy Cooking!
Andrew
Disclosure: SoCal Field Trips was invited to the CulinaryLab Cooking School event as a member of the media. All points of view and opinions are my own.