Culinary Skills for Cooks, Managers, Child Care and Teachers
An all-day hands-on training designed for the front-line school food service employee who is responsible on a daily basis for seeing that food served is healthful and appealing to children.

You will observe cooking demonstrations and participate in hands-on activities that incorporate basic culinary skills with healthful cooking techniques to reduce fat, sodium, and sugar. Techniques presented include:

• Proper knife handling skills


• Fundamentals of cooking (sautéing, steaming, oven-frying, and more)


• Use of flavor enhancements


• Garnishing ideas to promote eye appeal

To practice these techniques, participants work in teams with tested recipes to produce delicious vegetables, fruits, grains, lean meats and meat alternates, and healthful desserts. Afterward, you will learn how to objectively evaluate recipes for palatability, appearance, and acceptability.

Credits. Earn 6 PDPs or 6 SNA credits upon completion of this workshop.

Kitchen Basics
Organization is important to running an efficient and effective meal program. Help your food service employees "get back to basics." This two-hour activities-oriented workshop will help your staff ...

• Understand the need for a professional attitude


• Develop basic recipe reading skills


• Improve kitchen organization skills (ingredient assembly, work station set-up, service lines)


• Understand their role in receiving, storage, and inventory control

Credits. Earn 2 PDPs or 2 SNA credits upon completion of this workshop.

Kitchen Safety is No Accident
Decrease the number of accidents, injuries and incidents occurring throughout your food service department. This three-hour training will show participants how to:

• Identify hazards and sections in their kitchen environments that need improvement


• Develop a plan to prevent accidents from occurring


• Act in emergency situations

The workshop will also cover:

• Proper lifting procedures


• Kitchen injuries (i.e. falls, burns and cuts)


• Kitchen fires


• Kitchen equipment


• Knife safety


• Chemicals

Credits. Earn 3 PDPs or 3 SNA credits upon completion of this workshop.

Knife Skills
This training workshop is especially designed for school food service cooks and managers to improve their knife handling skills. Participants practice different types of cuts, knife sharpening skills, garnishing techniques, and safety precautions. Staff training protocols are included.

Credits. Earn 2 PDPs or 2 SNA credits upon completion of this workshop.

3:00 PM Snack Ideas
It's like the Food Channel, only brought to you live by the Department of Education! During this two-hour workshop enjoy food demonstrations (and tasting) of snacks that meet the USDA meal component requirements for the After School Snack Program. Learn new recipes and share your favorites with other food service directors and managers throughout the Commonwealth.

Credits. Earn 2 PDPs or 2 SNA credits upon completion of this workshop.

Wheel of Portion
In this two-hour workshop participants learn the importance of portion control and the bottom line of food costs. Activities challenge current perceptions of portion size and measurement. Measuring equipment is reviewed.

Credits. Earn 2 PDPs or 2 SNA credits upon completion of this workshop.