Culinary Arts

Strong consumer demand for leaner-bred livestock and cuts that are smaller and less fatty has transformed the meat industry. Tasty meals featuring beef, lamb, and pork once again are staples all across America, and this video explains why in six well-illustrated segments. How Much Meat Do We Eat? offers a statistical overview of meat consumption. Nutritional Value of Meat addresses protein, vitamins and minerals, good and bad fats, cholesterol, and portion sizes. Meat Quality takes a look at the appearance, texture, and color of raw meat. Adding Value surveys bonus items being bundled with raw meat, from marinades, sauces, and spices to breadings and pastry shells. Handling Meat Safely considers hygiene issues. And Cuts shows how butchers are developing new cuts to match the recipes popular with today's health-conscious, on-the-go consumer. Delicious, nutritious, and easy to prepare, meat is back on the menu! A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to National Standards for Family and Consumer Sciences-Nutrition and Food. A Meridian Production. (18 minutes)

In this program, cake-decorating experts share their knowledge and demonstrate their skills as they make chocolate creations and five fundamental types of frosting-royal, butter cream, ganache, fondant, and marzipan. The video also illustrates how to cover a cake in fondant, make a piping bag, and write in icing. Correlates to National CTE Organizational Standards (including the provisions of the Perkins Act). Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. Original title: Creative Cakes: Basic Techniques. A part of the series Creative Cakes. (29 minutes)

There's more to boiling than heating up water! This step-by-step guide highlights eight essential cooking methods that use moist heat: blanching, parboiling, simmering, poaching, braising, stewing, steaming, and even microwaving. The best choices of utensils, how different techniques affect tenderness and flavor, and how to preserve food's nutritional value are covered too, with explanations of commercial preparation and storage systems like cook-chill, cook-freeze, and sous-vide. The result is an authoritative, well-organized resource for culinary arts or food technology students. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (27 minutes)

Entering the world of large-scale, high-end food service requires attention to rigorous standards and expectations. This two-part series familiarizes students with the basics and the fine points of professional catering-menu preparation, kitchen practices, dish presentation, serving techniques, and more. Guidance from culinary instructor Richard Dodson and detailed, step-by-step visuals of kitchen and dining hall operations help train aspiring caterers for this very demanding business. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. 2-part series, 25-28 minutes each.

Exploring an array of culinary skills, this video enables viewers to create dishes for a fully catered meal. Grounding students in the elements of plate composition-color, texture, height, and balance-the program demonstrates entree and dessert presentation with elegant examples of smoked salmon, roast turkey, blue-eye fillet, and lemon tart. Detailed instruction is also given in basic and extended garnishes, and in the fundamentals of knife organization, handling, cleaning, and sharpening. Instruction from master chef Richard Dodson makes each concept easy to understand and put into action. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (25 minutes)

Whether it's a formal business lunch or a casual garden-party buffet, a catered meal requires careful planning. This video immerses students in the world of commercial meal preparation, covering a wide range of strategic issues that professional caterers must consider. Master chef Richard Dodson explains how to achieve the proper variety of dishes, determine dietary requirements, calculate portion sizes, and price menus. Server professionalism is also featured, including the best methods for setting tables, placing crockery and cutlery, folding napkins, carrying several plates, and clearing tables. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (28 minutes)

Catering can be a creative and exciting career, as well as a lucrative business. This informative video will help you determine if the world of catering is right for you. By providing a well-organized look at both the food preparation and business sides of catering, the video will enable you to: • Develop a business plan that clearly defines goals, target niche, marketing strategies, and operation considerations. • Understand the proper licensing, insurance, and health standards for running a catering business. • Prepare and equip a professional kitchen. • Plan, organize, and serve a catered event from conception to clean-up. • Target the factors involved in profitable menu-planning, budgeting, and pricing. • Identify pre-event preparations and considerations. In addition, an overview of sanitation regulations and proper cooking methods and food transportation techniques will help you ensure the highest level of quality and service. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. A Meridian Production. (22 minutes)

Combining humor, enthusiasm, and a down-to-earth attitude, cooking expert Mike Colameco is the ideal mentor for students who want to empower themselves in the kitchen. In this three-part series, the creator and host of PBS's Colameco's Food Show explains how to shop for groceries, store food, prepare ingredients, keep the kitchen clean and safe, and develop basic kitchen skills and techniques. Mike also presents some accessible recipes for students to try, with hands-on demonstrations that help build cooking confidence. Viewable/printable instructor's guides are available online. Correlates to all applicable state and national standards. A Meridian Production. 3-part series, 23-26 minutes each.

Join our animated friends...herbs and spices...as they take us on a journey of culinary discovery. Not only do our narrators discuss the benefits of using healthy seasonings in place of salt and pepper, but they offer some historical background including a little bit about where they come from. Several simple recipes are provided along with an explanation of how various dishes can be enhanced by simple spices. If you're looking for a slightly different approach to a worthwhile subject, check out Cooking with Healthy Seasonings! (12 min.) A Meridian Production.

The art of cake decorating is limited only by the imagination-and skills-of the artisan. This two-part series is a practical, hands-on guide that shows how to prepare and apply the frostings and confections that make gourmet special occasion cakes a treat for the eyes as well as for the discerning palate. Correlates to National CTE Organizational Standards (including the provisions of the Perkins Act). Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. 2-part series, 29-30 minutes each.

The Provisions Cafe is known for its great coffee, food, and atmosphere. This case study takes viewers behind the scenes at the Provisions, illustrating the procedures and best practices that make for a well-run, successful cafe. Using high-energy visuals and detailed interviews with the Provisions' owner/manager, the program explores a typical day in the life of the cafe-including early morning kitchen and front-of-house set-up, preparations for the breakfast and lunch crowds, supply orders and deliveries, closing procedures, and the nightly cash tally. Step-by-step guidance in cafe-specific skills, such as the making of lattes and cappuccinos, is also included. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (27 minutes)

Whether it's an espresso, a long black, a caffe latte, a cappuccino, a macchiato, a flat white, or a mocha, there's a lot more to making a great cup of coffee than simply knowing how to operate a machine. After a brief history of coffee, key facts about coffee-growing, and a concise overview of the bean roasting process, this video explains how to use and clean espresso machines and their components and prepare popular coffee beverages. The program also addresses bean grinding, the extraction process, frothing and pouring milk, and the right cup to use for different types of coffee. Champion barista David Makin and master coffee roaster Peter Wolff are featured. Correlates to all applicable National and State Educational Standards including the NCLB Act. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (30 minutes)

Fast food is everywhere these days, not only in popular national franchises, but in hotels and full-service restaurants as well. This video shows firsthand the techniques used in the fast food business: grilling, broiling, and frying. Each method is demonstrated and explained as safety tips are highlighted throughout. Various tools and procedures are also shown. There's even a special section on pizzas and Mexican food! Fast food jobs are a great entry to better jobs throughout the food services business. (14 min.) A Meridian Production.

Learn what makes quickbreads different from yeast breads, the key ingredients for the four different types of quickbreads, how to identify the proper texture of a quickbread when it's done baking, and more. This video tells you everything you'll need to know to produce your own quality quickbreads. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. A Meridian Production. (18 minutes)

In the hospitality industry, you really do have to please everyone. Chefs, caterers, and dining hall managers must accommodate dietary limits whenever possible. This video examines special food needs that restaurant customers and banquet attendees sometimes have. It identifies three major reasons for meal restrictions-allergies and intolerances, diseases and disorders, and cultural and religious beliefs-and explores several examples in each category: allergies to peanuts, seafood, and milk...diabetes, hypertension, bowel cancer, and cardiovascular disease and their links to high levels of sugar, fat, and salt...and the dietary observances of the Jewish and Islamic faiths. Viewable/printable educational resources are available online. (29 minutes)