The Chef’s Academy

I attended their Students Against hunger event, everything was so tasty I am really impressed my these young people I wish they could come to my house every night and make Tamales. It was a strange mix of I’m in high school but I’m also a professional I like to imagine Lunch time there is AMAZING. I really want to look more e into adult classes they might offer. I don’t want to be a chef but I want some advanced skills for cooking for my friends and family. I have no idea how to property prepare a turkey… but I haven’t killed anyone yet so I guess I’m doing good. Anyway back on track, if you’re looking for a place to become a chef I recommend here I was impressed by how professional everyone was and how smoothly everything went.
OMG I ALMOST FORGOT there was a desert room at the STH event… it was like heaven and cake had a baby, then that baby had a baby with bliss… if anyone knows me you know I was a sweets junkie… plain and simple I have cake first, ice cream twice the whole shebang lol. The pastry chefs here are so cute, the cake designs could have been better but the overall flavor and presentations were spot on ESPECIALLY the home mode breads mmmmmm jesus I want all of them.

I was fortunate enough to have a meeting at The Chef’s Academy a few weeks ago. A little bird told me to schedule the meeting around lunchtime. The little bird was spot on! The little bird is now my friend.
During our tour of their top-​notch facility we managed to score a freshly prepared cannoli. Which. Was. Amazing!
We then managed to fill a plate full of mouth-​watering Italian fare, followed by another cannoli. Yes, another cannoli. (Don’t judge, you would have too!)
We had a chance to meet with some of the management, including the head Chef, and learn about the school, their students, and their success. Very impressive.
The Chef’s Academy is a quality institution. If my current career doesn’t work out, I know what’s next.

Playing Chef for the Night
Class: October 26
Less than a year ago, The Chef’s Academy, a culinary school, opened in the Triangle offering another choice for chef training. The school is so new that they have not even graduated their first class. The curriculum is an intensive program condensed into 18 months. Well, I’m not interested in becoming a professional chef; however, I was very excited to be invited to attend a cooking class at The Chef’s Academy by our financial advisor, Brian of TruWealth Strategies, as a client appreciation event. I’m always interested in learning new techniques and recipes as well as eating and drinking.
Our instructor was Chef Rusty, who gave us a glimpse into what he expects from his students. After donning white aprons and thoroughly washing our hands, we began with the preparation of appetizers of White Bean Hummus with Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic, Bacon Wrapped Medjool Dates with Red Pepper, and Herb Skewered Citrus Shrimp. We didn’t get any recipes because Chef Rusty said that they don’t teach recipes… they teach you how to cook. Interesting concept but we are amateurs. Oh well. We learned lots of cool little tricks like how to make pinwheel shrimp skewers… very pretty and very easy and I know when I throw my next party I will be able to impress my friends with the fancy skewers. I love hummus so I was pleased to get some insight on how to make it, which was very easy and fast. This was another excellent candidate for a healthy hors d’œuvre to make ahead for a party. I also really like medjool dates and the only thing I know to do with them besides it them plain is to add to salads. So the bacon wrapped dates is something new and interesting. Chef Rusty instructed us to partially cook the bacon prior to wrapping the dates and then cook for another 5 minutes in the oven. I had a baked date (without bacon) with a pinch of red pepper and it was fabulous!
After enjoying a glass of wine and all the delicious appetizers, Chef Rusty along with his two Chefs-​In-​Training, Rodrick and Danny, put us back to work making our main course. Initially, we were divided into groups to work on different projects but we were able to roam around and get involved in whatever activity we wanted. The ‘class’ had a loose structure with a very social nature, which I appreciated. I was able to meet new budding chefs and we discussed our secrets to cooking… lots of fun and interesting. Rodrick and Danny were very personable and passionate about cooking and food. They were patient in answering all of our questions and teaching us tool techniques like how to prepare butternut squash… peeling and dicing… very informative. We were also taught how to prepare risotto, which in my opinion is a very time intensive project. You have to keep adding aliquots of liquid over a long period of time. It’s sort of an art and a science. Our risotto was made without rice (yeah! No white carbs!), we used the technique to make a butternut squash vegetable medley made with vegetable broth. One person asked if you could use chicken broth and Chef Rusty answered in the affirmative and mentioned that he used vegetable broth this time because our group had some pescatarians (me and my husband). The main dish contained chicken and the Chefs prepared the same entrée for us except they used fish. My husband and I were greatly pleased with their flexibility to accommodate our dietary preferences. I’d say it was good training for the real world where restaurant diners have many restrictions and allergies. Glad I good help in their education.
We ended the evening with dessert, a rustic fig tart with Bourbonaise Sauce. Our teachers didn’t eat but Chef Rusty joined us for a slice of tart. He commented that it was ‘slap your mama good’. I agree completely. The tart was light, a perfect ending to a somewhat heavy meal. The caramelized sauce containing a splash of Maker’s Mark was out of this world delicious raising the level to superb. We learned a lot, had a lot of fun, and had a fabulous 3-​course meal. I recommend The Chef’s Academy for a 1 night cooking class and if you are thinking about becoming a chef you may wish to explore your options at this school.