Culinary Academy of South Dakota

Students will learn the cycle of service as it relates to the importance of the customer. This course discusses the difference between hospitality and service and outlines the four facets of high-quality customer service. Other topics covered are serviceprofit chain, suggestive selling, ensuring profit, and ensuring consistent service value. Certification by NRAEF is required for completion of this course.

Cookies and breads, cakes and custards; these are a few of the areas students will be introduced to. Through a combination of lecture as well as hands-on experience, students gain an understanding of the how’s and why’s of the commercial bakery.

This course combines lecture, demonstration and student participation in order to develop an understanding of the composition of various foods and the correct preparation methods with a focus on classic techniques. Purchasing quality food products, proper storage, service techniques and menu planning are also discussed.

This course covers the causes and prevention of foodborne illnesses.  Sanitation and safe food handling from the workers’, customers’, and supervisors’ point of view are discussed.  NRAEF ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification is required for completion of this course.

Applied mathematical operations used to increase or decrease standard recipe yields, calculate food costs, convert recipe units of measure and calculate portion costs, as well as menu prices.

This course trains participants to provide first aid, CPR, and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). Students must complete the hands-on skill session. This class is offered for credit as a Pass/No Pass course.

Provides a foundation for gaining the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for college success. Students will learn to make a successful transition to higher education by setting up a pattern of success that will last the rest of their lives. Students will define goals and develop thinking skills, learning strategies and personal qualities essential to both academic and career success. Please note: Students who have served active military duty (excluding basic training and AIT) may be exempt from the Student Success course. Student must provide a copy of DD214 or other official military documentation to the registrar for verification.

Earn your toque pleats by learning the many different ways to cook an egg, along with all of the other breakfast foods. Breakfast cookery helps develop speed in the kitchen, while allowing quality to remain the focus.

Consistently preparing high quality food in large quantities is key to the success of any foodservice establishment’s banquet or catering operations. Roasts and steaks, soups and sauces, composed salads and much more will be covered in this course. On-site catering events including plated dinners and receptions will also take place as part of the educational aspect of this course.

Develop practical baking and pastry skills. Baking and decorating cakes as well as quick breads and yeast breads. Prepare a variety of desserts from aebleskivers to zeppoli.

The backbone of fine dining is presentation. This course will outline the different aspects of running the front of house in a fine dining operation; also covered will be the roles of server, maître d, and pantry chef.

This course is designed to prepare students for the many rewards and challenges of restaurant management including the ”people side” of management. Effective communications, establishing harassment free workplaces, and building successful teams are three major areas of concentration. Certification by NRAEF is required for completion of this course.

Nutrition is the science of the nutrients in food and how they maintain the body. Students will learn the function of food ingredients and the aesthetic (flavor, texture and aroma) profiles of food to create dishes that are both creative and delicious. How people taste food and increased awareness of nutritional standards and guidelines are the basis for study of proteins fats and other lipids, carbohydrates and vitamins, minerals and water.

Involves financial practices of a food service operation. Topics include budgeting, profit and loss statements, managing accounts receivable and accounts payable, and pricing. Certification by NRAEF is required for completion of this course.

The bakery and pastry shop are responsible for the first and last impression on the diner. Hand-formed artisan breads and spreads, as well as decadent plated desserts. Desert preparation will be based on current menu requirements, along with a featured dessert. Various layered and stacked cakes including decorating techniques will be covered.

The classics are the foundation upon which all other culinary skills are developed. This course will allow the students to develop their abilities in the on-campus restaurant, the Oak Room, using classic cooking techniques such as braising and sautéing.

Sample different regional cuisines from around the world. Asian cuisines, African cuisines, European and Oceanic cuisines, along with the Cuisines of the Americas will all be visited. 

One of the most exciting and challenging parts of any chef’s job is planning a menu. Chefs have limitless ideas, but it takes careful thought and foresight to pick out the ones that have potential. Students will use concepts learned to develop menus that are put to action in CA 260 Restaurant Concepts.

This course offers students a hands-on opportunity to execute the ideas developed in menu planning in a lab-based setting. Working independently and in teams students develop flavors, portions, and plating that express who they are as chefs. Emphasis is placed on practical operation, guest expedience, and execution of recipes to an actual concept through feedback and performance analysis. 

This course delves into contemporary baking techniques, combining traditional methods with modern ingredients, equipment, and design trends. Students will explore artisanal breads, viennoiserie, plated desserts, and specialty pastries while emphasizing precision, creativity, and presentation. Focus is placed on ingredient function, flavor development, and innovative approaches to classic baked goods.

This course explores the science behind modernist cuisine, focusing on the chemical and physical transformations of ingredients during cooking. Students will experiment with techniques such as spherification, emulsification, foams, and sous-vide to create innovative dishes that challenge traditional culinary norms. Emphasis is placed on creativity, precision, and understanding the scientific principles that drive flavor, texture, and presentation.

Almost everybody has an idea for a restaurant. This course is designed to allow students the ability to see that dream come to life – sort of. Using menus they create in CA 240 Menu Planning, students will develop a concept – fine dining or bistro, gastro pub or New York deli – and open a pop-up style restaurant in the Oak Room space.

This course will cover a wide variety of topics from charcuterie and butchery to chocolate and sugar decorations. With a combination of lecture and lab, students are introduced to many areas not covered in depth in other courses.

This course is designed to prepare students for the many rewards and challenges of restaurant management including the ”people side” of management. Effective communications, establishing harassment free workplaces, and building successful teams are three major areas of concentration. Certification by NRAEF is required for completion of this course.

Nutrition is the science of the nutrients in food and how they maintain the body. Students will learn the function of food ingredients and the aesthetic (flavor, texture and aroma) profiles of food to create dishes that are both creative and delicious. How people taste food and increased awareness of nutritional standards and guidelines are the basis for study of proteins fats and other lipids, carbohydrates and vitamins, minerals and water.