Professional Cooking Entrepreneur Program

Our online Professional Cooking Entrepreneur Program will take you through the full spectrum of food preparation and presentation while also helping you to create and succeed at the type of business you want.

Professional Cooking

The food-service industry continues to expand with a wide variety of new restaurants opening every day. Learn the cooking and baking principles you need to begin your career in this exciting industry with our Professional Cooking course. Learn the basics for planning dishes and menus, selecting quality ingredients, and preparing and presenting food in exceptional ways. This course explores professional techniques and methods for creating hundreds of recipes both traditional and contemporary. From cooking meat, poultry, and game, to preparing purely vegetarian dishes, to baking cakes, pies, and pastries, this Professional Cooking course will take you through the full spectrum of food preparation and presentation while inspiring you to create recipes of your very own.

Prerequisite(s): None

Start Your Own Business

Have you ever eaten a Mrs. Fields cookie? Used an Apple computer? Listened to a hip-hop CD? Entrepreneurs brought these products to your world. People that start their own businesses and work for themselves are called entrepreneurs. For an entrepreneur the sky is the limit as far as earnings are concerned. An entrepreneur is someone who has recognized an opportunity to start a business that other people may not have noticed -- and jumps at it skillfully. Entrepreneurs can shape and create an opportunity where others see little or nothing -- or see it too early or too late.

This Start Your Own Business class will help you create the business you want. Throughout this course you will be working on your business plan and creating a quick comprehensive overview of the elements you want in your new business.

Prerequisite: None

Professional Cooking

Professional Cooking Module 1
The Food Service Industry

• History of Modern Food Service
• Organization of Modern Kitchens
• Standards of Professionalism
• Sanitation
• Food Hazards
• Personal Hygiene
• Food Handling and Storage
• Preventing Injuries
• Cooking Equipment
• Measuring Devices

Professional Cooking Module 2
Menus, Recipes and Nutrition

• Menu Forms and Functions
• Building the Menu
• The Written Recipe
• Measurement
• Converting Recipes
• Food Cost Calculations
• Controlling Food Costs
• Nutrients
• The Balanced Diet
• Cooking Healthful Meals

Professional Cooking Module 3
Principles of Cooking and Food Science

• What is Heat?
• Emulsions
• Heat Management
• Conventional Cooking Methods
• Microwave Cooking
• Building Flavor Profiles
• Using Herbs and Spices
• Mise En Place
• Using the Knife
• Preparation for Frying

Professional Cooking Module 4
Stocks and Sauces

• Ingredients
• Procedures
• Reductions and Glazes
• Convenience Bases
• Understanding Sauces
• Roux
• Thickening Agents
• Finishing Techniques
• Sauce Families
• Production

Professional Cooking Module 5
Soups

• Understanding Soups
• Service of Soups
• Broths
• Consomme
• Vegetable Soups
• Thick Soups
• Cream Soups
• Puree Soups
• Bisques
• Chowders
• Specialty Soups

Professional Cooking Module 6
Vegetables

• Controlling Texture Changes
• Controlling Flavor Changes
• General Rules of Vegetable Cookery
• Handling Vegetables
• Fresh Vegetables
• Storage
• Boiling and Steaming
• Sauteing and Pan-Frying
• Braising
• Deep-Frying

Professional Cooking Module 7
Potatoes, Legumes and Cooking Methods for Meat

• Cooking Potatoes
• Dried Legumes
• Grains
• Pasta
• Noodles
• Dumplings
• Roasting and Baking
• Barbequing
• Simmering and Submersion Poaching
• Pan and Deep Frying

Professional Cooking Module 8
Cooking Meats and Game

• Composition
• Structure
• Inspection and Grading
• Aging
• Understanding Basic Cuts
• Bone Structure
• Tenderness
• Doneness
• Cooking Variety Meats
• Game and Specialty Meats

Professional Cooking Module 9
Poultry and Game Birds

• Composition and Structure
• Inspection and Grading
• Classification and Market Forms
• Handling
• Storage
• Doneness
• Trussing Methods
• Cutting Up Chicken
• Roasting and Baking
• Broiling and Grilling
• Dressings and Stuffings

Professional Cooking Module 10
Fish and Seafood

• Cutting Fish
• Varieties of Fish
• Shellfish
• Mollusks
• Cephalopods
• Crustaceans
• Miscellaneous Seafood
• Cooking Approaches
• Steaming
• Seafood Served Raw

Professional Cooking Module 11
Dressings, Salads and Sandwiches

• Oil and Vinegar Dressings
• Emulsified Dressings
• Other Types of Dressings
• Ingredients in Salads
• Arrangement and Presentation
• Recipes and Techniques
• Breads
• Spreads
• Fillings
• Types of Sandwiches
• Making Sandwiches

Professional Cooking Module 12
Hors d 'Oeuvres and Breakfast

• Serving Hors d'Oeuvres
• Canapes
• Cocktails
• Relishes
• Dips
• Cooking Eggs
• Pancakes
• Waffles
• French Toast
• Cereals
• Breakfast Meats

Professional Cooking Module 13
Dairy and Cooking for Vegetarian Diets

• Milk
• Cream
• Butter
• Cheese
• Coffee
• Tea
• Understanding Vegetarian Diets
• Menus for Vegetarian Diets

Professional Cooking Module 14
Sausages, Cold Foods and Presentation

• Curing
• Smoking
• Pates
• Terrines
• Aspic
• Special Forcemeat Dishes
• Hot Food Presentation
• Cold Food Presentation
• Buffet Arrangement
• Buffet Appearance

Professional Cooking Module 15
Baking Principles

• Formulas and Measurement
• Mixing
• Gluten Development
• The Baking Process
• Staling
• Yeast Product Types
• Steps in Yeast Dough Production
• Dough Formulas and Techniques
• Rolled-In Doughs
• Makeup Techniques

Professional Cooking Module 16
Breads and Cakes

• Quick Breads
• Mixing and Production Methods
• Formulas
• Understanding Cake Making
• Cake Formula Types
• Baking
• Cooling
• Common Cake Faults
• Altitude Adjustments
• Scaling

Professional Cooking Module 17
Cookies, Pies and Puddings

• Cooking Characteristics
• Types and Makeup Methods
• Panning
• Assembly
• Fillings
• Puff Pastry
• À°clair Paste
• Meringues
• Fruit Desserts
• Custards
• Frozen Desserts

**Outlines are subject to change, as courses and materials are updated.**

Start Your Own Business

Start Your Own Business Module 1
Entrepreneurial Pathways

• Defining Entrepreneurship
• What Entrepreneurs Do
• Free Enterprise Economies
• Finding & Evaluating Opportunity
• Examining Profits
• Creating Business from Opportunity
• Creating a Feasibility Analysis
• Developing a Business Plan
• Defining Your Business
• Analyzing Your Competitive Advantage
• Viability Testing
• Valuing a Business

Start Your Own Business Module 2
Integrated Marketing

• Exploring Your Market
• Marketing vs. Selling
• Market Research
• Market Segments
• Positioning Your Product or Service
• Developing Your Marketing Plan
• Marketing Mix
• Pricing Your Products
• Breakeven Analysis
• Smart Selling
• Effective Customer Service
• Principles of Selling
• Successful Sales Calls
• Customer Relationship Management

Start Your Own Business Module 3
Cost Analysis

• Understanding & Managing Costs
• Identify Required Investment
• Analyze Fixed Operating Costs
• Calculate Gross Profit
• Financial Record Keeping
• Financial Statements
• Income Statements
• Examining a Balance Sheet
• Financial Ratio Analysis
• Calculating Return on Investment
• Same-Size Analysis
• Quick, Current & Debt Ratios

Start Your Own Business Module 4
Financing Strategy

• Cash Flow Management
• Cash vs. Profits
• Cash Flow Statement
• Cash Budget
• Taxes
• Filing Tax Returns
• Financing Preferences
• Types of Business Financing
• Debt vs. Equity Financing
• Identifying Sources of Capital
• Stocks & Bonds as Investments

Start Your Own Business Module 5
Operating For Success

• Addressing Legal Issues
• Managing Risk
• Business Legal Structures
• Contracts
• Commercial Law
• Intellectual Property
• Protecting Tangible Assets
• Operations in a Business
• Production-Distribution Chain
• Supply Chain Management
• Managing Suppliers
• Managing Inventory
• Facilities Location & Design

Start Your Own Business Module 6
Growing Your Business

• Management
• 10 Basic Tasks Handled by Managers
• Leadership Styles
• Organizational Cultures
• Organizational Structure
• Human Resources Management
• Ethical Leadership
• Incorporating Social Responsibility
• Ethical Practices
• Growing Your Business
• Franchising
• Licensing
• Cashing in Your Brand
• Methods for Valuing a Business

**Outlines are subject to change, as courses and materials are updated.**