At first glance, the art of cooking seems very mysterious and hard to define. After all, there are thousands of different cultures around the world and foods are prepared everyday that most people in the U.S. have never heard of. Foods that can be prepared using various methods with different ingredients, seasonings and equipment. In fact, the world of cuisines came into existence when people across the various climates and ecosystems experimented with various technologies and limited resources over time.
For instance the Chinese method of stir-frying developed where large populations made firewood scarce. Brief cooking over a hot flame, stirring constantly to avoid burning, maximized fuel efficiency. The Greeks create wonderful dishes with mint, flour, marjoram, olive oil and other locally-available ingredients.
French and Italian cuisines along with many others started in the kitchens of family farmers. Meso-Americans use chilies and corn to create delicious dishes. Other cultures across the world from the Western Hemisphere to the Eastern Hemisphere have contributed ideas for cuisine that are in use in modern times. The Native Americans have shown us how to make use of our native wild edible plants.
The potatoes of Irish dishes, tomatoes of Italian cuisine, and hot peppers of Indian food all come from the Americas. Turkey, a crossroads between the East and West, developed an original cuisine centuries ago based on elements of Greece, the Middle East, and the West before incorporating new world ingredients such as tomatoes and eggplants. Medieval cuisine was transformed into the old world through revolutionary developments as well as the new world ethnic cuisines we recognize today.
As different ethnic groups and populations along with their food and cuisines were mixed together in regions with different foods, the result was a new creativity of food choices! For example, in the Americas, Native American and Spanish cooking ingredients and styles led to what we know today as Tex-Mex or Mexican food. African and French influences transformed Haitian and other Caribbean cuisines into what we know in modern times.
Using different ingredients and technologies such as using vegetarian ingredients in place of animal products and refined foods, and using different techniques and procedures along with varying equipment in the modern kitchens, allows us to create new foods and recipes.
If you love to cook and are looking for a career in the art of cooking, then consider getting your degree from a culinary institute or cooking school.
By enrolling in an Art of cooking program at an online college or campus university, you'll earn your degree by focusing on baking, pastry, cooking skills and learning American regional cuisine. You'll also learn techniques such as plating and presentation. Graduates of a cooking school will find an entry-level position such as a pantry cook or line cook and you'll move up in position as you become more experienced.
Get your degree today and engage in a culinary school in your area to get started on a delicious career!
