If you are passionate about food you are third of the way there . . . you just need to add the skills. This is where cooking schools come in. Whether you wish to learn cooking from the ground up just so that you can cook for friends and family, or whether you wish to learn to cook as a professional, there is a cooking school out there to suit your needs.

Cooking schools come in all shapes and sizes and are located all over the world. How do you choose a cooking school? Not an easy question to answer as it will depend on what you are looking to do and where you want to do it. One thing you can be sure of is that any cooking school you contact will be more than happy to try and help you and answer any questions you may have.

"Examinations, sir, are pure humbug from beginning to end. If a man is a gentleman, he knows quite enough, and if he is not a gentleman, whatever he knows is bad for him." ~ Oscar Wilde

Learning a kitchen skill is fundamental to all styles of cooking. If you want to cook for a dinner party you still need to understand the fundamental kitchen skills and where better to learn than at a cooking school alongside like minded people.

If you see yourself cooking professionally then it is very important to choose a cooking school that will enable you to achieve your ambition. To make it as a chef, a passion for food is essential - but so is education and hands-on experience. Gaining a recognised qualification from a college or experience at a top restaurant could mean the difference between getting a great job and getting a mediocre one.

If you want to be a chef, it is essential that you are organised, can work with a team, can handle stressful situations and that you have plenty of stamina. You also have to be adaptable and you must be able to think on your feet - such as deciding what to do when that vital ingredient for your signature dish is missing.

But if you can stand the heat, you may get a real buzz from pulling together with others to create memorable meals.

"Some are born with knowledge, some derive it from study, and some acquire it only after a painful realization of their ignorance. But the knowledge being possessed, it comes to the same thing. Some study with a natural ease, some from a desire for advantages, and some by strenuous effort. But the achievement being made, it comes to the same thing." ~ Confucius

And the first step in finding out if you have what it takes is to enrol at a cooking school where you can learn your kitchen skill and climb the first step on the ladder.