Cooking
Cooking or cookery is the art, technology and craft of preparing food for consumption with the use of heat.[1]
The course
The Cookery course is arranged in three modules:
Module I Basic Concentrates on presenting basic knowledge, techniques and skills in the context of preparing a single menu item or recipe.
Module II Intermediate Progresses to preparing and planning one or two courses and introducing some regional dishes.
Module III Advanced Moves on to provide a wider experience of whole menu planning and more specialised skills.
There are separate courses on safety, hygiene and nutrition which need to be studied either before or alongside the cooking course, as knowledge of these subjects is an essential requisite of good and safe food preparation.
The content of each course Module is presented as a series of named Activity units. These are the lectures, lessons or sessions. The Activity units are listed in the Introduction to each Module in the order in which they are to be attempted. Each consists of a number of activities and assignments which, taken together, progressively build the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to become competent in the topic.
Preparation
The cooking course assumes no previous knowledge of the topic but entry level skill in basic subject are needed:
- Arithmetical skills
- Addition, subtraction, division and multiplication of money, weight, volume, capacity and time.
- Simple algebra for spreadsheet use.
- Ratio and proportion.
- I.T. skills
- Word processing Copy, paste, save and organise files and folders. Text entry and modification.
- Databases. Simple entry
- Web search. Search engines, search terms, saving and logging results.
- Digital imaging. Download, save. Crop.
- Wikipedia editing. Text and image entry. Upload and download images
- Language skills
- Read with understanding. Abstract and précis salient information. Construct search terms.
- For practical cooking assignments participants will need access to a workspace with a stove/cooker or hob and oven and the resources to be able to provide themselves with ingredients and some equipment.
Readings
Curriculum
| Techniques | Knowledge | Skills |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking methods | Ingredients | Manual |
| Boiling | Dairy products & eggs | Cutting & slicing |
| Simmering | Cereals & grains | Mixing & blending |
| Blanching | Fruit | Measuring |
| Poaching | Meat and poultry | Shelling & peeling |
| Steaming | Fats & oils | Mis en place |
| Water bath | Nuts and seeds | Cleaning |
| Grilling & toasting | Seafood | Preparation |
| Roasting | Spices & herbs | Presentation |
| Braising | Vegetables | |
| Stewing | Sweeteners | |
| Stir frying | Equipment | Cognitive |
| Sautéing | Kitchen tools | Researching |
| Shallow frying | Appliances | Evaluating |
| Deep frying | Utensils | Decision making |
| Baking | Pots & pans | Planning |
| Preserving | Bakeware | Budgeting |
Subpages
Related Learning Projects
- Food Service Sanitation
- Nutrition
- Food & Beverage Control
- Menu Planning
- Note: It is suggested that a student of cookery develop at least a limited proficiency in French.
See also
- Portal:Practical Arts and Sciences
- School:Hospitality management
- Menu planning
- The Asian American kitchen