An increased emphasis on viewing cooking and chefs as serious artists occurred in the late 19th Century. A cooking magazine, Le Grand Diplôme de Cordon Bleu, took root in France around this time, and developed such popularity that the founders formed a school called Le Cordon Bleu. Marthe Distel led the school and assembled the leading chefs in France to teach. In the United States in the late 1800s, similar schools began to appear. For example, Fannie Farmer, a graduate of Boston Cooking School, started Miss Farmer's School of Cookery in Boston in 1902, which quickly became one of the most competitive cooking schools in the United States.
The United States and Europe boast a wide range of culinary schools and programs. Schools may be notable for having prominent chefs as instructors, unique cooking methods, or being rooted in historical traditions. Some notable American programs include: Culinary Institute of America, New England Culinary Institute, Kendall College-School of Culinary Arts, Culinary Institute Le Notre and Sullivan University. All of these programs fall under the broader blanket of the American Culinary Federation (ACF).
The American Culinary Federation, founded in 1929, was developed by a group of chefs in New York City. Originally a type of union for chefs, the ACF offers culinary competitions, certification, apprenticeships, and press for chefs in North America. Historically, the ACF has been instrumental in raising the profile of the profession, seeking to portray chefs as culinary artists instead of service industry employees. The ACF has the largest membership population of chefs of any culinary organization in North America.
Numerous resources offer guides on the location, cost, and curricula of various culinary schools. The Shaw Guide to Cooking Schools offers a comprehensive list of culinary schools and their various characteristics for about $23 as of January 2011 (ShawGuides). Culinary School Finder, an online site dedicated to providing individuals with careers in the culinary industry, offers a variety of means by which individuals may explore culinary arts, pastry and baking, hospitality, and restaurant management.