Don’t let money get in the way of attending culinary school when you could enroll in Top Chef University for less than $200. Top Chef certification isn’t anything like a diploma and it won’t get you a job in a professional kitchen, but don’t let that stop Bravo from milking more money from the Top Chef kitchen.
The $199.95 includes over 200 video segments spread over twelve “courses,” and each is taught by a familiar Top Chef contestant. The videos will probably cover the same ground as a few thousand other YouTube videos do, but we imagine the production values will be a tad higher. How they’ll keep everyone from simply downloading the torrent for this we haven’t figured out, yet.
Courses
1. Basics and Techniques
2. Stocks, Soups, Sauces, Raw
3. Cooking Techniques I: Sauté, Boil, Grill
4. Cooking Techniques II: Roast, Braise, Fry, Confit
5. Vegetables, Eggs, Dairy, Cheese
6. Poultry/Pig
7. Beef/Lamb/Offal
8. Fish, Seafood
9. Pasta Grains, Bread
10. Desserts
11. Global Cuisine
12. Entertaining, Molecular, Advanced Technique
Featured Instructors
* Ariane Duarte, “Top Chef: New York”
* Brian Malarkey, “Top Chef: Miami”
* Carla Hall, Finalist, “Top Chef: New York”
* Chris ‘CJ’ Jacobson, “Top Chef: Miami”
* Dale Levitski, Finalist, “Top Chef: Miami”
* Kevin Gillespie, Finalist and Fan Favorite, “Top Chef: Las Vegas”
* Marcel Vigneron, Finalist, “Top Chef: Los Angeles”
* Nikki Cascone, “Top Chef: Chicago”
* Richard Blais, Finalist, “Top Chef: Chicago”
* Spike Mendelsohn, “Top Chef: Chicago”
* Stephanie Izard, Winner and Fan Favorite, “Top Chef: Chicago”
This is just the latest in a long line of moneymaking tie-ins for the franchise, like the Top Chef cookbook, video games, and a national tour. The school, also known as “web’s most comprehensive, user-friendly culinary academy,” will launch on Wednesday. Expect to see plenty of commercials during Top Chef Masters.
