Culinary Arts: Definition & Process

• Culinary Arts and Culinary Science and Technology are introductory topics.

Culinary Arts Definition

• The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines culinary as "of or relating to kitchen or cookery."
• The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines arts as "a branch of learning."
• Culinary Arts definition: The art of preparation, cooking, presentation, and service of food.

Culinary Arts Process

• The culinary arts process includes these steps include ingredient selection, recipe planning, food preparation, plating and food service.

Ingredient Selection and Recipe Planning

• First involves choosing the best ingredients, often overseen by the overseeing chef.
• The chef assesses the inventory and meticulously selects recipes, maximizing the potential of each ingredient.
• Masterful chefs can adapt the menu effortlessly based on ingredient surplus or scarcity.

Food Preparation

• The sous-chef must prepare all ingredients once the menu is planned.
• Preparation methods include slicing, chopping, and cutting.
• Cooking methods consist of: frying, grilling, deep-frying, sautéing, boiling, basting, baking, roasting, and steaming.

The Art of Plating

• The dish must be assembled on the plate attractively.
• The plating could depict a theme or reflect the content of the dish.

Food Service

• As the final step in the culinary process, food service ensures the dish is presented in a visually appealing manner, with all elements arranged perfectly.
• Dishes must be served at the correct temperature, hot dishes hot and cold dishes chilled.
• Culinary arts professionals must possess communication and interpersonal skills.
• The goal is more than delivery: it is to create a memorable dining experience.

Kitchen Brigade

• The kitchen brigade ensures an efficient working environment where every employee knows their responsibilities and their ranking within the staff.
• The hierarchy of command keeps things running smoothly.

Kitchen Brigade Hierarchy

• Sous chef de cuisine
• Chef de cuisine
• Cuisinier
• Chef de partie
• Apprentice
• Commis
• Chef de Cuisine: The highest position and is in charge of menu preparation to ordering ingredients.
• Sous Chef de Cuisine: "Sous" means under in French, making them a deputy to the chef de cuisine and second in command, responsible in the head chef's absence.
• Chef de Partie: Responsible for a particular station.
  • Types of "Parties" include: fish, vegetable, sauté, or pastry chef.
  • Parties often work with a cuisinier, commis, or apprentices.
• Cuisinier: They do the actual cooking at a specific station.
• Commis: A junior cook assigned to a station, often responsible for ensuring proper cooking equipment is present.
• Apprentice: Works to gain experience and generally does anything from prep work to washing dishes.

Culinary Science definition

• Culinary science definition: a unique blend of culinary arts and food science.

Culinary Science and Food Industry

• Traditionally, the food industry hired food scientists and taught them food product development.
• Food scientists lacked culinary training and product development, leading to a lack of creativity and flavor in food items.
• In the late 1990s, chefs sought jobs in the food industry to transition, leading the food industry to realizing chefs' importance in product development.
• Culinary science plays an integral role in product development and culinary science chefs are huge industry contributors.

Culinary Science as a Program

• Students learn cooking techniques through kitchen experience and the science of food to meet consumer needs.
• Culinary science students gain an advantage by understanding how to cook and the scientific composition of ingredients.

Culinary Science and Technology definition

• Technology definition: the practical application of knowledge, especially in a particular area, according to Merriam-Webster.
• Culinary Science and Technology definition: Applies science and technology to meal planning, preparation, processing, and service.
• It encompasses essential culinary knowledge/skills and the science behind food by way of: proper handling of foods, product identification and its properties, and different food processing techniques and processes.
• Culinary Science and Technology's aim is to produce safe, quality, and palatable foods.
• Science and technology are elements in the culinary process.

Summary

• Foods are scaled proportionately and combined in order to achieve desired outcomes.
• Chemical reactions occur in cooking through manipulation or emulsification.
• The control of heat and cold maximizes food quality and safety.
• Understanding what happens in the cooking process, and disciplined application of culinary science and technology principles, lead to consistent and predictable results.