Course List

Instruction Sets

• Your at-home learning program consists of ten Instruction Sets designed to take you step-by-step through the techniques and skills you'll use in your new career.

Here's how it works

• Your first Instruction Set will be sent to you as soon as your enrollment has been accepted. Other Instruction Sets will follow as you complete your exams, so that you will always have training materials to work with.

Computer Specifications

• You will need access to a Microsoft® Windows®-based computer running Windows® XP or later (Mac OS X® or later) and high-speed Internet to complete your program with Penn Foster.

Instruction Set 1

Learning Strategies

• Advantages of learning at home; study materials; types of examinations; accessing and using our website; determining what kind of learner you are; establishing a study schedule; study tips; preparing for and taking examinations.

Introduction to Catering

• Catered events; levels of catering; assessing clients' needs; written agreements.

Instruction Set 2

Dynamics of Catering

• Wine and beverages; table service; beverage service; importance of etiquette; fast cleanup.

Food Styles of Catering

• Garnishing techniques; food presentation styles and design techniques.

Alcoholic Beverages

• Marketing strategies to maximize profitability; efficient bar layout and operation; intoxication warning signs; legal concerns.

Instruction Set 3

The Gourmet Kitchen

• Kitchen layout and design; buffet presentation; buffet design and setup; goals of presentation; simple garnishes; basic and advanced presentation.

The Culinary Professional

• French kitchen brigade; food-borne illnesses; balanced diets; developing a foundation of flavor; nutrition and food science; food and kitchen safety; measuring ingredients; converting recipe yields; calculating edible portion quantity and cost; identifying kitchen equipment and its uses.

Textbook: The Professional Chef

DVD: Chef Skills

Cooking Lab: Seared Beef & Caramelized Onion Frittata

Instruction Set 4

Stocks, Sauces, and Soups

• Identification and uses of bouquet garni, sachet d'épices, mirepoix, and clarified butter; preparation of stocks and sauces; soup ingredients and preparation.

Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs

• Identifying fruits, vegetables, and herbs; basic vegetable preparation; decorative techniques; cooking methods for vegetables; effects of herbs in recipes.

Cooking Lab: Stir-Fried Beans

DVD: Stir-Fried Beans

Instruction Set 5

Meat

• Mise en place for beef; elements of beef fabrication; basic beef cuts and cooking methods; basic veal cuts and cooking methods; cuts of lamb and pork; cooking methods for lamb and pork; elements of lamb fabrication; braising; principles of curing pork.

Cooking Lab: Chateaubriand & rack of lamb

DVD: Filet with Red Wine Mushrooms

Instruction Set 6

Poultry and Game

• Poultry cuts; poultry fabrication and trussing; roasting, deep poaching, and sautéing poultry; identifying types of game.

Cooking Lab: Stuffed Chicken Breast

DVD: Stuffed Chicken Breast

Instruction Set 7

Fish and Shellfish

• Identifying fresh and saltwater fish and shellfish; cleaning and preparing fish and shellfish; cooking methods.

Cooking Lab: Striped Sea Bass

DVD: Seared Tuna

Instruction Set 8

Grains, Legumes, and Pasta

• Identifying grains and legumes; cooking, simmering, and sorting grains; using dried and fresh legumes; cooking pasta; making fresh pasta.

Cooking Lab: Sesame Shiitake Noodles

Instruction Set 9

Baking and Pastry

• Functions of baking ingredients; cooking sugar; whipping egg whites; yeast breads and quick breads; dessert sauces and creams; preparing pastry doughs and cookies.

Cooking Lab: Phyllo Pear Tart

Instruction Set 10

Breakfast, Garde Manger, and World Cuisines

• Dairy products and eggs; cooking methods for eggs; omelets, souffles, and quiche; primary elements of garde-manger; creating charcuterie; culinary traditions of the Americas, Asia, and Europe.

Cooking Lab: Preparation of an entire meal