# Toured NECI today...



## greasechef (May 20, 2006)

In a quandry about my career, I got the grand tour of NECI today. I was by far the oldest in the tour group (I'm 33), and the only one with any sort of experience. This did not look good at the outset.

NECI is smart, they had me tour with a 40ish second year student, I felt a little more at ease. If I was only subject to 18-20 year olds saying, "I'm here 'cause I love to cook," I would have run run run away.

During the tour I met a first year student (32) who was an exec chef in Mississippi until Katrina swept his restaurant away. (Fortunately, he didn't own it) He seemed to like the program, and said what I wanted to hear, "You get as much as you want out of it. Just ask the instructors for a better challenge and they will give it to you." He was happy with his choice.

Anywho, NECI has a good rep, and it's only about an hour's drive. I'm looking at the Baking & Pastry program as I have not had any formal training on the matter. I do have a knack, but I taught myself almost everything that I know about laminated doughs from reading and doing (Fannie Farmer's book of baking... a must read).

Perhaps I was a bit of a keener on the tour, but I wanted some pretty specific info. We were leaving the bakery and I asked, "Whoa!! What about sugar work???" A chef hat with a head in it popped around the corner followed by the rest of the chef who was delighted to show off HIS stuff. I figured that hey, these sugar flowers are nice, and although students didn't make them, the uber chef that did is here and available. That's a good thing.

Then it was off to admissions to talk about nothing really.

Then I sat for a bit with Chef Jason (For folks who'd know him) and talked about my illustrious 15 years of climbing the ladder, and falling off the ladder a few times too. My current pair of kitchen clogs has logged more hours than most second year students have, but my foundation is like swiss cheese. I'd like to fill in a few gaps, and the most gaps would be in areas where Fannie Farmer was a little vague in her baking descriptions.  

Sooo..... It all looks pretty cool, and it could be condensed down to nine months of class, then one internship.

If I do not get a job offer from the Bellagio in Vegas (Applied last week), then I think that I'll hone my skills with the good people at NECI. Hey, maybe they'll hire me to teach 'Chaos Management' as a new course. Course to cover things like:
- Dealing with a plate getting smashed into your mise-en-place during service.
- 10 easy ways to light a stove that has no pilot.
- Health inspector manipulation. (A personal favorite :smoking: )
- Roof and hood repair 101 - extra credit for getting on roof without a ladder.

Pehaps I could also have a class in my other speciality, getting free stuff from purveyors. (Fridges, Makita Drills, Glassware, meats, etc)

All things to think about. For now though, I'd like to know more ways to make creme anglaise.


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## brewchef (May 25, 2006)

awesome post GreaseChef. don't forget knowledge of heating and air conditioning if one of those coolers breaks down and plumbing in case you have to run a snake down a pipe or something.


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## greasechef (May 20, 2006)

I even keep solder in my kit. I've used it to patch up a leak in a steam table during service.

What does everybody else keep handy?

* I have a long heavy duty extension cord, just incase a reach-in/ heat lamp/ whatever needs to get power from somewhere else.
* Electric tape & Duct tape
* WD-40
* Vise grips - large & small
* Screwdrivers
* hammer
* cordless drill usually in the trunk of the car.
* extra belt for vaccuum


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## bandregg (Jun 25, 2003)

I toured NECI in April and at 32 was by far the oldest applicant on the tour, however there were some older students available to answer questions and even though I don't come from a culinary background the chefs seem to appreciate someone with a coherent thought, an audible speaking voice, and a willingness to work for what you want. I was accepted and will be starting in December at Essex. It will be quite a change from the computer programming I've been doing for the past eleven years, but I'm ready.


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## neci-ized (Jun 11, 2006)

Of course I am abit bias here being a second year NECI student!
I am a 37 yo retired civil servent in a career change and found NECI an awsome place to learn!
I am new to this forum and would like to say Hello to all those brave enough to take on this career choice!


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## jim berman (Oct 28, 1999)

I'll be up there (for the third summer!) in a few weeks. I take a series of classes for culinary educators. It is a fantastic environment and the folks at NECI take their roles very seriously. A few of my students have gone there and come back knowing their stuff. I am a big fan of their programs and can't wait to get back up there.


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## suzanne (May 26, 2001)

When I ate at an NECI restaurant recently, the food was great, very well-executed (better than at FCI's restaurant) and the student-servers were very knowledgeable. The NECI grad I worked with for a couple of years may have been a flake personally (that's why I liked him so much), but he was the consummate professional (that's why I admired him). Which is to say, I have a very good impression of NECI, so if you go there, good for you!

As for strange things in my knife kit, because I was often the only woman, and much older (in at least one kitchen, I was another cook's "abuela"), I was always the one with the medical supplies: extra bandaids, finger cots, gauze and tape, burn cream, etc.


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## someday (Aug 15, 2003)

Yeah I've really enjoyed my time there, for the most part.

I would reccomend it to anyone looking to go to culinary school, though I feel that someone who already has a lot of experience either think about going to another school or look into the advanced placement program.


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