Napa Valley Cooking School

Orientation 

During orientation students will meet all school staff and tour the campus. Uniforms, knife kits, policies and procedures manuals, and schedules will be distributed.  The chefs will provide an overview of the curriculum and grading policies.  There will be a financial aide seminar for those students who are seeking assistance. 

Safety and Sanitation 

Students learn the latest information on food safety including the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) food safety system and the Food and Drug Administrations Food Code. Emphasis of the course is the practical application and implementation of safety and sanitation guidelines. ServSafeÒ is a nationally recognized certificate program and must be successfully completed in order to continue the professional culinary program.

Upon successful completion of the course students will receive a ServSafeÒ certificate from the National Restaurant Association.

Student Learning Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Safely handle food utilizing current information on food handling and safety.
• Apply and implement ServSafeÒ guidelines.
• Safely use and care for equipment and food products.
• Operate a professional kitchen observing Health Department regulations.

Product Identification 

This Introductory course covers the identification and use of key ingredients in culinary applications. Students will utilize comparative and blind ingredient tasting, lectures, and field trips to gain a broad knowledge of varied culinary ingredients. Additionally, this course will explore the introduction of sustainable practices on a global scale, in the Napa Valley, and on our campus, with special emphasis on how our everyday efforts in the culinary industry impact and affect the land.  

Student Learning Objectives:

• Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Understand sustainable practices from a culinary standpoint.
• Identify sources, flavors and uses of various salts, sugars, oils, fats, vinegars, cheeses, spices, herbs, grains and greens.
• Discern and select ingredients for individual culinary uses.
• Understand the five tastes.
• Identify and distinguish different flavor profiles.
    

Essential Skills 

Students will be introduced to professional kitchen layout, equipment, brigade system, basic culinary math, recipe writing, basic knife skills, and basic cooking methods including emulsified sauces, egg, potato, vegetable and grain cookery, pastry and baguette making.   Students will produce daily meals practicing learned techniques demonstrating their ability to cut, cook and taste.

Student Learning Objectives:

• Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Identify equipment.
• Perform calculations using basic culinary math.
• Utilize US standard and metric measurement systems
• Identify, handle, and sharpen knives.
• Demonstrate all culinary knife cuts.
• Apply appropriate cooking methods for potatoes, eggs, vegetables, and grains. 
• Understand and apply wet, dry and combination cooking methods.
• Effectively write and convert recipes.

Stocks & Soups

This course introduces students to classic and modern preparations of stocks and soups. Students are required to master basic stocks and all classifications of soups.  Production will include the use of fish, shellfish, beef, veal, poultry, vegetables and fruit and will be the base for preparations of classic and modern soups.  

Student Learning Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Prepare classic white and brown protein based stocks.
• Prepare modern stocks including chicken, veal, demi-glace, vegetable and fruit stocks.
• Understand and demonstrate preparation methods for cream, puree, clear cut, consommé, specialty and cold soups.
   

Garde Manger 

This course introduces students to the Garde Manger (pantry kitchen). Students will be introduced to all aspects of a classical Garde Manger position including appetizers common to the Americas, France, Italy and Spain.  Students will prepare and serve a luncheon for the previous year’s graduation celebration as an introduction to large scale catering using learned techniques. 

Student Learning Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate a thorough understanding of:

• Use of proper terminology.
• Cold emulsifications.
• Identification, care for, and handle of salad greens.
• Canapés, hors d’oeuvres, salads, dressings and other cold preparations related to Garde Manger.
• Prepare food for and serve approximately 100 people.
  

Sauces

This course introduces students to classic and modern preparations of sauces. Cream sauces, white stock based sauces, brown stock or demi-glace sauces, vegetable stock sauces and emulsified butter sauces are all included. This unit focuses upon techniques that produce high quality and well-flavored products.

Student Learning Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Prepare classic white and brown protein based sauces.
• Prepare modern sauces including vegetable and fruit sauces.
• Prepare classic and modern interpretations of emulsified, reduction, puree, sabayon, infusion, juice, butter, foam, and nage sauces.

World of Flavors Conference