Example Lesson 1, The Basics of Gourmet Cooking

Chefs and restaurants in history; point and nouvelle cuisine; new foods for today’s consumers; sanitation; modern food service operations.

 

Example Lesson 2, Nutrition & Recipes

The balanced diet; storing and cooking foods to preserve nutrients; the food guide pyramid; ingredient substitutes and alternatives; package labeling; types of menus; standardized recipes; recipe measurements and conversions; calculating and controlling recipe costs.

 

Example Lesson 3, Tools & Equipment

Selecting the right supplies and equipment; hand tools; using knives: slicing, chopping, dicing, mincing, and more; measuring, portioning, processing, and storage devices; cookware; strainers; sieves; ovens; stoves; broilers; grills.

 

Example Lesson 4, Kitchen Staples & Dairy Products

Selecting and using herbs and spices; bouquet garni and sachet; salt; spice blends; nuts; using various oils; vinegars; condiments, including relishes, pickles, soy sauce, and ketchup; grinding, brewing, and serving coffees and teas; milk; cream; cultured dairy products; butter; margarine; natural and processed cheeses.

 

Example Lesson 5, Tricks & Tips: Stocks & Sauces

Heating principles; dry- and most-heat cooking methods; braising; stewing; making stocks; court bouillon; nage; glaze; preparing roux; using thickening agents; finishing methods; sauce families; preparing sauces, gravies, salsa, and relish; compound butters; flavored oils.

 

Example Lesson 6, Soups & Meat Cookery

Clear, broth-based, purée, and cream soups; consommés; chowders; bisques; cold soups; soup garnishing; soup service; meat grades; aging, buying, and storing meats; techniques for selecting, preparing, and cooking meats.

 

Example Lesson 7, Beef, Veal, Lamb & Pork

Principals of meat cookery; primal and subprimal cuts of beef, veal, lamb, and pork; understanding inspection and grading; butchering procedures; cooking and serving suggestions for beef, veal, lamb, and pork; recipes; broiling, grilling, basting, barbecuing, and roasting techniques.

 

Example Lesson 8, Poultry & Game

Identifying and selecting chicken, goose, guinea, pigeon, turkey, and ratites; duck and goose liver; nutritional values; giblets; buying, storing, butchering, and marinating poultry and game; sautéing, roasting, frying, and barbecuing procedures; moist-heat methods for cooking poultry.

 

Example Lesson 9, Fish & Eggs

Identifying, buying, storing, and cooking fish and shellfish; fabrication methods; broiling and grilling methods; knowing grades of eggs; whipping egg whites; dry- and most-heat cooking; how to fry, bake, and sauté eggs; crêpes; egg recipes.

 

Example Lesson 10, Deep Frying & Vegetable

Equipment and fats for deep-frying; breading and battering foods; frying procedures; greens; gourds and squashes; onions; mushrooms and truffles; stalks; baby vegetables; pods and seeds; mushrooms; roots and tubers; buying, storing, and cooking fresh, preserved, frozen, canned, and dried vegetables; microwaving and puréeing techniques; stir-frying techniques.

Continued