Professional Chef’s Program
Develop and build upon the fundamentals of classic and modern culinary and pastry techniques, including advanced knife skills, history and culture of international cuisines, nutrition, wine, and food management during this intensive 37-week program.
Overview
The Professional Chef’s Program (PCP) delves deep into the science and art of international cooking and pastry techniques. The program is composed of courses in basic techniques, baking, regional cuisines, and intensive classical French techniques. As a graduate of the CSCA Professional Chef’s Program, you will be prepared for positions such as line cook, sous chef, caterer, personal chef, and CSCA recreational instructor. Many graduates have gone on to quickly launch successful ventures of their own including restaurants, food delivery services, and specialty food shops.
- Complete over 740 hours of culinary training and education over 37 weeks
- Scheduling flexibility in selecting two (eight-hour) days of laboratory instruction and three hours of seminar instruction weekly
- Intimate, hands-on laboratories working with instructors in a 12 to 1 student to instructor ratio
- Graded coursework includes lab performance, quizzes, seminar exams and projects, events, mid-term exams, final practicum, portfolio, creative practicum, and final written exam
- Event credits may be fulfilled through teaching assistantships, offsite event support, and additional culinary opportunities as presented
These lab classes build upon the skills and techniques acquired in the Culinary Certificate Program, delving deeper into hands-on exploration of different cuisines and techniques, adding to your marketability and versatility in the culinary industry.
Provincial French
Discover the world’s most celebrated style of cooking in this intensive exploration of France. Study political and geographical influences that shaped each region’s signature style through an in-depth exploration of the regional dishes, ingredients, and flavors found throughout the country. Prepare authentic meals, taste and evaluate cheese and wine pairings, and develop your understanding of the subtle and extreme differences that identify the distinct characteristics of each region.
Italian
Travel the culinary landscape of Italy, experiencing the history, folklore, and natural geography that have shaped one of the world’s most popular cuisines. Each of Italy’s unique regions can be defined by local ingredients, a simplistic approach to cooking, and an emphasis on robust flavors. Discover authentic Italian cuisine, the art of hand-shaping pasta, cheese and wine pairings, and traditional ingredients from across the regions.
Intensive French Cuisine
Learn the intricate and advanced techniques of French cooking that have shaped the meaning of fine dining from classical to haute to nouvelle cuisine. Trace the history of cuisine in France and discover the contributions of the great chefs and leaders who paved the way. Practice classic garde manger techniques from working with aspics, forcemeats, and charcuterie to presenting stunning pâtés, terrines, and galantines. Follow the haute cuisine movement, which emphasized service à la russe (serving meals in courses) and formalized the use of mother sauces and elaborate presentation. This course concludes with an introduction to nouvelle cuisine, the movement in which classical French cuisine was rediscovered and modernized.
Asian Fusion
Transport yourself across the globe by studying and working with the ingredients, techniques, and dishes found in China, Japan, India, Vietnam, and Thailand. Learn the styles and flavor profiles unique to each country and start to unfurl the mystery of fusion cuisine.
American
Discover American cuisine from New England to the deep South to the Pacific Northwest. Learn how early Americans incorporated elements from their native cuisines and made them uniquely their own with the introduction of local and regional ingredients. Create and evaluate traditional and modern recipes within the context of their historical and cultural frameworks.
Further advance your culinary knowledge and build up your professional marketability through a wide range of seminar topics.
Nutrition for the Foodservice Professional
Receive an overview of food and nutrition science and its role in today’s foodservice industry. Become proficient in nutritional standards, dietary guidelines, and the nutrients and composition of specific foods. Review relevant topics such as fad diets, genetic engineering, reading food labels, adapting recipes for specific dietary needs, and evaluating nutritional claims.
Wine
Heighten your senses during this interactive overview of wine production, the political and historical events that influenced wine culture, and varietals from across the globe. Explore wine tasting practices to help you develop your palate and better assess grape variety, quality, and value. Address popular and unusual food and wine pairings with various white, red, sparkling, and fortified wines to understand the logic behind menu recommendations.
Cheese
Taste European and American cheeses and gain an appreciation of the distinct characteristics of cheese styles, including bloomy-rind, washed-rind, semi-firm, hard, and blue cheeses. Compare several samples within each category and learn about the history, cultural relevancy, production, and proper storage of each. Building upon this knowledge, you will start to appreciate cheese plates, pairings, and the role of professional cheese buying in the foodservice industry.
Food Writing
Reading about food can be life changing, whether from a memoir, a blog, scripts for movies, magazine articles and cookbooks, and reviews. Learn how current writers land a book deal, how bloggers launch their pages and brands, how to write pitch letters, and create your personal writing niche through prose and voice. Discover sources and tools for getting your work published in magazines, newspapers, and online publications and practice your craft through guided exercises.
Catering
From developing clientele to mastering transportation and creative flexibility, the art of catering appeals to many seeking an alternative to restaurant work. Discover the professional skills and business techniques that will help you find success as a caterer.