Food competitions offer the perfect venue to test your skills and gain industry acclaim, and the key to success is preparation. In this course, you’ll gain an understanding of competition criteria and regulations. You’ll also develop the workmanship, efficiency, and presentation skills and techniques that will help you achieve successful results at your next hot or cold food competition.

Topics include mise en place and organization, working with forcemeats and gelatin, plate and platter composition, and strategies for planning and executing a market basket. You will explore different styles of culinary competition each day, from contemporary 60-minute categories to full market baskets. You will also:

• Learn menu development criteria, station setup, judging tips, and troubleshooting tactics.


• Prepare and present your work for critique based on established rules and guidelines.


• Receive constructive feedback from experienced competitors and CIA faculty.

Please note: you must have a working knowledge of culinary fundamentals, such as knife cuts, meat and seafood fabrication, and basic cooking techniques. In addition, you must also have a solid understanding of garde manger techniques, including forcemeat preparations, terrines, and sauce preparation.

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