Hello again, sailor! This month I’ve been delving into the world of culinary education and courses for chefs. I wanted to give you a list of “off the beaten track” courses that are hard to find and hugely rewarding. Learn from the locals who specialize in a particular cuisine, take lessons from a master, or explore the online world to find niche specialities. Let’s start off with cuisine-based courses. These can be found in every country, and my advice for a yacht chef trying to build an understanding of different cultures is to visit the country you’re interested in and spend a week or more at a restaurant that specializes in it. So to learn how to make Thai food, go to Thailand and learn from the locals. I’ve been told the Thai Cooking Class by Chef VJ in Phuket covers a variety of classic Thai dishes during the course, which you can take day by day. You could also learn from another chef who has mastered the skills and now offers courses. For sushi, the Tokyo Sushi Academy offers a short course in sushi making. In Los Angeles, the Sushi Chef Institute offers courses from two days to four months! In Barcelona, Chef Toni Rodriguez runs Wild Slice Academy, a vegan pastry school that offers courses in both English and Spanish. It runs a two-day masterclass and a five-day intensive course. The courses are great for chefs wanting to add vegan pastries to their skill set, and also for the patisserie technique, which can be applied to both vegan and regular pastries. Food experiences are a great way for a seasoned chef to taste and get involved with everything from farm to table. Chef Peggy Markel runs Peggy Markel, which takes chefs to different countries for fully immersive food experiences. Harpke Family Farm in Fort Lauderdale is another example of the food experience. I personally have attended a tour and a tasting of their microgreens and edible flowers. After a great few hours learning how the greens are grown and harvested, we tasted the greens and learned the best ways to use them in dishes. Stages, another training option, are fantastic but difficult for yacht chefs. A stage is when you work at a restaurant for free just to learn from the chefs. Stages have great value in not only learning how each dish is made, but also in being part of the team that serves the dishes in the restaurant. These stage experiences allow you to cook the meal again and again to master the skills. They are hard to do unless you’re on rotation and getting paid. Last, but not least, is the Internet and social media. There are hundreds of free YouTube channels dedicated solely to culinary skills and improving your repertoire. I’ve been using them for years to help me better understand a recipe or technique. Jules Cooking Global is a fantastic YouTube channel where Chef Jules Wiringa teaches you his outstanding techniques and recipes, which are Michelin star level. For more information on courses for chefs, check out my YouTube channel Behind the Line with Chef Danny Davies or Instagram @futurechefproject.