Fast Recipes Feature: Culinary Arts at the University of Richmond

The School of Continuing Studies at the University of Richmond offers a Culinary Arts Program Certificate with a focus on expanding professional skills.  Participants are recommended to complete the Tools of the Trade program prior to participation to hone basic culinary skills.  We spoke with Martin Gravely, the Culinary Center Manager, about the advantages of attending the program.

What makes the Richmond Center for Culinary Arts special?

There are many things, but perhaps most special here is the fact that, unlike many other schools out there that are geared mainly toward novice/hobby cooks, we take a decidedly professional approach to what we do.  You’ll find many of the same advanced techniques going on here as can be found in many of the finer, cater-to-professionals schools around.  We, for example, make our own stocks and demi-glaces from scratch, utilizing scraps butchered right there in our kitchen.  We’re also unique in that we offer a culinary certificate that provides participants with a comprehensive primer in cooking and takes only 14 sessions to complete.

What kind of classes do you offer?

We offer a little bit of everything here.  We might be making sushi one night, baking bread the next and following that up with a cake decorating session.  In addition to our myriad hands-on classes, we also do demonstration dinners with wine pairings once or twice a month.

What are classes like?

Most are hands-on classes last three hours.  In the typical class, we begin with a brief lecture/demonstration of techniques to be used, followed by about 90 minutes of cooking and culminating in a shared meal/discussion of how the preparation went and what can be learned from the evening.

Could you tell us about the facilities?

We have a beautiful, almost-new facility capable of easy transformation from a hands-on space for 16 (or more) into a dining room seating 48.  The room is open, spacious and well stocked with top-of-the-line cooking equipment.  There’s also a small bar for wine and beer serving and related classes.

What responses have you received from participants?

We have well over a thousand different folks a year coming to take classes with us and, overwhelmingly, they rave about their experiences.  We solicit constructive criticism as part of our on-going effort to make things even better, and students seem to most appreciate that.