The cooking school curriculum turns culinary students into chefs.
Cooking schools turn culinary students into well-rounded professionals. An education is an important qualification in the cooking world, and graduating from one of the country's acclaimed academies may go a long way in establishing a cooking career. Students take many courses to expand their palates and skills, covering sauces, soups, stocks, pastry, bread making and many other culinary fundamentals.
Culinary Fundamentals
Simple preparation and cooking techniques determine the quality of the final dish and the skill of the chef. Therefore, a course in culinary fundamentals is an essential part of cooking school, focusing on knife skills, food safety, sanitation, palate development, ingredient pairing, product identification and culinary math, according to the Institute of Culinary Education.
Sauces, Soups and Stocks
Sauciers transform meals into works of art, making instruction on classic French sauces, modern salsas, relishes, infused oils, coulis and chutneys an integral part of cooking classes. Courses teach students use white, brown, vegetable and fruit stock to form the basis of great soups such as cream, puree, clear and consomme, according to Napa Valley Cooking School.
Cooking Methods
Mastering cooking methods is vital yet somewhat difficult. All chefs must know the basic dry heat methods of sauteing, grilling and frying, as well as the moist heat cooking methods of braising, stewing, poaching and steaming.
Grains and Vegetables
Many of the great culinary schools such as Le Cordon Bleu consider grain and vegetable preparation basic cuisine and teach it in the beginning level of their curriculum. Vegetables, legumes and grains play an increasingly important role in today's menus, and cooking schools teach techniques that highlight their flavors.
Baking and Pastry Fundamentals
A course in baking and pastry fundamentals teaches students the skills required to create yeast breads, short pastry doughs, custards, puff pastry and cake batters. Chefs should be capable in all aspects of the kitchen, including creating desserts and bread making, according to the Napa Valley Cooking School.
Safety and Sanitation
Safety and sanitation is extremely important when dealing with food. Students are taught the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point and the Food and Drug Administration food code, with emphasis on practical application and implementation of safety and sanitation guidelines. Some schools participate in ServSafe, a nationally recognized certificate program.
Product Identification
Introducing key ingredients to students for sensory evaluation is an important aspect to any cooking curriculum. Foundation ingredients such as salt, sugar, herbs, spices, artisan cheeses and greens are introduced to students, and they take field trips to local farmers markets to gain appreciation for how ingredients are produced.
Tags: Cooking School, according Napa, according Napa Valley, bread making, cooking methods, cooking school, culinary fundamentals