(I’m a poet and I didn’t even know it.)
Since starting at NGI, I’ve received a bunch of emails and questions about the school and my time there, so I decided to put together a post answering some of the most frequently asked questions. Feel free to leave more questions in the comments section, and I’ll be happy to answer them in another post!
The Food
When you get assigned a certain recipe to make while your peers make others, how does the recipe sharing take place? Do you still learn how to make everything?
Before starting each class, we receive a packet of the recipes and information for the day. The chef usually goes through all of the recipes with us, describing them and giving us tips, and then divides us randomly into the groups we’ll be working in. Once in our groups, we negotiate who will do what recipes- most of the time, you get to work on your first choice, and you usually help classmates with their recipes, too. You don’t get hands-on experience with every dish, but since most of them are related- for instance, they’re all chicken recipes, or they’re all pies- you still understand how to prep them all.
Do instructors offer alternatives for those on a vegan diet or if they do not consume alcohol?
Yes! You don’t have to taste anything you don’t want to, and most recipes offer a vegan version (unless the focus is something animal based, like poultry day or eggs). Vegans are not required to take the animal protein classes or handle meat if they don’t want to, which is very understanding compared to most schools where they don’t give a damn what your ethical beliefs are. (I would, however, recommend still taking the classes and learning to cook with meat regardless of whether you eat it. It’s a part of the culinary world, and vegan restaurants are few and far between.) As for the alcohol, it’s almost always cooked off in the prep process- for instance, we use a lot of red and white wine, but they’re heated enough so that their only purpose is to add flavor.
Fave thing or top few things you ate during your time?
That’s a toughie!! I really really loved our Friday Night Dinner, especially the collard greens, jalepeno jam and pie crust. On poultry day I remember the chef made us ginger meatballs, which I still think about. Pasta day was awesome, and obviously I loved the whole baking part- at least until I started to get sick of eating so much!
The School
What is your class schedule like, and how much of your time is spend doing hands on cooking vs. lecture?
Full-time classes run Monday to Thursday, 9:15-4:15, and 9:15-1:15 on Fridays. You usually get about an hour lunch break. I’d say about 2/3 of the time is spent in the kitchen, and 1/3 is spend on lecture, though it varies with what you’re working on. Also, you do have to spend a significant amount of time working the Friday Night Dinners (5 shifts are required) and completing extracurricular “stewarding hours,” in which you help set up for public classes or assist in demonstrations.
Would you recommend the full-time program over the part-time?
For me, it was a better choice, but if you’re someone who likes to take their time and really have time to digest information, part-time is probably a better option. Cooking five days a week can be exhausting, so the full-time program is definitely more intense.
Why did you choose this over other veg culinary schools like Bauman?
To be honest, the only culinary schools I looked at were in NYC, and I liked the health-based approach NGI had compared to schools like ICE or French Culinary. Two students in my class had done programs at Bauman though, and they said that Natural Gourmet was a far better experience.
How much of what you learn have prepared you to work as a chef in a restaurant, as a food consultant and home chef – i.e. preparing food for others?
I’d say all of it! The strength of NGI is that you learn the whole story behind the food, not just how to cook it, so you can make better decisions about what you choose to eat. It’s a short program, so you’re not going to come out a Mario Battali, but I think everyone who graduates is pretty confident in the kitchen.
I’d be interested to know whether the school helps with job placement once the program is over. For example, do they have connections with restaurants? And does the NGI name seem to carry much weight when you are interviewing?
Once you graduate from NGI, you have access to a job board that’s posted online; in addition, the school does help with internship placement if you ask, which can often lead to jobs. From my impression there doesn’t seem to be a huge connection with any singular restaurants, but the NGI name seems pretty well respected in general. Obviously, it’s not the same clout you’d get from a longer, multi-year program, but that’s to be expected. It’s a reputable place that teaches you solid skills you can expand upon in the professional world.
Anything you didn’t like about it?
Well, yes. To be honest, and I never thought I’d say this, sometimes the health focus got to me. Knowledge is power, but when you get to the point where you can look at kale or tomatoes and list what health dangers they pose- well, I’m not really sure that’smentally healthy. I plan on writing a post later where I really reflect on the entire experience, but in general, I kind of wish we’d learned to use things like white sugar and red meat a little more. Overall, my experience was a positive one, but like anything, there are things I would change.
The $$
Do you feel the $$ spent was worth it, in general?
This is a tough one. NGI is about the same as a semester in college- roughly $25,000. It’s a lot of money, and since I think higher education in general is ridiculously overpriced, I wouldn’t say that anything you pay $25,000 and only spend five months in is worth it. That said, most culinary schools cost the same or more per month, so in that context, I’d say it’s worth it. Does that make sense? I was very, very, very fortunate to have my parents pay for it (I’m fully aware of how lucky I am and I’ll be off their bankroll the second I get a full-time job), and I did feel apprehensive about the chunk of change that was being dropped, but any other program would have cost as much and I did learn a lot. I guess my point is that if you’re considering NGI or any other cooking school, be sure that you’re going to benefit from it in some way, because otherwise it’s hard to justify.
What is the living situation of most students? What can you say about the average cost of living in NY?
Uhhhh…it’s expensive. I don’t think people realize how costly this city is until they live here, and that’s one of the biggest reasons I’m not planning on staying here. Besides rent, things like groceries, restaurants, bars and laundromats are most expensive, too. Most students have apartments, which you probably won’t find for less than $1,200 a month- and that would be a pretty dingy place. Definitely something to keep in mind when budgeting things out.
Anything else you’d like to see answered? Ask away!
