Friday, August 28, 2009

New textbook for budding culinary professionals

Goodheart-Willcox Publisher has released The Culinary Professional, by chefs John Draz (founding faculty member of Kendall College's School of Culinary Arts) and Christopher Koetke (dean of Kendall College's School of Culinary Arts), a comprehensive learning tool for students new to culinary arts and the foodservice industry.

The Culinary Professional is an introductory textbook developed for students enrolled in grades 9 through 12, as well as the first two years of postsecondary training. Designed in a colorful, easy-to-read format, the 831-page book offers complete explanations of culinary techniques, identification of the vast array of equipment and foods used in a professional kitchen, and an introduction to the knowledge and skills needed to work in and manage a foodservice operation. Besides providing students with an excellent foundation in the study of classic and contemporary cuisines, The Culinary Professional also explores the vast range of opportunities encompassing traditional and emerging food careers.

Additional highlights include:
  • More than 1,000 illustrations facilitating product and equipment identification and step-by-step techniques for essential culinary skills
  • More than 160 professional recipes
  • Thorough glossary of key terms and index to locate terms and subjects covered
  • Regularly appearing features on history, workplace issues, safety and sanitation, science and technology, culture and cuisine, culinary tips, menu trends and nutrition principles
  • Chapter activities on workplace math, problem-solving and critical-thinking challenges, as well as minilabs
Additional student materials in digital format--including identification and vocabulary activities, math activities, primal-cuts activities, recipes and related Web links, as well as printable common foodservice forms and worksheets--are included on a companion CD conveniently sleeved into the back cover of each book. The CD also provides students with a username and password to access an online recipe database, allowing them to convert recipe yields, search by title and browse by recipe category. For more information, visit www.g-w.com.