Careers

With all the shows about cakes, one question I had to ask was, does one dessert rate its own show or better yet, multiple shows? Even the pipsqueak cupcake gets a prime time slot. I usually like my desserts with lots of fresh fruit, so I am normally a pie or tart eater.  In fact, I will admit to being a pretty good pie maker myself.  But I am going through an intervention at the moment.

You see, The International Culinary Center started a special three month program on cakes.  We have a professional pastry program that lasts six months, cakes are covered within that course. But cakes have evolved…becoming delicious pieces of culinary architecture and we realized we needed a little graduate program devoted just to them, diving deep into the world of this rich, moist and sometimes staggeringly beautiful dessert.

Visiting Master Pastry Chef-Instructor Ron Ben-Israel, Pastry Chef-Instructor Cynthia Peithman, and students, Cake Techniques & Design class

The English word cake comes from the Vikings’ Old Norse, kaka.  Until the late 1400s cake referred to bread-like, often savory preparations. Historically they are round.  They did not take the form of a sweetened dessert until the 1700s, when ovens and refined ingredients first became widely available.  Today cakes are transformed from the traditional rounds into any shape or size you can imagine.  It takes more than a little knowledge and an oven to transform cakes into masterpieces.

To be a professional cakemaker you have to know your ingredients from gum arabic to vitelline membrane.  You have to make fondants, temper chocolate, make ribbons out of blown sugar, shape and color sugar paste flowers, make charlottes, mousses and custards and a huge list of other techniques, all to be assembled with the craftiness of an Egyptian pyramid builder!  Just look at the cakes from our first class which graduated recently.  I can now admit that my beloved humble pie does not have the depth of the cake pedigree (though it still tastes good!).

If you are interested in opening up a cake business, look up our cake program at the International Culinary Center. You are only three months away from creating some amazing feats with flour, butter, sugar and baking soda!

The first graduating class, Cake Techniques & Design, Senior VP of Education & Student Affairs, Christopher Papagni, Pastry Chef-Instructor, Cynthia Peithman

Gary Apito, Brooke Schwartz, Alain Sailhac with some of the California staff

We are so happy to have  acquired the former Professional Culinary Institute (PCI) in Silicon Valley, California.  This new location will be christened The International Culinary Center California.  Like it’s New York sister school, it will house The French Culinary Institute and The Italian Culinary Academy.

It has long been a desire of The French Culinary Institute to expand our programming to  incorporate sustainable farming, aquaculture and animal husbandry.  We realize that in today’s world it is no longer adequate for chefs to master only techniques and production.  A greater understanding of product is required.  A California location is the perfect petrie dish for this.  With a 52 week growing season, a location in the heart of farming and ranching, the new curriuculums we will develop at The International Culinary Center California will be ground breaking and relevant for today’s chefs. We will also share our Italian programming from The Italian Culinary Academy and our classic courses from The French Culinary Institute.

The school's building

The Wine Studies room

PCI was highly regarded as a world class wine school especially for its courses in preparation for the certification to the Court of  Master Sommeliers.  I am happy to announce that those programs will continue to be offered in both California and New York.

The school in California will be led by Brooke Schwartz. Brooke worked with The FCI about 5 years ago on special projects.  A native Californian she brings much expertise to our schools.  Brooke holds a Master Degree in Agricultural Economics and an MBA from Harvard.

We are all so excited to be growing in these new directions and want to welcome our colleagues in California to The International Culinary Center family!