This course is targeted towards students with an interest in Italian food traditions, society, and culture. The main focus consists of what is generally defined as “made in Italy” culture and style in post-war Italy. Also covered are the relationships between Italian traditions, folklore and contemporary Italian society drawing from examples including festivals, food, tourism, and economy, and the influence of foreign civilizations. Students will be asked to regard the subject of food outside of the context of ingredients and the procedures used to create a dish; we will instead examine a large scale context in which food is either featured as a main component or an integral element in cultural situations. Thus the student is asked first and foremost to observe the presented material across an anthropologic lens that roves over the entire Italian peninsula. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and/or tastings.
Pre-requisite: Introduction to Nutrition or equivalent.
This course is a study of the importance of nutrition in sports and exercise in order to maximize athletic potential and performance. Covered topics include food nutrients, role of water, bioenergetics in exercise and training, heat and fluid regulation during physical activity, weight, and eating behaviors. Students are encouraged to form educated and strategic regimens (exercise and dietary plans) from both scientific and holistic approaches for professional athletes and physically active individuals.
The city of Florence is a veritable mine of food and cultural experiences spanning from the kitchens of the Medici family to the rustic regional cuisine of Tuscany, growing rituals such as aperitivo, and high profile restaurants recognized internationally. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the food, street, and cultural scenes that set Florence apart from other metropolitan cities; encourage the discussion of the historical weight of its storied past on the food culture of today, and construct a topographical map that indicates the pinpoints of Florence’s thriving gastro-cultural activities. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and tastings.
Pre-requisite: Two semesters of Culinary Arts course work or equivalent.
The last 40 years of food service have been characterized by a slow yet constant development of nutritional awareness and a more informed approach to food. The aim of the course is not only to offer students techniques for a healthier approach to cooking: this course will focus on cooking techniques that can be applied in order to reduce fat consumption and at same time become the emblems of contemporary cuisine. Flavor-extraction methods, flavoring methods, pressure cooking and sous vide cooking, marinades and brines and the use of alternative fats are nowadays the base of contemporary Chefs’ creations: students will learn how these techniques can be used to develop a fine dining cuisine that can be healthier yet not necessarily health-fanatic. This course includes experiential learning hours with our Community Engagement Member Institutions (CEMI).
Though food diversifies throughout the world according to local cultural backgrounds, there is a common ground in the universal approach to food: it is a part of everyday life and sharing food is still one of the greatest examples of humans acting as “social creatures”. Italy represents a unique case for now food is both celebrated and is involved in cultural celebrations that are still fundamental in Italian society. This course will provide students with a full immersion in the relationship between food and the local community in Italy, focusing on the many moments that represent conviviality in Italian culture and society. Coursework includes a wide variety of field learning activities through which students will be introduced to local and traditional crafts, food markets, typical street food vendors, local purchasing groups, community-supported agriculture, and countryside food festivals as fundamental milestones in the Italian gastro-social tradition. Through hands-on experiences and on-site activities students, will learn the fundamentals of community-geared food production and will acquire a deeper understanding of food as an essential element of society. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
This course is targeted towards students with an interest in Italian food traditions, society, and culture. The main focus consists of what is generally defined as “made in Italy” culture and style in post-war Italy. Also covered are the relationships between Italian traditions, folklore and contemporary Italian society drawing from examples including festivals, food, tourism, and economy, and the influence of foreign civilizations. Students will be asked to regard the subject of food outside of the context of ingredients and the procedures used to create a dish; we will instead examine a large scale context in which food is either featured as a main component or an integral element in cultural situations. Thus the student is asked first and foremost to observe the presented material across an anthropologic lens that roves over the entire Italian peninsula. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and/or tastings.
Recent decades have represented a dramatic change in the way we approach food. Food facts and information that are constantly updated and the ethics of sustainability have deeply influenced the worldwide awareness of food as the primary source of a healthy lifestyle. Italy has always stood out for its genuine cuisine characterised by fresh seasonal ingredients, an abundance of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and a distinct respect for food. This course will provide students with a complete overview of how food can be the basis of wellness, along with the practice of a positive lifestyle. Particular emphasis will be placed on seasonality, whole foods, and freshness, and contemporary innovations and traditional customs will be analysed for the production of dishes and snacks that are both tasty and healthy. Course topics will also introduce students to the fundamentals of nutrition in order to better understand the aphorism “We are what we eat” and how this motto aligns with the Italian culinary tradition. Students will also complete a survey of the different dietary recommendations that have been researched and developed to examine how the field of dietetics is directly affected by social implications. Through hands-on experiences and on-site activities, students will experience the fundamentals of wellness-oriented cuisine and lifestyles. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
This class includes experiential learning with CEMI. Three days of food labs, one day of gastronomic walking tour.
Studies have shown that the Mediterranean diet offers many health benefits, especially when combined with exercise. This course includes lectures on various forms of physical and lifestyle activities and an overview of their respective health benefits. The program will also include visits to athletic centers within the local community plus an overview of the nutritional aspects of Italian culinary traditions as an example of Mediterranean diet. The aim of this course is to provide students with a study of fitness and wellness and how their relationship promotes a healthy lifestyle based on the Mediterranean diet. Cooking labs, wine tastings, and physical activity are integral components of the course and will result in the creation of a customized exercise and nutritional program developed by the student. This course also features a field learning component in relevant Italian locations to supplement and enrich academic topics.
The continuous growth of nutritional awareness worldwide has brought nutrition to be one of the fundamental subjects in constant evolution during the last decades. This course provides students with basic nutrition concepts and focuses on the overview of the requirements and functions of protein, carbohydrates, lipids and the major vitamins and minerals that are determinants of health and diseases in human populations. Emphasis will be placed on the role of nutrition in growth and health through the life cycle and the role of diet in the development of chronic diseases and the maintenance of a good health status thanks to a balanced food consumption. The course offers an overview of food policies, food education and an analysis of nowadays eating habits. Students will also learn the guidelines for the balancing of a vegetarian diet and understand how to read a food pyramid.
This course offers a comprehensive approach to wellness, nutrition, and fitness from a lifetime perspective. Course topics will examine how healthy lifestyles span across the continuum of lifespans and ages with a focus on how dietary and fitness needs evolve throughout the four main life-stages: childhood, youth, adulthood, and for the elderly. Theoretical core concepts of how dietary and fitness needs are correlated to mental health and adapt according to each life-stage will be addressed along with a comparative focus on the Italian and Mediterranean approach. In addition to in-class lectures, the course features hands-on field experiences in nutrition labs for healthy diets and physical activities held in local Italian fitness facilities. Students will implement course topics and to cultivate student motivation for incorporating them into their own daily lives.
The course engages the student in the exploration of the history and culture of the French and Italian Riviera, a region that still today preserves a peculiar identity, and builds a bridge between the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Strategically placed in the north of the Mediterranean, Provence and the city of Nice have always attracted civilizations from all over. Throughout its long history, people of many nationalities have docked here and been assimilated into the city, turning it into a cultural and culinary melting pot: Greeks, Romans, North Africans, Corsicans, Sicilians, Arabs, have all left their mark.
The course examines the many culinary identities of the area creating a unique culinary cornucopia of different cultures and flavors, as seen in establishments such as restaurants, markets, boulangeries, Maghreb spice stalls, Mediterranean fishmongers, and Sub-Saharan vegetable vendors.
The course also focuses on the relevance that the area had in the development of Europe. During the Middle Age, in monasteries and abbeys, the roots of cultural and religious traditions of Europe were continued. Furthermore, thanks to the work of the monks, the techniques of agriculture and viticulture were preserved and improved. Two of the great ancient pilgrimage routes have their start in Provence, the Camino de Santiago (Way of Saint James), through the Roman Via Aurelia to Santiago di Compostela, and the Via Francigena, which leads from France to Rome.
Places of culinary, historical, and religious relevance, such as ethnic restaurants and local markets, archaeological sites, and monasteries, will be studied in order to contextualize an interdisciplinary understanding of the culture and history of the Italian and French Riviera. Group discussions and personal research assignments are essential forms of re-elaborating the course topics. The course emphasizes the development and evolution of religion, its connection to food, and their heritage in the contemporary society. This course includes cooking labs, food and wine tastings, and visits.
Prerequisites: Three semesters of culinary arts or dietetics/nutrition coursework and Cooking Light: Contemporary Techniques for Health Living, or equivalent.
Starting from the previously acquired knowledge of macro and micro nutrients, this course will provide students with the tools to analyze and develop a wide variety of nutritionally balanced meals on a seasonal basis. Students will learn the fundamentals of metabolism and digestion and apply previously acquired cooking methods in order to preserve nutrients, and the possible applications of a wide variety of ingredients to create satisfying dishes while still respecting nutritional concepts. Emphasis will be placed on the analysis of special dietary requirements either depending on dietary special needs or ethical choices. Raw foodism, vegetarian and vegan diet as well as the possible alternatives to guarantee a balanced nutrient intake will be thoroughly covered. The course will give students the tools to design meals on a seasonal basis following the principles of healthy cooking. This course includes experiential learning hours with our Community Engagement Member Institutions (CEMI).
The city of Florence is a veritable mine of food and cultural experiences spanning from the kitchens of the Medici family to the rustic regional cuisine of Tuscany, growing rituals such as aperitivo, and high profile restaurants recognized internationally. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the food, street, and cultural scenes that set Florence apart from other metropolitan cities; encourage the discussion of the historical weight of its storied past on the food culture of today, and construct a topographical map that indicates the pinpoints of Florence’s thriving gastro-cultural activities. Lectures will be complemented by student cooking labs and tastings.
Considering the renewed global interest in local sourcing and the growth of Km0 practices (locally produced), the study of sustainable food systems is an essential component in the education of an ethically-minded food industry learner. The course takes its cue from the Italian example based on regionalism and the table as an expression of local territories, and how these factors have influenced the national food industry. It analyzes the industry and the production of food (fish, meat, dairy, fruit, vegetables, and grains) and focuses on packaging, traceability (labels), and distribution while exploring the social aspect of the food supply chain. Sustainability principles will be analyzed, as well as case studies in Italian food and beverage service and retailing. A strong focus is placed on seasonality, food policies, and food education. The course objective is to provide students with a solid conceptual framework in order to analyze the Italian food industry and the food production system from a sustainable perspective. Through the understanding of the broader concept of sustainability, students will be able to explore the social, economic, and environmental implications of food production and consumption and to identify the global threats in terms of public health. Students will develop critical skills by analyzing sustainability as active citizens, consumers, and entrepreneurs. The analysis and rethinking of economic, social, and agricultural alternatives in the current food production system will also be developed. Lectures will be complemented by visits, food tours, tastings, and cooking labs.
Pre-requisite: Two semesters of Culinary Arts coursework or equivalent.
Forty years after the first appearance of Molecular Gastronomy, Chefs’ approach to food has dramatically changed. Gastronomists and food historians talk about the last great food revolution of our times; the movement that changed the way we perceive food and started to stimulate new questions and give interesting answers to those that want to enhance their food knowledge. Since then cooking has taken a great step forward, opening paths once impossible to even think about. This course is aimed at non-scientific students who wish to approach the world of scientific application toward cooking and want to improve their knowledge of cooking techniques. A scientist and a Chef will alternate teaching the course giving both technical information and practical suggestions. Students will learn cutting edge techniques to create new textures and amazing effects.
Pre-requisite: Tradition of Italian Food I or equivalent.
The survey of the most representative Italian preparations and ingredients continues as well as a deep analysis and application of Italian cuisine. Traditional preparations, characterizing ingredients and culinary movements will be fully covered during this course. The aim of this course is also to give students a complete overview of Italian cuisine evolution through the knowledge of XIX and XX century cultural influences such as futurism, nouvelle cuisine and present day innovations. This course is meant to help students understand the current Italian culinary trends as a continuous evolution of the different regional cooking traditions. The course will include an overview of the major Italian cuisine chefs styles and how they contributed to the mentioned evolution thanks to creativity and knowledge. Students will learn how to compose a menu in order to express a cooking philosophy and will also experience Italian fine dining standards through the practical application of learned concepts. This class includes experiential learning with CEMI.
Italian culinary tradition is the result of a long and complex historical, social and cultural process that can be fully understood through a careful analysis of the many aspects of Italian cultural heritage. In the past, food was characterised by the use of locally available ingredients and alimentary habits slowly became established and codified along with the specialisation and the improvement of regionally different production methods. Nevertheless, nutrition and cooking underwent substantial changes and profound transformations through the centuries, often resulting from historical and political events that affected the economy, the production, and the distribution of goods.
This course introduces students to Italian gastronomical traditions through the analysis of the main ingredients and the traditional preparations that have contributed to make Italian cuisine the most popular and imitated. Students will be introduced to the world of Italian quality ingredients thanks to a survey of DOP, IGP, and Slow Food Presidia quality certifications. The fundamental traditional cooking methods, techniques, and preparations utilised in Italian cuisine will be thoroughly covered and sampled in class. Course topics will be analysed through a focus on cultural background, origins, production processes, technical features and application in Italian cuisine. These experiences will prepare students continuing on to the advanced section of this course.
Examination of issues of environmental and public health effects of intensive and extensive agriculture, influence of corporations on government, animal ethics, food deserts and urban gardening, and food insecurity. Focus on representation of such issues in documentaries, public lectures, memoirs, novels, and visual art, as well as on initiatives to address such problems through policy and activism.
Good food is healthy, sustainably produced, and culturally meaningful. Introduction to basic concepts and history of food systems, food science and nutrition, fair and sustainable food production, natural resources and environmental issues including climate change and biodiversity, agriculture and food policy and law, food distribution and access, cultural identity and artistic engagements with food.
