Culinary

• Culinary arts is the art of preparing and cooking food
• Professionalism in culinary arts encompasses conduct, dress code, attitude, aims, and knowledge
• The word "culinary" is defined as something related to, or connected with cooking
• The Chef's Uniform includes:

  • Toque/chef hat: Hierarchy in the kitchen; the taller the hat, the higher the position; acts as hair restraint
  • Jacket: Primary safety against being spilled with hot liquids
  • Neckerchief: Tied handkerchief for the neck that absorbs perspiration of the face
  • Apron: Additional layer for safety against hot liquids and spills
  • Checkered Trousers: Cover the legs for protection against hot liquids
  • Closed shoes: Non-slippery and closed to avoid slipping
• The evolution of food:

  • The first restaurant opened in 1765 by Monsieur Boulanger
  • In the 1800s, Marie Antoine Careme introduced elaborate courses and used roux as a thickener, known as the "chef of kings and king of chefs"
  • In 1893, Charles Ranhofer published the "Epicurean" containing over 3500 recipes; chef of the first American restaurant "Delmonico"
  • Georges Auguste Escoffier introduced the "five mother sauces" and is known as the "Father of Classical Cuisine"
• Culinary profiles:

  • Catherine de Medici introduced the use of the fork in French cuisine
  • Antoine Beauvilliers opened "La Grande Taverne de Londres" in 1782, the first restaurant to combine the four essentials of dining
  • Marie Antoine Careme became the founder of French haute cuisine
  • Georges Auguste Escoffier modernized and simplified Careme's elaborate haute cuisine
• Louis Pasteur developed pasteurization as a process of killing organisms by heat
• Ray Kroc joined McDonald's as a franchise agent in 1955 and eventually purchased the chain from the McDonald brothers
• James Beard, the Father of American Cooking, provided a strong philosophical foundation for America's culinary heritage
• Brigade de Cuisine (The Kitchen Brigade) roles:

  • Chef de cuisine: Overall kitchen management, creates menu and new recipes
  • Sous chef: Represents the chef de cuisine in their absence
  • Saucier: Prepares sauces, stocks, and sautéed foods
  • Chef de Partie: Specializes in preparing particular dishes and manages a given station in the kitchen
• Personality traits of a Culinary Professional include:

  • Creativity
  • Stamina
  • Organized
  • Positive attitude
  • Customer focus
  • Flexibility
  • Teamwork
  • Desire to learn