Chef Crispo Shares His “Coach” Approach to Teaching

Student Contributor: Will Nardi
Culinary Arts Degree Program:
B.P.S. Culinary Arts

Walking into the Escoffier Restaurant—E-Room as it’s affectionately known on campus—the observer would undoubtedly be taken by surprise to be greeted with décor dating to the Victorian era. However, sitting down for a meal and understanding the philosophy of the restaurant’s kitchen is an experience of wonder. For 16 months Professor Phillip Crispo has been polishing senior culinarians in the Escoffier Restaurant teaching the Advanced Restaurant Cooking class. The cuisine of the restaurant is far from the public’s stiff perception of French cuisine, and it is kept so by an educational philosophy that throws aside the traditions of kitchen management.

The restaurant’s fare is founded upon the fundamentals. Chef Crispo states that “braising is braising, and the action of sautéing is unchanged. The students are taught to make these basic techniques their own, to reinvent the flavor.” They are taught to compound the cuisine, each senior given ownership of their development. The object is to refine technique and develop the soul of cooking, the taste of the dish. Chef Crispo does not allow his students to be satisfied with only knowing “how”. He feels that a leader and a true culinarian must always reinvent “how” they cook by asking “why” they cook—why they add the ingredients they do, and why they structure the plate and the recipe a certain way.

The inquisitive spirit fostered by Chef Crispo in the Escoffier kitchen is founded upon the beliefs and values of its namesake, Auguste Escoffier. He feels that if Escoffier were alive today “he would have been beyond molecular gastronomy.” This philosophy was reinforced to his students just weeks ago in a lecture presented by Ferran Adrià. It is the spirit presented in the Escoffier quote:

“The life of a chef is no idle one; apart from the labor of actual preparation and serving of diverse dishes, his brain must ever be on the alert and his inventive powers always acute. But there is actual and lasting satisfaction…in accomplishing the very best that can be accomplished.”

Utilizing the innovation, the skill, and the dedication of Escoffier, Chef Crispo continues to pursue his culinary styles. Apart from being ProChef-certified at level III, he is also training for his Certified Master Chef exam.

In order to instill these ideals in his students, however, he has begun to innovate beyond the culinary realm. To foster innovation, respect, and professionalism in the classroom, he has changed his title from “Chef” to “Coach” and has begun utilizing a revolutionary kitchen management philosophy by encouraging an environment of shared ownership rather than autocracy—a socialistic, somewhat “utopian” kitchen.

Students in Escoffier are taught to work as a team. They are encouraged to question, but more important, they must find the answer and justify it. The diner at the Escoffier Restaurant must understand that there is no “chef” in the kitchen. It is a team of culinarians who work in unison to present their craft, showcase their skill, and bring to life the art of their flavor development. The students must speak with each other to coordinate plating for a table at the same time, and understand each other’s station to facilitate the presentation of food simultaneously. They are encouraged to find better ways to develop their dishes and earn extra credit for specials they contribute. Each time a change is presented to their “Coach,” he questions them on their thoughts, encouraging the two most important skills of any leader: introspection and critical analysis.

These ideals challenge the traditional kitchen management system and grow out of the application of contemporary management and educational technique. By applying them to the culinary culture, “Coach” Crispo has begun to reinvent kitchen organization for the 21st Century. His legacy at the Escoffier Restaurant and to his students is the demolition of autocratic innovation and the application of kitchen “socialism” within a culture of shared ownership. He has instilled an insatiable appetite for new answers built from the foundations of cuisine and the values of leaders everywhere.

Podcast Reveals "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef"

Chat with Food Network Star Anne Burrell, Class of 1996, is Newest in Series

Anne Burrell, host of the Food Network's Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, talks about her career in the newest "Insight from the Inside" podcast from The Culinary Institute of America (CIA). "Insight from the Inside" is a series of chats with CIA graduates who have exciting jobs in the food world.

During the 17-minute podcast, the 1996 CIA graduate provides her "secrets" about how to become a successful restaurant chef. She also shares highlights of her career, from serving as Lydia Bastianich's sous chef to having millions of viewers watching her cook each week on television. Last year, she was awarded Rising Star Chef of the Year by StarChefs.com.

Chef Burrell says there was never any doubt in her mind that she would attend the CIA after having an "epiphany" that she needed to change careers at age 23, and that the culinary world was for her.

"It was the first time I was a straight-A student. It was the first time I was a sponge for knowledge. I couldn't learn enough," Chef Burrell says about her experience as a CIA undergraduate. "I wanted to do so well. I was one of those people who was super-competitive. It was because I wanted to learn so much."

Burrell recorded the podcast while on campus to deliver the commencement speech to graduates in May 2009.

"Insight from the Inside" has featured CIA graduates Grant Achatz, John Besh, Scott Conant, Cat Cora, Dan Coudreaut, Steve Ells, Duff Goldman, Johnny Iuzzini, Sara Moulton, Charlie Palmer, Michael Symon, and Top Chef winners Ilan Hall and Hung Huynh. To hear the interview with Chef Burrell or receive future podcasts, visit www.ciachef.edu/podcasts.