The method is the constant, and the ingredients are the variables.

By Samuel Glass, CEC, CCE, CCA

As the demographic of culinary schools shifts to a much more multicultural environment, embracing and celebrating cultural diversity is becoming part of the everyday life of culinary institutions. The challenge for culinary instructors is in finding a way to integrate cultural diversity into the curriculum in a tacit manner, one in which students might not recognize the true objectives, yet at the same time, achieve a sense of accomplishment and pride in their own cultural heritage and cuisine.

One of the mantras that I have always used as a culinary educator is, “The method is the constant and the ingredients are the variables.” Keeping that mantra in mind, I have found a way to celebrate the diversity of my students, while meeting the objectives of the curriculum.

A lesson plan.

By Mary Petersen and Ronald S. Wolf, CCC, CCE

This lesson plan focuses on the history of and cultural influences on Indian cuisine, the topography and climate that affect food production and preparation, key ingredients and foods, cooking methods and common equipment, a focus on culinary regions, and dietary restrictions as dictated by various religions, among other aspects. A handout as an MS Word document is available for download and copying.

By Bruce Kraig, Ph.D.

This lesson plan teaches history through American regional foodways, as influenced and reflected by geography, ecology and cultural ecology, economics, social science, anthropology and language. The lesson plan, which contains many illustrative recipes, may be downloaded as a PowerPoint presentation from this page.

A teaching module

By Ron Wolf, CCC, CCE, MA, and Mary Petersen, MS

This lesson plan examines the cuisines of three Southeast Asian nations—Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia—and their contributions to global cuisine. The lesson lists learning objectives, describes history and topography as they shape cuisine, and discusses ingredients, cooking methods and regional influences.

A lesson plan for secondary foodservice students

By Shirley P. Rauh

Shirley P. Rauh, FACS chair at Lutheran High School South in St. Louis, submitted the following Lesson Plan as a “teaching tip” entry in the 2007 CAFÉ Scholarship program that awarded four winners grants toward registration at a CAFÉ workshop or the Leadership Conference this summer.

Students in Rauh’s gourmet course have taken Foods and Nutrition as a prerequisite. The course description includes creativity in presentation through garde manger, herbs and spices, and the five mother sauces. The textbook used is Johnson & Wales University’s Culinary Essentials (Glencoe/McGraw Hill, 2002).

A lesson plan on American lamb leg, presented at the 2007 CAFÉ Leadership Conference

By Mark M. DeNittis- Courtesy of the American Lamb Board

This comprehensive lesson plan provides a basic understanding of American lamb, with a particular focus on the leg, from farm to plate. Topics include product acquisition, leg cuts and fabrication, safe handling and sanitation, best applied cooking techniques and methods, nutrition, and ideal flavors to marry with American lamb, as well as discussion questions.

Mark M. DeNittis is a chef instructor at Johnson & Wales University in Denver, and he delivered this lesson plan as a workshop to educators attending the 2007 CAFÉ Leadership Conference at Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Scottsdale, Ariz., in June. The lesson plan is suitable for student cooks, and the 11-page Word document is easy to output and copy for distribution. See the end of the document for additional sources of information on American lamb.

Presented by Avocados from Mexico

Courtesy of the National Mango Board

Contrary to popular belief, the mango is available any time of year, and the Orlando, Fla.-based National Mango Board (NMB) has made it its mission to educate U.S. consumers on selection and preparation of the world’s most consumed fruit. Since 1995, mango consumption has increased by 100% in the United States (U.S. Outlook Report 2004). Approximately only 30% of U.S. households consume mangos today, however.

This Lesson Plan instructs on a basic technique for slicing a mango in a decorative pattern, delivered by Allen Susser, chef/owner of famed Chef Allen’s in Aventura, Fla., and author of such books as The Great Mango Book (Ten Speed Press, 2001) and Allen Susser’s New World Cuisine (Broadway, 1995). Included are two differently formatted charts highlighting mango varieties and their seasonalities.

Convenience products—a reality in today’s kitchens—are actually platforms from which to create signature dishes.

By Adam Weiner

For economic reasons, there are very few kitchens in the country that cook almost everything from scratch. Mixes, precooked items, packages and containers can be found in even the best kitchens. The problem with many young cooks is that they just open up the packages and cans, dump them into a pot or hotel pan, heat them, and slop them on a plate. They lose the passion for their craft. They become disillusioned and bitter, hating and then quitting their jobs.

These young cooks have not been taught that these products are not the “be all” and “end all” of their cooking. No one has taught them that convenience products are a canvas waiting to be painted with their own culinary style.