Gaithersburg and Bethesda, Maryland
Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts, Recreational Short Courses
Background Info
L’Academie de Cuisine is one of America’s Top 10 Cooking Schools and certainly should be on the list of choices for anyone seeking a career in culinary field. The school is logically divided into two sections – one for the professional “full-time” students, while the other is for those who want to learn cooking for fun and self-improvement.
Founded in 1976, L’Academie de Cuisine continues to bring the Swiss discipline and tradition of good food and good cooking, as envisioned by its founder, Francois Dionot. L’Academie has gained a reputation for training some of the best cooks and chefs. Many of their alumni had served externships in restaurants in the Washington, DC area and continued their careers there.
Courses Offered
The professional school at L’Academie offers two courses.
First is the Culinary Arts program, which covers a wide range of topics and skills for development. This is available for daytime as well as evening classes. Excluding the 26 weeks of externship, the daytime classes take 24 weeks at 30 hours a week, while the evening classes take more time at 36 weeks with 20 hours a week.
The Pastry Arts Program is only available in the daytime, and runs for 50 weeks, inclusive of the 26-week externship. The course consumes 30 hours per week.
For students seeking recreational courses, L’Academie offers several formats. Demonstration is an observation and Q&A format, while Tastings are simple tasting lectures and activities. Dinners are either of the demonstration style (the instructor can teach), or Chef’s Table style, where cooks prepare food “on the line” and students may observe but no lecture is included. Participation classes are for those who really want to hone their skills.
Notable Features
L’Academie students are trained in the “Four P’s” of food. These are Purchasing, Preparation, Presentation, and Palate.
- Purchasing covers the selection of good ingredients, as well as kitchen management and the mathematics of cuisine.
- Preparation is taught through the French culinary tradition, but these are easily applied to all cuisines.
- Presentation is a major part of the battle in cuisine, and students will certainly pick up skills here.
- Lastly, Palate teaches students not just to cook well, but discern flavors and textures – thus enabling them to become better chefs and cooks.
Awards And Accolades
- Top Ten Culinary Schools in the USA and Canada, 2005.
- Home of the World Pastry Cup’s USA Team, 2005-2009.
- Member of the Year, Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, 2001.
- Cooking School of the Year Award, by the International Association of Culinary Professionals, 1997.
Notable Faculty
Chef Francois Dionot, Director and Founder of L’Academie, has won many awards and nominations over his 30-plus years of experience in the culinary world.
Chef Patrice Olivon has many awards to his name, but the most notable is his Ordre National du Merite (2001), awarded for keeping French cuisine alive and well in the USA.
Chef Michel Pradier served at the legendary Lion d’Or, and has reaped many awards and accolades of his own.