Culinary Arts Teaching Tools

Culinary students aren't immediately shoved into a kitchen with no prior information.

Culinary arts programs are often surprisingly similar to other areas of education in regard to teaching tools. Culinary students are often required to take lecture courses similar to those taken by students who are pursuing associate or bachelor's degrees.

Lectures

Like any other student, culinary students are required to sit through lecture classes. Lectures are a teaching tool that instructors rely on to convey information that one won't learn by working in a kitchen alone. Usually these classes cover types of cuisine and the proper cooking methods for each type. The lectures may also involve the responsibility that one has in the kitchen to maintain health and safety standards. Kitchens are a favorite place for bacteria to breed, so culinary students are made aware of potential health risks that can stem from unsanitary conditions.

Kitchen and Utensils

A culinary student's classroom is most often the kitchen itself. The kitchen is a teaching tool that instructors use to teach students the importance of kitchen safety and technique. These students are first taught the proper way to make cuts in meat and cooking utensil safety in addition to frying, baking and other cooking methods. Culinary students are also taught how to plate food so that it looks professional and appetizing. Students learn how to degrease and properly clean a kitchen to avoid health department violations. When it comes to cooking dishes, students largely use recipes and are timed so that they can perfect speed and quality simultaneously.

Dress

Dress code is a big part of any kitchen. Whether the dress code is meant to advertise the restaurant, obey health codes or promote an elegant atmosphere, the dress code must be maintained and obeyed. Culinary students are generally required to wear a uniform. The uniform must be cleaned and in good condition before every class. Good condition means that it should be stain free, hole free and ironed. Dress codes and the corresponding clothing are used to teach students the importance of etiquette and personal presentation, both for kitchen staff and those working in the front of the house.

Online Resources

Online resources are a necessary tool for culinary students as they are able to view websites that may provide important cooking technique videos and recipe information. Online work may require students to look up recipes and copy them down on notecards to be used during class. Students are sometimes required to memorize recipes, while others are able to use the written recipes in class. Culinary students may also use the Internet to learn the importance of in-class methods by keeping a food diary to document what they are learning in class that particular week.

References

• The Culinary Institute of America: Professional Training Material