Culinary Arts
18 courses · Cuesta College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Summer 2026 · Fall 2026
CUL 110 SURVEY OF BASIC CULINARY SKILLS
- Units
- 1
- Hours
- 2 hours per week: (0.50 lecture hours/1.50 lab hours)
Designed for students interested in an overview of basic culinary skills, food preparation, nutrition, cleaning, and safety methods. Students will gain hands-on training of skills, techniques and methods needed to follow and prepare recipes, conduct proper food handling, safety and cleaning methods, along with the skills and techniques needed to prepare quality food.
CUL 193B MEDITERRANEAN CULINARY FIELD STUDIES
- Units
- 1
- Hours
- 1 hours per week: (1.00 lecture hours/0.00 lab hours)
Provides opportunities for hands-on culinary studies in the Mediterranean. Aligns with the current scientific research on the benefits of Mediterranean cuisine, which can be incorporated into the culinary profession. Explores the culinary arts in the Mediterranean with the AIFS Abroad program including Athens, Greece; Florence, Italy; and Barcelona, Spain.
CUL 210 CULINARY ARTS FUNDAMENTALS I
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 5 hours per week: (2.00 lecture hours/3.00 lab hours/0.00 activity hours)
- Prerequisite
- CUL 215 or CUL 213 or equivalent food handlers certificate or concurrent enrollment in any one of the above
- Transfers to
- CSU
- C-ID
- C-ID HOSP 160, CUL 210 + 220 = C-ID HOSP 160, 160X
Introduces the student to the culinary arts profession and the professional kitchen. Emphasis on basic cooking methods, equipment use, and ingredients provides the student with a beginning understanding of food chemistry and cooking techniques. The course includes "hands-on" experience managing the kitchen in the production of stocks, broths, sauces, gravies, soups, and breakfast cookery.
CUL 213 BASIC FOOD SAFETY AND SANITATION
- Units
- 0.5
- Hours
- 0.5 hours per week: (0.50 lecture hours/0.00 lab hours/0.00 activity hours)
- Transfers to
- CSU
Examines the principles of hygiene and sanitation and their application to food service operations. Emphasis is placed on the implementation of proper methods and procedures and the food handlers responsibility in maintaining high sanitation and safety standards.
CUL 215 FOOD SAFETY AND SANITATION
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 2 hours per week: (2.00 lecture hours/0.00 lab hours/0.00 activity hours)
- Transfers to
- CSU
- C-ID
- HOSP 110
Examines sanitation practices affecting individual operations. Emphasis placed on prevention and control of food-borne illnesses through flow of food and HACCP management. Emphasis also placed on study of worker safety.
CUL 220 CULINARY ARTS FUNDAMENTALS II
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 5 hours per week: (2.00 lecture hours/3.00 lab hours/0.00 activity hours)
- Prerequisite
- CUL 213 or CUL 215 or equivalent food handlers certificate or concurrent enrollment in any of the above
- Transfers to
- CSU
- C-ID
- CUL 210 + 220 = C-ID HOSP 160, 160X
Engages the student in the practical kitchen application of vegetables, starches, and proteins, and the principles and practices used in producing pantry items in a commercial environment. A variety of menu items are prepared including salads, salad dressings, sandwiches, and vegetable, grain, meat, and legume dishes.
CUL 225 BAKING AND BAKING SCIENCE I
- Units
- 1
- Hours
- 2 hours per week: (0.50 lecture hours/1.50 lab hours/0.00 activity hours)
- Prerequisite
- CUL 213 or CUL 215 or Current ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification or Current ServSafe California Food Handler card or Concurrent enrollment in any one of the above.
- Transfers to
- CSU
Introduces the student to the basic skills needed for professional baking. Enables the student to learn and practice the skills and methods of the production of bread, desserts, and other baked goods using quantity production techniques.
CUL 241 CULINARY GARDENING: COOL SEASON CROPS
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 4 hours per week: (1.00 lecture hours/2.00 lab hours/1.00 activity hours)
- Transfers to
- CSU
Expands knowledge of Culinary Gardening to connect the culinary arts with agriculture and food service for institutions. Includes creating sustainable food systems, developing menus, planting schedules, and culinary gardens in the fall season.
CUL 242 CULINARY GARDENING: WARM SEASON CROPS
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 4 hours per week: (1.00 lecture hours/2.00 lab hours/1.00 activity hours)
- Transfers to
- CSU
Expands knowledge of Culinary Gardening to connect the culinary arts with agriculture and food service for institutions. Includes creating sustainable food systems, developing menus, planting schedules, and culinary gardens for the spring season.
CUL 243 CUISINES OF THE WORLD
- Units
- 1
- Hours
- 2 hours per week: (0.50 lecture hours/1.50 lab hours/0.00 activity hours)
- Transfers to
- CSU
Engages the student in exploring cuisine traditions and their evolution, from various regions around the world, in the Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe and Oceania. Explores the history, role, and application of indigenous and introduced ingredients, flavor components, and cooking techniques. Includes hands on preparation of dishes, demonstrating understanding of kitchen equipment, food safety, and nutrition optimization.
CUL 245 ADVANCED PASTRY ARTS
- Units
- 2
- Hours
- 3 hours per week: (1.50 lecture hours/1.50 lab hours/0.00 activity hours)
- Prerequisite
- CUL 213 or CUL 215 or Current ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification or Current ServSafe California Food Handler card or Concurrent enrollment in any one of the above.
- Transfers to
- CSU
Engages the student in the advanced techniques of classical and modern pastry. Emphasizes advanced professional bakeshop operations. Provides the opportunity to create and display artisan breads, enriched yeast breads, laminated dough, tortes and specialty cakes, pastries, petits fours and confections, meringues and chocolates.
CUL 252 WORK EXPERIENCE IN CULINARY ARTS
- Units
- 0.5 to 4
- Hours
- 1.5 to 12 hours per week: (0.00 - 0.00 lecture hours/0.00 - 0.00 lab hours/1.50 - 12.00 work experience hours)
- Transfers to
- CSU
Provides opportunities for students in Culinary Arts to connect academic curricula to experiential learning in the workplace as an internship, Service Learning placement or general employment. Allows students to develop and work on learning objectives in workplace competencies and technical skills relevant for their course of study and career pathway. Students must work 54 hours for each unit of credit earned, in half-unit increments (27 hours), up to a maximum of 4 units. Employment can be paid or unpaid.
CUL 255 CATERING PRINCIPLES
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 3 hours per week: (3.00 lecture hours/0.00 lab hours/0.00 activity hours)
- Advisory
- CUL 215 or CUL 213
- Transfers to
- CSU
Examines the catering industry with special attention given to catering from a customer’s perspective. Students completing this course should be able to plan and implement a variety of catering functions. Experiential learning opportunities will be included in this course.
CUL 260 FOOD PRODUCTION - SAVORY COOKING
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 7 hours per week: (1.00 lecture hours/6.00 lab hours/0.00 activity hours)
- Prerequisite
- CUL 210 and CUL 220 and CUL 290 CUL 213 or CUL 215 or Equivalent food handlers certificate
- Transfers to
- CSU
Explores commercial food production. Includes creating savory food product(s), developing standardized recipes, performing associated cost computations and researching and purchasing ingredients.
CUL 261 FOOD PRODUCTION - BAKING AND PASTRY
- Units
- 3
- Hours
- 7 hours per week: (1.00 lecture hours/6.00 lab hours)
- Prerequisite
- CUL 210 and CUL 225 and CUL 290 CUL 213 or CUL 215 or Equivalent food handlers certificate
- Transfers to
- CSU
Explores commercial food production. Includes creating pastry product(s), developing standardized recipes, performing associated cost computations and researching and purchasing ingredients.
CUL 290 CULINARY: WEIGHTS, MEASURES AND CALCULATIONS
- Units
- 1
- Hours
- 1 hours per week: (1.00 lecture hours/0.00 lab hours/0.00 activity hours)
- Transfers to
- CSU
Develops math skills that are vital to the foodservice industry, including recipe conversion, scaling and yields, production baking formulas, weights and measures, product yield tests, and recipe and food cost analysis.
CUL 780 OUTDOOR COOKING
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 1.7 hours per week: (0.56 lecture hours/1.12 lab hours)
Prepares students for outdoor site cooking with a focus on the methods of safe food transportation, basic meal planning, and outdoor preparation of whole foods and balanced meals during CCC (California Conservation Corps) team excursions. Applicable tasks will include preliminary food preparation, planning, and packing meals. Applicable skills will include building and maintaining a fire for cooking, utilizing four main cooking methods, and application of the fundamental concepts of whole foods cooking to an outdoor kitchen environment.
CUL 790 ADVANCED OUTDOOR COOKING
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 1.3 hours per week: (0.67 lecture hours/0.67 lab hours)
Provides students with preparation techniques and readiness for outdoor site cooking through advanced meal planning and a deeper study of whole food nutrition. Provides experience in preparation of shelf-stable foods onsite and backcountry cooking techniques often associated with cooking team meals for CCC (California Conservation Corps) excursions. Applicable topics and scope of learning will include food preservation techniques such as dehydration, fermentation, and vacuum sealing, meal planning, and packing meals for remote areas. Applicable skills will include Indigenous cooking methods and back country 'leave no trace' practices.