CUL 230 - Modern American Cuisine

Credits: 6
Lecture Contact Hours: 2
Lab Contact Hours: 7.33
Description: This is a comprehensive course on American regional cuisine. Various food regions of the United States and its territories are explored, providing students with traditional and modern approaches to techniques, recipes and interpretations of regional foods. Students will rotate through the roast, grill, sauté and garde manger stations, obtaining practical application of the preparation of food in a live restaurant service in the American Harvest Restaurant, as well as providing retail service in the Main Street Café.

Prerequisites: CUL 130. CUL 135.CUL 136. CUL 140. CUL 145. CUL 150.
Corequisites: CUL 245. CUL 246.
Recommended: None

Course Category: Occupational
This Course is Typically Offered: Fall, Winter
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Students who already have this knowledge may qualify for prior learning credits. https://www.schoolcraft.edu/student-records/prior-learning-credits.

Course Competencies
1. Prepare menu items from regional ingredients in traditional and contemporary American cuisines through the application of the fundamentals of cooking.

2. Explore the terminologies, influences and cultural history of American regional cuisine.

3. Describe the philosophy of American regional cuisine.

4. Demonstrate acquired kitchen skills by producing the daily menus and services.

5. Manage all facets of a station in a restaurant, including prioritization, organization and execution of station mise en place within the assigned timeframe.

6. Perform the principles of ordering, firing and picking up as an organizational component of a professional kitchen.

7. Demonstrate the proper use of large and small food equipment used in a professional kitchen operation.

8. Demonstrate proper food handling, safety and sanitation techniques.

9. Prepare plates according to specifications and previously learned cooking principles.

10. Prepare a quality assessment of ingredients used in the preparation of the menu.

11. Evaluate a final dish for presentation, flavor, texture, consistency and serviceability.

12. Design proper plate presentations.

13. Analyze the cooking processes in the preparation of recipes.

14. Evaluate food for the correct criteria of taste, texture, temperature and composition of all foods prepared with assistance from the chef instructor.

15. Explore nutritional alternatives and dishes within American regional cuisine.

16. Develop successful menus by understanding the following factors:

o Customer and market plan

o Menu types/styles

o Planning principles

o Design and layout

o Truth in menu