Career Overview | cmthsculinary2

Assumptions of this Program of Study

1. Promote positive working relationships.

2. Implement a curriculum that fosters all areas of skill development

3. Use appropriate and effective teaching approaches.

4. Provide ongoing assessments of student progress.

5. Employ and support qualified teaching staff.

6. Establish and maintain relationships and use resources of the community.

7. Provide a safe and healthy learning environment.

8. Implement strong program organization and supervision policies that result in high quality teaching and learning.

9. Integrate academic skills and aptitudes necessary for postsecondary education, gainful employment and a foundation of lifelong learning.

12.0508 - Institutional Food Workers

This is an instructional program that prepares students for employment related to institutional, commercial or self-owned food establishments or other food industry occupations.

Instruction and specialized learning experiences include theory, laboratory and work experience related to planning, selecting, preparing and serving of quantity food and food products; nutritive values; use and care of commercial equipment; safety; and sanitation precautions.

Instructional skills are provided to individuals desiring to become employed in all areas of the food service industry at entry level.

Overview:

Food preparation workers perform routine, repetitive tasks under the direction of chefs, head cooks, or supervisors. These workers prepare the ingredients for complex dishes by slicing and dicing vegetables, and making salads and cold items. They weigh and measure ingredients, retrieve pots and pans, and stir and strain soups and sauces. Food preparation workers may also cut and grind meats, poultry, and seafood in preparation for cooking.

Larger restaurants and food service establishments tend to have varied menus and larger kitchen staffs. Teams of restaurant cooks called assistant or line cooks, may be called to function in these large establishments. Each team has an assigned station that is equipped with the types of stoves, grills, pans, and ingredients needed for the foods prepared at that station. Job titles often reflect the principal ingredient prepared or the type of cooking performed, such as vegetable cook, fry cook, or grill cook.

Specifically, cooks measure, mix, and cook food according to recipes. The number, type and responsibilities of cooks vary depending on where they work, the size of the facility, and the complexity and level of service offered. Institution and cafeteria cooks, for example, work in the kitchens of schools, cafeterias, businesses, hospitals, and other institutions. For each meal, they prepare a large quantity of a limited number of entrees, vegetables, and desserts according to preset menus. Meals are generally prepared in advance so diners seldom get the opportunity to special order a meal.

Restaurant cooks usually prepare a wider selection of dishes, cooking most orders individually. Short order cooks prepare foods in restaurants and coffee shops that emphasize fast service and quick food preparation. They grill and garnish hamburgers, prepare sandwiches, fry eggs, and cook french fries, often working on several orders at the same time. Fast food cooks prepare a limited selection of menu items in fast food restaurants. They cook and package food, such as hamburgers and fried chicken, to be kept warm until served.

After gaining valuable experience on the job, cooks and food preparation workers may be promoted to kitchen managers or food service supervisors. These individuals purchase supplies, train workers, compile and balance cash receipts, and observe and evaluate work procedures to ensure quality standards and services are met.

Culinary Arts/Restaurant Practices

Culinary Arts refer to professions that involve preparing and cooking food. Culinary artists often are compared with restaurant managers in both education and career scope.

Generally, the three major differentiating factors for culinary artists and restaurant managers are the specific college programs, the type of training and experience involved and the actual duties associated with each job. Culinary arts programs focus on building exceptional preparation and cooking skills, while restaurant management programs focus on administrative tasks.

A culinary arts program may contain content in nutrition and sensory evaluation, American cuisine, international cuisine and meat science. Management programs, in contrast, focus on educating individuals on how to operate the restaurant from a business management perspective.

A restaurant management program may contain courses in food and beverage control, front office management, hospitality management and hospitality law.

What is Culinary Arts?

Culinary arts is a prominent part of American history and culture not to mention an important and exciting career around the world. If you’ve been asking yourself what is culinary arts, then you are in the right place. What is involved in culinary arts and why it may be the perfect degree for you!

You may have asked yourself at one time or another, what exactly is culinary arts?

It is related to a kitchen or to cookery and to the development of artistic ability. Put that together and you start to see that the culinary arts really involves creating something unique and beautiful and something that is completely edible!

It is called culinary arts for a reason, not just anyone can create delicious and inventive masterpieces. The culinary arts have been continuously growing in popularity and as a result, more and more international students are beginning to realize the value of pursuing this career path.

When you think about what is culinary arts, you should think of the things you love to eat.

If you are a Culinarian (or chef) then you can decide what your ingredients will be! There are specific cooking methods and techniques to learn, but it’s up to a chef to decide which methods to use and the overall appearance and taste of the dish. They can create fusions between different types of cuisines, or something that is completely unique. When someone is earning a culinary arts degree they will have the chance to learn about all these different possibilities.

For those students who want to pursue managerial positions within the field, learning how to be a leader and use effective communication skills can be very helpful, because most people in the culinary arts work in a team-oriented kitchen environment.

Nowadays we have the FoodNetwork, and celebrity chefs like Wolfgang Puck and Emeril Legasse to look to for new culinary ideas and inspiration, but it’s safe to say that the humble beginnings of culinary arts education has definitely developed into a huge exciting industry full of many career opportunities.

Now that you understand what is culinary arts, you can see why the USA is the perfect place to study it: the culinary arts is a prominent part of American culture and history. Since the first cooking school was founded in the USA the culinary arts has been growing in popularity and demand. There are many different learning possibilities for students all over the USA, with so many culinary schools in existence you won't run out of options!

What is Restaurant Management?

Restaurant Management is designed to provide an introduction to the culture of dining room service management.

Emphasis is placed on the dignity and psychology of service work, dining room organization/infrastructure, service delivery, and modeling management roles in a dining room environment.

Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the guest/server dynamic and apply these principles in a dining room setting.

This course covers social skills needed to effectively interact within organizational and customer situations.

Topics include general social manners, personal appearance, table manners, restaurant and meeting etiquette, and business interaction.

Upon completion, students should be able to function with confidence in various social, cultural, and professional situations.

Restaurant concepts relate to the planning and operation of professional meetings, and food service events.

Emphasis is placed on methods of marketing, selling, organizing, and producing conventions, events, and trade shows that will increase financial and environmental value.

Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of management principles for multi-function, multi-day conferences and events.

This course introduces controls and accounting procedures as applied to costs in the hospitality industry. Topics include reports, cost control, planning and forecasting, control systems, financial statements, operational efficiencies, labor controls and scheduling.

Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of food, beverage, and labor cost control systems for operational troubleshooting and problem solving.

This course covers planning, organizing, directing, and analyzing the results of marketing programs for the hospitality industry.

Emphasis is placed on target marketing, marketing mix, analysis, product and image development, use of current media, sales planning, advertising, public relations, and collateral materials. Upon completion, students should be able to apply the marketing process as it relates to the hospitality industry.