Welcome to The Italian Culinary Academy

The Italian Culinary Academy, located at The International Culinary Center in New York City, offers aspiring Italian cooks at all levels the most well-rounded and authentic Italian culinary training available anywhere. Designed and overseen by acclaimed author, restaurant owner and master chef Cesare Casella, our programs offer a variety of exhilarating courses and convenient schedules--including an exciting option to train in New York and Italy.

Our unique culinary history and great Soho location (which also houses our sister school, The French Culinary Institute) offers the ideal setting to immerse yourself in everything Italian and food-related both in and out of class.

Work with accomplished Chef-Instructors in our magnificent new custom-designed Italian kitchen equipped with the industry's finest equipment.

You can master the skills, techniques and classic recipes necessary to hone your repertoire from every region of Italy.

The Italian Culinary Experience

No country in the world combines its passion for food, family, friends and daily life more than Italy. So learning to become a top Italian cook requires intense training in more than just Italian cooking techniques and traditional recipes of Northern and Southern Italy. It demands immersion in the Italian language and culture as well. This is the focus of The Italian Culinary Experience and provides one of the most well-rounded and authentic training programs available anywhere for the aspiring Italian cook.

As a student in The Italian Culinary Experience, you'll find yourself totally immersed in Italian culture, learning to speak and understand the language as you also become adept at preparing classic, authentic Italian cuisine. You'll learn up close and hands-on from top chef-instructors in an environment that's fast paced and inspiring.

Here are some of the areas you will study while attending our school:

• Fresh and filled pastas, including ravioli, agnolotti and tortellini
• Fillings and sauces
• Risottos and polenta
• Pizza and flatbreads
• Antipasti
• Cheeses
• Fish and shellfish
• Meat and poultry, including game, lamb, rabbit, chicken, duck, turkey, pigeon and quail
• Italian dessert and pastry

Learn Italian cuisine, culture, history and language in New York City and in Italy

Our unique Italian culinary experience curriculum divides your course time between our campus in New York City and Parma, Italy to bring you the most exciting and well-rounded training ever created for the aspiring Italian cook. The curriculum was designed by our Dean of Italian Studies, the renowned Chef Cesare Casella of Maremma restaurant and formerly of Beppe in Manhattan.

Training and Travel

Your intensive training will begin with 10 weeks in New York City where you will have classes in culture and language in addition to intensive cooking classes.

After your introduction in New York, you're off to study in Parma, Italy where your tuition includes housing and 9 exhilarating weeks of additional training at ALMA, The International School of Italian Cuisine led by Gualtiero Marchesi. Chef Marchesi, called Il Divino by the Italian press, is the leading representative of Italian cuisine in the world and the first Italian to receive 3 Michelin stars.

At ALMA your training takes on an added dimension as you spend 9 weeks of your Italian culinary experience cooking under the guidance of expert Italian chefs in fully-equippedentirely modern teaching and cooking facilities in the splendid Palazzo Ducale in Colorno near Parma.

Authentic Italian Restaurant Experience

To sharpen your skills even further, you'll spend an additional 9 weeks in Italy working first hand in the kitchen of a noted Italian restaurant. Training will be intense, exhilarating and life changing. Inspired by your depth of understanding, you'll depart Italy to complete the final week of the Italian cooking course in New York, where you'll cook for your family and friends, learn kitchen management and take the final exam. To pass this 5-hour practical exam, you'll prepare two assigned recipes, which will be evaluated by a panel of accomplished chefs and your Chef-Instructors.