Cuisine & Culture in Europe: The Art of Entertaining
Compare local foods, economies, and cultures. Demonstrations and hands-on workshops introduce the art of entertaining in important European countries.

Food in Art
Examine the role of food as it is celebrated in literature, cinema and painting. Practical workshops offered to recreate the menus and dishes found in selected artwork.

The Italian Food Feast
Explore the celebrations, table manners, social gatherings and rituals surrounding Italian social festivities through the centuries. Cuisine and customs are introduced and compared.

Creative Cuisine
The best meals of famous local restaurants are showcased in this monthly workshop. The emphasis is on contemporary cuisine, and changes each month.

Renaissance Culture Through Cooking
Explore the relationship of Italian culture and cooking from the Renaissance of Lorenzo IL Magnifico up to the present; the gastronomic contributions of famous Florentine artists; and the role of Tuscan cuisine throughout Europe. Examine texts and recipes as a way to understand differences in social classes and as a window into historical Italy.

Wine Appreciation
Wine was was born in Italy over 4000 years ago. This course introduces you to wine appreciation and its importance in Italian culture. Compare wines of every important region and learn to discern their qualities and characteristics. Wine marketing is also covered.

Italian Food Resources
International marketing of Italian food is covered from a business perspective.

Regional Food in Italy
Learn about local wines, olive oil, cheese and bread through tastings and class demonstrations of use. The abundance of fresh regional food is examined in relationship to Italian lifestyle and the local economy.

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PROFESSIONAL COURSES - HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT

Introduction to Hospitality Management AP HP IH 330
Provides a fundamental overview of hotel, restaurant and tourism segments of the hospitality industry. The operational sectors of the industry as well as management components and skills will be explored. Career opportunities in the hospitality industry will be discussed and students will be encouraged to develop their own career plan

Supervision and Leadership in the Hospitality Industry AP HP SL 340
Examines the roles and responsibilities of supervisors and managers in the hospitality industry. The course will also focus on developing communication strategies, motivational techniques, performance evaluation and review, staffing, training and strategic planning. Attention will be given to conflict resolution techniques as well as methods for recruiting, interviewing and hiring staff. Budget management will also be covered.

Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality Management AP HP TH 350
Provides an overview of hospitality and tourism industry organization and employment pattern related to hotel/motel and travel. All of the following topics will be examined: development of tourism; demand for travel; examination of food and beverages industry; associations and organizations relation to the tourism and hospitality industries; career options available in the industry.

Hospitality Accounting AP HP HA 360
This course introduces hospitality accounting concepts and procedures. Emphasis is given to the processing of hospitality financial data and the flow of financial information which results in the production of financial statements.

Hospitality Management Procedures AP HP HM 430
Course description unavailable at this time.

Front Office Procedures AP HP FO 440
Presents a systematic approach to front office procedures by detailing the flow of business through a hotel; from reservations process to check-out and settlement. The course also examines the various elements of effective front office management, paying particular attention to the planning and evaluation of front office operations and to human resources management.

Hotel Marketing AP HP HM 450
Takes a practical approach to introducing students to marketing of hotels, restaurants and clubs. Market segmentation, marketing research, advertising, public relations, promotions, packaging, pricing strategies, revenue maximization, travel purchasing systems and the future of hospitality marketing will all be examined.

Special Even Management AP HP SE 460
Examines all stages of the specialized training needed for special event management. Design, financing, budgeting, leadership and integrated marketing will be studied. The course will also provide students with the necessary critical background for improving effectiveness and profitability as a special events manager.

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PROFESSIONAL COURSES - WINE EXPERTISE

Wine Service and Beverage Management AP WE WS 330
This course will examine the figure of "the sommelier" and provide essential information about the following: stocking a cellar, storing wine, reading and composing a wine list, selecting the proper wine glasses, serving wine, decanting wine and and introduction to beverages other than wine.

Wine Appreciation I AP WE WA 340
A technical introduction to wine tasting, exploring the visual examination, the olfactory examination, the gustatory examination, the components of a wine and how to match wine and food.

Viticulture and Technology AP WE VE 350
An introduction to viticulture including the vine, terrain, climate, grape varieties, plague and pestilence, and the harvest.

Wine of the World I AP WE WW 360
An introduction to European wines. The countries to be studied are: France (in general, with special emphasis on Bordeaux and Burgandy), Italy (in general, with special emphasis on Piedmont and Tuscany), Germany and Austria, Spain and Portugal. Students will be encouraged to offer a critical evaluation of the different wines of the world.

Wine Communication and Marketing AP WE WC 430
Business and marketing aspects of the wine industry. Students will be presented with the following topics: an Introduction to Communication Theory, Wine Communication, Introduction to Management and Marketing Theory, Wine Marketing, Economics of the World Wine Industry, Human Resource Management.

Wine Appreciation II AP WE WA 440
Business and marketing aspects of the wine industry. Students will be presented with the following topics: an Introduction to Communication Theory, Wine Communication, Introduction to Management and Marketing Theory, Wine Marketing, Economics of the World Wine Industry, Human Resource Management.

Viticulture and Enology II AP WE VE 450
This course will provide an introduction to Enology. The following types of wine will be studied: light bodied wines; wooded and full-bodied white wines; sparkling wines; sweet table wines; light bodied red wines; medium red wines; full bodied red wines; fortified wines; oak and wine. The course will also cover the chemistry and analysis of wine, the changes of age, wine faults and the manipulation of wine.

Wines of the World II AP WE WW 460
Continues the exploration of wines of the world, with an introduction to New World Wines. The following countries and their wines will be studied: USA (in general, with special emphasis on California), Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and Argentina. Students will be encouraged to offer a critical evaluation of the different wines of the world.

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PROFESSIONAL COURSES - CULINARY ARTS

Introduction to Professional Cooking AP CA PC 330
3 Credits (45 hours)
The course is based on approximately 36 hours per semester of hands on cooking classes. Students will learn the basic fundamentals of cooking, techniques and also some cultural elements of the Italian culinary tradition. The semester in cooking will give you the basics while learning the recipes of traditional Italian cooking.

Tradition of Italian Food I AP CA TF 340
Focuses on the preparation of dishes that distinguish traditional Italian cuisine. Students will learn how to use different ingredients to prepare representative Italian dishes. Notions of the history of these dishes will also be discussed as students prepare the various recipes.

Italian Regional Cuisine AP CA RC 360
Focuses on the different aspects of regional food in Italy. Emphasis will be placed on how food relates to the local lifestyle and culture. Regional economy and local resources will be analyzed and compared. Students will be introduced to the various local products through class demonstrations and tastings.

Bakery, Pastry and Confectionery AP CA BP 430
3 Credits (45 hours)
Introduces students to the fundamentals of baking including the production of cakes and cookies, pastries, plated dessert and cake decorating. An introduction will also be provided to the creation of confectionery items.

Tradition of Italian Food II AP CA TF 440
Continues to explore the tradition of Italian food through representative recipes. Emphasis will be given to more elaborate dishes, including the cleaning and preparation of shellfish, fresh pasta, food combinations, fears foods and banquets.

Italian Creative and Decorative Cuisine AP CA CC 450
Examines the new Italian cuisine. Traditional recipes will be examined to discover how new ingredients can be used to transform these dishes into the new, creative Italian cuisine. Attention will be given to food combinations; fusion of Italian cuisine with other types of cuisine and the creative process in menu planning. Emphasis will also be placed on food presentation, decoration and plating.

Restaurant Management AP CA RM 460
3 Credits (45 hours)
This course will examine the problems of the financial structures of the restaurant management business firm, in parallel with the objectives and techniques of the individual owner. The planning and decision making tools available to mangers in an organization and comparison between single or partnership managements will be discussed. Personnel organization and food preparation plans will also be covered. The course is based on a double approach combining theory and practice: the students will be introduced to the basics of restaurant management and will be given the opportunity to discuss their ideas and questions with selected professionals who are successfully running their restaurant business in Florence. Extensive site visits to local restaurants will therefore be organized.

Internship in local Restaurant AP CA IN 400/500
3 Credits (45 hours)
Internships begin one month after the start of classes. Students will do a minimum of 10 hours per week (mostly in the evenings) interning at one of many fine Florentine restaurants. Students are subsequently required to write a report on their internship. A daily report will be signed by the chef.

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NON-PROFESSIONAL SEMESTER COURSES

Italian Vegetarian Cooking
These days, the demand for meatless cooking has increased extraordinarily. Throughout the course, students will learn to prepare a variety of meatless dishes using different techniques such as grilling, broiling, steaming, sautéing, baking, frying, etc. The menu includes meals prepared with fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes, pasta and other starch products. Special emphasis is placed on strategies for building flavor by using vegetable stocks, herbs, spices, oils and condiments.

Renaissance Culture Through Cooking
This course consists of a comparative study of the relationships between Italian culture and Italian cookery from the Renaissance of Lorenzo il Magnifico up to the present. Other topics discussed during this course include: the effect of the discovery of America on Italian cooking and eating habits; the gastronomic contributions of famous Florentine artists and the effect they had on their works; the important role of Caterina DeMedici in exporting the Tuscan cuisine to France and the various changes that took place through its evolution including its development all over Europe. The second part of the course deals with the examination of texts as an example of influencing and changing customs, and recipes through the ages, pointing out the main differences in eating between the diverse social classes.

The Italian Food Feast
The course is designed to offer students a comparative study of the religious and social festivities in Italy, both in public and in private areas (i.e. national holidays and family events). All the main festivities are analyzed through their history, regional or national importance, and through the role they play in local culture, including rituals, celebrations, table manners, social gatherings and their evolution throughout the centuries. All the various aspects of Italian social lifestyle will be introduced, together with the cuisine and the rituals and changing customs.

Introduction to Italian Wines I
The course deals with the different wines of Northern, Southern and Central Italy and focuses on the distinct historical, traditional, geographic and climatic aspects of each area (region). A general introduction to wine appreciation will be offered as each wine type is studied in terms of its characteristics and in relationship with the particular foods that it should accompany. Comparisons between wines will help the students better appreciate and understand their differences.

Exploration of Wine Culture in Tuscany
Tuscany is one of the first five wine-producing areas in the world. On top of the 30 D.O.C. and D.O.C.G. wines available, you must add the outstanding Tuscan super wines (Brunello, Tignanello, etc.), which represent a challenge to tradition and are improving their quality every year. The course will allow students to better understand this richness of ancient origins that the region of Tuscany has been preserving for centuries. The course includes field trips to wineries in the Chianti region as well as to local enoteche.

Food, Culture and Society in Italy

Italian Regional Food
The course focuses on different aspects of regional food in Italy. Emphasis is placed on how food relates to the local lifestyle. Regional economy and local resources are analyzed and compared. Students are introduced to local wine, olive oil, cheese, bread and the various local products through class demonstrations and tastings. During the course of the semester the class will visit wholesale food markets and food producing companies. Their role in the regional economy will be analyzed and discussed.

Italian Regional Food: Bread Baking

The Jewish-Italian Community through its Culinary Traditions
The course focuses on the three Italian cities which have had the most important role in Jewish-Italian history: Venice, Rome, and Livorno. Each city is first introduced geographically and historically, by highlighting the role of the Jewish community and its relationship with the Catholic community. The lifestyle in the historical "ghettos" is also analyzed, with particular emphasis on their ways of celebrating Jewish holidays. Each lecture is then followed by a hands-on cooking class where the most typical Italian-Jewish dishes are prepared.

Cuisine and Culture in Europe: The Art of Entertaining
The course focuses on the main aspects of national cuisine and the art of entertaining in the most significant European countries. It examines, through comparative studies, the local food, economy and resources, culture, history and their interactions. The role of food in national cuisine and its evolution throughout centuries are analyzed and compared.

The Mediterranean Diet: A Guide to Healthy Living
The course includes lectures on typical Italian products that make the Mediterranean diet the symbol of healthy living: olive oil, pasta, rice, polenta, etc. The food pyramid will be analyzed and compared with the everyday home food in Italy. Hands-on preparation of the most typical dishes of the Mediterranean diet.

From the Renaissance Vineyard to the Contemporary Winery: A walk in the Noble History of Tuscan Wines
The wine-related culture in Tuscany takes its origins from the successful combination of rural and noble expertise always devoted to wines. The structure of Tuscan wines, their harmony, and their refinement totally reflect the link between the rough farmer, who learns directly from nature, and the refined Renaissance gentleman, noble by education and tradition. The course aims to give students images, feelings, tastings of wine, architecture, history, work, economy of the great Tuscan civilization which is now experiencing a second rebirth.

Tradition of Italian Cooking

Introduction to Italian Wines II

History of Italian Cuisine Through the Major Italian Food Writers

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