Back of the House Cooking School (backofthehousecooks.com) is a cooking center at which anyone interested in learning how to cook may sign up without any prerequisites. A class schedule is available for anyone to peruse, listing classes up to two months in advance, and covers topics from cooking basics to how to create specific meals. The setting is more informal than your basic culinary school, and students can even choose the type of class they feel most comfortable with: demonstration, hands-on, beer and wine pairing, workshops and couples classes.
Nothing To It Culinary Center (www.nothingtoit.com) is another cooking school at which students sign up on a class-by-class basis to learn specific skills with no degree in mind. At Nothing To It, students learn to prepare gourmet food in demonstration and hands-on settings. There are a number of staples classes, and some are added to the course schedule when a need arises. In general, students will find classes on techniques, grilling basics, international cuisine, for kids and teenagers, and with guest master chefs.
Truckee Meadows Community College (www.tmcc.edu) offers an American Culinary Federation accredited culinary arts education program. Students who work through this program are eligible to apply for their level one certification as a certified culinarian, giving them an edge in the workforce. Truckee Meadows Community College offers students three course paths, which include working toward an associate of applied science degree, a certificate in culinary arts or a certificate in culinary arts with an emphasis in baking and pastry making.
For some people, simply preparing food is not enough for them. Knowing the ins and outs of everything that people put into their bodies is an important part in the way they create their culinary masterpieces. These people will likely be interested in studying nutrition. In Reno, this can be done through the Department of Nutrition at the University of Nevada at Reno (www.cabnr.unr.ed). Degree programs here include a bachelor of science in dietetics or nutritional science, as well as a master of science in nutrition.