In this level students will take a deep dive into how today’s chefs cook, from a focus on modern techniques and new ingredients, to preparing dishes in the style of the world’s most influential chefs. Each week focuses on a new set of techniques as well as a chef who is known as a master in that specific area of cuisine. One of the highlights of L3 is Week 5, when students take what they’ve learned and create plates for a professional food photographer to shoot.
Wk1: Plate Design
- Featured Chef: Karlo Evaristo
- Understanding geometric principles of plating
- Symmetrical vs asymmetrical plating styles
- Discovering the structural and visual roles of sauces and purees on a plate
- How to properly choose plateware and non traditional options to plate food for maximum visual impact
Wk2: Advanced Plant-Based Cooking
- Featured Chef: David Kinch
- More deeply understand the transformation of flavor from raw to cooked vegetables and learn to build dishes that take advantage of both
- Manipulation of texture and temperature of plant based components
- Application of advanced dry and moist heat techniques to vegetables and legumes
Wk3: Sauces 2.0
- Featured Chef: Enrique Olvera
- Liquid infusions to produce flavorful broths
- Use of hydrocolloids and choosing the proper one for the application.
- Reduction and concentration of liquids to create flavor bases for recipes
Wk4: Modernist Techniques
- Featured Chef: Joan Roca
- Creating chips, leathers, and wafers from fruits and vegetables
- Reinterpreting classic dishes with modern techniques
- Use of the pressure cooker to achieve textures and flavors otherwise unachievable with conventional techniques
Wk5: Plating for the Camera
- Choosing plates, ingredients, and garnishes that photograph well
- Using natural light, angle, and cropping for best results in food photography
- Professional photography of student plated dishes and students working in the kitchen
Wk6: Review & Exit Exam
