{"id":64367,"date":"2025-05-02T07:00:33","date_gmt":"2025-05-02T12:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/?p=64367"},"modified":"2025-05-14T06:59:22","modified_gmt":"2025-05-14T11:59:22","slug":"chef-albert-schmid-proves-culinary-career-is-yours-to-write","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/success-stories\/chef-albert-schmid-proves-culinary-career-is-yours-to-write\/","title":{"rendered":"Chef Albert Schmid Shows That a Culinary Career is Yours to Write"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Listen to This Article:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<div id=\"elevenlabs-audionative-widget\" data-height=\"90\" data-width=\"100%\" data-frameborder=\"no\" data-scrolling=\"no\" data-publicuserid=\"d443feec80bf8c8f2e009e26dafa4118e6eb9f14056a5516af577c77d4404c4e\" data-playerurl=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/player\/index.html\" data-projectid=\"k8UEf64dJgG5DHAe5KnQ\" >Loading the <a href=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/text-to-speech\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elevenlabs Text to Speech<\/a> AudioNative Player&#8230;<\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/player\/audioNativeHelper.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Imagine attending an elementary school in New Orleans where field trips walking down Bourbon Street and exploring the French Quarter are regular occurrences. You\u2019re surrounded by not only the history and stories of the city but also the sights and smells of some of the most iconic restaurants in the country.<\/p>\n<p>It was on a field trip just like this that a young <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/about\/chef-instructors\/albert-schmid\/\">Albert Schmid<\/a> watched busy chefs meticulously preparing breakfast at Brennan\u2019s Restaurant, a New Orleans institution, and realized people could make money preparing and serving food to others.<\/p>\n<p>It was a moment that began to set the stage for a culinary career rooted in passion, purpose, and storytelling.<\/p>\n<p>But Chef Albert\u2019s path didn\u2019t follow a traditional trajectory. While initially pursuing writing, he discovered a love for the culinary world. After recognizing the challenges of balancing long hours in the kitchen with being a present father, he rewrote his story to craft a career blending professional success with personal fulfillment.<\/p>\n<p>Today, as an Escoffier Chef Instructor, an award-winning author, and a storyteller at heart, Chef Albert inspires others to take risks, preserve culinary traditions, and design careers that support the lives they want.<\/p>\n<h2>How It All Started: A Taste for Food and Stories<\/h2>\n<p>Although New Orleans helped shape Albert\u2019s culinary perspective, his first memory of food dates back to his time in Texas, where he was born. When his father was in seminary school, he would take young Albert to the library with him when he needed to study.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI would crawl under the desk, and he would feed me peppermint Life Savers under the table to keep me quiet,\u201d Albert recalls. \u201cAnd so that\u2019s my first memory of food, and I love mint even today.\u201d This first fond food memory provides a perfect example of how two elements\u2014books and food\u2014have woven themselves together in Albert\u2019s life.<\/p>\n<p>When Albert\u2019s father finished seminary school, the family relocated to Louisiana, where Albert had his first taste of dirty rice. It\u2019s a popular dish consisting of fried rice and chicken livers, and Albert loved it.<\/p>\n<p>The French Quarter was full of culinary creativity and inspiration. Albert\u2019s elementary school participated in Montessori, or hands-on, learning. So, the classes took frequent field trips walking to the French Quarter where students were immersed in an environment of street performances, bustling vendors, lively music, and smells of everything from sweet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/recipes\/mardi-gras-magic-festive-fat-tuesday-recipes-for-a-flavorful-celebration\/#:~:text=on%20the%20side.-,Beignet%20Recipe,-Yields%2024%20pieces\">beignets<\/a> to spicy gumbo.<\/p>\n<p>Albert remembers when Paul Prudhomme, known for popularizing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/world-food-drink\/creole-and-cajun-cuisine-the-delicious-differences\/\">cajun and creole cooking<\/a>, left Commander\u2019s Palace to start his own restaurant called K-Paul\u2019s almost right next to Brennan\u2019s. It was small, with only 15 tables. K-Paul\u2019s didn\u2019t take reservations but there was always a line out the door and people would wait two to three hours for a table.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_64369\" style=\"width: 778px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-64369\" class=\"wp-image-64369 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Chef-Albert-Schmid-with-Chef-Paul-Prudhomme.webp\" alt=\"Chef Albert Schmid with Chef Paul Prudhomme.\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Chef-Albert-Schmid-with-Chef-Paul-Prudhomme.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Chef-Albert-Schmid-with-Chef-Paul-Prudhomme-300x225.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-64369\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef Albert meeting Paul Prudhomme, who had become a national figure in New Orleans\u2019 culinary scene.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cI thought it was the strangest thing,\u201d Albert says. \u201cWhy would you wait two or three hours? You\u2019re in New Orleans. You\u2019ve got Brennan\u2019s. You\u2019ve got Arnaud&#8217;s, Antoine&#8217;s. You\u2019ve got Commander\u2019s Palace, and yet you\u2019re going to wait three hours to go to K-Paul\u2019s. And it wasn\u2019t until much later, when I dined there, that I got it. And he of course blew up into a national figure.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>A First Book Signing Event<\/h3>\n<p>At home, Albert was picking up a love for storytelling. His father would entertain the family with stories of his time in the Coast Guard, always telling the stories the same way to the point that Albert smiles as he recalls them to this day.<\/p>\n<p>Albert\u2019s interest in storytelling was further inspired by an assignment from his elementary teacher, Jenny Langham. Albert and his classmates had to write their own stories. But Ms. Langham took it a step further and had their stories each bound into its own book. She had a way of making every child feel special and encouraged them to try new things.<\/p>\n<p>As a way to show her students they were worthy of good opportunities, Ms. Langham hosted a book signing event in class where students could sign their books for each other. While this may seem like nothing more than a childhood school assignment, it was a moment that stuck with Albert and helped him when an opportunity presented itself for him to write his own book as an adult.<\/p>\n<h2>Rising to the Occasion<\/h2>\n<p>When Albert was in high school, his dad moved the family back to Texas, where Albert was exposed to more types of cuisine\u2014<a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/culinary-arts\/what-puts-the-tex-in-tex-mex\/\">Tex-Mex<\/a>, Mexican, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/culinary-arts\/whats-the-difference-between-regional-barbecue-sauces\/#:~:text=1.-,Texas,-Of%20course%2C%20we%E2%80%99ll\">Texas barbecue<\/a>. He enjoyed all the new flavors of the regional cuisine, but a culinary career wasn\u2019t yet on his radar. Instead, Albert\u2019s aspiration was to finish high school and become a journalist.<\/p>\n<p>To start making money in high school, Albert got a job working at a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. He gained experience in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/baking-pastry\/confectionery-arts-the-sweet-side-of-baking-and-pastry\/\">confections<\/a> but wasn\u2019t planning to use that experience in the future. However, while in college, Albert ended up unexpectedly moving out of state with his family and having to take time away from school. He tried to get a job at a department store chocolate shop only to be told there were no openings, though they were looking for help in the bakery. Albert didn\u2019t have experience, but was he going to let that stop him?<\/p>\n<p>He thought back to a story his father told about tackling a daunting dissertation and deciding if someone else could do it, so could he. With that same determination, Albert took the job at the bakery and began making cookies and cinnamon rolls.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_64370\" style=\"width: 778px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-64370\" class=\"wp-image-64370 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Chef-Albert-Schmid-being-presented-an-award-after-winning-a-chocolate-competition.webp\" alt=\"Chef Albert Schmid being presented an award after winning a chocolate competition.\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Chef-Albert-Schmid-being-presented-an-award-after-winning-a-chocolate-competition.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Chef-Albert-Schmid-being-presented-an-award-after-winning-a-chocolate-competition-300x225.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-64370\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">These entry-level jobs were just the beginning of Chef Albert\u2019s career.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Over the next few years, Albert bounced back and forth from school to work. Although his interest had shifted from journalist to writer, he couldn\u2019t help but notice that the culinary jobs seemed to be working out. He talked to the chef of a five-star hotel about potentially becoming a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/culinary-pastry-careers\/how-to-become-a-pastry-chef\/\">pastry chef<\/a>\u2014and the chef, who was in the process of starting a restaurant, offered Albert the job. Albert began to realize the value of his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/academics\/baking-pastry-online\/\">baking and pastry<\/a> experience, along with the doors it could open in the culinary industry.<\/p>\n<h2>An Unconventional Culinary Career Shift<\/h2>\n<p>While Albert was thriving in his culinary career, he began to notice the cost of the demanding schedule and long hours in a professional kitchen: time away from his family. He realized how much he was missing in his son\u2019s life and knew something had to change.<\/p>\n<p>Albert made what some in the culinary industry might consider an unconventional move.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI went from working in restaurants and country clubs,\u201d he says, \u201cto doing university food service so I could spend more time with the kids.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The hours were better for the life that he wanted as a father, and he could complete his studies for a Bachelor of Science degree (he would later earn a Master of Arts in Gastronomy). In addition, the pivot to working in university food service ended up opening new doors in his culinary career. He became the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/culinary-pastry-careers\/what-it-takes-to-be-an-executive-chef\/\">executive chef<\/a> at a university, overseeing 11 campus restaurants, a scratch bakery, and catering operations\u2014including meals for the football team, the convention center, and high-profile events at the University President\u2019s house, where he cooked for dignitaries, government officials, and Olympic athletes.<\/p>\n<p>Although Albert enjoyed the job, his career took another unexpected turn a few years later. While helping a baker friend explore teaching opportunities, Albert discovered an opening at Sullivan University in Louisville, Kentucky. While his friend wasn\u2019t qualified for the position, he encouraged Albert to pursue the role. He applied, was hired, and moved his family to Kentucky.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_64371\" style=\"width: 778px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-64371\" class=\"wp-image-64371 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Chef-Albert-Schmid-wearing-a-white-chefs-coat-sits-on-a-wooden-bourbon-barrel-along-a-tree-lined-path-smiling.webp\" alt=\"Chef Albert Schmid, wearing a white chef\u2019s coat, sits on a wooden bourbon barrel along a tree-lined path, smiling.\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Chef-Albert-Schmid-wearing-a-white-chefs-coat-sits-on-a-wooden-bourbon-barrel-along-a-tree-lined-path-smiling.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Chef-Albert-Schmid-wearing-a-white-chefs-coat-sits-on-a-wooden-bourbon-barrel-along-a-tree-lined-path-smiling-225x300.webp 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-64371\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Albert Schmid\u2019s move to Louisville, Kentucky, marked a turning point in his career, allowing him to balance his passion for food with a fulfilling role as an educator.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The position offered the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/success-stories\/kristen-kish-defining-wellness-food-industry\/\">work-life balance<\/a> he had been seeking, even allowing him to drop off and pick up his sons from school. It also gave him a new way to share his culinary knowledge through teaching others.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI really enjoyed doing the job,\u201d Chef Albert shares, \u201cone of the best things to see is a student finish up your classes, graduate, and then go on and succeed in their career.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Redefining Success in the Culinary Industry<\/h2>\n<p>By stepping away from the demanding hours of professional kitchens, Albert crafted a career that allowed him to excel professionally and be present for his family. And he wants future culinarians to know: \u201cThere\u2019s always an avenue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>One of the problems that Albert found with culinary schools in the past was that they only trained people to work in fine dining, which limited career options for students.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut that\u2019s not really what we\u2019re doing anymore,\u201d Chef Albert says. \u201cCulinary students can be writers, TV personalities. They can work in a kitchen, but they don&#8217;t necessarily have to work in a restaurant kitchen or a country club. Or they can do university food service. They can do hospitals, which are really big.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>From <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/food-entrepreneurship\/how-to-start-your-own-food-truck\/\">food trucks<\/a> to teaching private cooking workshops, Chef Albert points out that culinary students now have the opportunity to define what they want their culinary career to look like. Just as he found a way to balance his passion for the culinary world with his family, each culinary student has the opportunity to write their own story and define what success looks like for them.<\/p>\n<p>While working in Kentucky, Albert continued to recognize and embrace unexpected opportunities. His ability to act boldly and think creatively opened doors he never anticipated, including one that led him to become a published author.<\/p>\n<h2>The Culinary World Meets Storytelling in Albert\u2019s Career<\/h2>\n<p>Shortly after starting at Sullivan, Albert was filling in answering phones when a publisher called looking for one of the chef instructors who they had a book contract with. A lightbulb went off. Albert answered the question for the caller and then asked, \u201cHow do I get a book deal?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The person was incredibly helpful and explained the process. After the call, Albert got to work. He had been teaching a class from a textbook called <em>Grossman\u2019s Guide to Wine, Spirits and Beers<\/em>, but he knew students weren\u2019t reading the book. Albert thought the information could be condensed down into what the students really needed to know. By the end of the week, he submitted a book proposal for what would become his first published book, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Hospitality-Managers-Guide-Wines-Spirits\/dp\/0132059681\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>The Hospitality Manager\u2019s Guide to Wines, Beers and Spirits<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_64372\" style=\"width: 778px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-64372\" class=\"wp-image-64372 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Chef-Albert-Schmid-wearing-a-white-chefs-coat-at-a-table-signing-copies-of-his-cookbook-with-stacks-of-his-book-displayed-beside-him.webp\" alt=\"Chef Albert Schmid, wearing a white chef\u2019s coat at a table, signing copies of his cookbook, with stacks of his book displayed beside him.\" width=\"768\" height=\"575\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Chef-Albert-Schmid-wearing-a-white-chefs-coat-at-a-table-signing-copies-of-his-cookbook-with-stacks-of-his-book-displayed-beside-him.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Chef-Albert-Schmid-wearing-a-white-chefs-coat-at-a-table-signing-copies-of-his-cookbook-with-stacks-of-his-book-displayed-beside-him-300x225.webp 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-64372\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Albert Schmid\u2019s bold question\u2014\u201cHow do I get a book deal?\u201d\u2014launched a writing career that led to award-winning cookbooks and celebrated culinary storytelling.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The book launched his writing career and allowed him to combine his culinary expertise with his love of writing and, eventually, storytelling. His textbook was just the beginning. Albert went on to write multiple <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/culinary-arts\/how-to-author-a-cookbook\/\">cookbooks<\/a>, winning three Gourmand Awards, including the prestigious international Gourmand World Cookbook Award for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Kentucky-Bourbon-Cookbook-Albert-Schmid\/dp\/0813125790\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>The Kentucky Bourbon Cookbook<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While it was one of the things he\u2019s most proud of in his career, Albert doesn\u2019t take credit for the book himself. He shares there was a team of people behind it from editors to other chefs and food stylists. \u201cIt was a team of people that put that book together,\u201d Chef Albert says. \u201cI just happened to be the author.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Preserving Culinary Heritage Through Storytelling<\/h2>\n<p>Albert\u2019s cookbooks aren\u2019t just about the recipes, though. They are a form of storytelling and a way to protect authentic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/world-food-drink\/american-regional-cuisines\/\">regional cuisine<\/a>. As he moved from textbooks to more coffee table books, writing that he found more enjoyable, his work began to focus more on helping preserve regional culinary traditions.<\/p>\n<p>His cookbooks, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Burgoo-Barbecue-Bourbon-Kentucky-Culinary\/dp\/0813169887\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Burgoo, Barbecue, and Bourbon<\/em><\/a>, document and celebrate dishes that are deeply tied to culture and history but risk fading from memory. \u201cThe regional cuisines are just incredible here in the United States,\u201d Albert shares. \u201cThey resonate with people because it is something special, and it&#8217;s something which I also think is being lost a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_64373\" style=\"width: 778px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-64373\" class=\"wp-image-64373 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/A-bowl-of-burgoo-a-traditional-Kentucky-stew-filled-with-meat-okra-corn-and-vegetables-served-alongside-a-golden-cornbread-muffin.webp\" alt=\"A bowl of burgoo, a traditional Kentucky stew, filled with meat, okra, corn, and vegetables, served alongside a golden cornbread muffin.\" width=\"768\" height=\"878\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/A-bowl-of-burgoo-a-traditional-Kentucky-stew-filled-with-meat-okra-corn-and-vegetables-served-alongside-a-golden-cornbread-muffin.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/A-bowl-of-burgoo-a-traditional-Kentucky-stew-filled-with-meat-okra-corn-and-vegetables-served-alongside-a-golden-cornbread-muffin-262x300.webp 262w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-64373\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Burgoo, a beloved but lesser-known Kentucky dish, is one of the many regional recipes Albert Schmid works to preserve through his cookbooks and storytelling.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The book was meant to be about burgoo, a dish often unknown outside of Kentucky, but the idea expanded when he was asked to review a collection of 2,400 rare regional cookbooks at Western Kentucky University.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was also seeing things that I had not seen before,&#8221; he says, \u201ceven though I had lived in Kentucky for ten years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The dishes weren\u2019t being served anywhere, and Albert wanted to help preserve them.<\/p>\n<p>His passion for preserving authentic regional cuisine goes beyond Kentucky. Albert shares how this is happening all around, including in New Orleans. As restaurants recruit people from outside of their area, new chefs are putting their own twists on regional dishes and throwing in new ingredients, which ends up taking away from the original cuisine. He wants to help ensure we don\u2019t lose what makes each regional cuisine special, and one way he\u2019s able to do this is through writing and teaching. Albert continues to use storytelling to help connect people to food.<\/p>\n<h2>Life Lessons and Legacy<\/h2>\n<p>Albert\u2019s career reflects a belief that life is a story waiting to be written\u2014and rewritten. Throughout his journey, he has embraced opportunities to explore new paths, from baking and teaching to writing award-winning cookbooks. His ability to pivot and adapt has not only shaped his own career but also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/success-stories\/from-desk-job-in-finance-to-texas-barbecue-expert\/\">inspired others to pursue their passions on their own terms<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>He views watching his students succeed as one of the best accomplishments of his culinary career. He takes pride in seeing how his students apply what they\u2019ve learned in the world as they write their own culinary stories. Some have gone on to have their own cookbooks published or be nominated for James Beard Awards. Others have worked in hospital kitchens, where a carefully prepared meal becomes a source of comfort and healing.<\/p>\n<p>Chef Albert wants students to find their own path, just as he did. \u201cJust because you end up in a particular place doesn&#8217;t mean that you are stuck in that particular place,\u201d he encourages. \u201cJust because you&#8217;re doing a particular thing doesn&#8217;t mean that you can&#8217;t branch out and do other things. You should never, ever have somebody tell you what your life is going to be. You can make those adjustments to your life as you need to and as you want to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Through his teaching, writing, and example, Albert continues to inspire others to view their careers as stories they can shape to fit their goals and values.<\/p>\n<h2>Writing Your Own Culinary Story<\/h2>\n<p>From those early field trips in New Orleans to working in kitchens, teaching students, and writing cookbooks, Chef Albert has built a career that brings together his love of food, storytelling, and purpose. More importantly, he\u2019s done it on his own terms. He created a path that allowed him to grow professionally while still being present for his family.<\/p>\n<p>Albert\u2019s story is a reminder that there\u2019s no one-size-fits-all path in the culinary world. Whether your heart is in a busy kitchen, on the page, or in the classroom, the skills you gain in culinary school can help lay the foundation for a career that fits your life.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve been inspired by his story and are ready to explore your own path, culinary school could be your first step. At Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts, you can learn the skills and techniques to pursue your passion while discovering how to create a career that fits your life.<\/p>\n<p>Start writing your culinary story today. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/contact-us\/\">Contact us<\/a> to explore <a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/academics\/\">Escoffier\u2019s programs<\/a> and take the first step toward your future in food.<\/p>\n\t\n\t<h3 class=\"additional-articles-heading\">CHECK OUT THESE ARTICLES NEXT FOR MORE CULINARY CAREER INSPIRATION!<\/h3>\n\n\t\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/podcast\/19-albert-schmid-food-historian-how-to-write-books\/\">How to Write Books About Food, Cocktails, and More: Chef and Food Historian Albert Schmid Shares His Secrets<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/success-stories\/from-desk-job-in-finance-to-texas-barbecue-expert\/\">From Desk Job to Pitmaster: A Culinary Journey with Escoffier Graduate Michael Fields<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/success-stories\/from-scrubs-to-aprons\/\">From Scrubs to Aprons: A Chef\u2019s Incredible Journey from the ER to the Kitchen<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn how Chef Albert Schmid built a culinary career that balances passion and family, proving there are many paths to success in the food industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":64368,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1371],"tags":[1299,885,60],"class_list":["post-64367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-success-stories","tag-career-advancement","tag-chef-instructor","tag-executive-chef"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - 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