- Description
- Objectives
- Outline
- Materials
- Certification
- System Requirements
- Watch a Demo
Our online Professional Cooking & Catering Entrepreneur Program will help you learn the cooking, baking, and catering principles you need to plan great dishes and menus in order to operate a successful catering business; while also helping you to learn the skills and techniques needed to create that business.
Professional Cooking Part I
After completing this course, you should be able to:
- Identify proper food handling, measurements and how to create a balanced diet
- Recognize the principles of cooking and food science
- Recall the steps for preparing stocks, sauces and soups
- List the basics for properly handling vegetables
- Identify the structure of various meats and proper cooking techniques
Professional Cooking Part II
After completing this course, you should be able to:
- Identify the various ways to prepare and cook fish and poultry
- Recognize the basic ways to create salads, sandwiches and breakfast foods
- Recall the steps for cooking vegetarian meals and buffet presentation
- List common baking principles and formulas for preparing breads and cakes
- Identify the characteristics of cookies, pies and puddings
Professional Catering
After completing this course, you should be able to:
- Recall the different methods and styles of catering
- Identify steps for building a client base and engaging customers
- List strategies for planning and managing an event
- Choose methods for staff training and guiding employee behavior
- Recognize fundamental elements of food preparation, dining management and recipes for catering
Start Your Own Business
After completing this course, you should be able to:
- Define entrepreneurship
- List the steps for developing a business plan
- Recall methods for marketing your business
- Recognize the concepts behind financing strategies
- Differentiate between potential strategies for growing your business
Professional Cooking Part I
Professional Cooking Module 1
The Food Service Industry
- History of Modern Food Service
- Organization of Modern Kitchens
- Standards of Professionalism
- Sanitation
- Food Hazards
- Personal Hygiene
- Food Handling and Storage
- Preventing Injuries
- Cooking Equipment
- Measuring Devices
Professional Cooking Module 2
Menus, Recipes and Nutrition
- Menu Forms and Functions
- Building the Menu
- Measurement
- Kitchen Math
- Nutrients
- Balanced Diets and Menus
Professional Cooking Module 3
Principles of Cooking and Food Science
- What is Heat?
- Emulsions
- Heat Management
- Conventional Cooking Methods
- Building Flavor Profiles
- Using Herbs and Spices
- Mise En Place
- Using the Knife
Professional Cooking Module 4
Stocks
- Ingredients
- Procedures
- Reductions and Glazes
- Convenience Bases
Professional Cooking Module 5
Sauces and Soups
Sauce Structure
Sauce Families
Sauce Production
Understanding Soups
Clear Soups
Thickened Soups
Professional Cooking Module 6
Vegetables
- Controlling Texture Changes
- Controlling Flavor Changes
- General Rules of Vegetable Cookery
- Handling Vegetables
- Fresh Vegetables
- Storage
- Boiling and Steaming
- Sauteing and Pan-Frying
- Braising
- Deep-Frying
Professional Cooking Module 7
Potatoes, Legumes, Pasta
- Understanding Potatoes
- Cooking Potatoes
- Dried Legumes
- Grains
- Pasta
- Noodles
- Dumplings
Professional Cooking Module 8
Cooking Methods for Meat, Poultry, Fish
- Roasting and Baking
- Simmering and Submersion Poaching
- Barbecuing
- Pan-Frying
- Steaming
- Composition and Structure
- Cooking and Handling Meats
- Cooking Meats and Game
Professional Cooking Part II
Professional Cooking Module 9
Poultry and Game Birds
- Composition and Structure
- Inspection and Grading
- Classification and Market Forms
- Handling
- Storage
- Doneness
- Trussing Methods
- Cutting Up Chicken
- Roasting and Baking
- Broiling and Grilling
- Dressings and Stuffings
Professional Cooking Module 10
Fish and Seafood
- Cutting Fish
- Varieties of Fish
- Shellfish
- Mollusks
- Cephalopods
- Crustaceans
- Miscellaneous Seafood
- Cooking Approaches
- Steaming
- Seafood Served Raw
Professional Cooking Module 11
Dressings, Salads and Sandwiches
- Oil and Vinegar Dressings
- Emulsified Dressings
- Other Types of Dressings
- Ingredients in Salads
- Arrangement and Presentation
- Recipes and Techniques
- Breads
- Spreads
- Fillings
- Types of Sandwiches
- Making Sandwiches
Professional Cooking Module 12
Hors d ’Oeuvres and Breakfast
- Serving Hors d’Oeuvres
- Canapes
- Cocktails
- Relishes
- Dips
- Cooking Eggs
- Pancakes
- Waffles
- French Toast
- Cereals
- Breakfast Meats
Professional Cooking Module 13
Dairy and Cooking for Vegetarian Diets
- Milk
- Cream
- Butter
- Cheese
- Coffee
- Tea
- Understanding Vegetarian Diets
- Menus for Vegetarian Diets
Professional Cooking Module 14
Sausages, Cold Foods and Presentation
- Curing
- Smoking
- Pates
- Terrines
- Aspic
- Special Forcemeat Dishes
- Hot Food Presentation
- Cold Food Presentation
- Buffet Arrangement
- Buffet Appearance
Professional Cooking Module 15
Baking Principles
- Formulas and Measurement
- Mixing
- Gluten Development
- The Baking Process
- Staling
- Yeast Product Types
- Steps in Yeast Dough Production
- Dough Formulas and Techniques
- Rolled-In Doughs
- Makeup Techniques
Professional Cooking Module 16
Breads and Cakes
- Quick Breads
- Mixing and Production Methods
- Formulas
- Understanding Cake Making
- Cake Formula Types
- Baking
- Cooling
- Common Cake Faults
- Altitude Adjustments
- Scaling
Professional Cooking Module 17
Cookies, Pies and Puddings
- Cooking Characteristics
- Types and Makeup Methods
- Panning
- Assembly
- Fillings
- Puff Pastry
- Éclair Paste
- Meringues
- Fruit Desserts
- Custards
- Frozen Desserts
**Outlines are subject to change, as courses and materials are updated.**
Professional Catering
Professional Catering Module 1
Introduction to Catering
- Types of Catering
- On-Premise Catering
- Off-Premise Catering
- On-Site Catering
- Mobile Catering
- Starting Your Catering Business
- Creating a Business Plan
- Permits, Licenses and Insurance Policies
- Growing Your Catering Business
Professional Catering Module 2
Setting Up the Catering Kitchen
- Maximizing Profitability
- Calculating Food Cost
- Plating and Presenting for Profit
- Presentation Basics
- Kitchen Design and Construction
- Dietary Restrictions or Preferences
- Designing a Menu
- Catering Equipment
- Equipment for Preparing, Cooking and Baking Food
- Equipment for Food Holding, Assembling and Serving
- Receiving and Storage
Professional Catering Module 3
Staffing and Marketing
- Finding and Hiring Staff
- Advertising
- Interviewing
- Staff Training
- Managing Staff
- The 4 Ps of Marketing
- Brand Business
- Marketing Plan
Professional Catering Module 4
Event Planning
- Role of Caterer and Event Planner
- Initial Consultation
- Menu Design
- Money and Contracts
- Menu Pricing
- Budgeting
- Proposal
- Executing Events
Professional Catering Module 5
Food Preparation and Service
- Importance of Staff Training
- Table Service
- The Menu
- Recipe Manual
- Production Plan
- Theme, Event and Venue-Driven Menus
- Handling Foods
- Transporting Foods
Professional Catering Module 6
Management and Service
- Dining Room Management
- Beverage Management
- Brunch Buffets
- Corporate or Social Casual Lunch
- Outdoor Lunch Buffet or Barbecue
- Cocktail Parties
- Dinners
- Weddings
- Desserts
- Recipes for Catering
**Outlines are subject to change, as courses and materials are updated.**
Start Your Own Business
Start Your Own Business Module 1
Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship
- Defining Entrepreneurship
- Free-Enterprise System
- What is a Small Business?
- Paths to Enterprise Ownership
- Benefits and Costs of Becoming an Entrepreneur
- Lean Startup Methodology
- What is a Business Plan?
- Business Plan Components
Start Your Own Business Module 2
Creating Business and Exploring Your Market
- What Defines a Business?
- Business Opportunity Decision Process
- Your Competitive Advantage
- Determining the Value of a Business
- Product Life Cycle
- Customer Research
- Segment and Industry Research
- Market Positioning
Start Your Own Business Module 3
Marketing Mix and Smart Selling
- The Marketing Mix
- Product, Price, Place, Promotion
- Advertising and Sales Promotion
- Publicity Potential
- Developing a Marketing Plan
- Sales Call
- Creating a Sales Force
- Customer Relationship Management Systems
Start Your Own Business Module 4
Costs and Financial Statements
- Start-Up Investment
- Estimate Value
- Fixed and Variable Costs
- Calculating Critical Costs
- Income Statements
- The Balance Sheet
- Financial Ratio Analysis
- Balance Sheet Analysis
Start Your Own Business Module 5
Cash Flow, Taxes, and Financing Strategies
- Cash Flow
- Working Capital Cycle
- Using a Cash Flow Statement
- Capital Budgeting
- Gifts and Grants
- Debit and Equity Financing
- Investing
Start Your Own Business Module 6
Legal Issues and Operating for Success
- Business Legal Structures
- Contracts
- Commercial Law
- Intellectual Property
- Protecting Tangible Assets
- Licenses, Permits, and Certificates
- Production-Distribution Chain
- Supply Chain Management
- Defining Quality
Start Your Own Business Module 7
Management, Leadership, Financing, Licensing
- The Entrepreneur as Leader
- Business Management
- Creating and Managing Organizational Culture
- Ethical Leadership
- Social Responsibility and Ethics
- Focus Your Brand
- Harvesting and Exiting Options
- Creating Wealth by Selling a Profitable Business
**Outlines are subject to change, as courses and materials are updated.**
All course materials included.
Professional Catering
Upon successful completion of our Professional Catering course, students will be prepared, in part, to sit for the National Association for Catering & Events (NACE) CPCE certification exam. Eligible candidates must have also worked in the catering & events industry full time within the past three years and have attended 30 hours of professional development in the past five years.
Note: This course is not affiliated with, nor has it been endorsed by the National Association for Catering & Events.
Internet Connection
- Broadband or High-Speed - DSL, Cable, and Wireless Connections
*Dial-Up internet connections will result in a diminished online experience. Classroom pages may load slowly and viewing large audio and video files may not be possible.
Hardware Requirements
- Processor - 2GHz Processor or Higher
- Memory - 1 GB RAM Minimum Recommended
PC Software Requirements
- Operating Systems - Windows 7 or higher
- Microsoft Office 2013 or higher. Also, you could use a general Word Processing application to save and open Microsoft Office formats (.doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx)
- Internet Browsers - Google Chrome is highly recommended
- Cookies MUST be enabled
- Pop-ups MUST be allowed (Pop-up Blocker disabled)
- The Kindle Reader App or VitalSource Bookshelf App are needed for many of our courses (No special equipment needed. This can be downloaded for FREE onto your computer.)
- PowerPoint Viewer (if you do not have PowerPoint)
- Adobe PDF Reader
- QuickTime, Windows Media Player &/or Real Player
MAC Software Requirements
- Operating Systems - Mac OS x 10 or higher with Windows
- Mac office programs or a Word Processing application to save and open Microsoft Office formats (.doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx)
- Internet Browsers- Google Chrome is highly recommended
- Cookies MUST be enabled
- Pop-ups MUST be allowed (Pop-up Blocker disabled)
- The Kindle Reader App or VitalSource Bookshelf App are needed for many of our courses (No special equipment needed. This can be downloaded for FREE onto your computer.)
- PowerPoint Viewer (if you do not have PowerPoint)
- Adobe PDF Reader
- Apple QuickTime Media Player