The career in the culinary arts has been developing in recent years, and is expected to develop more, hence there are culinary arts course designed to facilitate the learning of latest developments and move ahead in the career. There are large numbers of training programs available and have caused the field to become more competitive and encourages only those with exceptional skills become chef. Specialisation is also important for those who want to move up and this can be gained with the help of specialised course. The following are some example of popular culinary arts courses:
Fundamentals of Culinary Arts course usually consists of practical training in the kitchen and organized field trips to introduce students to the industry. The students will learn the basics of the field, knife skills and basic food preparation techniques as well as practical sanitation skills.
Introduction to Cooking Techniques course examines the basic aspects of fruit and vegetable preparation including salads, cold sauces, and dressing.
Fundamentals of Baking course trains in the preparation and production methods for baking. It includes bake shop layout, work flow, and production of yeast breads, quick breads and production of cakes and cookies, fruit pudding and custard pies etc.
Pastry Arts course focuses on techniques and fundamentals of classical and contemporary plated desserts, cake decorating, sorbets and mousses.
Nutrition Menu planning course provides the basics of nutrition and application of the basics in the food service industry and preparation methods, modification of recipes using alternative preparation methods and ingredient substitutions with emphasis on diverse vegetarian dishes and low-fat, low-cholesterol entrees.
International Cuisine course exposes students to the preparation of international dishes made in the traditional manner. French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Asian, Slavic, German, and Portuguese cuisine and the emphasis is placed on cooking techniques, and presentation.
Product Preservation course introduces students to the growing field of packaging and preservation of food. Students will view preservation procedures both from the consumer’s perspective, discussing pros and cons of using pre-prepared foods, and learn the technology and techniques for preparing irradiated, frozen, freeze-dried, and oven-dried foods
Wine Appreciation course introduces students to terminology and principles used in the wine industry. Focus will be on names and characteristics of grape varietals, differences between Old World and New World wines, qualities and characteristics of Old World wines, and principles of wine and food pairing.
Catering course introduces the skills needed to manage both on-premise and off-premise catering operations and includes marketing and sales, recipe costing, menu development, kitchen and dining room layouts, staff requirements.
Presentation & Plate Design course focuses on traditional and contemporary plate and platter presentations as well as buffet presentations and meet the domestic and international standards and introduce the students to the top level chef positions.