2023 Courses
Introduction to Cooking
The kitchen is the heart of the restaurant, and cooks are what keep that heart beating. Cooking is more than a creative outlet, it’s a precise artform which takes discipline and passion. Understanding the key principles of cooking will give you the foundation you need to start your career in hospitality.
What You’ll Learn
In this course you will learn key health and safety practices, fundamental knife skills and cooking techniques, how to properly follow and scale a recipe, foundational information on mother sauces, and how to properly set up and take down a station.
Course Outcomes
At the end of this course students will be able to:
1. Articulate restaurant terminology, clearly communicating in an effective and succinct way.
2. Have a firm grasp on the different areas of a restaurant, differentiating BOH from FOH; and identify different service types.
3. Elaborate on key health and safety practices, along with proper labeling and FIFO standards; execute correct food storage practices; Review a delivery to ensure freshness and quality.
4. Identify the different types of knives found in the kitchen and describe how and when they are used by demonstrating all the various knife cuts; carry out proper knife safety, care, and sharpening techniques.
5. Categorize and define the three main cooking techniques, know when each should be used and why that technique is best for the item being cooked verses another. Understanding the benefit of using one technique over another and why it will produce the best results for the item being cooked.
6. Describe the main types of proteins and ways they are prepared and cooked; Understand common allergies and techniques used to prevent cross-contamination.
7. Identify common large-scale equipment in a restaurant kitchen and their main settings and uses; Use appropriate techniques to set up and break down a station before and after service; Apply knowledge of kitchen functioning and food safety to troubleshoot potential issues during service.
8. Have an understanding of the different mother sauces, their origin, and their importance in modern-day cuisine
9. Use appropriate techniques to set up and break down a station before and after service.
10. Describe common baking ingredients, identify which are wet ingredients and which are dry; understand the techniques used when preparing meringue, syrups, and creams.
11. Understand the importance of teamwork and going above and beyond in service, giving practical examples