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Course Descriptions

The hands-on learning and in-depth knowledge you'll receive from ACAP will raise the bar on your career possibilities. From production cookery to baking and pastry techniques to food and wine pairing, ACAP provides unparalleled education in culinary skill development. You'll walk away with so many new skills – with so much more insight on culinary concepts, techniques, ingredients, and cuisines – you'll wonder how you ever did without them.

The courses in the ACAP curriculum include:

Baking and Pastry Skill Development
An introduction to the principles and techniques used in the preparation of high-quality baked goods and pastries, with an emphasis on fundamental production techniques and evaluation of quality characteristics. Topics include bread fermentation and production, ingredient functions, and custard ratios and preparations.

Contemporary Topics in Culinary Arts
An exploration of contemporary issues to complement a professional chef's skill set. Students will complete hands-on cooking exercises to better understand the dynamics of seasoning, flavor balance, salts and sugars, fats and oils, and umami. Special emphasis is placed on building flavor in a healthy kitchen through appropriate cooking techniques and ingredients such as grains and legumes. Northern California gastronomy is discovered through field trips and a select research topic.

Cuisines of Asia
Prepare, taste, serve, and evaluate traditional and regional dishes of Asia. Emphasis will be placed on ingredients, flavor profiles, preparations, and techniques representative of the cuisines from China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and India.

Cuisines of Europe and the Mediterranean
Prepare, taste, serve, and evaluate traditional, regional dishes of Europe and the Mediterranean. Emphasis will be placed on ingredients, flavor profiles, preparations, and techniques representative of the cuisines from Spain, France, Germany, Morocco, Tunisia, Greece, and Egypt.

Cuisines of the Americas
Prepare, taste, serve, and evaluate traditional regional dishes of the Americas . Emphasis will be placed on ingredients, flavor profiles, preparations, and techniques for cuisines representative of the United States, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

Garde Manger
An introduction to three main areas of the cold kitchen: reception foods, plated appetizers, and buffet arrangements. Learn to prepare canapés, hot and cold hors d'oeuvre, appetizers, forcemeats, pâtés, galantines, terrines, salads, and sausages. Curing and smoking techniques for meat, seafood, and poultry items will be practiced, along with contemporary styles of presenting food and preparing buffets.

Ingredients and Techniques of Fabrication
An introduction to the identification, use, and storage of animal proteins, vegetables, fruits, herbs, dairy, and other foundation ingredients of the professional kitchen. Additional topics include receiving, identifying, fabricating, and storing beef, pork, poultry, flat and round fish, and shellfish. Hands-on exercises emphasize techniques specific to each variety.

Second-Semester Culinary Practical Exam
This culinary exam tests knowledge and proficiency in the principles of cooking at an intermediate level as determined by the course curriculum during the second semester. Students will be given an assignment to prepare, present, taste, and explain in a timed exercise.

Skill Development I
An introduction to and application of fundamental cooking theories and techniques. Topics of study include tasting, kitchen equipment, knife skills, classical vegetable cuts, stock production, thickening agents, soup preparation, grand sauces, timing, station organization, palate development, culinary French terms, and food costing.

Skill Development II
An introduction to the fundamental concepts and techniques of basic protein, starch, and vegetable cookery. Higher development of fundamental cooking theories and techniques from Skill Development I will be continued. Emphasis is placed on the study of ingredients and an introduction to small sauces will be given. Expanded concepts of time lines and multi-tasking, station organization, culinary French terms, and food costing will continue.

Skill Development III
The foundation of cooking techniques and theories from Skill Development I and II will be applied in a production setting. Emphasis is placed on individual as well as team production. Three-course menus consisting of soup, salad, and an entrée with a vegetable and a starch will be rotated throughout the class. Vegetarian and vegan menus will be introduced as well.

 

Curriculum Chart
First Term (15 weeks)
Ingredients and Techniques of Fabrication Weeks 1–3
Skill Development 1 Weeks 4–6
Skill Development 2 Weeks 7–9
Skill Development 3 Weeks 10–12
Contemporary Topics in Culinary Arts Weeks 13–15
 
Second Term (15 weeks)
Baking and Pastry Skill Development Weeks 16–18
Cuisines of the Americas Weeks 19–21
Cuisines of Asia Weeks 22–24
Cuisines of Europe and the Mediterranean Weeks 25–27
Garde Manger Weeks 28–30
   
Second-Semester Comprehensive Exam  
   

Note: The sequence of courses depicted above represents a typical schedule. Schedules may vary with each entry date.


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