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| CIA's Main Building, Roth Hall |
This is the big time when it comes to culinary schools. Tuition for 9 quarters totals about $100,000. Coming from my humble community college experience and visiting a large college solely dedicated to culinary arts was simply amazing. The campus is absolutely beautiful with brick buildings and green gardens overlooking the Hudson River. Keeping with the culinary theme, the roads and student housing in and around the campus are named for different herbs and spices.
The whole time there I couldn't help thinking of my Chef and friends from culinary school back home. I can't wait to tell them all about it. But maintaining perspective, I did remind myself it is just a school. Anyway, at CIA there are 4 main restaurants with varying cuisines, American Bounty, Caterina de' Medici-Italian, Escoffier-French, and St. Andrew's Cafe-Local Sustainable. John Long (Executive Chef from the Missions Banquet) and I had lunch at the American Bounty Restaurant, featuring regional specialties prepared with ingredients selected from the riches of Hudson River Valley and beyond. |
Warm Duck Confit Salad Frisee, Red Onion Jam, Pecan Crusted Goat Cheese |
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Modern Baked Alaska Lemon Sponge Cake, Strawberry Gelato, Meringue |
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Salmon and Smoked Scallop Roulade Spring Vegetables, Lobster Butter, Artichokes, Mache |
Above, is the three course meal I enjoyed, complete with mango lemonade to start and a delightful cup of Chamomile Tea to finish. Very satisfying and delicious. John reserved a seat next to the kitchen so I could watch the student chefs in action as our meal unfolded. There are large glass windows in all the kitchens throughout the school. Can't help but think what that must feel like, to not only have your instructor's eyes on you but also the general public eye's too. Like anything else, they probably get use to it. Being that the students are about to graduate, I noticed a confidence in the kitchen and dining room. Two of the students that waited on us had jobs/internships lined up after graduation. After lunch 
we checked out the bookstore and in my opinion it is the coolest bookstore ever, right as you walk in there is an alluring display of kitchen utensils! We briefly explored the campus, looking at the classrooms in and outside the kitchen, classrooms where cooking demonstrations are filmed, browsed around in the library and saw the students at work everywhere.
we checked out the bookstore and in my opinion it is the coolest bookstore ever, right as you walk in there is an alluring display of kitchen utensils! We briefly explored the campus, looking at the classrooms in and outside the kitchen, classrooms where cooking demonstrations are filmed, browsed around in the library and saw the students at work everywhere. |
| FDR's Hyde Park House |
CIA is located in Hyde Park, NY also home to FDR's estate, library and several other properties the Roosevelt family owned. John's favorite president is FDR so I enjoyed the hearing about the history of the family from John who sounds like he could be a cousin or best friend of the Roosevelt's. It was a busy day, we toured FDR's home, his and Eleanor's grave site, the rose gardens and Presidential Library & Museum (1st one). It was a hot and humid day in New York, got up to 102 degrees.
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| Franklin and Eleanor's Grave Site |
Unfortunately, no photography was allowed in the house but we had a very unique experience touring. As we got inside the Roosevelt house rain came pouring down and a thunder storm followed. It was a small group only 5 of us in the house. The outside noise of the thunderstorm made the ambiance of the quiet (museum) house come to life. Walking through the dimly lit halls with the that old house smell, creaking floors, booming thunder and constant sound of the rainfall wasn't the typical go though the motions, see the sights tour. I thought to myself, this is what if felt like being in thunderstorm in this house. Like being FDR's great granddaughter wandering around in his house!
At about 5:30 we called it a day. It cooled down to 82 degrees and we headed back to Long Island, a 2 1/2 hour drive. And once again, this whole time hearing, seeing and talking about history inspired me. A great desire and energy to research and read about history, politics you name it, came over me. Man, God is good, He knows just what it takes to get the passion to learn, grow and know to strengthen inside of me. A terrific day, eating at CIA, touring the Roosevelt estate and most of all enjoying and building my friendship with John.
At about 5:30 we called it a day. It cooled down to 82 degrees and we headed back to Long Island, a 2 1/2 hour drive. And once again, this whole time hearing, seeing and talking about history inspired me. A great desire and energy to research and read about history, politics you name it, came over me. Man, God is good, He knows just what it takes to get the passion to learn, grow and know to strengthen inside of me. A terrific day, eating at CIA, touring the Roosevelt estate and most of all enjoying and building my friendship with John.God Bless,
I kept thinking to myself - what does the CIA have to do with cooking?.....until I finally figured it out. DUH. jk:-) Reading your blog is like reading a great novel. Your imagery is amazing - and then reading all the recipes with ingredients and "big" words that goes right over head makes me feel like I'm in kindergarden and hungry all at the same time. You truly are an artist in many ways.
ReplyDeleteAlso - "Drive Thru History" is an amazing Christian based video series that has a specific series on American history that you should check out sometime. There is such a rich history on the east coast that runs so deep you can feel it everywhere you go. I have been there once (further south) and it was such an amazing experience and I didn't even go that far. Anyways I am so excited for you and the adventures you are having. Your passion for Christ is so sweet and refreshing. Keep up the good work!
pEACE