Culinary (CUL)

CUL 91  Culinary Work Experience

1-4 Units (Degree Applicable)
(May be taken four times for credit)
(May be taken for Pass/No Pass only)
Prerequisite: Compliance with Work Experience regulations as designated in the College Catalog

Provides students with actual on-the-job experience in an approved culinary worksite that is related to classroom-based learning. A minimum of 75 paid or 60 non-paid clock hours per semester of supervised work is required for each unit of credit. It is recommended that the hours per week be equally distributed throughout the semester. Work experience placement is not guaranteed, but assistance is provided by faculty.

Course Schedule

CUL 101  Professional Cooking Foundations

3 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lecture: 54   

Foundational skills required for future culinary course work. Topics include professionalism, food safety, menus and recipes, equipment identification, knife care and use, weights and measures, culinary nutrition, and principles of cooking.

Course Schedule

CUL 102  Professional Cooking I

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU, C-ID #: HOSP 160, HOSP 160 X)
Lecture: 36   Lab: 54
Prerequisite: HRM 52

Hands-on cooking, tasting, and evaluating approaches are used to teach students professional cooking techniques. Emphasis is placed upon understanding how ingredients and cooking techniques affect product outcomes. Students apply skills in product identification, ingredient handling, recipe costing, cooking techniques, and professional standards. Uniform and student knife set required. A Current Food Protection Manager Certification by a nationally recognized food safety organization is required to participate in this class.

Course Schedule

CUL 103  Professional Cooking II

2.5 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lecture: 9   Lab: 108
Prerequisite: HRM 52 and CUL 102

Advanced professional cooking techniques with a hands-on approach to cooking, tasting and evaluating. Students will demonstrate how ingredient quality, flavor profiles, and cooking techniques affect product outcomes. No recipes will be used in this class.

Course Schedule

CUL 104  Garde Manger

3 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lecture: 36   Lab: 54
Prerequisite: HRM 52

Preparation and presentation of cold kitchen foods, including sauces, soups, salads, sandwiches, appetizers, hors d'oeuvres, and buffets.

Course Schedule

CUL 105  Baking and Pastry I

3 Units (Degree Applicable, C-ID #: HOSP 180 X)
Lecture: 36   Lab: 54

Preparation of baked goods and pastries, including breads, cakes, icing, laminated pastries, cookies, pies, tarts, and frozen and plated desserts.

Course Schedule

CUL 106  Baking and Pastry II

2.5 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lecture: 9   Lab: 108
Prerequisite: CUL 105

Theory and principles of fine baking, pastry, and desserts with emphasis on the European tradition. Students will create and decorate cakes, fine pastry, chocolate work, and classic and modern desserts with emphasis on organization, speed, and presentation. This course is intended for students interested in commercial application in restaurants, bakeries, and other food service facilities.

Course Schedule

CUL 107  World Cuisines

2.5 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lecture: 9   Lab: 108

Preparation of world cuisines from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. Emphasis will be placed on regional dishes from each country or region covered.

Course Schedule

CUL 108  Specialty Cuisines

3 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lecture: 36   Lab: 54
Prerequisite: HRM 52

techniques needed to address special diets while providing culinary inspiration with an emphasis on healthful, appropriate and modern professional cooking skills and ingredients. Nutrition information, healthy ingredients, and substitutions are covered. Exploring the wide range of dietary challenges of which chefs should be conscious, including celiac disease, diabetes, vegan and vegetarian diets, food allergies, and more.

Course Schedule

CUL 109  Butchery & Charcuterie

3 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lecture: 36   Lab: 54
Prerequisite: HRM 52

Creation and preparation of artisanal meat products and charcuterie items. Examination, identification, and fabrication of poultry, beef, lamb, and pork. Emphasis on safety and sanitation practices. Students will gain experience with common charcuterie items, preparing sausages, utilizing curing methods, and hot and cold smoking methods.

Course Schedule

CUL 110  Street Foods

3 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lecture: 36   Lab: 54
Prerequisite: HRM 52

Preparation of popular street foods from around the globe. Includes origin, serving style, and associated condiments of various street foods. The food truck trend will be discussed as well as how to turn street food into small plates for a restaurant.

Course Schedule

CUL 111  Exploring Beverages

3 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lecture: 54   

Study of grapes and winemaking, spirits processing, and beer making. History, geography, evaluation, and a comparative tasting of wines, spirits, and beers. Selection, storage, service of wines, wine lists, wine pricing. Evaluation of wine and food pairings. Exploration of nonalcoholic beverages and the role they play in the restaurant industry. Note: Students must be 21 years or older with valid photo identification (ID) in order to taste alcoholic beverages. Students under 21 years of age will not be allowed to consume alcoholic beverages.

Course Schedule

CUL 112  Sustainability in Culinary Arts

3 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lecture: 54   

Explore sustainability in culinary arts. Examine current thinking, trends, and production methods of food, before moving into the often hidden methods and difficulties in processing, storing, distributing, preparing, and consuming these foods. Various business models and management systems will be explored, with an emphasis on sustainable values that focus on profitability, environmental concerns, and consumer satisfaction. Farm-to-table ideals will be explored through the cultivation of organic vegetables.

Course Schedule

CUL 113  Commercial Food Production

3 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lab: 162
Prerequisite: HRM 52 and CUL 102

This course is designed to familiarize the student with the principles of commercial foodservice operations. Students will practice quantity food cooking techniques, utilize equipment specific to large-scale production, and gain an understanding of the management challenges in high-volume commercial food services management.

Course Schedule

CUL 114  Dining Room Service Management

3 Units (Degree Applicable, CSU)
Lecture: 54   

Skills and knowledge needed for all aspects of dining room service. Exploration of the various styles of service. Table setting styles, buffet set-ups, wine and beverage service, and service as a sales tool are covered. The safety of both customer and staff are discussed.

Course Schedule

CUL 115  Restaurant Operations

4 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lab: 216
Prerequisite: HRM 52 and CUL 103
Corequisite: CUL 114 may be taken previously

This class will challenge students to use knowledge learned in prior coursework and apply it to day-to-day restaurant operations. Students will study, participate, and engage in critical-thinking topics relevant to operating all facets of each station in a restaurant, including prioritization, execution, costing, and professional work habits. Students will understand and utilize food and beverage principles, practices, philosophies, and systems in a full-service restaurant through planning, and evaluating the daily operations. This course will provide the knowledge and skills necessary to work and make intelligent business decisions within a food and beverage operation.

Course Schedule

CUL 116  World Baking

3 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lecture: 36   Lab: 54
Prerequisite: HRM 52

This class will explore the flavor profiles and techniques of baked goods from around the world. Students will take a global tour of the baking world, learning techniques and flavors that are specific to different regions of the world. Emphasis on Europe, Asia, the Americas, Africa, India, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific.

Course Schedule

CUL 117  Artisan Bread

2.5 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lecture: 9   Lab: 108

A systematic approach to bread, including details of mixing, fermenting, shaping, and baking bread. The course covers baker's math, ingredient selection and function, how mixing affects fermentation, and other bread baking fundamentals.

Course Schedule

CUL 118  Specialty Cakes

2.5 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lecture: 9   Lab: 108
Prerequisite: CUL 105

Focus on a variety of cake mixing methods, creams, and fillings. Students will study cake composition, assembly, and design and practice various decorative skills. The student will move from making rustic cakes towards creating visually spectacular, intricate cakes featuring complex textures and exquisite flavors.

Course Schedule

CUL 121  American Regional Cuisine

2.5 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lecture: 9   Lab: 108
Prerequisite: HRM 52

American Regional Cooking course celebrates the diversity of food culture in the United States through the exploration of regional delicacies from coast to coast. Consider foods that originated in New England, the Mid-Atlantic states, the Deep South, the Southwest, the West Coast, and more.

Course Schedule

CUL 125  Food Service Entrepreneurship

3 Units (Degree Applicable)
Lecture: 54   

An introductory project-based course that ties together material covered in core hospitality management classes and applies the information to the design and evaluation of a new foodservice establishment. The course will focus on the entrepreneur and the decisions that need to be made in planning, financing, developing, managing, and operating a food service establishment. Concept development and idea creation are essential elements in the discussion of entrepreneurship, as are the requirements necessary to start a hospitality operation, including site selection; demographics; and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis. The course will use a variety of media, such as case studies, real-life experiences, interviews, and concept development.

Course Schedule