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Category : BasqueStage
Category : BasqueStage
Earlier this week, we announced the top 30 finalists in the race for the IV Sammic Scholarship for BasqueStage. This talented bunch now has to show us what they’ve really got.
The first stage of round two is for the candidates to craft a video.
This video will be between one and two minutes, and the candidate will have the chance to explain who (s)he is, why (s)he wants to participate in BasqueStage, and any other things considered interesting and relevant. These videos, will be uploaded to Vimeo (or Youtube), and then posted to the candidates’ blogs. This video is not (necessarily) a cooking demo, as they have been in the past. Candidates have total creative control.
This is the first step in getting to know our top 30, whether it’s at a market or in front of their computer. Candidates should designate it in the text of the post as ‘BasqueStage Candidate Video’ and send a link upon completion.
Follow along as they compete to show us who deserves to be in Basque Country, Spain, on their culinary chance of a lifetime, with all expenses paid.
Stay tuned!
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Category : BasqueStage
Today and tomorrow are the last days to apply for the IV Sammic Scholarship for BasqueStage. That still leaves you time to get your application in for consideration.
Maybe you’re still on the fence. Perhaps you aren’t sure what kind of person is BasqueStage material. One way to get the answer to that question is to visit our former and current stages’ blogs.
We’ve asked our current stages, Elisha Ben-haim and Ruth Selby to give us what they think are the top qualities that a future stage should have. Read on and then get in your application!
- Be hardworking.
- Be thick-skinned. “This is a very old school kitchen,” adds Elisha.
- Speak some Spanish. “Everything is in spanish, not having the language skills automatically puts you one step behind,” Elisha says. Ruth seconds that, saying “Things happen fast here, and they often happen in Spanish. You can get by with only English, but you’ll get so much more out of the experience if you come with a little Spanish in your back pocket. If you don’t speak a word, even just learning some basic vocab demonstrates that you’ve done your homework, and you want to contribute to the team.”
- Be willing to learn.
- Know what motivates you (hint: it should cooking). Elisha says, “If you are sure you want to be a cook you will push hard every day to make the most what’s going on no matter what.”
- Have a good attitude. “Both in the kitchen and out, you should want to get out, see and learn as much as you can while here,” adds Elisha.
- Pay attention to detail. Ruth breaks it down: “BasqueStages have to work in a 3 star kitchen where details matter; in Sammic marketing videos where minutiae matter; and in the blogosphere where details are what set you apart. It’s important to be focused and to care about the little things, like your uniform, your word choice, and your photographs.”
- Bring your knives-sharpened. “I’ve realized what a great knife culture we have in kitchens in the US. Some people here don’t even have their own knives. You do yourself a big favor if you come with quality knives, ready to rock,” Ruth adds.
- Have patience and be humble. “It can be frustrating, humbling and occasionally infuriating to work in any kitchen, and this kitchen is no different. I remind myself how much I’m learning every day, and how fortunate I am to be here,” says Ruth.
Category : BasqueStage
Today the Sammic Scholarship for BasqueStage appeared on the front page of Eitb.com, the English portal of the largest Basque news source. The exclusive source of news about Basque Country in English, Eitb is read by people all over the world.
As the scholarship becomes more and more well-known, don’t forget that we need you too to spread the word. Have a friend that is food-obsessed? A cousin who just graduated culinary school? An acquaintance in the kitchen at your favorite restaurant? Do them a favor and tell them about BasqueStage….they stand to win 6 months paid in Basque Country, working in a 3-star Michelin restaurant.
Send them to Twitter or Facebook, where they can get more information, and of course here on the website.
You can read the article in its entirety here.
- Important Changes in BasqueStage Application Process: Round 1 -
If you are previously familiar with the Sammic Scholarship for BasqueStage, you will know that this year, the application process looks a bit…different.
Several factors have motivated us to revise the way we choose our scholarship winners, resulting in a process that we believe is more streamlined, user-friendly, and conducive to finding us the best possible candidates. The process has been broken down into two stages. In this post, we’ll talk about Stage 1.
STAGE 1 (20TH FEBRUARY – 30TH MARCH)
The first stage will take place between February 20, 2012 and March 30, 2012, after which the applications for the scholarship will no longer be accepted.
This stage requires candidates to submit personal information, the address of their blog and twitter accounts, and answer a short question: Why do you want to be a candidate at Basque Stage?
What if you don’t have a blog or twitter account? You should still apply, but we strongly encourage you to open one, even if it is empty at the time of registration.
This simple process should take about ten minutes, and it gives us the information we need to choose thirty candidates to proceed to Round 2. These thirty candidates will be named April 1 on the BasqueStage website. More on the requirements of Round 2 later!
Applications are now open for the IV Sammic Scholarship for BasqueStage.
You can apply for the scholarship’s first round right here, in a new streamlined process that will take you about five minutes.
So, what is it? Why apply?
BasqueStage is a program that carries on the tradition of nurturing young chefs, which is one of the peculiar characteristics of the culinary community of Basque Country, and one of the principal reasons it is home to more Michelin stars per person than anywhere else in the world. The stages work at Martín Berasategui’s three-star restaurant in Lasarte, Spain, just outside of San Sebastián in the Basque Region of Spain. The jury that chooses the two winners is packed with culinary luminaries, such as Daniel Bouloud, Thomas Keller, and Pedro Subijana.
BasqueStage winners receive a 6-month, all-expense-paid stage. This includes housing, airfaire, health insurance and an instant platform to share their experiences with other chefs and lovers of food, through blog, video and social media.
The scholars’ rich experiences here, immersed in the kitchen life at Martín Berasategui as well as the enchanting community of Basque Country, have been chronicled for you to enjoy. Our current scholars are Ruth Selby and Elisha Ben-Haim, talented young cooks out of New York City. Tracy Chang and Athena Thickstun were the winners of the first round of BasqueStage, which took place from January 2011 to June 2011. Our II Sammic Scholars were Marco Bahena and Cameron Rolka.
Read and follow these scholars and apply today for your chance of a lifetime!
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Category : BasqueStage
Disculpa, pero esta entrada está disponible sólo en English.
Category : BasqueStage
Disculpa, pero esta entrada está disponible sólo en English.