CUL - Culinary Arts

CUL 100 - Sanitation/HACCP Units: 2

Course covers all aspects of food service sanitation, but focuses on causes and prevention of food-borne illness and the implementation of HACCP quality assurance systems. Instruction includes lecture, demonstrations and special projects. Each student takes the ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification exam. Passing this confers both NRA (Nevada Restaurant Association) and Washoe County Food Service Manager certification.

Term Offered: Spring and Fall

CUL 101 - Sanitation/HACCP (CFPM) Units: 1

Passing this course confers both NRA (Nevada Restaurant Association) and Washoe County Health Department requirements to acquire a certification of Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM). Course covers all aspects of food service sanitation, but focuses on causes and prevention of food-borne illness and the implementation of HACCP quality assurance systems. Instruction includes lecture, demonstrations, and special projects.

Term Offered: Spring and Fall

CUL 105 - Basic Skills Development Units: 3

Entry level course provides students with basic culinary skills to enroll in kitchen or baking production classes. Competencies include culinary history, professionalism, basic safety and sanitation, standardized recipe use and costing, basic nutrition and menu planning, introduction to ingredients, use of commercial kitchen equipment and hand tools, basic knife cuts and raw ingredient preparation. Students with previous culinary skills or training may challenge prior to the start of the semester.

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite or Corequisite: ENG 100 or higher.

Term Offered: Spring and Fall

CUL 106 - Understanding Culinary Techniques I Units: 6

Course teaches introductory hot food cookery with emphasis on product utilization, cost effectiveness, timing and presentation. Students practice traditional and modern cooking techniques and good nutrition. Students will receive hands-on practice utilizing moist and dry heat cooking methods. Students prepare sauces, soups, starches, vegetables and center of the plate entrees. Some menus include practical baking of quick breads and home baked desserts. Chef instructors make frequent demonstrations to reinforce and amplify recipes and lectures.

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: CUL 100, CUL 105, and ENG 100 (or ENG 113) or higher or equivalent/qualifying test scores.

Term Offered: Spring and Fall

CUL 108 - Understanding Culinary Techniques II Units: 6

Continuation of CUL 106 covering the remainder of the portions of text not covered in CUL 105 or CUL 106. Instruction and kitchen expectations become more intense as students hone their skills on more difficult techniques and recipes. They will expand their repertoire in the preparation of sauces, proteins, starches, vegetables and fruits. Students receive a hands-on practical introduction to Garde Manger and the Bakeshop. Techniques and lectures augmented and reinforced by chef demonstrations.

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: CUL 100 and 106.

Term Offered: Spring and Fall

CUL 114 - Buffet Catering Units: 3

An introduction to on and off premise catering. Students learn professional techniques used by caterers to developing and market services. They develop menus, practice writing proposals and contracts, plan and execute functions. In the kitchen students prepare typical caterer foods such as fruit and vegetable mirrors, canapes, hors d'oeuvres, tea sandwiches and buffet sweets. Students gain experience as they work with phyllo dough, puff pastry, eclair paste, pie and tart dough, savory butters and fillings.

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: CUL 100 and 106.

Term Offered: Fall

CUL 125 - Principles of Baking Units: 3

Students learn fundamentals of bread and pastry making, with the emphasis on American products. Included are: baking ingredient properties, function and use of equipment, understanding bakery procedures, recipe conversion, proper storage and sanitation. Students produce home style products including pies, cookies, quick breads, yeast leavened goods, cakes and icings. Elementary cake decoration techniques are introduced; however, emphasis is on production of quality hand-crafted products.

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: CUL 100 and 106.

Term Offered: Fall

CUL 130 - Garde Manger Units: 3

Course introduces students to the three main items of the cold kitchen; reception foods, canapes and hors d' oeuvres and buffet arrangements. Students gain hands-on experience in the production of appetizers, hot and cold sandwiches, salads and other foods that enhance buffets. Students will also be introduced to the use of aspic, techniques of basic food garnishes and modern ways of decorating and arranging platters.

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: CUL 100 and 108

Term Offered: Spring

CUL 170 - Retail Deli and Bakery Units: 3

Course designed to teach professional food preparation and bake-off techniques applicable in a variety of food service environments - supermarket bakery and deli departments, convenience stores, cafeterias, fast food outlets and contract management companies. Structured to develop culinary skills while utilizing convenience foods and frozen bakery products. Emphasis on equipment use, proper handling and proofing of frozen dough, finishing and packing products, assembling sandwiches and platters and product display. Most of the course oriented toward working with convenience foods and bake-off techniques.

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisites: CUL 100, CUL 106 and CUL 125.

Term Offered: Spring

CUL 195 - Selected Topics in Culinary Arts Units: 1-6

Course designed to bring students current topical information on problems and/or issues, skills and/or techniques in various areas of food service. This course may be repeated for up to six credits.

Term Offered: Spring and Fall

CUL 198 - Special Topics in Culinary Arts Units: 0.5-6

Various short courses and workshops covering a variety of subjects. The course will be a variable credit of one-half to six credits depending on the course content and number of hours required. The course may be repeated for up to six credits.

Term Offered: Spring and Fall

CUL 200 - Aromatics/Restaurant Experience Units: 4

Feed the folks who visit the Golden Frog, TMCC's student run restaurant. Students develop team skills as they plan and implement menus, develop and cost recipes, cook and serve the food and wash the dishes. Enhance dishes by discovering seasonings and their characteristics. This is a realistic experience in running a restaurant, meeting time deadlines and satisfying customers. It gives students a look at running a successful restaurant while developing speed in the kitchen.

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisites: CUL 100, CUL 108, CUL 125, CUL 245 and CUL 250

Term Offered: Spring

CUL 210 - American Regional Cuisine Units: 3

Through lecture and hands-on cooking, students explore seven American regional cuisines and their local food specialties - New England, Middle Atlantic, Deep South, Texas and Southwest, Midwest and Mountain States, Pacific Northwest, California and Hawaii. Authentic recipes and ingredients will be utilized. Correct cooking techniques and authentic traditional seasonings are emphasized.

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: CUL 108.

Term Offered: Fall

CUL 220 - International Cuisine Units: 3

Through lecture and hands-on cooking, students explore seven important classical and trendy cuisines and some of their food specialties - French, German, Italian, Mexican, Japanese, Chinese and Caribbean. Authentic recipes and ingredients will be utilized. Correct cooking techniques and authentic traditional seasoning are emphasized.

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: CUL 108.

Term Offered: Spring

CUL 225 - Advanced Baking Units: 3

An advanced course, utilizing CUL 125 principles with emphasis on more sophisticated American and European goods such as layered dough, baked custards, gelatinization, and restaurant type desserts. Students are expected to continue development of skills for producing quality products.

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisites: CUL 100, CUL 106 and CUL 125.

Term Offered: Fall

CUL 230 - Pastry Arts Units: 3

Course focus is on European style pastries and multi-portion desserts. Students gain experience making sponge cakes, butter creams, puff pastry, glazes and fillings, meringue, marzipan, chocolate and eclair dough. The emphasis on the production of fine pastry such as tea cookies, petit fours, chocolates and truffles, individual French pastries, tortes and gateau.

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: CUL 125 and CUL 225.

Term Offered: Spring

CUL 245 - The Business Chef Units: 3

Course is intended to give the student the tools needed in today's tight labor market for advancement in the food service industry. Chefs, sous chefs, food managers, as well as owners, must know and understand food service math and the importance of the bottom line to an operations success. Students will be exposed to such topics as organizing a business's food costs, purchasing, equipment selection, facilities design, scheduling staff, calculate cost percentages, and breakeven points.

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: ENG 100 or higher.

Term Offered: Spring

CUL 250 - Saucier Units: 3

This course teaches that sauces are created through patience, diligence and study and encourages the use of top quality ingredients. Students learn both classical and modern methods of sauce making and learn to use each sauce in at least one dish while learning other uses for the same sauce.

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisites: CUL 100, CUL 106 and CUL 108 (or department approval).

Term Offered: Fall

CUL 295 - Work Experience in Culinary Arts Units: 1-6

Students will apply knowledge and skills to real on-the-job situations in a program designed by a company official and a faculty advisor to maximize learning experiences. Available to students who have completed most core and major requirements and have a 2.5 G.P.A. Contact the Program Coordinator at 775-674-7917 for the application, screening and required skills evaluation. Up to six credit hours may be earned on the basis of 75 hours of internship for one credit.

Enrollment Requirements: Prerequisite: CUL 100, CUL 106, CUL 125 and department approval.

Term Offered: Spring and Fall