Welcome To Culinary Arts!

Instructor Grades 11&12

Richard Zajac
Department Head, Culinary Arts
Richard.Zajac@cttech.org
(860) 412-7500 x7562

Instructor Grades 9&10

Jeffery Hemmig
Instructor, Culinary Arts
Jeffery.Hemmig@cttech.org
(860) 412-7500 x7568

Course Information

Connecticut Technical Education and Career System’s Culinary Arts course breakdown by grade. Each student is required to complete four years of a Career Technical Education program.

Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12
3 credits 3 credits 3 credits 3 credits
Exploratory and Introduction to Culinary Arts Basic Food Service Operating a Restaurant Advanced Restaurant Operations

Course Descriptions

Students deciding to enter the field of Culinary Arts will be introduced to the basics of safety, sanitation and personal hygiene, as well as equipment identification and use. Students will assist in the daily production of the National School Lunch. All students will make hot foods and learn basic garnishing and portion control. Cold sandwiches and basic desserts will be taught during freshman year. Students will learn about kitchen utensils, small equipment, knife skills and basic hot and cold food preparations. In addition, they learn about weights and measures and simple recipe conversions.

In Grade 10, students learn the basics of food preparation using the school lunch as their main food lab. All students will rotate through different stations preparing, organizing and producing various food items to be served in the school’s cafeteria. Basic theory will include a range of equipment identification, fruit and vegetable identification, basic cooking methods, storage and receiving of products, as well as a la carte and convenience foods. All students will be taught the proper procedure for serving institutional foods. Students will continue to receive instruction in nutrition, safety, sanitation and personal hygiene.

In Grade 11, students are introduced to “front of the house” and “back of the house” restaurant operation through the daily operation of the school restaurant open to faculty and the public. In the dining room they learn customer service and formal dining room service skills which include setting tables, taking reservations and working the cash register while providing a la carte and buffet service menus. In the kitchen, students learn and practice; soups, stocks and sauce making, fruit and vegetable identification and cookery, dairy, eggs and cheese identification and cookery, salad and salad dressings, nutritional menu development as well as starches and grain cookery. The curriculum also includes meat, poultry and seafood identification, fabrication and cookery. Students will also develop basic baking skills through the production of; fruit danish, yeast and quick breads, layer cakes, pies and kitchen plated desserts. They will demonstrate the highest standard of food safety training by completing ServSafe Certification through the National Restaurant Association.

In Grade 12, students continue to operate the school dining room restaurant. They have opportunities to advance their culinary skills and knowledge while creating seasonal, ethnic, global and local menus. Students will have an opportunity to visit a local farm, taking the classroom into the community while developing an understanding for sustainable foods. They will learn the art of garde manger in buffet and cold food service. Students continue to develop their supervisory skills in Restaurant Management. Baking and pastries continue to be part of daily restaurant production. Students rotate throughout all stations of the dining room and kitchen until proficiency is obtained. Students will demonstrate the ability to complete a job application and interview. All students will participate in the Senior Culinary Arts Project (SCAP) where students are required to research and develop a Theme Global Menu with recipes and costing. They will produce their individual menus in the restaurant where family members and faculty will have the opportunity to sample a student’s culinary skills. The project is completed with an oral presentation where the students reflect on the year-long senior project while practicing their oral communication skills needed for job interviews.

Successful students completing this program will be able to pursue a post-secondary two- or four-year degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality or Food Service Management. Upon graduation, students are eligible for immediate employment in an accelerated entry-level culinary position in any food service establishment such as restaurants, casinos, commercial kitchens, catering facilities, retail or commercial bakeries, corporate dining or institutional food service companies.