American Culinary Federation-certified chefs teach professional cooking techniques in a program at the University of Tennessee Knoxville designed to prepare students for careers in the food service industry. The UT Culinary Certificate program also benefits employed cooks and restaurant workers looking for additional training. Even amateur chefs who wish to hone their kitchen skills can enroll in the institute . Students who complete 10 units of training in a professional kitchen on the Knoxville campus and receive satisfactory grades get a Culinary Arts Certificate. Students also earn the ServSafe food sanitation certificate during the program, which demonstrates competency in food safety procedures. Courses include an ACF-sanctioned course in Food Safety and Sanitation, Kitchen Skills 1 ( stocks and soups, proper use of knives), Kitchen Skills 2 (sauces) and classes in vegetable and meat preparation. "Niche" courses in preparing breakfast entrees, serving wine and baking round out the program. Instructors assist graduates in finding hospitality-industry employment.
Culinary Institute
The University of Tennessee
Knoxville, TN 37996
865-974-3732
culinary.utk.edu
The Art Institute of Tennessee Nashville provides fledgling chefs with a choice of five culinary programs. Earning an Associate in Arts degree in Culinary Arts prepares you for entry-level jobs as a prep cook, line cook, assistant pastry chef or banquet manager. This 112-unit program lasts two years and requires such courses as Food Safety and Sanitation, American, Asian and Latin cuisine and basic pastry and baking technique. The 192-unit Bachelor of Science in Culinary Management prepares students for supervisory jobs in kitchens and restaurants and includes courses in communication, critical thinking and human resources. A novice chef with a sweet tooth can study for a degree in Culinary Arts with a concentration in baking and pastry. The program ends with an a la carte class where students prepare food for a dining lab open to the public. A 36-credit Culinary Skills diploma course is available to increase the proficiency of people already working in the food service industry. There's a similar diploma for baking and pastry professionals. The institute, a branch of The Art Institute of Atlanta, Georgia, has a career services department to help students secure employment upon graduation.
The Art Institute of Tennessee Nashville
100 Centerview Drive, Suite 250
Nashville, TN 37214
615-874-1067
artinstitutes.edu/nashville
The Viking Test Kitchen, stocked with cookware, cutlery and Viking appliances, provides a starting point for novice chefs. Professional cooks teach hands-on classes to small groups, usually 12 or fewer. A three-day culinary basics class helps folks who don't know how to boil water, and an Essential Cooking Series meets once a week for 12 weeks; students dine on the class projects at the end of each session and take home personalized recipe packets to whip up delicious homework between classes. Viking offers classes for kids, teens and families and summer sessions on creating the perfect barbecue.
The Viking Store
The Factory at Franklin
230 Franklin Road, Building 13
Franklin, TN 37064
615-599-9617
vikingcookingschool.com