The International Culinary Center Unveils its Spanish Culinary Arts Curriculum

NEW YORK, Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Culinary Center (www.internationalculinarycenter.com), the world's leading culinary center for education founded as The French Culinary Institute, today unveiled the details of its Spanish Culinary Arts curriculum, which will debut at its New York City campus in February 2013. The first-of-its-kind Spanish program has been developed by The International Culinary Center in collaboration with its recently-appointed Dean of Spanish Studies Jose Andres, the renowned Spanish culinary innovator, James Beard award-winning chef and owner of ThinkFoodGroup (www.thinkfoodgroup.com), as well as Colman Andrews, America's leading expert on Spanish cuisine, author of Catalan Cuisine, co-founder of Saveur and editorial director of www.thedailymeal.com. In addition to receiving a world-class training in traditional and modern Spanish cuisine, students will learn Spanish culture, history, geography and culinary terminology, making it the most authentic and comprehensive Spanish culinary program in the country.

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During the 11-week course, students will be trained in culinary techniques using The International Culinary Center's proven Total Immersion™ teaching method, receive an introduction to Spanish history going back 2,000 years, learn about the food of Spain beginning with traditional cuisine and progressing to contemporary and avant-garde, and the inaugural class will conclude with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Spain with Jose Andres. The following is an overview of the progression of the course:

• Introduction to Spain: How Roman, Greek, Italian, African, South American, and North European influences have all impacted the way Spanish food is created today.
• Fundamentals of Spanish Cuisine: Basic culinary techniques as well as methods that are uniquely Spanish, including the best way to use equipment such as cazuelas and paella pans; learn about cooking over hot coals or open fires, canning, salt curing, air drying, and sausage making.
• Rice and Pasta: The Spanish approach to rice is unique among European cuisines; exploration of the history and culture of paella in its home region of Valencia; proper culinary techniques to create authentic pasta and rice dishes.
• Eggs and Vegetables: Learn the different regional ways both are cooked, such as: huevos fritos con migas a la Extremena (fried eggs with fried breadcrumbs), piperrada with salt cod, and grilled vegetables with jamon Iberico.
• The Sea: Seafood is at the heart of Spanish cuisine; learn the simplest Spanish dishes to the most avant-garde, both with a sublime density of flavor.
• The Land: Understand the art of the asador by learning how to roast a suckling pig; learn to cook chicken, rabbit and game in the Spanish style.
• Contemporary and Avant-Garde Cuisine: Gain historical perspective of contemporary cuisine in Spain, with a special emphasis on the "new Basque" and "new Catalan" chefs; learn to make Chef Ferran Adria's famous liquefied olives.
• Breads, Cheeses and Desserts: Thorough understanding of the essentials of bread, cheese and dessert including techniques, attitudes and styles for both traditional and modern approaches.
• Wines and Other Beverages: Deep-dive into Spanish wines' regional roots to help build individual culinary creativity and create successful pairings; overview of non-wine essentials including Horchata, Sidra Asturiana, cremate, and many of the finest Spanish brandies and liqueurs. 
• A Week in Jose Andres' Spain: Andres will join students for a portion of their weeklong trip to Spain and will take them on a personal gastronomic tour of Spain, introducing them to the very best local products, artisans, chefs, butchers, winemakers, cheesemakers, seafood producers, vineyards, food markets, tapas bars and more. 

Spanish cuisine has become one of the most talked about, dynamic and exciting cuisines in the world and Andres has been at the forefront of that movement in America since he arrived from Spain 20 years ago. As Spanish cuisine continues to gain popularity around the globe and with the increased demand for trained chefs, there is no better time than now to launch a program of this caliber with Andres.

"My dream of educating future generations of chefs in authentic, traditional and modern Spanish cuisine is finally coming true with the official launch of the Spanish Culinary Arts program at The International Culinary Center," said Andres, one of the most celebrated Spanish chefs in the world with multiple restaurants across America, including Jaleo, Zaytinya, Oyamel, China Poblano, minibar by jose andres, and The Bazaar by Jose Andres at The SLS Hotels in Beverly Hills and South Beach. "With its intense passion and revolutionary avant-garde spirit, Spain is taking the food industry in America by storm, in a way I could only have imagined. This program will provide aspiring chefs with an incredible opportunity to receive a formal Spanish culinary education and I'm thrilled to take the first class to Spain, where they will be able to personally experience everything that Spanish cuisine and culture has to offer."

"I'm very excited to announce the launch of the much-anticipated Spanish Culinary Arts program with Chef Jose Andres," said Dorothy Cann Hamilton, CEO and Founder of The International Culinary Center. "We believe that the best and only way for students to learn authentic Spanish cuisine, is to be immersed in the culture and language and to gain first-hand experience by learning alongside top chefs and artisans in the country itself. This approach was hugely successful with our Italian Studies program; this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the culture and get a unique taste of Jose Andres' Spain."

The Spanish Culinary Arts program will debut on February 5, 2013. For more information on the program at The International Culinary Center and to view a video of Jose Andres discussing the future of Spanish cuisine, please visit: http://www.internationalculinarycenter.com/content/spanish_culinary_arts.

For those interested in learning more about the Spanish Culinary Arts program directly from Jose Andres, please visit The International Culinary Center in New York City on Wednesday, September 12 from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. ET during an Open House. Prospective students must RSVP by signing up at the following link:
http://www.internationalculinarycenter.com/rsvp

Follow the conversation about Spanish Culinary Arts on Twitter: #ICCSpanish.

About The International Culinary Center
The International Culinary Center, founded as The French Culinary Institute by Dorothy Cann Hamilton in 1984, is the world's leading culinary center for education. With campuses in New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area and Parma, Italy, The International Culinary Center is a culinary incubator with cutting-edge curriculums, from serious amateur and recreational classes to unmatched six-month career programs, including the new farm-to-table curriculums, which produce world-class graduates that advance the industry. Its state-of-the-art multimillion-dollar kitchens and classrooms provide the very best environment for aspiring chefs and culinary enthusiasts to develop successful careers. The International Culinary Center boasts some of the most world-renowned chefs and industry figures as its deans including: Jacques Pépin, Jacques Torres, André Soltner, Alain Sailhac, David Kinch, Emily Luchetti, Alan Richman, and Cesare Casella, with Jose Andres joining most recently.

In addition to offering its premier culinary education, The International Culinary Center is the leading destination for culinary events, catered and produced exclusively by FCI Catering & Events. The International Culinary Center is home to the Michelin-recommended restaurant L'Ecole in New York City and the Monte Bello Dining Room in California, and has published three cookbooks, most recently The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Bread Baking and the James Beard award-winning books, The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Cuisine and The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Pastry Arts. For more information, visit www.internationalculinarycenter.com.

About Jose Andres
Named Outstanding Chef by the James Beard Foundation in 2011, Jose Andres is an internationally-recognized culinary innovator, passionate advocate for food and hunger issues, author, educator, television personality and chef/owner of ThinkFoodGroup. TFG is the team responsible for renowned dining concepts in Washington, DC, Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Miami including minibar by jose andres, Jaleo at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, and The Bazaar by Jose Andres at the SLS Hotel Beverly Hills and South Beach. Next Andres will present a dining destination at Dorado Beach, a Ritz Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico. Often credited with introducing Americans to both avant-garde and traditional Spanish cooking, Andres has played a crucial role in promoting the culture of his native Spain and popularizing its cuisine and classic ingredients in the U.S. For his efforts, the Government of Spain awarded him the prestigious Order of Arts and Letters medallion making him the first chef to receive this recognition. Andres can be seen on PBS as host and executive producer of Made in Spain. His cookbooks include Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America. Andres serves as Dean of Spanish Studies at The International Culinary Center, overseeing the first professional culinary program dedicated to Spanish cuisine. Andres also teaches "Science and Cooking" at Harvard. He is the founder of World Central Kitchen, a non-profit which aims to feed and empower vulnerable people in humanitarian crises around the world; and he is culinary ambassador to the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. Recently Andres was named to the American Chef Corps as part of the U.S. State Department Diplomatic Culinary Partnership. He is Chairman Emeritus for DC Central Kitchen, an organization that combats hunger and creates opportunities with culinary training. He was recently named to the 2012 "100 Most Influential" list by Time magazine. Andres lives in Washington, DC with his wife and three daughters.

SOURCE The International Culinary Center