OUR LATEST NEWS | THE FCI IN THE NEWS | BACKGROUND ON THE FCI | MEET THE CHEFS + FACULTY | CONTACT US

If you're a journalist, we invite you to visit us in person on our campus in New York City in the heart of Soho. You'll soon see there are no better hosts, anywhere.

You can dine in our celebrated restaurant, L'Ecole. Pose your questions to our distinguished deans, Alain Sailhac, André Soltner, Jacques Pépin, Jacques Torres, Cesare Casella, Andrea Robinson, and Alan Richman. Sit in on classes with our wonderful culinary or pastry arts students and dynamic Chef Instructors. Or perhaps watch one of the riveting demos held weekly in our renowned International Culinary Theatre.

To make an appointment, just contact Wendy Knight or call 212-219-8890. We look forward to seeing you.


OUR LATEST NEWS

04.16.08 The New York Culinary Experience 09.20.08-09.21.08
Is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in hands-on master classes, and eat with the most acclaimed chefs, restaurateurs and industry insiders. READ MORE

03.24.08 The jAMES BEARD FOUNDATION ANNOUNCED TODAY THE NOMINEES FOR THE 2008 JBF AWARDS
Multiple members of The FCI family have been recognized for excellence. Graduates, Deans and The FCI itself have received nominations. READ MORE

02.25.08 DMNEWS MAGAZINE TALKS TO FCI CEO AND FOUNDER DOROTHY HAMILTON ABOUT THE SCHOOL'S NEWLY-LAUNCHED “FRIENDS & FAMILY” AD CAMPAIGN
Learn more about the school's new “Friends & Family” advertising campaign featuring David Chang, Dan Barber, Bobby Flay, Donatella Arpaia, Danny Meyer, Jacques Torres and many more. READ MORE

02.20.08 THE FRENCH CULINARY INSTITUTE LAUNCHES THE “FRIENDS & FAMILY” ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
The French Culinary Institute Launches the “Friends & Family” advertising campaign, featuring a re-designed Website, new commercials and print ads created to reach the next generation of culinary professionals. READ MORE

10.21.07 THE INTERNATIONAL CULINARY CENTER HOSTS GROUNDBREAKING SUMMIT ON JAPANESE CUISINE
For one exceptional week in late October 2007, The International Culinary Center was home to 10 master Japanese chefs and culinary historians who were in New York to educate American chefs and press on authentic Japanese Cuisine. This ground-breaking event -- The Japanese Culinary Forum – delivered on The International Culinary Center’s mission of advancing the exchange of culinary knowledge among different cultures, and passing it along to the next generation of chefs. READ MORE

07.2.07 CALLING ALL CULINARY STUDENTS AND PROFESSIONALS!
The International Culinary Center to host the "Taste of Spain" Recipe Contest cook-off on October 26, 2007. This national contest - with over $12,200 in cash prizes - is open to all culinary students and professionals. Four finalists in the professional category will win an expense-paid trip to The ICC where they'll cook in the school's state of the art kitchens for a panel of judges in vying for the top prize! Click here for entry details.

06.7.07 THE ITALIAN CULINARY ACADEMY OFFICIALLY OPENS ITS DOORS!
Our mission of teaching authentic Italian cuisine, as opposed to the “Italian-American” style of cooking that is prevalent in the United States, guides classes for aspiring chefs and serious amateurs alike. READ MORE

05.29.07  SPECIAL OPEN HOUSE AT THE INTERNATIONAL CULINARY CENTER ON JUNE 9TH
Exciting chef demos and delicious tastings to be held at The International Culinary Center’s Special Open House on June 9th, from 10:00 am – 2:00pm. READ MORE

05.24.07 HAROLD MCGEE TO TEACH AT THE FCI
Harold McGee, preeminent authority on the science of food and cooking to teach FCI students how to “think like scientists.” READ MORE

05.17.07 BID ON A DATE WITH A CELEBRITY CHEF
“Date Night,” New York City’s first ever live chef auction to benefit Friends of The French Culinary Institute, a 501 (3) (c) non-profit organization devoted to funding scholarships for students in need to attend The FCI’s career track programs. READ MORE

05.17.07 THE ITALIAN CULINARY ACADEMY, SISTER SCHOOL TO THE FCI WELCOMES VISITING ITALIAN CHEF-INSTRUCTOR, JURY MULA
The Italian Culinary Academy, sister school to The FCI, is proud to host visiting Italian Chef Instructor Jury Mula of the Apro AlbaBarolo cooking school as part of an innovative culinary exchange program created by The Italian Culinary Foundation. Chef Jury, who hails from Milan, will work hand-in-hand with students, helping them to gain a solid fluency in authentic Italian Cuisine. READ MORE

03.29.07 THE FCI, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STONE BARNS CENTER FOR FOOD & AGRICULTURE, OFFERS A NEW "FOUR SEASON CHEF" PROGRAM
New York, NY – In a call to action for culinary professionals seeking to implement sustainable practices, The French Culinary Institute, in partnership with The Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture, is offering a new “Four Season Chef” program. Designed for chefs, restaurant managers and other food industry professionals, the course will offer students the tools necessary to begin the process of creating a sustainable restaurant, institution or kitchen which works both on a financial and practical level. READ MORE

03.29.07 New 26-Part Television Series, Chef’s Story, to air in April 2007
NEW YORK, NY — Chef’s Story - the much-anticipated new public television series, hosted by Dorothy Hamilton, founder and CEO of The French Culinary Institute and its umbrella organization, the International culinary Center, will begin airing in April 2007. READ MORE

< back to top >

THE FCI IN THE NEWS

The latest on The FCI. If you still have questions after reading our
stories, click here. Urgent deadlines, click here.

03.03.08 According to Chef Nils Noren, Vice President of Culinary Arts, Dave Arnold is doing “things I always wanted to but didn’t know how to.” In the eyes of one Time reporter, that makes Dave a “Mad Scientist in the Kitchen.” READ MORE

02.19.08 As Editor-in-Chief of Pastryscoop.com – The FCI-sponsored website that celebrates dessert – it’s Judiaann Woo’s job to regularly taste the sweet life. Read about her all-time favorite foods – both sweet and savory – as she kicks off her reign as “celebrity disher” on dishola.com. READ MORE

02.15.08 The prestigious StarChefs organization calls Dave Arnold, FCI's Director of Culinary Technology, a food–obsessed techie with a philosophy and fine arts degree" who "traded in the Nietzsche and the easels for vacuum sealers and thermal circulators." Read about Dave and his "Cool Career" at The FCI here and click here to see Dave's "Stuffed Poultry Sous Vide and Deep-Fried.

02.1.08 Dave Arnold, head of The FCI's Culinary Technology Department cuts through the "thicket of terminology and techniques to humanize hydrocolloids" in Food Arts Magazine. READ MORE

12.6.07 AM New York names The FCI’s student-run restaurant, L’ecole, as one of the top restaurants in New York for both the adventurous and traditional eater. READ MORE

12.6.07 Time Out New York hosts a blind tasting in order to test “the raw talent of three professional palates and one rookie to see who could identify the most ingredients in a given dish.” The tasting was conducted at The FCI and contestants sampled a menu from chef and vice president of culinary arts, Nils Noren. READ MORE

11.26.07 The FCI’s Dean of Pastry Studies, Jacques Torres, also known as Mr. Chocolate is interviewed by NY1’s Budd Miskin for their One On 1. READ MORE

11.22.07 The Boston Globe’s Sheryl Julian, speaks with FCI alum, Joh Kokubo, about his newly opened restaurant Kitchen on Common. What Julian particularly enjoyed was the warmth of the restaurant and that, ”Every morsel on every plate is homemade, sourced carefully, and well thought out.” READ MORE

11.01.2007 New York Magazine features The FCI’s brand new textbook, The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Cuisine, on its website as one of the top gifts to give for the holidays. READ MORE

05.1.07 The May issue of Food Arts highlights Vitaley Paley, FCI graduate and owner of Portland Oregon’s acclaimed Paley’s Place, and his recipe that garnered one of USA Today’s “Top 25 Dishes of 2006” honors. READ MORE

05.23.07 The New York Times profiles FCI “Outstanding Alumnus” Marc Vetri of Vetri and Osteria in Philadelphia and explains the difficulties of a chef being in two restaurants at once. READ MORE

05.23.07 Alum Christian Pappanicholas’s new New york City restaurant Resto garners two stars by The New York Times.READ MORE

05.22.07 A café that offers 160 types of cupcakes? Yes! And it’s run by an FCI gradute. Read all about Chef Joanne Butera and her Pane ed Acqua bakery in the Newark Star Ledger. READ MORE

05.21.07 Cesare Casella, Dean of our Italian Culinary Academy, and Dorothy Hamilton, founder of the school, talk to Bloomberg’s John Mariani on the guiding principle of the Academy’s curricula: authentic Italian cuisine. READ MORE

05.14.07 Three of Bon Appetit Magazine’s “Ten Picks for Where to Eat Now” are helmed by FCI Alums: Malika Ameen’s Aigre Doux in Chicago, David Chang’s Ssam Bar in New York, and Marc Vetri’s Osteria in Philadelphia. READ MORE

05.18.07 James Beard Rising Star winner for best new chef, David Chang, "knows what, not who, is cooking" in an recent New York Times article. READ MORE

05.16.07 The Los Angeles Times digs deep into Japanese kaiseki cuisine in Kyoto - -the focus of the upcoming “Japanese Culinary Forum” being held here at The International Culinary Center in October 2007. READ MORE

05.16.07 Jacques Pepin, The FCI’s own Dean of Special Projects, shares personal memories and some of his favorite cook-at-home recipes on Emeril Live! READ MORE

05.15.07 Dave Arnold, The FCI’s Director of Culinary Technology and artisanal ham expert, educates epicurious.com on the best texts for pig aficionados. READ MORE

03.15.07 Marnie Old, Wine Instructor at The FCI, in Time Out New York's "Wine vs. Beer" Showdown. Wine, sake, or beer - which sauce will be the boss? READ MORE

03.01.07 Men's Vogue tells of "Chef's Story", the new PBS series shot on location at The FCI, and hosted by our Founder, Dorothy Hamilton. READ MORE

02.28.07 The New York Times has The FCI's Director of Culinary Technology, Dave Arnold, weigh in on the dearth of women in the hi-tech arena. READ MORE

< back to top >

The French Culinary Institute Overview: The Roots, Antecedents, History, and Mystery
The French Culinary Institute teaches culinary protocol, language, and techniques which support the creation not only of French dishes, but virtually any dish in Western cuisine - whether its roots are in Orleans, Oslo, or Oshkosh.

Guided by a philosophy of Total Immersion^SM, The FCI offers separate and diverse courses for both career and amateur students, ranging from culinary and pastry arts to artisanal bread baking and culinary business courses.

• The Setting
  
• The Technique
  
• The World-Class Deans and Faculty
  
• Visiting Chefs
  
• L'Ecole
  
• International Culinary Theatre
  
• Kitchen Facilities
  
• Student Placement
  
• Housing
  
• The FCI's Student Clubs
  
• Curriculum and Course Offerings
  

The Setting
The French Culinary Institute is located in the heart of New York City's lively SoHo neighborhood, home to many gourmet groceries, greenmarkets, ethnic markets, and restaurants.

< back to top >

The Technique
The essence of The FCI's distinctive approach to cooking is the philosophy of Total Immersion^SM, encompassing a stellar roster of Deans and Instructors, and applied technique. 75% of the students' time is spent working in hands-on classes with an average student-to-teacher ratio of 12:1. In a matter of 6 months by day, or 9 months by night, students gain and perfect skills that would normally take years to develop. This hands-on approach encompasses the 250 basic building blocks of Western cuisine, as well as real life experience in the kitchen of the critically acclaimed L'Ecole, the Restaurant of The FCI, where students rotate through all stations.

The World-Class Deans and Faculty
The FCI's faculty is headed by a group of distinguished Deans, all of whom have received top honors in the culinary world:

• Alain Sailhac, Executive Vice President, Dean Emiritus (appointed 2006). Sailhac joined The FCI after garnering four stars at two Manhattan restaurants: Le Cynge and Le Cirque. The 50-year food industry veteran supervises The FCI's faculty, students and day-to-day operations, and provides career advising for students. READ MORE
• Jacques Pépin, Master Chef, Dean of Special Programs (appointed 1988). Known for his award-winning PBS-TV series and his numerous cookbooks, Pépin, served as personal chef to three French heads of state. He provides regular cooking demonstrations and student consultations.
  READ MORE
• Jacques Torres, Master Chef, Dean of Pastry Arts (appointed 1993). This James Beard Foundation Award-winning pastry chef, who was the Executive Pastry Chef of Le Cirque before opening Jacques Torres Chocolates, was responsible for developing the Classic Pastry Arts curriculum. Most recently, Chef Torres opened Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven in Manhattan where he makes chocolate from bean to bar.
  READ MORE
• André Soltner, Master Chef, Dean of Classic Studies (appointed 1995). For 34 years Soltner was the Chef-Owner of the legendary four-star restaurant Lutéce in New York City. He currently divides his time at the school between cooking demonstrations and career advising. READ MORE
• Andrea Robinson, Dean of Wine Studies (appointed 2003). Author and Television personality Immer is one of several women in the U.S. to hold the title Master Sommelier. She designed The FCI's wine education program and teaches with The FCI's wine faculty. She is also recognized as the host of Pairings, on the Fine Living Network. Immer holds a diploma in Culinary Arts from The FCI. READ MORE
• Alan Richman, Dean of Food Journalism (appointed 2004). Richman has won an unprecedented 12 James Beard Foundation Journalism Awards, and a National Magazine Award, for his food writing and restaurant critique and currently writes for Bon Appétit, GQ and Condé NastTraveler. He is responsible for overseeing and teaching the new Food Journalism curriculum for The FCI. READ MORE

< back to top >

Visiting Chefs
Visiting chefs from around the world and adjunct pastry faculty put students in direct contact with the culinary industry beyond the classroom. Through lectures, cooking demonstrations and wine tastings, students can interact and converse with culinary legends such as master cake designer and visiting master pastry instructor Ron Ben-Israel.

L'Ecole
During the last third of their training, L'Ecole, the Restaurant of The FCI, provides a unique opportunity for culinary students to apply their skills in every station of a busy kitchen. Under the watchful eye of Chef-Instructors, students learn to prepare meals for New York's sophisticated clientele. Zagat® Survey rated the restaurant highly, comparing it to "getting Prada wholesale."

International Culinary Theater
Many chef demonstrations are produced in The FCI's state-of-the-art amphitheater every year. As part of their training, students observe prominent guest chefs presenting new ideas and imparting classic techniques weekly. The amphitheater has served as the setting for a PBS cooking series, culinary contests by People magazine, and was the home of the New York Times online cooking class.

< back to top >

Kitchen Facilities
The FCI consistently invests in its facilities in order to maintain hi-tech, high-end kitchens for their students. Custom-designed equipment ranges from Jade ranges, Winkler Wachtel deck ovens to Vulcan Swiss kettles and much more. Students become adept at using a wide variety of the very best equipment available in the culinary industry, resulting in the experience and the confidence to work within kitchens.

Student Placement
The majority of The FCI's student body are career changers who have decided to pursue their true passion. Every career program graduate is entitled to ongoing career advising, resume assistance and career placement from The FCI's Office of Alumni Affairs. The FCI has helped place graduates in positions at top New York restaurants such as Daniel, Le Cirque 2000, Union Square Cafe, Blue Hill, and Balthazar, and at restaurants virtually all over the world. The FCI's graduates can be found in every facet of the food world: on both sides of the camera for Food Network; writing and editing for America's major food and wine magazines; as food stylists for television, films, and print; catering, and as chefs and owners of top restaurants around the globe.

Housing
Short-term housing options are available for career students in apartments on Roosevelt Island and in Brooklyn Heights. Rent includes all furnishings, utilities, a 24-hour concierge and security system, and use of the fitness center. Rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis and we also help students arrange alternative housing.

< back to top >

Student Clubs
Student clubs provide organized visits and experiences to encourage sampling of the best New York has to offer.

• The Foragers Club was inspired by Alice Waters. Students embark on voyages of discovery to such destinations as the greenmarkets of New York or the Fulton Fish Market at dawn, organic farms, famous vineyards and artisanal cheesemakers, as well as visits to Central Park where students learn to forage for edible plants.The Wine Club expands students' knowledge not only of wine, but also of spirits, beer, tea, and coffee - students will discover the unique and marvelous relationship each has with food. Guest speakers (and teachers) are sommeliers from New York's great restaurants. Noted names include: Jospeph Bastianich (Italian Wine Merchants), Daniel Johnnes (Montrachet, Tribeca Grill), and The FCI's Dean of Wine Studies, Andrea Robinson, master sommelier.
• The Supper Club organizes evenings at several of Manhattan's finest and most intriguing restaurants. Students get a rare insider's view during their visit, with an opportunity to savor meals that are specially prepared for them. Participating restaurants have included Blue Hill, Daniel, wd~50, and Mix in New York.

< back to top >

Other Affiliations

• Slow Food USA, like The FCI, is committed to promoting pure food that is seasonal, local, and organically grown. The American branch of this worldwide organization serves almost 6,000 members. Slow Food USA collaborates with The FCI. Details:http://www.slowfoodusa.org
• PastryScoop.com - The FCI launched PastryScoop.com, a comprehensive online resource focused on the topic of desserts and pastries, in 2003. It is designed to inspire and inform professionals and non-professionals alike. Visitors can to find the latest trends and innovation, along with tips and techniques from industry professionals. They'll also find PastryScoop.com to be a valuable an on-line resource connection with comprehensive listings of where to get supplies and equipment, information on contests, scholarships, food events, ingredient tables, and an extensive conversion chart for weights and measures. We also post demonstrations, recipes, interviews, career guidance, and information about pastry educational programs.

< back to top >

A Quick History Lesson.
The French Culinary Institute enlivens a tradition that began with the Master Chef Marie Antoine (Antonin) Carême, "the king of cooks and cook of kings," (1784-1833). He wrote volumes formulating the principles of la haute cuisine. Carême redesigned kitchen utensils, saucepans, and molds, and is believed responsible even for the design of the classic toque chefs still wear today. His tradition was continued by the French Master Chef Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935). During his lifetime, the techniques and lexicon of classic French cooking were modernized and simplified. Credited with the invention of over 10,000 recipes, Escoffier perfected the dishes, sauces and elegant display of French cuisine and trained hundreds of chefs in the grand tradition. He wound up his long career by recording techniques and terminology of the kitchen, thereby codifying the 250 standards of Western cuisine.

The French Culinary Institute (The FCI), founded in 1984, bases its sophisticated curriculum on those same terms and classic skills, preparing students for careers in any kitchen, anywhere. In the tradition of Carême and Escoffier (but in a much quicker time frame), The FCI trains students with a rigorous, hands-on, Total Immersion^SM technique that teaches the necessary skills until they become second nature.

The resulting abilities and confidence gained in a period of six to nine months is extraordinary. Students emerge with the strength that comes from having worked in an intense, disciplined, and fast-moving program. Culinary students rotate through all stations of our acclaimed restaurant, L'Ecole, where they serve discriminating and sophisticated palates. As a result, every graduate of The FCI also enjoys the added advantage of exceptional credentials -- the result of the superb work of students who have come before.

< back to top >

It All Began With a Trip to Europe.
The FCI began when Dorothy Cann Hamilton, Founder and CEO, combined her passion for excellent food with a resolve to create something lasting and important. As president of her father's company, Apex Technical Schools, Hamilton traveled to Europe in 1980 as a delegate from the National Association of Trade and Technical Schools. While there, she was introduced to a Paris institution called Ecoles Grégoire Ferrandi, a training ground for fine chefs.

Hamilton immediately envisioned the creation of an American branch, approached the head of the school, and was promptly refused. However, that decision was reversed in 1981 when François Mitterand was elected president and doing business with the U.S. began to be considered an attractive opportunity.

The Power Went out, Julia Child Came in, and the Rest is History.
Plans to open the school began, and Hamilton's challenges were just beginning. In 1984, just one week after the school was finally operational, Con Edison (the giant utilities provider) turned off the gas. With few alternatives, the school was temporarily closed, and the 11 students and one instructor were sent home for a week. Then the fateful phone call came: Gourmet Magazine asked if Julia Child might visit the school for dinner that Friday. With the same resolve she used to create the school in the first place, Hamilton brought it back to life within the week, hosted Julia Child for dinner and won the respect of the reigning "Queen of Cuisine." Child featured The FCI on a segment of "Good Morning America" and the school started its growth.

As of 2002, The FCI has trained over 6,000 students and has been recognized as one of the world's pre-eminent cooking schools for professionals and serious amateurs. And, in 2002, The FCI premiered its first culinary business courses, in successful catering, restaurateuring, and wine merchandising.

< back to top >

It Takes a Legend to Make our Deans List.
Members of the faculty include Master Chef-Deans Alain Sailhac, André Soltner, Jacques Pépin, and Jacques Torres; Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson; and Dean of Food Journalism, Alan Richman. Students also have the opportunity to learn from renowned visiting chefs such as Bobby Flay, a graduate of The FCI's first class in 1984 and owner acclaimed restaurants including Mesa Grill and Bolo; Roger Fessaguet, one of the world's most-honored French chefs; and Florian Bellanger, the highly respected pastry arts chef from Le Bernardin. Direct access to the work, philosophy and guidance of such luminaries is one of the key elements in The FCI's growing success. Many of today's highly regarded chefs, food writers, and restaurant owners are, in fact, alumni of The FCI. That's why The FCI has gained a reputation as the school where great chefs teach…and are created.

Superior Training in Less Time: The Secret.
The FCI is committed to teaching students the most rigorous standards of international cuisine and pastry arts while keeping in sight the realities of their lives and the lives to which they aspire. Many of our culinary and pastry arts students come to us from a university background and an established career in another field. Others are young students, simply eager to get started with their career. In both cases, the last thing they wish to commit to is another four years of training. So we offer a culinary arts program that teaches them excellence in 6 or 9 months and sends them into the world with top skills, confidence, credentials, and culinary contacts.

< back to top >

This is how, why, and what we teach at The FCI:

• Total Immersion^SMCareer CoursesAmateur CoursesCulinary Business Courses
• Applying

Total Immersion^SM: The FCI Way
Centuries ago, culinary training in haute cuisine was very much hands-on, but the time frame for mastering skills was measured in years, not months.

The FCI teaches the 250 classic French culinary techniques that form the building blocks of all fine Western cuisine, but with a radical approach: Total Immersion^SM. Students learn the appropriate theory, procedures, and recipes, yet over 75% of their time is spent, hands-on, working in the kitchen. Immediately putting their knowledge to practical use, developing their culinary skills under the watchful eyes of distinguished Chef-Instructors. On the very first day of Pastry Arts, students are making a French apple tart. Early on in Culinary Arts, they're learning meticulous knifework and preparing stocks. When students study wine, they sample and compare some 100 vintages. The courses move quickly, and students are expected to work hard to keep their skills on the leading edge of the curriculum.

Proof that it Works: Just Look at where our Alumni Work.
Our graduates are chefs, owners and managers of top restaurants, bakeries and food establishments in New York City (including the likes of Daniel, Le Cirque 2000, Union Square Cafe, Blue Hill, and Balthazar) and around the world, as well as renowned experts in other facets of the culinary world outside the kitchen. You'll find them on both sides of the camera for Food Network; writing and editing for America's major food and wine magazines; as food stylists for television, films, and print; catering, and more.

Right now, we're training the next generation of culinary stars. We invite you to visit our campus in new York City's SoHo section and see for yourself. You can dine in our celebrated restaurant, L'Ecole. Pose your questions to our distinguished deans, Alain Sailhac, André Soltner, Jacques Pépin, Jacques Torres, Andrea Robinson, and Alan Richman. Sit in on classes with our wonderful culinary arts students and dynamic Chef-Instructors. Or perhaps watch one of the riveting demos held weekly in our renowned International Culinary Theater.

To make an appointment, just contact The FCI's Wendy Knight.
Or call 212-219-8890.

Media Contact: Wendy Knight
Email: press@frenchculinary.com
Phone: (212) 219-8890
Fax: (212) 226-0672

< back to top >