Foods 2 Course Overview

Foods 2 builds advanced culinary skills while connecting students to the broader food system and diverse culinary traditions. Students will deepen their kitchen confidence through foundational practices, advanced techniques, and the science and art of baking. They’ll explore global and regional cuisines, focusing on cultural competency and addressing issues like sustainability and appropriation. The course culminates in a pop-up dinner experience, where students showcase their newly acquired skills and tell stories through their food.

Reacquainting students with the kitchen environment, this unit emphasizes safety, inclusivity and fundamental culinary skills as they return to the kitchen classroom. It aims to further students along on diverse career paths and educational opportunities, and further their relationships within the broader food system.

Lesson 1: Kitchen Reorientation

This lesson reintroduces students to the kitchen environment, emphasizing safety protocols, and equipment usage, and creating an inclusive atmosphere. Students will familiarize themselves with the kitchen's layout, basic safety expectations, such as handling knives and using heat sources, and the importance of cleanliness and organization.
Lesson Plan
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Lesson 2: Building a Safe Kitchen Environment: Exploring HACCP

This lesson dives deep into sanitation practices, including the principles of ServSafe and exploring how different cultures approach food safety (e.g., Caribbean use of lime and salt, Alaska Native smoking techniques). Students will learn more about cross-contamination, proper storage of ingredients, and effective cleaning routines to maintain a safe and hygienic kitchen environment.
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Lesson 3: Roles Across the Food System

The food system involves countless roles and career paths. This lesson explores the interconnectedness of jobs such as farmers, distributors, chefs, food writers, nutritionists, caterers, culinary entrepreneurs, and food service workers. Students will learn about the skills required for each role, their challenges, and how these roles contribute to the food system. Discussions will focus on educational requirements, career trajectories, and the skills needed to succeed in these fields.
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Lesson 4: Decoding Recipes

This lesson teaches students how to read and understand recipes effectively. They will learn about ingredient functions, measurements, and substitutions, ensuring they can adapt recipes to meet dietary preferences and cultural considerations in future culinary opportunities.
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Lesson 5: Cultural Identities and Food

Students will explore the historical and social significance of culinary practices, including who typically prepares meals in different cultures and the roles food plays in celebrations and daily life.
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Lesson 6: Values Statement

This culminating lesson encourages reflection on the ethical responsibilities of food professionals, including sustainability, food justice, and promoting healthy eating habits. Students will craft a personal statement outlining their vision for a more equitable and sustainable food future.
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This unit focuses on developing culinary skills with a keen understanding of how our skills and knowledge can impact a sustainable food future. Students explore various techniques and decision-making processes within the context of the food system, connecting their culinary practices to broader environmental and social impacts.

Lesson 1: Skill Sharing

Collaboration and sharing knowledge are key to culinary success. This lesson instills a mindset of openness and learning from peers and mentors. Students will engage in skill-sharing activities where they teach and learn from each other, fostering a supportive learning environment.
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Lesson 2: Ratios, Measuring, Adjustments, and Intuition

Precision and intuition are both crucial in culinary arts. This lesson teaches students how to balance measurements and intuitive cooking techniques. They will practice using ratios in recipes, making adjustments based on taste and texture, and further developing their kitchen instincts.
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Lesson 3: Heat Application

Understanding heat and its effects on food is essential for mastering cooking techniques. This lesson explores different heat application methods such as braising, grilling, and sautéing. Students will learn when to use each method, how heat affects flavor and texture, and the cultural contexts behind these cooking techniques (where they came from, which cultures utilize them, etc).
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Lesson 4: Layering Flavor

Vegetables are foundational in sustainable cooking. This lesson emphasizes the importance of vegetables in culinary practices, exploring flavor layering techniques and how to source produce. Students will discover how to build depth of flavor using vegetables and herbs, while considering impacts and seasonal availability of the vegetables we enjoy.
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Lesson 5: Spices

This lesson teaches students about various seasoning techniques, such as spice blooming or creating spice rubs. They will explore sustainable sourcing practices for spices, herbs, and condiments, considering where their spices are grown and how they are produced in their culinary creations.
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Lesson 6: Scratch Cooking

This lesson examines the benefits of scratch cooking, including freshness, flavor, and nutritional value. Students will practice making staples like noodles or tortillas from scratch, appreciating the benefits of homemade foods.
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Lesson 7: Fermentation and Food Waste

Fermentation and preservation techniques extend food shelf life and reduce waste. This lesson explores the science behind fermentation, teaching students methods such as pickling and curing. They will experiment with preserving seasonal produce and reducing food waste through various traditional culinary practices.
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Lesson 8: Culinary Handbook

This culminating lesson challenges students to create a handbook summarizing skills learned throughout the unit. They will compile recipes, cooking techniques, and sustainability practices into a comprehensive guide, demonstrating all they have learned in the unit.
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This unit sharpens baking skills and explores the significance of these practices in the broader food system. Students delve into the precision of baking, where intuition can come into play, explore the influence of different ingredients, and focus on presentation skills. Their work culminates in a bake sale supporting food system resilience. 

Lesson 1: Science & Baking

Baking is a precise science with chemical reactions at its core. This lesson delves into the scientific principles behind baking, including leavening, temperature, time, and moisture, and how variations on these change final products. Students will explore how these reactions influence the texture, flavor, and appearance of baked goods.
Lesson Plan
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Lesson 2: Exploring Different Flours

Flour is a foundational ingredient in baking, with diverse varieties and cultural origins. This lesson examines different types of flour, such as wheat, rice, teff, and spelt. Students will learn about flour production's historical and cultural contexts and its impact on baked goods.
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Lesson 3: Sugars

Sugar plays multiple roles in baking, from sweetness to texture and browning. This lesson explores various sweeteners, including white sugar, brown sugar, honey, and alternative sweeteners like agave and maple syrup. Students will experiment with different sweeteners in recipes and learn about their effects on baked goods.
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Lesson 4: Yeast

Leavening agents are essential for creating light and airy baked goods. This lesson compares natural leavening techniques such as sourdough starter and commercial agents like baking powder and yeast. Students will explore the history of yeast and its cultural significance in baking traditions around the world.
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Lesson 5: Importance of Technique: Kneading, Creaming, Temperature Experiments

Mastering baking techniques is key to achieving consistent results. This lesson focuses on essential techniques such as kneading dough, creaming butter and sugar, and controlling baking temperatures. Students will conduct experiments to understand how technique influences the texture and structure of baked goods.
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Lesson 6: Ingredients and Seasonality

Seasonal ingredients can enhance the flavor and freshness of baked goods. This lesson emphasizes using seasonal and locally sourced ingredients in baking. Students will explore how seasonal variations in ingredients like fruits, nuts, and spices affect recipe outcomes and sustainability.
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Lesson 7: Design & Presentation

This lesson teaches students how to enhance visual appeal through design elements such as plating, garnishing, and decorating. They will practice creating aesthetically pleasing desserts and pastries, applying balance, color, and texture principles.
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Lesson 8: Bake Sale Presentation for Food System Resilience

Putting their baking skills into action, students will organize a bake sale to support local food system resilience. They will apply their knowledge of baking skills to create an enticing selection of baked goods for sale, fostering community.
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This unit guides students to explore diverse cuisines, emphasizing cultural competency. It encourages learning about both local and global culinary traditions while addressing issues like appropriation. Along this journey, students will create a culinary travel journal as they learn how culinary traditions develop in different settings. 

Lesson 1: Essence of Cuisine

Cuisine is a prime aspect of cultural heritage and tradition. This lesson explores the defining characteristics of cuisines worldwide, including ingredients, cooking techniques, and culinary traditions. Students will analyze how cultural factors shape culinary identities and flavors.
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Lesson 2: Exploring Regional Foods: Indigenous, Historical, Present

Regional foods reflect local history and environmental influences. This lesson investigates indigenous, historical, and contemporary regional foods, highlighting their cultural significance and evolution. Students will explore the stories behind iconic dishes and ingredients, fostering an appreciation for regional culinary diversity. Examples might include salted cod, a dish found across the world with various connections to different cuisines.
Lesson Plan
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Lesson 3: Mapping Ingredients and Culinary Traditions

This lesson maps out the origins and uses of ingredients in various global cuisines. Students will trace the journeys of ingredients such as spices, grains, and proteins, understanding their cultural contexts and seasonal availability.
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Lesson 4: Presenting Recipes Reflecting Cultural Authenticity

This lesson guides students in creating recipes that respect and celebrate cultural authenticity - certainly a loaded culinary term. They will learn to adapt traditional recipes while preserving their integrity, using appropriate ingredients and techniques to capture the essence of a cuisine.
Lesson Plan
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Lesson 5: Exploring New Foods and Culinary Traditions

This lesson not only introduces students to new foods and emerging culinary traditions from diverse cultures; it also helps them to understand how to do this in a respectful way. They will taste and prepare dishes that expand their culinary repertoire, appreciating the innovation and diversity in global foodways.
Lesson Plan
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Lesson 6: Seasonality Around the World

Seasonal ingredients connect culinary practices to the natural world. This lesson explores seasonal variations in global cuisines, examining how different cultures celebrate and utilize seasonal produce, meats, and seafood.
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Lesson 7: Culinary Journal Presentation

A culinary journal captures culinary journeys and discoveries. This lesson challenges students to create a comprehensive culinary travel journal, documenting their exploration of a specific cuisine and region. Entries will include recipes, cooking techniques, ingredient histories, and reflections on cultural insights gained.
Lesson Plan
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This unit guides students in designing a pop-up dinner that celebrates storytelling through food. The plans emphasize equity, inclusivity, and sustainability in students' cooking choices. Students will develop skills in cultural competency, ethical ingredient sourcing, and menu design while refining recipes and planning an inclusive dining experience. The unit culminates in a community dinner where students showcase their culinary creations and stories, highlighting diverse culinary traditions.

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Pop-Up Dinner Experience

This lesson introduces students to the concept of designing and hosting a pop-up dinner, focusing on storytelling through food. They will explore the necessary elements of a pop-up dinner that create a memorable dining experience.
Lesson Plan
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Lesson 2: Restaurant Interviews

This lesson involves interviewing restaurant chefs and owners to gain firsthand insights into their experiences, challenges, and successes in the culinary world. Students will learn about different restaurant concepts, menu strategies, and customer engagement techniques.
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Lesson 3: Menu Design

Menu design is an art that blends creativity with cultural awareness. This lesson teaches students how to craft a menu that balances creativity, cultural sensitivity, and inclusivity. They will consider dietary preferences, seasonal availability, and ethical sourcing to create a menu that resonates with diverse tastes and preferences.
Lesson Plan
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Lesson 4: Recipe Testing

Recipe testing ensures culinary excellence. In this lesson, students will conduct rigorous recipe testing to refine dishes for their pop-up dinner. They will evaluate flavor profiles, texture, presentation, and overall appeal, ensuring each dish meets the standards for a successful dining experience.
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Lesson 5: Ingredient Sourcing

Ethical ingredient sourcing supports sustainability and community resilience. This lesson explores the principles of ethical sourcing, emphasizing local and diverse suppliers. Students will research and select ingredients that align with their values.
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Lesson 6: Community Dinner

A community dinner celebrates culinary diversity and community spirit. This lesson guides students in planning and hosting a community dinner that showcases their culinary creations and stories. They will collaborate on event logistics, menu execution, and creating an inclusive dining experience for guests.
Lesson Plan
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Lesson 7: Reflection and Wrap-Up

Reflection fosters continuous improvement and equity in culinary practices. In this culminating lesson, students will reflect on their journey through the unit, identifying personal growth, insights gained, and commitments to promoting equity in the food industry. They will pledge to continue advocating for inclusive and sustainable culinary practices in their future endeavors.
Lesson Plan
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Funding Partners

CT Grown for CT Kids Grant
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
USDA Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program

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