The Ulster BOCES Adult Career Education Center has just announced a Culinary Essentials course as one of its Fall 2023 offerings. Offered through the American Culinary Federation (ACF), the course will enable participants to earn a Culinary Essentials Certification and ServSafe Certification.
Those who complete this course will be able to satisfy the educational requirements to obtain higher ACF certifications once they gain additional work experience.
Under the tutelage of seasoned professionals trained at the Culinary Institute of America, participants will gain hands-on experience both in the kitchen at Ulster BOCES and at Mohonk Mountain House.
Jim Palmeri, who has more than 33 years of experience working in the culinary arts industry and is currently the executive chef at the Mohonk Mountain House, has been named as the instructor for the Adult Career Education Center’s Culinary Arts Program.
Before joining the Mohonk Mountain House in 2007, Palmeri was the executive chef at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch. His additional experience includes serving as executive chef for Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas, Hyatt Grand Cayman, and Hyatt Coral Gables. He is a graduate of the Culinary School of Kendall College in Chicago.
Palmeri extols the value of the new Ulster BOCES program. “There is no substitute for hands-on training,” he explained, adding that other benefits include the price of the nine-month course, which is a fraction of the cost of culinary school and provides endless opportunities in the field.
“This is the second year that Ulster BOCES has offered this course and certification,” he said. “Those in the group who completed last year’s course are all gainfully employed,” Palmeri added.
Two valuable credentials are offered through the ACF after participants meet the rigorous course requirements—a ServSafe Certification, as well as the ACF Certificate of Culinary Essentials upon successful completion of the course and exam.
The curriculum will include an introduction to the professional kitchen; fundamentals of sanitation; protein fabrication; culinary nutrition; vegetable preparation; sauces, soups, and dressings; plate designing and finishing touches; and more.
Palmeri says that the local area will benefit from the availability of trained personnel in the industry and that students will benefit from the affordability, small class size, and rigorous training provided by Ulster BOCES through this program. “I am excited about this class,” he said. “There’s a severe shortage of culinarians right now. The industry is desperate for skilled people to enter the workforce.”
The class will be held from 4 - 8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays (plus one Saturday a month at Mohonk Mountain House), from September 19, 2023 through May 21, 2024. Transportation is required. The cost is $3,375 per person, plus a one time $600 food supply fee.
Please be advised that class start dates are based on sufficient enrollment. Participants will be notified in advance if the class will not run. To register, call the Adult Career Education Office at (845) 331-5050, ext. 2262.