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Jay Lloyd's Getaway: A Scrumptious Visit to That Other C.I.A.

By Jay Lloyd

HYDE PARK, N.Y. (CBS) -- Ever wonder who trains those amazing chefs at destination restaurants?

For many of them, the answer is the Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, NY.

The visual appearance of the place is stunning.  The campus, rising over the Hudson River, is topped with an overview plaza and fountain.

 

getaway-Fountain
(Photo by Jay Lloyd)

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A 12-foot-tall Atlantic sturgeon, sculpted of tableware, points skyward, like decorations on a cake.

 

getaway-sturgeon-sculpt
(Photo by Jay Lloyd)

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The Culinary Institute is the country's prime college for students learning the art of food preparation.

Chef Waldy Malouf, senior director of the CIA, says they focus as much on where our tastes will be tomorrow as today.

"We're eating much more bold tastes and flavors," he points out.

getaway-Caterina-de-Medici
(The Caterina de' Medici restaurant, on the campus of the Culinary Institute of America. Photo by Jay Lloyd)

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Three exquisite restaurants and two cafés welcome visitors for rare dining experiences -- produced by students, guided by top chefs.

Chris Sinchi, of Philadelphia, is among them. He says his interest in cooking started early. "I learned it from my mom."

And while at CIA, visitors get a chance to hone their own cooking skills with one-day or four-day courses.  Or, just come and watch America's future chefs learn the skills of a lifetime.

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