Community Colleges Offer Culinary Training

Have your eye on a career in food? A number of Seattle-area community colleges and technical schools have culinary-arts training programs. Here are some of them:

-- South Seattle Community College. With a current enrollment of about 130, this is believed to be the largest local culinary-arts program and is one of only two in Washington accredited by the American Culinary Federation, a special kudos.

The six-quarter program emphasizes fine-dining cooking and serving. Besides attending lectures, students prepare food for two campus dining rooms (formal and informal); a deli; a fast-food grill and a cafeteria line. Altogether, they serve between 1,000 and 2,000 meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner - daily.

Students can choose a general culinary-arts track or specialize in pastry and specialty baking. Director Dan Cassidy says the program has placed 96 percent to 100 percent of all graduates in food-industry jobs over the past 10 years. For further information, call 764-5344.

-- Central Seattle Community College. Here, there is a five-quarter general culinary-arts program and a separate, four-quarter baking program. Both include lectures and actual cooking and baking. A key distinction is that the food programs operate on a four-day week.

The program has a brand new, state-of-the-art kitchen, and students cook and serve for two restaurants: a fine-dining, gourmet eatery, and a less-formal, medium-priced one. If there is a

particular training emphasis, it is on international cuisine, says Joy Huri, manager of the college's hospitality division.

Current enrollment: about 80 in general culinary arts, about 45 in baking. For information, call 587-5424.

-- North Seattle Community College. Options here range from a one-quarter certificate in dining-room service and introductory cooking to a two-year associate-of-applied-science degree in culinary arts. There's also an advanced-cooking degree that emphasizes cooking for fine-dining restaurants, and a separate certificate in restaurant management.

Students attend lectures and get hands-on experience preparing meals for a campus dining room. The program helps place students in food-industry jobs both during school and after graduation. Current enrollment: 30.

The college's Culinary Arts and Hospitality Division is holding a series of free open-house days, open to anyone interested in a career as a cook or waiter and desiring a close look at the program.

On these days, visitors can spend the day observing student cooks in the kitchen or student waiters displaying their skills in the North Star Dining Room. Dates for these visitations are Oct. 17, 22, 24, 29 and 31. To visit on any of these dates, call 527-3779 for reservations.

For other information about the culinary program, call that same number.

-- Renton Technical College. Along with South Seattle Community College's, this three-semester (one year) program is one of only two in Washington accredited by the American Culinary Federation. Students - currently about 30 - attend a one-hour lecture class early each morning, then spend the rest of the day preparing breakfast and lunch for a fine-dining room, a deli, a pasta bar, a grill service and a soup-and-sandwich bar.

A key attraction, according to program manager Kristi Frambach: "We keep absolutely industry-current. . . . It's fresh and new and leading edge." Helping accomplish this is a chefs' advisory board whose members are culinary professionals and who give in-class demonstrations.

For information, call 235-5845.

-- Lake Washington Technical College, Kirkland. This nine-month culinary program emphasizes moving students quickly into the food-industry work force. Students receive training in everything from institutional cooking to work as a sous chef, as well as restaurant management.

The program runs its own restaurant, there's a professional-class kitchen, and an advisory board of professional chefs helps students understand restaurant realities. The program arranges restaurant internships for students and graduates. Current enrollment is 15, and college administrator Dale Green says this small number allows for intensive instruction.

Anyone can visit and observe the program on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. You can either just show up at the college information office and ask for executive chef Don Johnson or make arrangements by calling in advance, 828-5600. Call that same number for further information about the program.

-- Everett Community College. Students here can earn a certificate in culinary arts in four quarters (one year) or an associate-in-technical-arts degree in six quarters.

Students attend lectures two days a week, followed by three days of hands-on experience in the kitchen and French dining room, which is open to faculty, students and the public.

After completing four quarters, a student can specialize in any area of interest, such as baking, soups and sauces, and so on; an individualized program is designed to meet the student's goals. Current enrollment: about 30.

The program's building was lost to fire two years ago. Now there is a brand new kitchen - "a much better facility" than before, says program assistant Marlene Rose.

For information, call 388-9497.

-- Edmonds Community College. The emphasis in this five-quarter program is on fine-dining cooking and serving. Students attend lectures and get daily hands-on experience preparing and serving meals for a campus dining room.

An unusual feature is that high-school students can attend culinary classes for college credit, then complete the program after they finish high school. Current enrollment: about 30. Virtually all of the graduates so far have found food-industry jobs, says Walter Bronowitz, head of the program.

For information, call 672-6329.

-- Others. Farther from Seattle, but also in Western Washington, there are culinary-arts programs at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon, South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia and Olympic College in Bremerton.