Culinary Arts Course
Many people are familiar with the age-old “iceberg principle” of learning. That is, most people are only familiar with the parts of the iceberg that are above water while remaining oblivious to the parts of the iceberg that are below the surface. Actually, there are no separate parts but one iceberg that is a giant whole entity. This symbolic model of learning stresses that there are usually aspects to something that may not be present to the naked or untrained eye of the outsider, but those who invest the time will (hopefully) learn that which exists below the surface of cursory knowledge.
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| Culinary Arts Course |
The iceberg of culinary arts course
When it comes to a culinary arts course, most people will assume that the culinary arts course program of study is designed to teach someone “how to cook.” Actually, the culinary arts courses are designed to make a person into a talented chef. This assumes that the whole of a culinary arts course curriculum will be one that revolves around food preparation and nothing else.
Sure, the culinary arts courses may be subdivided into other areas such as desserts, short order, gourmet meals, etc, but ultimately, all culinary arts courses center on “cooking.” This is of course an inaccurate perception of culinary arts education.
There is more to a culinary arts course program of study than just cooking -- way more. A quality program of culinary arts study will encompass an entirety of the tasks, duties, and organization structures that a major restaurant or food service program will offer. A good culinary arts course often include the studies of:
- management and supervision;
- proper table servicing;
- catering services;
- sanitation preparation; and
- safety concerns in the work environment.
Clearly, there is more to the culinary arts course and culinary arts program of study than what is initially perceived. The question remains, however, what is the importance of stressing the expansiveness of the culinary arts course to those outside the profession? The short answer is: Don’t worry about it. What the general public realizes and understands about the nature of a culinary arts course of study is not important. What is important is that those embarking on such a culinary arts career understand the level of the expansiveness.
When one is looking to enter into a career in the culinary arts, understanding the depths of the culinary arts course of study allows one to excel. After all, if you understand what you will be learning in advance, the ability to become successful becomes so much easier and you will be able to land the culinary arts job that you want.