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Culinary Arts 1a
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Thinking of a career in the food service industry or looking to develop your culinary skills? This introductory course will provide you with basic cooking and knife skills while preparing you for entry into the culinary world. Discover the history of food culture, food service, and global cuisines while learning about food science principles and preservation. Finally, prepare for your future by building the professional, communication, leadership, and teamwork skills that are crucial to a career in the culinary arts.
This course has minimal opportunities to practice the skills and concepts discussed. If you are looking for an applied culinary class, please see Culinary 2, for which culinary 1 is not a pre-requisite.
During this course, you will learn career-related skills and earn a badge for this accomplishment. A badge is a digital certification of your career-related learning that you can share on social media and higher education platforms, or with colleges, potential employers, peers, and colleagues. Select this link to learn more about badges.
Major Topics and Concepts
Unit 1: The Safe Kitchen
Discuss the dos and don’ts of basic cooking
Describe standard procedures for chemical hazard control
Explain the importance of safety procedures in the workplace
Identify and use proper first aid procedures for kitchen-related accidents and injuries
Unit 2: Knife Skills
Discuss the importance of proper knife safety
Explain and demonstrate basic knife techniques
Identify and explain the four key knives in a professional kitchen
Describe various cutting methods and the role they play in food preparation
Unit 3: Food Safety
Apply sanitation standards to the kitchen environment
Identify the key elements of foodborne illnesses and how to prevent them
Explain the process and importance of waste management in the food industry
Describe the inventory process and how it affects food preparation and safety
Unit 4: Cuisine and Culture
Explain food science and how it affects the culinary world
Identify various cooking methods and how they affect food
Describe different cuisines and their relationship to culture and history
Differentiate between proteins and other food groups
Unit 5: Garde Manger: The Cold Kitchen
Explain the history and significance of the garde manger
Describe the types of dishes prepared in the cold kitchen
Identify proper preservation methods, both new and old
Detail the basic equipment in the garde manger
Unit 6: The Principles of Food
Describe a standardized recipe and its significance to the food industry
Perform cost analysis on an original recipe
Explain the application of weights and measures in a food service setting
Discuss the principles of food preparation
Unit 7: Professionalism
Discuss the history of food service and some of its contributing figures
Describe the various roles of the kitchen hierarchy
Define professionalism and its key tenets
Explain the importance of oral and written communication in the workplace
Unit 8: Leadership, Teamwork, and Ethics
Describe effective leadership in the workplace
Explain the role of teamwork in the kitchen
Discuss the importance of team diversity
Identify and exhibit professional work ethics
Competencies
Kitchen Safety
Students will demonstrate an understanding of kitchen safety by describing critical safety skills in the kitchen, explaining kitchen hazards, and creating guidelines for safe practices in a kitchen.
Knife Skills
Students will demonstrate an understanding of knife skills by analyzing the best practices for knife use, describing cutting techniques, and explaining the impact of knife skills on safety.
Promoting Food Safety
Students will demonstrate an understanding of food safety by explaining safe storage standards for foods and explaining procedures for sanitation and waste removal.
Cuisine and Culture
Students will demonstrate an understanding of cuisine and culture by explaining the history of food culture and explaining cooking methods for cuisines.
Garde Manger
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the garde manger by describing garde manger food storage techniques, describing garde manger food types, and describing the garde manger role in a restaurant.
The Principles of Food
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the principles of food by describing a standardized recipe, explaining the role of weights and measures, and analyzing the costs of recipes.
Culinary Professionalism
Students will demonstrate an understanding of culinary professionalism by describing the characteristics of professionalism, describing the hierarchy of roles in the kitchen, and explaining the role of communication in the kitchen.
Teamwork in the Kitchen
Students will demonstrate an understanding of teamwork in the kitchen by explaining the role of teamwork in the kitchen, describing effective leadership in the kitchen, and explaining professional practices in the kitchen.
