Basic Cooking Principles

Catalog description

This course covers the most basic and some of the most important concepts in culinary arts profession. This course is a prerequisite for all later courses in the program. Upon completion of the student will have full vocabulary of cooking terminology and be able to identify the moist and dry heat methods of heat transfer as well as how equipment and materials provide heat and affect the cooking process. The student will be able to identify the components of recipes as well as how to read, interpret, price, and convert them. The student will be capable of utilizing the various ways product in the kitchen are measured and portioned along with the economic ramifications of proper implementation of these skills. Topics also include menu design and the factors involved in it along with the basic nutritional considerations and terminology that relate to it. Students also will be conversant on kitchen organization, prioritization of tasks, and time management in the face of deadlines. Students will use basic preparation tasks and knife skills. This course includes lecture, demonstration, and lab opportunities to apply knowledge and skills in food preparation.