Madison College has announced three culinary-centric courses for the 2023 fall semester. These new courses are open to current students and the general public and are in addition to multiple other culinary learning opportunities at Madison College.
The courses, focused on culinary history, institutional scratch cooking training, and the skills needed to plan, operate, and manage an independent food service business, seek to expand the college’s existing culinary training.
Culinary history course “The State of the Plate” will be taught by Kyle Johnson Cherek, the Emmy-winning former host of Wisconsin Foodie. The course will explore how food has been the driving force behind much of history, giving overviews of the people and the places that shaped European and American cuisine. The course will be offered on Wednesday evenings from 6–8 p.m. virtually beginning Nov. 1 for six weeks.
“Becoming a Foodpreneur,” taught by industry veterans Kay-Tee Olds and Christine Ameigh, is for entrepreneurs planning a food business such as a food truck, café, catering service, coffee shop, popup restaurant, on-site culinary service, or festival vendor. It is a hands-on course where students will develop products, work through logistics, and dig deep into food safety. Students will conduct a market analysis and create financial projections as they create a business plan for a small business. The first section of the course starts on Oct. 10 and runs through Oct. 31. The second section runs Nov. 2–30.
“Institutional Cooking: Global Local” is a course geared toward the home cook and chefs of larger institutions who are currently cooking for careers. It is taught by Irene Pawlisch, an instructor at Madison College’s Culinary Program. The course emphasizes large-batch cooking, ethnic cuisine inclusivity, and creating flavor under the strict nutrition guidelines required by some institutions. It also covers best practices in the kitchen and scratch cooking in institutional kitchens with limited resources. This is a one-day course meeting on Oct. 28 from 9 a.m–1 p.m.
