Regional Culture and Culinary Tradition

Course Details

Course Number: 4013  Section Number: 01

Fall 2012

Location: Museum of Art

Classroom Number: kitchen

Course Attachments

syllabus 4013   4013 - 2012cuisine-20120720-151209.doc

Textbooks

Culinaria France
MSU Faculty Member
Dr. Stuart Allan McClintock   
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Course Objectives

 

This course is designed to learn about French culture through the study of its regions and their culinary traditions that have developed over hundreds of years. We will study the culture of the regions in terms of their distinct local products that exist because of the regions’ climate, location, and soil. Secondly, we will transform these products into the regional dishes that are inextricably linked in the French mind to specific regions. Third, we will learn various French culinary techniques such as braising, roasting, and sauce making that have evolved from Escoffier and Carême who codified the first set of rules of French cuisine to the revolutionary founders of la nouvelle cuisine in the nineteen seventies such as Guérard and Bocuse to the recent wizards who took la nouvelle cuisine as a launching pad for their innovations like Passard and Bras.


Course Expectations

 

Procedure: The class will be conducted entirely in French. We meet weekly on Mondays from 12:30-3:50 in the kitchen of the Wichita Falls Museum and Art Center at 2 Eureka Circle. After some initial classes devoted learning basics of French cooking, we will feature the food and wine of one of France’s regions each week such as la Bretagne (Brittany), la Normandie, la Bourgogne (Burgundy), L’Alsace and la Provence. We will first learn about the region from both a historical, cultural, and culinary perspective. We will then prepare a meal using products and creating dishes of the region under consideration. After preparation, we will enjoy the meal that we have prepared. After clean up, and only after cleanup is complete, the class will be dismissed.

Teams: The class will be broken down into teams, each of which will prepare one of the courses and/or be responsible for cleaning up. During down time, we will study various aspects of regional culture and/or of France’s culinary tradition addressed in your text or your workbook such as the study of culinary vocabulary from A-Z  or the world of French wines.

 

 

You must commit first and foremost to speaking French in class. Secondly, cooking requires good organization and a lot of hard work. Some of the preparatory work such as shopping and carrying of purchases from car to kitchen and the after meal clean up require teamwork, good cheer, and volunteerism. Some of the kitchen work is dull and repetitive but crucial to the final product.

If you take this course, you must agree to pitch in and help with these tasks that are essential for the success of good cooking.


Grading Standards

 

Grade: Your grade comes from tests and weekly quizzes on vocabulary and regional history, culture, cuisine, and wine. Your grade is also based on your participation in preparing each week's meal You are also judged by your use of French with your teammates while in class.


Final Exam12/10/2012  3:30-5:30

Submission Format PolicyNote: You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance.

Plagiarism Policy Plagiarism is the use of someone else's thoughts, words, ideas, or lines of argument in your own work without appropriate documentation (a parenthetical citation at the end and a listing in "Works Cited")-whether you use that material in a quote, paraphrase, or summary. It is a theft of intellectual property and will not be tolerated, whether intentional or not.

Student Honor Creed

As an MSU Student, I pledge not to lie, cheat, steal, or help anyone else do so."

As students at MSU, we recognize that any great society must be composed of empowered, responsible citizens. We also recognize universities play an important role in helping mold these responsible citizens. We believe students themselves play an important part in developing responsible citizenship by maintaining a community where integrity and honorable character are the norm, not the exception. Thus, We, the Students of Midwestern State University, resolve to uphold the honor of the University by affirming our commitment to complete academic honesty. We resolve not only to be honest but also to hold our peers accountable for complete honesty in all university matters. We consider it dishonest to ask for, give, or receive help in examinations or quizzes, to use any unauthorized material in examinations, or to present, as one's own, work or ideas which are not entirely one's own. We recognize that any instructor has the right to expect that all student work is honest, original work. We accept and acknowledge that responsibility for lying, cheating, stealing, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty fundamentally rests within each individual student. We expect of ourselves academic integrity, personal professionalism, and ethical character. We appreciate steps taken by University officials to protect the honor of the University against any who would disgrace the MSU student body by violating the spirit of this creed. Written and adopted by the 2002-2003 MSU Student Senate.

Students with Disabilities The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection 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 Disability Support Services in Room 168 of the Clark Student Center, 397-4140.

Safe Zones Statement The professor considers this classroom to be a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being - regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thought is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. It is the professor's expectation that ALL students consider the classroom a safe environment.

Contacting your Instructor All instructors in the Department have voicemail in their offices and MWSU e-mail addresses. Make sure you add your instructor's phone number and e-mail address to both email and cell phone lists of contacts.

Attendance Requirements

Attendance is mandatory. You are allowed one absence. If you are absent from class, you must contact me and explain the reason for your absence.


Other Policies

 

Turn off all cell phones and refrain from any electronic communication while in class. If you have something urgent that requires your being in touch with someone electronically, please let me know before class starts.


Writing Proficiency Requirement All students seeking a Bachelor's degree from Midwestern State University must satisfy a writing proficiency requirement once they've 1) passed English 1113 and English 1123 and 2) earned 60 hours. You may meet this requirement by passing either the Writing Proficiency Exam or English 2113. Please keep in mind that, once you've earned over 90 hours, you lose the opportunity to take the $25 exam and have no option but to enroll in the three-credit hour course. If you have any questions about the exam, visit the Writing Proficiency Office website at http://academics.mwsu.edu/wpr, or call 397-4131.