Culinary Arts

This course delves into the art and science of baking while prioritizing nutritional value. Students will explore the fundamental principles of baking, including  ingredient interactions, techniques, and equipment usage. The focus will be on creating delicious and nutritious baked goods that incorporate wholesome ingredients and minimize refined sugars, unhealthy fats, and excessive sodium.

Through hands-on experience, students will learn to formulate recipes that balance taste, texture, and nutritional content. Topics covered will include: Nutritional basics: Understanding macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats), micronutrients (vitamins, minerals), and their roles in baking. Ingredient selection: Choosing whole grains, natural sweeteners, healthy fats, and plant-based proteins.
Recipe adaptation: Modifying traditional recipes to enhance nutritional value without compromising flavor. Baking techniques: Mastering techniques such as kneading, proofing, shaping, and glazing. Equipment usage: Using appropriate tools and equipment for baking, including mixers, ovens, and measuring devices.
Food safety: Adhering to proper food handling and sanitation practices. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to create nutritious and satisfying baked goods, promoting a healthier lifestyle. Prerequisite: 
BAKE 132.

This course provides an advanced study in the art and craft of bread making. Topics include pertinent formulas and techniques associated with naturally leavened loaves, hearth breads, focaccia, flatbreads, and other breads utilizing a variety of grains. Students produce breads that are mixed and shaped, employing traditional techniques and using pre-fermented dough, sponges, and sourdough starters. Prerequisite: BAKE 132.

This course emphasizes the concepts, procedures, and techniques related to chocolate, sugar, and decorative bakeshop items. tempering and sugar cooking.
Students will learn about chocolate, tempering, sugar, sugar cooking, ingredient identification, and application of those ingredients. Confectionary skills covered include bonbons, candies, confections, icing, fondant, marzipan, and royal icing decorations; poured, pulled, and blown sugar; chocolate and sugar work; and sculptures. Prerequisite:  BAKE 131.

In this course, students apply baking and pastry skills from throughout the curriculum in order to prepare and merchandise restaurant-style desserts. This course includes dessert menu planning, plating, garnishing, and producing component-style desserts. Students will receive practical experience in the operation of a restaurant kitchen and retail bakery. These duties tie into prior classroom work (sanitation, nutrition, purchasing, cost management, and supervision) in a practical way.

In this course, students apply baking and pastry skills through out the curriculum to
produce on a large scale. Students will receive practical experience by producing various baked goods on a large scale for use in a business setting and for retail sale. Students use the fundamentals of bake shop math to scale recipes to large quantities. Through practical experience, students will develop their skills in organization, timing, and judgment.

The fundamentals of food preparation and application of these principles to quantity food production in commercial and non-commercial settings. Emphasis is placed on the use of quantity food preparation equipment, menu planning, food safety and production.

This course provides students with comprehensive training in the field of banquet service. Through a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical hands-on experience, students will develop the skills necessary to excel in various banquet settings, including hotels, resorts, convention centers, and catering companies.

This course delves into the intricate world of coffee and tea production, refinement, and service. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the cultivation, processing, roasting, brewing, and presentation of these beloved beverages. The curriculum will explore various coffee and tea varieties, their unique characteristics, and the factors that influence their flavor profiles.
The course will combine theoretical instruction with hands-on practical experience. Students will participate in group discussions, presentations, and laboratory exercises. Field trips to local coffee shops, tea houses, and roasteries may be included to provide real-world exposure to the industry.

Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSO) enhance student learning through contextual instruction, leadership and personal development, applied learning and real world application. CTSOs work as an integral component of the classroom curriculum and instruction, building upon employability and career skills and concepts through the application and engagement of students in hands-on demonstrations and real live and/or work experiences through a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. CTSO's help guide students in developing a career path, a program of study and provide opportunities in gaining the skills and abilities needed to be successful in those careers through CTSO activities, programs and competitive events. In addition, students have opportunities to hold leadership positions at the local, state, and national level and attend leadership development conferences to network with other students as well as business and industry partners.

The study of the principles involved when operating a sound food service operation combined with the study of the basic principles of effective food cost control and the procedures used by various operations. Practice in the application of these procedures and principles is achieved through various projects and specific units. Computer programs are introduced to aid in menu costing, inventory control and recipe sizing. The course focuses on the key competencies defined by today's restaurants, hospitality and food service leaders. (F)

An overview of the operation of the restaurant dining room including personnel management and training, day-to-day operations and controls. Practical experience in customer relations is provided in an actual dining room setting.

This course focuses on educating the professional meat cutter from the culinary arts perspective. Students will learn basic kitchen safety and sanitation, equipment identification, and muscle structure and how it relates to cooking methods. The lab portion of the course will teach students basic knife skills, how to season and cook proteins using the various cooking methods, and how to advise customers (home cooks) to best utilize the various retail cuts. Students will develop a greater understanding of what the cuts of meat are and what customers can do with those cuts.

This internship course provides students with supervised, hands-on work experience in their chosen career field. The internship course reinforces technical and professional skills gained in the classroom through real-world application in a workplace setting. Students will develop industry-specific competencies, enhance problem-solving and communication skills, and gain insight into workplace expectations. Faculty and industry professionals will provide guidance and evaluation to ensure meaningful learning outcomes. Upon completion, students will be able to demonstrate increased proficiency in their field, apply critical thinking to job-related tasks, and reflect on their professional growth.

This course provides students with a fundamental knowledge of food truck equipment, operations, food preparation, service, safety and sanitation, and regulatory requirements. This class includes a combination of classroom discussion with hands-on, food truck learning.

This advanced course delves into the intricate world of food truck operations, providing students with the in-depth knowledge and practical skills necessary to manage a food truck business successfully. Building upon foundational culinary arts principles, students will explore advanced food truck concepts, including menu development, cost management, marketing strategies, and regulatory compliance. Through classroom instruction, hands-on culinary demonstrations, and guest lectures from industry experts, students will gain the practical knowledge and skills needed to excel in the competitive world of food truck entrepreneurship.

This course provides students with a fundamental knowledge of pasta, risotto, and gnocchi preparation and service. This class includes a combination of classroom discussion with hands-on learning.

This course provides a study of the diverse range of Italian breads, pastries, and desserts. Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of internal and external influence. Using fundamental baking skills and unique Italian ingredients, students will produce traditional Italian baked goods.

This course provides students with a fundamental knowledge of pizza preparation and service. This class includes a combination of classroom discussion with hands-on learning.