Worldwide Cuisine is at Your Fingertips at Culinary Arts School

By Reena Nadler

Do you dream of ravioli bursting with fresh cheeses in a sherry cream sauce or melt-in-your-mouth souffl?? with a shellfish veloute? With a cooking school degree, you could wake up in job heaven, crafting your culinary vision with the most tender filet mignon and the freshest baby artichokes in cold-pressed olive oil. Each day, chefs and restaurant managers put their culinary creativity to work on fine cuisine from around the world.

A Taste of the Mediterranean

Like a tiny taste of the sun, Mediterranean cooking bursts with fresh, vibrant flavors. From the couscous with dried Moroccan fruit and exotic Egyptian ful to crumbling Greek feta and Italian prosciuttos, Mediterranean cuisine is known for its wide range of ingredients and many regional variations.

Staple ingredients:

• Olive oil
• Fresh fish
• Oregano, mint, and basil

Praise-worthy dishes:

• Crisp, golden grilled sand dabs topped with crunchy roasted chickpeas for a smoky finish
• Olives marinated in Moroccan spices with fresh pipparas chilies
• Zesty risotto with porcini mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, green garlic, goat cheese, and lemon zest

Fine French Cooking

France's rich culinary tradition has inspired chefs and restaurateurs for centuries. From Normandy's rich cream sauces to the sun-drenched herbs and olive oils of Provence, French cuisine has kept its delicious diversity. French food lovers can dine on bouillabaisse and brioche alike, and finish the meal with a hearty plate of one of France's 400 different cheeses.

Staple ingredients:

• Butter
• Shellfish
• Heavy cream
Praise-worthy dishes:
• Hearty Bouillabaisse brimming with crab, lobster, clams, or mussels garnished with a spicy rouille and warm crusty bread
• Delicate buckwheat crepes folded around sweet and savory fillings, a specialty of Brittany
• Moules ?? la cr??me Normande, a traditional dish of mussels in a sauce of rich cream, butter, shallots, white wine, garlic, and herbs

Southeast Asian Cuisine

From China to Thailand to India, Southeast Asia is the cradle of some of the world's oldest civilizations--including a delectable array of culinary traditions. Rice, either in simple grains or formed into noodles, is the base of many dishes, which often burst with spicy, tangy flavors, from Thailand's ginger-like galangal to India's tamarind. Southeast Asian food-lovers can also count on curries and coconut milk to flavor cuisines from all across this region.

Staple Ingredients:

• Rice
• Curry
• Garlic and ginger/galangal
Praise-worthy dishes:
• Indonesia's Sumatra fish curry, a dish of simmering fish infused with chilies, shallots, garlic, turmeric, and basil
• Chicken strips marinated in soy sauce, coriander, lemon grass, and galangal, dressed with spicy peanut sauce--a sweet and tangy Satay dish from Malaysia
• Tom Yam, Thailand's famous hot and sour soup brimming with zesty lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir limes

Culinary Arts School: Traveling the World without Leaving the Kitchen

Professionals who work in culinary arts and restaurant management spend each day in their careers surrounded by delicious, exotic cuisine--affording them a daily trip around the world. Why just dream of those tangy Mediterranean olives, creamy French sauces, and zesty Asian curries? With a degree in cooking or restaurant management, you could have your own daily global culinary adventure.