Located in the Lyndon B. Johnson building, Le Cordon Bleu North America opened its Dallas campus in 1999. The school has over 50,000 square feet of kitchen and classroom space and offers two degree programs -- an associate of occupational science (AOS) in culinary arts and an AOS in baking and pastry. Both programs follow a schedule that alternates between lecture- and kitchen-based instruction; for instance, a baking and pastry student will complete a kitchen-based Classic Cakes I course, followed by a classroom-based Mathematics in Baking class then return to the kitchen for Classic Cakes II. The last two classes in the Le Cordon Bleu program are taught in the school-operated, student-staffed restaurant Technique. One class consists of practical instruction in the front of the house (dining room), and the other involves performing meal services in the back of the house (kitchen). Le Cordon Bleu programs culminate with a 12-week externship performed at a school-approved hotel, cruise ship or restaurant.
The Viking Cooking School operates out of the Milestone Culinary Arts Center in uptown Dallas. Open to students of all skill levels, the school offers a diverse selection of classes in several formats, including one-day workshops, three-day seminars and 12-week class series. One-day workshops focus on a culinary niche, such as sushi fabrication. The three-day class series centers on fundamental cooking techniques, such as basic knife skills, stock and broths and the five mother sauces. The 12-week Essentials of Cooking series meets once weekly and focuses on a different cooking subject each session. The topics covered in the 12-week program include grilling basics, roasting essentials and fundamentals of braising. The school also produces classes designed for children, hosts celebrity chef cooking demonstrations and sponsors special events, such as corporate team-building exercises taught through the context of cooking.
The Art Institute of Dallas operates in conjunction with Smith University. The school offers three associate degree programs, one bachelor degree program and one culinary certificate program. The associate degree programs include baking and pastry, culinary arts and restaurant and catering management. The bachelor degree program focuses on culinary management, and the certificate program centers on general culinary skills. The certificate program differs from the associate degree program in that it does not require liberal arts coursework.
Central Market's Dallas Cooking School focuses on the cooking style, ingredients and cuisine indigenous to Texas and the American southwest. The school divides its classes into four categories: "Basics," "Hands-On," "Little Chefs" and "Featured Chef." Classes in the "Basics" category focus on fundamental cooking techniques, such as knife skills, selecting foods from the market and the five mother sauces. The "Hands-On" section provides instruction in subjects such as sushi fabrication and soufflés. The "Little Chefs" segment introduces elementary cooking techniques to children, and "Featured Chef" classes, which are taught by a well-known or celebrity chef, consist of instruction on one specific topic, such as Tex-Mex cuisine.