Epicurious.com & The Culinary Institute of America Launch First Behind-the-Scenes Web Video Series About CIA Student Experiences
Epicurious.com in conjunction with The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), launched a new web-only video series, 'Inside the CIA,' a behind-the-scenes look at the rigorous culinary education of four ambitious student-chefs.
The 15-week-long series follows four CIA students as they work toward earning their bachelor's and associate degrees at the world's premier culinary college. The video series can be seen at www.epicurious.com/features/cia.
This series marks the first time cameras have been allowed inside the more than 40 kitchens and bakeshops within the hallowed halls of the CIA to produce a documentary series -- for film, television or the web.
Kicking off today with the first of 12 weekly webisodes, or "Epi-sodes," the online videos will follow the students through 15 weeks of their journey to become skilled chefs. You'll see students in class at 3:30 AM for a lecture on the preparation of various breakfast foods, and then watch as they use what they just learned in lecture to feed more than 500 of their hungry peers in a class called Breakfast Cookery. As they work diligently to keep up with classes on world cuisine, baking techniques, wine, and table service, viewers will get a first-hand look at what a world-class culinary education is all about.
In addition to weekly produced webisodes, the students will post regularly on personal blogs found on Epicurious.com, and upload weekly video logs -- consisting of diary-style entries on camera, and original footage shot on campus -- to offer viewers realistic "inside" scenes of the intense and unique CIA education.
The CIA students are:
- Markos Doyle, 25, Massachusetts - The oldest of the quartet, Markos entered the CIA after toiling as a crime scene clean-up specialist. Clever and droll, he is incredibly passionate about his food.
- Jared Brathwaite, 19, Toronto - Jared enrolled right out of high school with an intense focus on culinary arts, and he has a special passion for hypermodern cooking, a new style that fuses science and classic culinary techniques.
- Claire Crenshaw, 19, Arizona - Claire is an inspiring pastry chef who won many high-school culinary competitions. Her drive to excel made her a group leader at the CIA.
- Erin McDowell, 19, Kansas - Erin loves the hospitality of food. A charming CIA tour guide, she caught the baking bug early on. Always thinking of others, Erin even spends her weekends cooking up baked goods for friends.
Tanya Steel, editor in chief of Epicurious.com, is excited to bring this break-through offering to Epicurious.com's five million monthly visitors: "The 'Inside the CIA' series offers food lovers a voyeuristic peek into what life as a culinary student is like. The beauty of the multi-media format is that our viewers can go from watching a video episode about a pastry class to reading Erin's reaction to the lesson on her blog, to downloading a similar pastry recipe on Epicurious -- all within minutes."
The president of The Culinary Institute of America, Dr. Tim Ryan, welcomes this 'first' for the college. "We are pleased to be working with Epicurious.com on this new-media initiative. Each week, real CIA students will offer an unprecedented look inside our world-famous culinary programs. Professionals and food enthusiasts alike will see the rigor of our hands-on curriculum and the extraordinary personal experiences it provides our students."
This series marks the first time cameras have been allowed inside the more than 40 kitchens and bakeshops within the hallowed halls of the CIA to produce a documentary series -- for film, television or the web.
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Kicking off today with the first of 12 weekly webisodes, or "Epi-sodes," the online videos will follow the students through 15 weeks of their journey to become skilled chefs. You'll see students in class at 3:30 AM for a lecture on the preparation of various breakfast foods, and then watch as they use what they just learned in lecture to feed more than 500 of their hungry peers in a class called Breakfast Cookery. As they work diligently to keep up with classes on world cuisine, baking techniques, wine, and table service, viewers will get a first-hand look at what a world-class culinary education is all about.
In addition to weekly produced webisodes, the students will post regularly on personal blogs found on Epicurious.com, and upload weekly video logs -- consisting of diary-style entries on camera, and original footage shot on campus -- to offer viewers realistic "inside" scenes of the intense and unique CIA education.
The CIA students are:
- Markos Doyle, 25, Massachusetts - The oldest of the quartet, Markos entered the CIA after toiling as a crime scene clean-up specialist. Clever and droll, he is incredibly passionate about his food.
- Jared Brathwaite, 19, Toronto - Jared enrolled right out of high school with an intense focus on culinary arts, and he has a special passion for hypermodern cooking, a new style that fuses science and classic culinary techniques.
- Claire Crenshaw, 19, Arizona - Claire is an inspiring pastry chef who won many high-school culinary competitions. Her drive to excel made her a group leader at the CIA.
- Erin McDowell, 19, Kansas - Erin loves the hospitality of food. A charming CIA tour guide, she caught the baking bug early on. Always thinking of others, Erin even spends her weekends cooking up baked goods for friends.
Tanya Steel, editor in chief of Epicurious.com, is excited to bring this break-through offering to Epicurious.com's five million monthly visitors: "The 'Inside the CIA' series offers food lovers a voyeuristic peek into what life as a culinary student is like. The beauty of the multi-media format is that our viewers can go from watching a video episode about a pastry class to reading Erin's reaction to the lesson on her blog, to downloading a similar pastry recipe on Epicurious -- all within minutes."
The president of The Culinary Institute of America, Dr. Tim Ryan, welcomes this 'first' for the college. "We are pleased to be working with Epicurious.com on this new-media initiative. Each week, real CIA students will offer an unprecedented look inside our world-famous culinary programs. Professionals and food enthusiasts alike will see the rigor of our hands-on curriculum and the extraordinary personal experiences it provides our students."
