Culinary Arts

Culinary Essentials 1

This course is designed for students who have an interest in learning the fundamentals whether at home or in the culinary industry.. The purpose of this course is to introduce skills in quality food preparations, safety and sanitation, planning, customer service, and potential careers in the culinary arts. Students completing this course can earn three college credits through Red Rocks Community College:  CUA 1001 - Food Safety and Sanitation (2 college credits) and CUA 1021 - Intro to Food Production Principles/Practices (1 college credit). Students will also take the exam for the ServSafe Food Handler industry certificate.

Culinary Essentials 2 

This intermediate culinary course is designed for students interested in exploring culinary careers and advancing their skills to the next level of food preparation. The students will have the opportunity to prepare menu items that involve more detailed procedures and practice techniques used in the culinary field. The class focuses on providing students with experiential learning in the culinary field.  Students completing this course can earn two college credits through Red Rocks Community College: CUA 2078 Seminar (2 college credits). 

Baking & Pastry 1

This course provides students with the fundamentals of basic cake, pie, pastry, and cookie production, as well as the fundamentals of basic yeast-raised production and quick breads. It enables the student to produce a variety of cakes, pies, pastries, cookies, assorted desserts and white bread, rolls, specialty breads, sweet yeast-raised products, and quick breads in a commercial kitchen. Students will learn the fundamentals of baking terminology, the principles of baking, and the characteristics and functions of the main ingredients used in bakery production. Students completing this course can earn three college credits through Red Rocks Community College: CUA 1041 - Baking Principles and Ingredients (1 college credit); CUA - 1042 Basic Yeast-Raised Quick Breads (1 college credit); and CUA 1043 - Baking: Cake/Pies/Pastry/Cookies (1 college credit). 

Baking & Pastry 2 

This course is a continuation of Baking & Pastry 1 where students will refine their understanding of baking fundamentals including baking terminology, principles of baking, and the characteristics and functions of the main ingredients used in bakery production. The course serves as the practical vehicle for the student to apply basic baking principles and practices to the production of yeast breads, quick breads, cakes, icings, pastries, pies, and cookies. Students will focus on the preparation of a variety of baked goods in a commercial kitchen according to a baking production schedule. The course enables the student to demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of products as well as speed and efficiency in the production of quality baked goods. Students completing this course can earn two college credits through Red Rocks Community College: CUA 1044 Baking Applications (2 college credits).

ProStart 1 & 2

ProStart is an academically rigorous two-year career-building program for high school students in the field of culinary arts and hospitality management. The National and Colorado Restaurant Associations sponsor the Colorado ProStart program. This nationally certified program is a competency-based study of food preparation, lodging, customer service, and business management coupled with 1+ year of mentored industry work internships in a broad spectrum of operations. Students will have the opportunity to compete in ProStart Invitational Competitions at the State and possibly National level as well as the FCCLA State Leadership Competition.  Students completing this course can earn five college credits through Red Rocks Community College: CUA 1022 - Intro Stocks (1 college credit); Soups & Sauces, CUA 1023 - Introduction to Garde Manger (1 college credit); and  CUA 1027 - Soups, Sauces, and Consommes (3 college credits).  Students will take the exam for the ServSafe Food Manager industry certificate. Students who complete two years of the program and 400 hours of work experience are eligible to sit for the ProStart National Certificate of Achievement.

ProStart 1 and ProStart 2 will be offered in alternating years. Students may enter the program as juniors or seniors by starting in either ProStart 1 or ProStart 2. ProStart 1 is not necessarily a prerequisite for ProStart 2. 

ProStart 3

This class offers students the opportunity to apply their culinary & restaurant management knowledge in the workplace. Students will enroll in the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Youth Registered Apprenticeship (RYRA) program. RYRA offers Line Cook, Kitchen Manager, and Restaurant Manager apprenticeships, allowing students to immediately begin building the skills needed to succeed in a hospitality career while earning competitive wages.