Course Descriptions
Baking
BAK 1301. Baking I
This course is an introduction to the theory and technique of baking and pastry arts. Included will be basic concepts, units of measure, tools and materials, techniques and formulas. Discussions/demonstrations will cover basic baking to advanced techniques. Breads, sweet doughs, choux paste, pies, mousses, etc. will be covered. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours)
BAK 1302. Basic Pastry Techniques
This course covers the fundamentals of pies, cobblers, crisps, quick breads, doughs, fillings and creams. Students practice mixing, and production methods. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours). Prerequisite Baking I or permission of instructor.
BAK 1303. Cakes & Cake Decoration
Students learn fundamental cake theory including all mixing methods. Students will produce a variety of cakes and learn basic decorating techniques. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours)
BAK 1304. Baking II
Students will learn classical and modern plating techniques. Organization will be stressed, and students will experience mass pastry production. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours). Prerequisite Baking I or permission of instructor.
BAK 1305. Candies & Chocolates
This course will teach students all aspects of chocolate work including tempering, molding and shaping chocolate. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours)
BAK 1306. Artisan Breads, Yeast Breads, Flatbreads, Crackers & Rolls
Students learn artisan bread making techniques, including mixing shaping and baking. Students will gain a fuller understanding of yeast baking. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours). Prerequisite Baking I or permission of instructor.
BAK 1307. Centerpiece Cake Production
Showcase cakes will be taught, building on earlier cake knowledge. Advanced design methods are explored. Students will have a final project that includes one centerpiece cake. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours). Prerequisite Cakes & Cake Decorations or permission of instructor.
Culinary Arts
CUL 1301. Applied Foodservice Sanitation
This course presents safety and sanitation in the foodservice workplace, custom designed for the culinary professional. It meets the requirements set forth by the American Culinary Federation for 30 Continuing Education Hours. (3 lecture hours/40 contact hours)
CUL 1302. Food Production I
An introductory course intended to expose students to the philosophy of culinary arts. This course includes application of fundamental cooking theories and techniques. Topics of study include: tasting, kitchen equipment, knife skills, classical vegetable cuts, stock production, thickening agents, soup preparation, ground sauces, timing, station organization, palate development, culinary French terms and food costing. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours)
CUL 1303. Food Production II
The focus in this class is on organic produce, vegetable cookery, soups, potatoes, legumes and other starches. Students will learn of the recovery movement of native vegetables and legumes through Native Seed Search, and other seed companies dedicated to resurrecting American regional cuisine. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours). Prerequisite Food Production I or permission of instructor.
CUL 1304. Stocks, Sauces & Soups
This course is an introduction to the basic stocks and sauces, and is based on the classical model created by Escoffier. Fundamental elements covered include fonds de cuisine, leading warm sauces, small compound sauces, cold sauces and compound butter, court-bouillons and marinades. As an essential course, a mastery of these sauces will develop the student’s palate and continue to develop their skill as a classical chef. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours). Prerequisite Food Production I or permission of instructor.
CUL 1305. Garde Manger
An introduction to three main areas of the cold kitchen: reception foods; plated appetizers, and buffet arrangements. Learn to prepare canapés, hot and cold hors d'oeuvre, appetizers, forcemeats, pates, galantines, terrines, salads, and sausages. Curing and smoking techniques for meat, seafood, and poultry items will be practiced, along with contemporary styles of presenting food and preparation of buffets. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours)
CUL 2302. Food Production III
Building on the first year of culinary courses, students will continue to develop their culinary sensibilities in this core course. Students will learn to locate and cook regional game including rabbit, pheasant, duck, turkey and other local Arkansas products, including organic produce. Butchery will be taught, as will the art of charcuterie. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours). Prerequisite Food Production I & II or permission of instructor.
CUL 2303. Meat & Seafood
This course is an introduction to meat and meat fabrication for foodservice operations. In this course, students learn the fundamentals of purchasing specifications; receiving, handling, and storing meat; techniques for fabricating cuts for professional kitchens; meat grinding, brining, curing, and smoking; and basic sausage making. An overview of the principles of receiving, identifying, fabricating, and storing seafood will be included. Identification will involve round fish, flat fish, crustaceans, and shellfish. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours). Prerequisite Food Production I or permission of instructor.
CUL 2304. Banquets & Catering
This course will teach students how to cook for large groups. Students will learn organizational skills for translation of recipes to large scale events such as wine dinners, wedding receptions and rehearsals, graduation parties and other events. Buffet style service including sanitation, presentation, and proper flow of food will be covered. Plated dinners for 150 and more will be taught. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours). Prerequisite Food Production I or permission of instructor.
CUL 2305. Food Production IV
Students will demonstrate their practical knowledge learned in their four semesters through rotating stations in our culinary kitchen. Students will plan, cook and plate meals. A capstone paper is required. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours). Prerequisite Food Production I, II & II or permission of instructor.
CUL 2306. American Regional Cuisine
This course will examine the regional trends exemplified by James Beard. Northwestern, Southern, Central, Coastal, and Eastern American foods will be explored, while the interconnection between cookery and immigration patterns will be taught. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours). Prerequisite Food Production I or permission of instructor.
CUL 2307. Healthy Foods/Nutrition
This course discusses the contemporary issues facing our country including food insecurity, obesity and the diabetes crisis, and discusses the role chefs can play in creating a healthy food culture. Specific diets are discussed, and students examine the role a chef could assume in school cafeterias and hospital settings. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hurs/88 contact hours)
CUL 2308. Breakfast Cookery
This course is an introduction to the basic skills necessary to prepare breakfast in a foodservice operation. Learn to organize and maintain a smooth work flow on the breakfast line, present and garnish food, and the basic methods of egg cookery, quick breads, grains, fruit plates, breakfast beverages, meat, and potatoes. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours). Prerequisite Food Production I or permission of instructor.
CUL 2309. Culinary Competitions
This course will be open to students who have completed 3 semesters, and pass a practical skills test. This course will prepare students for culinary competitions at the regional and national level and will include one regional competition with The American Culinary Federation. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours)
CUL 2310. International Cuisine
Prepare, taste, serve, and evaluate traditional, regional dishes of Europe. Emphasis will be placed on ingredients, flavor profiles, preparations, and techniques representative of the cuisines of the Middle East, Spain, France, and Eastern Europe. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours). Prerequisite Food Production I or permission of instructor.
Hospitality
HOS 1301. Introduction to Hospitality
This course will introduce the student to the broad world of hospitality and tourism and to the topics which will begin to prepare them for careers in these fields. Students will tour Little Rock restaurants, hospitals, universities, hotels and corporations. Students will learn of the different ethnic food markets including Hispanic markets, Korean markets, Indian markets and Vietnamese markets.???? (3 lecture hours/40 contact hours)
HOS 1302. Product ID & Quantity Food Purchasing
Students will learn to identify and evaluate foodservice products. Emphasis will be placed on the selection and specification requirements for purchasing the major types of foods, beverages and non-food items. Principles of product identification, proper receiving methods, storing, issuing of inventory items and inventory control will be covered. (3 lecture hours/40 contact hours). Prerequisite Food Production I or permission of instructor.
HOS 2301. Menu Design & Strategy
This course will cover the basic aspect of menu planning, design and pricing, essential knowledge of proper advertising and merchandising in a modern foodservice facility. Menu analysis is an important part of successful foodservice management and will be emphasized during this course. This course will provide the student with an opportunity to create his or her own menu. (3 lecture hours/40 contact hours). Prerequisite Food Production I or permission of instructor.
HOS 2302. The Restaurant Industry
This course will provide students with the opportunity to plan, organize, staff, direct and control a restaurant or bakery café from the perspective of menu design, service, finances, staff, design, layout, production, purchasing and productivity. This course will discuss sexual harassment in the workplace, legal issues, staffing and proper training. It will integrate material taught in other classes and result in a culminating assignment developed by each student. (3 lecture hours/40 contact hours)
HOS 2303. Wine Studies
Viticultural history and enology will be discussed. Students will learn of the major wine making regions including American, French, Italian, Argentinean, Chilean, Australian and New Zealand. Wine tasting and evaluation labs will be part of this course. Students will learn varietal characteristics, sensory evaluation, and wine making techniques. Must be 21 years old to enroll in this course. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours)
HOS 2304. Dining Room Operations
Students learn front and back of the house operation in an environment that mimics the professional kitchen. Speed, consistency, communication, organization, and team-work are emphasized. Students are cycled through fifteen stations: prep, pantry, pastry, soup, fish, sauté, grill, vegetable, expediter, stewarding, server, host, bartender, busser, and dishwasher. (1 lecture hour/2 lab hours/88 contact hours)
HOS 2305. Professional Food Writing
This course examines the genre of food magazines, newspapers and books with the aim of producing professional culinary food writers. Rhetorical analysis of a variety of food writing will be taught, and students will produce one essay of sufficient quality to submit to a leading magazine. (3 lecture hours/40 contact hours)
HOS 2306. Practicum
Students will be placed in sponsor houses to gain practical experience in various aspects of the industry. Student goals and evaluation of performance will be a cooperative effort between sponsor house and a supervising faculty member. (3 practicum hours/115 contact hours)