Houston Community College System
Culinary Arts
Course Syllabus
Chef 1301
3 credit (2 lecture/4 lab)
Chef 2201
2 Credit (1 lecture/4 lab)
Chef 2231
2 credit (1 lecture/4 lab)
Basic Food Preparation: A study of the fundamental principles of food preparation and
cookery to include Brigade System, cooking techniques, material handling, heat transfer,
sanitation, safety, nutrition, and professionalism.
Intermediate Food Preparation: Continuation of previous food preparation course.
Topics include the concept of pre-cooked food items, as well as scratch preparation.
Covers full range of food preparation techniques.
Advanced Food Preparation: A study of the fundamental principles of food preparation
and cookery to include Brigade System, cooking techniques, material handling, heat
transfer, sanitation, safety, nutrition, and professionalism.
Course Goals:
Course Learning Outcomes
The student will:
1. demonstrate safe and efficient operation of standard cooking equipment,
processing equipment, holding and storage equipment.
2. demonstrate correct use of measuring equipment.
3. be able to list 5 guidelines to observe when sharpening a chefs knife.
4. show knife cuts including julienne, batonnet, brunoise, and tourne.
5. prepare basic mirepoix.
6. demonstrate the preparation of stocks including brown, white, chicken, veal, beef,
and fish stock while practicing proper sanitation techniques during preparation
and storage.
7. demonstrate competency of preparing the 5 leading sauces including béchamel,
espagnole, hollandaise, tomato, and veloute.
8. prepare roux and utilize it as a thickening agent in sauces.
9. describe and prepare the three different styles of soups.
10. identify standard and appetizer portion sizes of food products.
11. prepare and clarify consommé.
12. prepare and demonstrate proficiency in the three methods of preparing cream
soups.
13. prepare other soups including bisque, chowder, and vegetable.
14. Name the components of food and describe what happens when heat is applied.
15. Name and describe the three methods of heat transfer to food.
16. List three factors that affect cooking time
17. Explain and demonstrate the difference between dry and moist heat cooking
methods
18. Describe and demonstrate each basic cooking method including sauté, steam, boil,
poach, braise, roast, grill, pan sear, shallow fry, and deep fry.
19. Describe the composition and structure of meat and demonstrate how this relates
to cooking method chosen.
20. Explain the use of federal inspection and grading of meat.
21. Identify the primal cuts of beef and choose the appropriate cooking method for
each.
22. Determine the correct temperatures of meat and cook products to various degrees
of doneness.
23. Describe the difference between light and dark meat in poultry and how these
differences affect cooking.
24. Describe and demonstrate four techniques that help keep poultry moist while
cooking.
25. Fabricate poultry into 8 pieces while practicing knife skills and utilizing proper
sanitation techniques.
26. Demonstrate and explain proper storage techniques of poultry and explain why
this is critical with chicken and turkey.
27. Explain how the cooking techniques of fish are different due to the lack of
connective tissue.
28. Determine the proper doneness of fish
29. List the market forms of fish and explain the best form for particular
establishments.
30. Fillet round and flat fish.
31. Identify varieties of fish and shellfish and discuss their characteristics.
32. Open clams, mussels, peel and devein shrimp, clean squid and crabmeat.
33. Prepare seafood by roasting, sautéing, poaching, frying and utilizing raw seafood
preparation techniques.
34. Describe the factors that influence texture, flavor, color, and nutritional qualities
of vegetables.
35. Cook 4 colors of vegetables and demonstrate the differences while adding acids
and alkalines.
36. Prepare vegetables while utilizing blanch and shock method.
37. Cook vegetables by boiling, steaming, sautéing, braising, pan frying, baking,
broiling, and grilling.
38. Classify potatoes into two types and demonstrate the differences in sugars and
starches.
39. Cook rice by boiling, poaching, steaming, and braising.
40. Prepare fresh and commercial pastas and demonstrate the differences in cooking
techniques.
41. Identify the five different types of salads, and the four components of salads.
42. Prepare temporary and permanent emulsions.
43. Prepare eggs by sunny side up, basted, over easy, over medium, over hard, boiled
in the shell, scrambled, French omelets, and poached.
Instructor Information:
Nicholas Boland
Nicholas.boland@hccs.edu
www.ChefNickBoland.com
Office 713-718-6045
Class Information:
Meeting Days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Meeting Times: 8:00-2:00
Meeting Place: NEO Kitchen 3100 Main St.
Textbook information:
On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundimentals Author: Labensky, sarah Publish
Date: 01/2010. ISBN: 0135118050, 9780135118054
Students with Disabilities:
Students who require reasonable accommodations for disabilities are encouraged to
report to Room 102 of the San Jacinto Building, 1300 Holman, or call (713) 718-6164 to
make necessary arrangements. Faculty are only authorized to provide accommodations
requested by the Disability Support Services Office.
Academic Honesty:
Students are responsible for conducting themselves with honor and integrity in fulfilling
course requirements. Penalties and/or disciplinary proceedings may be initiated by
college system officials against a student accused of scholastic dishonesty.
Cheating on a test includes:
"Scholastic dishonesty": includes, but is not limited to, cheating on a test, plagiarism, and
collusion.
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Copying from another students test paper; using during a test, materials not
authorized by the person giving the test;
Collaborating with another student during a test without authorization;
Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or
part the contents of an unadministered test;
Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered.
Plagiarism means the appropriation of anothers work and the unacknowledged
incorporation of that work in one is own written work offered for credit.
Collusion mean the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing
written work offered for credit.
Possible punishments for academic dishonesty may include a grade of 0 or F in
the particular assignment, failure in the course, and/or recommendation for
probation or dismissal from the College System. (See the Student Handbook)
Attendance and Withdrawal:
Students are expected to attend all classes (see college catalog for attendance policy)
Students are responsible for all work missed during an absence.
Students may be dropped from courses for absences that exceed 12.5% of the total
semester contact hours, usually equated to more than 4 absences in a 2 day per week class
and more than 2 absences in a 1 day per week class.
Attendance and Participation Policy:
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Attendance makes up 25% of your total grade.
For Each Absence, 3% will be deducted from your total grade
For Each Tardy, 1% will be deducted from your total grade
8:01 to 8:15 is considered a tardy, 8:16 or later is considered an absence
Leaving before class is formally dismissed by the instructor will be recorded as an
absence
Grading Policy
25% Attendance and Participation
15% Professionalism, quality of work
25% Weekly Quizes
10% Written Final Exam
10% Practical Cooking Exam
10% Assigned written work
5% Graded Student Notebook
Numerical Grades related to Letter Grades
90-100......................... A
80-89 ...........................B
70-79............................C
60-69............................D
0-59..............................F
Course Requirement:
Regular attendance and participation
Complete Uniform and tool kit
Exams, written and practical
Assigned reading and written work
Graded student notebook
Assigned written work
Make up policy:
Students are required to meet with the instructor to make up any missed work or quizzes.
Failure to arrange this will result in a zero for the missed work or assignment. Quizzes
and tests must be taken the day the student returns to class. To make up days, student
must have 2 weeks of flawless attendance to make up classes at alternate times or dates,
if so, I will bend over backwards to assist you in making up missed hours.
NOTICE: Students who repeat a course three or more times may soon face significant
tuition/fee increases at HCC and other Texas public colleges and universities. Please ask
your instructor/
counselor about opportunities for tutoring/other assistance prior to considering course
withdrawal, or if you are not receiving passing grades.
HCC Course Withdrawal Policy
The State of Texas has begun to impose penalties on students who drop courses
excessively. For example, if you repeat the same course more than twice, you have to pay
extra tuition. In 2007, the Texas Legislature passed a law limiting students to no more
than six total course withdrawals throughout their academic career in obtaining a
baccalaureate degree.
To help students avoid having to drop/withdraw from any class, HCC has instituted an
Early Alert process by which your instructor with “alert” you and HCC Student Services
of the chance you might fail a class because of excessive absences and/or poor academic
performance. You should visit an HCC counselor of HCC Online Student Services to
learn about what, if any, HCC interventions might be offered to assist you – tutoring,
child care, financial aid, job placement, etc. – to stay in class and improve your academic
performance.
You MUST visit with a counselor or on-line student services prior to withdrawing
(dropping) the class and this must be done prior to date given on www.HCCS.edu to
receive a “W” on your transcript. After the deadline, you will receive the grade you are
making in the class which will more than likely be an “F”.
Instructor Evaluation
At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is
necessary to improve teaching and learning. During a designated time, you will be asked
to answer a short online survey of research-based questions related to instruction. The
anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your professors and division
chairs for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the survey as part of the
Houston Community College Student System online.
Tool Kit and Uniform Requirements
All materials may be purchased at HCCS Central Campus Bookstore. Culinary Arts has
a package deal so purchases can be a little easier but they are more expensive this way.
Students may contact Ace Mart Restaurant Supply to purchase supplies also. Don’t
forget to show Ace Mart your student ID for a possible student discount.
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Chef Knife
Paring Knife
Flexible Boning Knife
Steel
Wavy Edge Slicer
Premiums Swivel Peeler
Fork w/handle
Tongs (heat resistant handle)
Pocket Thermometer
Whip (heat resistant)
Gray Slotted Spatula
Case Cutlery.
Zester
Measuring Cup
Measuring Spoons
8” or 10”
3¼
6” Semi
(12) or 10”
12”
10”
12”
10”
12”
Uniform
 Solid white or Black Skull Cap
 Checkered Chef Pants, hemmed
 White long sleeve double breasted Chef Coat with no outside logos
Black, Slip resistant closed toe shoes
 Plain white t-shirt
 No Jewelry except for 1 wedding band, small hoops or stud earnings for ladies ok
 Pen and Sharpie marker