Chefs Anthony Bourdain & Eric Ripert discuss the value of cooking school.

From "An Evening with Anthony Bourdain & Eric Ripert"
Part of the FOOD FOR THOUGHT celebration presented by the Indiana Humanities Council and Spirit & Place on September 30, 2010, at Clowes Memorial Hall.

[@qazmko22]

For those who are interested in this career, I suggest you DO read his book "Kitchen Confidential". He expands on the idea of kitchens being hard grueling work, it's not just free food at Michelin star restaurants, it's much more then that. It's a quick read, it's funny.

[@annamo9354]

I remember seeing Tony at the Edinburgh Literary Festival in 2011 and he answered the same question...the thought of paying thousands of dollars to go to culinary school and then start as a Commis is ridiculous!! In my country you have a 3 year apprenticeship where you work in a hotel/restaurant kitchen and simultaneously go to hospitality school. At the end you take a theoretical and practical test and -voilá- you are a chef. Big difference? You actually earn money...not a lot, but at least you don't get yourself into debt!!

[@phaedrussmith1949]

The confluence of art and money is an interesting place where many truths are revealed.

[@MrJacksonvill]

he's so right..its a rough business..its very time consuming..and whats funny about this business is that once your in with your heart..holding a job in it can very nerve wrecking. There is always somebody who wants your ob. There is trained and untrained,its very competitive and its not for everybody. I'am not a normal person in the sense of playing it safe..I went to show business,I know about risk taking. So I find this culinary business a challenge like show business.

[@RodWon]

DAMN!! I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY MISS TONY SOOO, SOOO, SOOO MUCH!!! HE was ABSOLUTELY the BEST, BEST, BEST STORY TELLER THAT EVER WAS & LIVED!! HE SOMEHOW HAD A KNACK FOR IT AND IT WAS SO EASY FOR HIM. ITS SO, SO, SO SAD THAT HE PASSED AWAY 1 DAY BEFORE MY DAD PASSED AWAY. LIFE CAN REALLY, REALLY, REALLY SUCK AT TIMES!! I FEEL FOR HIS DAUGHTER. I THINK SHE WAS ONLY 13 YEARS OLD WHEN HE "LEFT". I WAS SO, SO DISAPPOINTED IN HIM THAT HE DIDN'T SEEK HELP. WHO KNOWS, MAYBE HE'D STILL BE HERE!! HIS FAMILY DIDN'T DESERVE WHAT HE DID NOR DID THE WORLD. IT'S SO, SO DIFFICULT TO EVEN THINK THAT HE DID IT ALL OVER A WOMAN!! NOBODY IS WORTH DYING OVER!! OBVIOUSLY, HE LOVED HER MORE THAN SHE LOVED HIM. I HONESTLY THOUGHT HE WAS A MUCH, MUCH, MUCH STRONGER PERSON. I SURE WISHED HE WAS!! MAY TONY REST IN ETERNAL PEACE, LOVE AND GLORY!! HE IS SURELY, SURELY MISSED AND WILL ALWAYS, ALWAYS? ALWAYS BE SO, SO MISSED. REST EASY MY FRIEND! I BET YOU'RE EATING WELL UP IN HEAVEN!! ❤

[@maceharrington9460]

Funny how everyone was laughing... RIP

[@edwardsalazar9476]

"you see the dream die"

[@ianmcg1252]

Great advice from Eric...oh wait you cut that out.

[@chipblock2854]

Some people go to the CIA believing that upon graduation they will be a chef or sous chef. Then they find out the chef's title is years away, if ever. I worked up to sous chef in about seven years and left the business. I knew I would make chef one day but I lost the drive. Even with seven years experience the one place I wanted to work was the French Laundry in Califorina. I need more French cooking experience and going to France was not possible and a couple of French restaurants in the US would hire me as a inecook again. I am now in a field that is so far away from cooking. I now own a mortorary and I love it a lot. Still long hours but I don't have to stand on the line and worry about making a great meal for someone.

[@celestialdragon3989]

I’d enjoy a food school just for my own info & to learn cooking....as a hobby type thing, not as a career

[@bartofilms]

I know a guy who graduated from a culinary school and when dining guest asked what the squab he prepared was sitting on, rather than saying 'polenta' he said 'placenta'. Doh!

[@koreanwutard]

HAHAHAHA!! He is SOOO right!!!!! Welcome to nyc..

[@finn6861]

Toni-you look a little antzy here.What Toni describes perfectly captures the career I just spent 34yrs in-Operating Room nursing.I am really shocked at how closely the Culinary world resembles the atmosphere of the surgical suite..If I had Culinary School skills I could probably move right into Les Halles & not know the difference.I looked into a small school in my area & was shocked at the cost.Before I learned the cost I imagined,I could manage with a grant & maybe use some home equity-cont

[@finn6861]

Cont'd--Until I found basic cost was over 30000.This for a small no name school in Maryland let alone the CIA.So the life I know I could do-But the cost?So now I'm looking for a way to acquire kitchen experience without going through school path.The goal really isn't to land a spot in a 3 star-It's just the opportunity to cook.

[@TheFrenchmanCooks]

How'd it work out for you?