Fall 2026
Ala Carte Cooking
Instructor:Watson, Michelle
Email:watsonma@lamarpa.edu
Phone: 409-681-4311
Office Location and Hours: The Press Building, 549 4th Street, Room 106C
Additional Contact Information: Office Hours-M-F 1-3pm
A course in a la carte or "cooking to order" concepts.
Topics include menu and recipe interpretation and conversion, organization of work station, employment of appropriate cooking methods, plating, and saucing principles.
by Hayes, David K. (9780133004564) SKU:9780133004564 - 12
MBS 1970885
PEARSON CO
Textbook Purchasing Statement: A student attending Lamar State College Port Arthur is not under any obligation to purchase a textbook from the college-affiliated bookstore. The same textbook may also be available from an independent retailer, including an online retailer.
Hat or Hair required
Chef coat
Black pants
Non-slip Black shoes
Knife roll/Kit
Paper and Pen
CHEF 1301
CHEF 1305
Unit 1
Introduction/History
Brigade system
Mise en place
Roles and divisions of stations
Cooking basics
Language and terminology
Station maps
Unit 2
Prep and Par Lists
Menu Branding
Short Order cooking
How to handle stress/
Ways to be a faster cook
Breakfast cookery
Unit 3
Lunch Service
Check lists
Prep/Receiving
Plating and timing
Communication and organization
Fire times/Timing, speed and finesse
Unit 4
Dinner service
Set-ups and break downs
Backups
Awareness/Focus and teamwork
Menu planning
Menu descriptions
Pricing
Final Project
Unit 5
Writing and costing menus
Types of menus and seasonality
Pricing
Plating
Putting it all together
Practical Final
Unit 1
Quiz and Assignment
Unit 2
Quiz and Assignments
Unit 3
Test and Assignment
Unit 4
Project
Unit 5
Practical Exam
Tuesday December 1st, and Thursday Decemeber 3rd 9:00am to 11am
90 - 100=A
80 - 89=B
70 - 79=C
60 - 69=D
Below 59 = F
Tests - 10%, Assignments - 25%, Quizzes - 20%, Final Exam - 20%
Class Participation/Lab Participation (Discussion) 15%
Attendance 10%
| LATE WORK is highly discouraged and will incur a 10 point penalty for every day it is late. Due dates are given and provide enough time to complete all work. There will be a practical final exam. All students must take the exam on the scheduled date and time, and failure to do so will result in a 0 on the final exam. Every student MUST have a copy of the required textbooks by the SECOND week of class. The student will still be responsible for any assignments given. Students are responsible for completing all assignments. A failure to follow oral and/or written instructions will result in penalties. Academic dishonesty will result in a zero on any assignment; a second incidence of academic dishonesty will be handled based on campus policies and procedures with the department chair. No cell phones should be visible or heard during class. No earbuds or listening devices. This includes classroom and lab/kitchen. Students must be in a clean uniform and in full uniform at all times. If you show up to class out of uniform or in a dirty uniform you will be sent home. You may use the kitchen washer/dryer to clean your uniform if you need to. Hair must be neat and off the shoulder with a hat or secured in hair net. No large earrings or dangling jewelry. No heavy perfumes or colognes. IN THE KITCHEN/LAB- All students are required to clean up after themselves. Students must clean ALL of their own dishes, any and all equipment used and work stations top and bottom. Including floors and counters and all surfaces. Dish room, sinks, walk-ins and refrigeration. Each class will sweep and mop and take out the trash to the dumpster at the end of class every day Large kitchen maintenance and deep cleaning projects will be assigned regularly and counted as lab time as needed to keep up with maintaining a spotless and organized kitchen. Students will put dishes away from the previous class before starting cooking for the day. Proper storage and rotation of food deliveries and maintaining organization of stored foods will be the responsibility of students as instructed by the Chef. |
Attendance is 10% of your grade in this class.
Students more than 15 minutes late will be marked absent for the day.
Students more than 15 minutes late will not be allowed to join the class that day.
I will not let you join the rest of the class in lab if you are more than 15 minutes late to class.
Please notify me if you will be absent.
After (3) unexcused absences you will be dropped a letter grade.
There is a mandatory super-clean at the end of each semester to throughly clean and close the kitchen.
Be sure to check your campus email and Course Homepage using MyLSCPA campus web portal. You can also access your grades, transcripts, academic advisors, degree progress, and other services through MyLSCPA.
Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSCPA policies (Academic Dishonesty section in the Student Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Accessibility Services Coordinator, Room 119, in the Ruby Fuller Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.
No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom. Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission. Use of electronic devices is prohibited.
This syllabus is part of LSCPA's efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.
As per Texas law and LSCPA policy, all LSCPA employees, including faculty, are required to report allegations or disclosures of child abuse or neglect to the designated authorities, which may include a local or state law enforcement agency or the Texas Department of Family Protective Services. For more information about mandatory reporting requirements, see LSCPA's Policy and Procedure Manual.
LSCPA is committed to establishing and maintaining an environment that is free from all forms of sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, sexual violence, and other forms of sexual misconduct. All LSCPA employees, including faculty, have the responsibility to report disclosures of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, sexual assault (including rape and acquaintance rape), domestic violence, dating violence, relationship violence, or stalking, to LSCPA's Title IX Coordinator, whose role is to coordinate the college's response to sexual misconduct. For more information about Title IX protections, faculty reporting responsibilities, options for confidential reporting, and the resources available for support visit LSCPA's Title IX website.
For more information about the Clery Act and crime reporting, see the Annual Security & Fire Safety Report and the Campus Security website.
If you have a grievance, complaint, or concern about this course that has not been resolved through discussion with the Instructor, please consult the Department Chair.