# I just turned 27, what are my best options.



## eldoc (Oct 23, 2010)

Life dawned on me in a rough way.  I never had the feeling of "ever since I was so and so age I knew my calling" and so far I have made many foolish decisions and also have very few remaining ideas that inspire me to see a good successful life in the future.

I would like to work for david bouley, I am half austrian and I believe part of my life troubles are due to me being a confused half european with out many family links. (they are in austria)

I can get loans or pell grants, maybe even for the CIA where I could transfer my FLorida State University credits. Alot of the courses there are not cooking related!

Or I could go to keiser culinary institute here in town.

The less time in school the better, the highest chance of working in new york or miami or europe, the better (humor me)

IS this at all realistic?

I dont know how to decide between pastry and culinary arts in any case, and I would really like to make dobos and linzer torte, sacher torte, sables, palatchsinkens, knodels, indianner krapfen and other vienese pastries  or dumplings asap...

But I will take what life offers


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## eldoc (Oct 23, 2010)

http://www.notterschool.com/european.html

looks amazing


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## eldoc (Oct 23, 2010)

I dream of cooking food from africa, trinidad, slovenia, austria, germany, france, iran, lebanon and asia.

MY most recent job was at a carry out chinese place, they could cook authentic chicken feet and rabbit stews and pig tongues, congee (rice and chicken porridge), potato dumplings, but no one ever ordered and they wouldnt put this on the menu, they even cooked chicken that was still raw in the center (rare chicken)

i figured if i could manage business we could re vamp the restaurant with a chinese street food/peasant/vilalge food slant, sell alcohol and make more money, but i left and am still struggling with anthropology.


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## eldoc (Oct 23, 2010)

LCB takes less time to complete than CIA, this is why I wonder about what is offered at the CIA as far as a complete course profile... IS this correct?


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## eldoc (Oct 23, 2010)

looking at g brown as well


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## jedvidlim (Dec 7, 2010)

hmm.. iam quite in almost the same situation. im currently 25 and have just saved enough money for culinary school.  so theoretically ill be starting my cooking career at the age of 27.  looking for professionals to shed some light.


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## jtobin625 (Dec 16, 2008)

Eldoc, 

Any updates?


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## byrdie (Nov 24, 2010)

I would definitely look into scholarships.  There are so many of these out there, I don't understand why anyone would just get a loan without applying to a few hundred of these.

I'm assuming that you are an American citizen so that you're not disqualified from FAFSA. If you are a foreigner then, never mind what I said.  Scholarship amounts vary from few hundred dollars to tens of thousand dollars.  Usually the bigger the prize, the harder it is to get it.  Big amounts might limit you to specific schools as well.

I understand that you are 27 and anxious to start working.  There are short culinary programs that offer certificates.  I suggest these if you are plan to stay, say, local or just to start working anywhere.  Now, you have to remember that what you will need is experience; work experience to be exact and there is no short cut to that. It's going to be hard to believe but you are still YOUNG and have much time. 

Look for the schools that can offer you an apprenticeship to restaurants you want to gain experience in.  That's all the school can do for you, really.  Once they help you get you into the restaurant, the rest is entirely up to you to get noticed, impress them, and to make them want you to work there.  I'm not sure about LCB but CIA has pretty impressive listings of places you can extern including New York, Miami, and Europe.

One last thing, I'm not saying that you can't, I am just saying that it's going to be nearly impossible to master all the cuisines you listed.  I would suggest to pick one and master that first and then borrow techniques and flavors from other cuisines to incorporate into your style.


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## petemccracken (Sep 18, 2008)

Before considering ANY culinary school, I would strongly recommend working in a commercial kitchen for 6 months to a year or more

*What* you will be doing is not near as important as the fact that you are working in the trade.

School, public or private, will offer the opportunity to learn basic skills and techniques.

Apprenticeships or experience is where you will have the opportunity to improve and expand your knowledge.

If you have to get loans or scholarships, IMHO you are paying FAR too much to learn a trade!


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