Turning the Heat Up: Attending Florida Culinary School
Why Attend a Florida Culinary School
Just like everything else in the Sunshine State, Florida cuisine is muy caliente (Spanish for "very hot"). The spicy flavors of this Southeastern state's most traditional dishes mimic the hot days and warm nights of its cities such as Miami and Orlando. Incorporating influences from Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, students at a Florida culinary school will not only learn how to use traditional ingredients and techniques, but will also be encouraged to add their own flair and style to their cooking.
Not for the Faint of Heart
As a Florida culinary institute student, you'll develop your palate with cuisines from around the world, with dishes like Venezuelan arepas with savory fillings; Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican or Mexican empanadas; Jamaican meat pies and spicy hot jerk chicken; Jewish knishes; Brazilian churrasco barbecue; Louisiana gumbo; or Southern fried chicken.
Florida's distinctive regional cuisine is an exciting mixture of tastes from each of the immigrant cultures that have settled there since Ponce de Leon claimed the area for Spain in 1513. "Floribbean" cuisine takes the flavors and ingredients from Native American, Spanish and Mediterranean cooking, blends in a little from the Caribbean and Latin America, and adds dashes of Africa and India. And the tastes continue to evolve with the recent addition of seasonings from Southeast Asian immigrants.
Florida culinary school students will encounter a fresh and healthy cuisine, highlighting the freshest seafood and poultry with an interesting complexity of spices and flavors. And citrus and sweet tropical fruits such as mango, papaya, coconut and key lime temper the fiery Latin spices.
The Father of Floribbean Cuisine
Floribbean cuisine is the creation of award-winning Miami Chef Mark Militello. Considered the chef primarily responsible for mapping South Florida as a culinary destination, Militello opened his first restaurant soon after graduating from culinary school and introduced Miami to his twist of combining the sweet and spicy flavors of South America and the Caribbean with traditional Mediterranean. Chef Militello and other star chefs have been creating world-class flavors, bringing culinary acclaim to their home state.
Becoming a Chef in Florida
A Florida culinary school gives you a solid foundation for your career in the growing Florida food scene. Currently, restaurant and food service jobs make up 11 percent of Florida's economy, and the National Restaurant Association predicts that the number of food service jobs will grow another 23 percent in the next 10 years.
Here a list of average salaries for chefs working in Florida
| Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Executive Chef | $52,000 |
| Chef | $47,000 |
| Kitchen Manager/Sous Chef | $50,000 |
| Chef de Cuisine | $47,000 |
| Restaurant Chef | $46,000 |
| Executive Pastry Chef | $63,000 |
| Pastry Chef | $43,000 |
Attending a Florida Culinary Institute
With small classes and a faculty of industry professionals, The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the industry. Alumni are restaurant owners or hold positions such as "executive chef" or "restaurant manager." The Art Institute has the largest system of culinary programs in North America and offers programs in many other U.S. states. Other International Culinary School campuses in Florida are located in Jacksonville and Tampa.
Get Started in a Florida Culinary Institute
To learn more about these and other exciting Florida culinary schools, use All Culinary Schools' directory to contact schools directly and receive free information.
Source: Salary data from Indeed.com 2010