The American Culinary Federation's Guide to Culinary Certification: The Mark of Professionalism

Foreword from the Series Editor vii

Preface ix

1 The History of ACF Certification 1

Setting the Bar for Professional Development 2

Gaining Distinction 4

The New Professional Chef 6

The Future of the Culinary Profession 7

2 The Significance of ACF Certification 9

Building the ACF Certification Ladder 10

Climbing the Rungs of the ACF Ladder 11

What ACF Certification Means to the Marketplace 14

3 The ACF Validation Process:Meeting Measurable Objectives 17

How the ACF Certification Program Works 18

Background of ACF Development 19

Setting Measurable Objectives 21

Measuring Performance Objectives 22

Conclusion 27

4 Laying a Foundation in Learning 29

Classical Cuisines Set the Standard 30

Presenting the Classics for Certification 31

Cross-Training in Culinary Fundamentals 33

Progressive Learning 41

Continuing Education 42

Conclusion 43

5 Planning a Career Path in Foodservice 45

Considering the Possibilities 46

Staying the Course 48

Conclusion 52

6 Documenting Your Experience 55

The Proof Is in the Documentation 55

Organizing, Protecting, and Storing Documentation 57

Conclusion 57

7 Levels of ACF Certification 59

ACF Levels of Achievement 60

Conclusion 70

8 The ACF Written Test: Strategies in Learning 71

Who Takes the ACF Certified Exams? 72

Who Administers the Tests? 73

The Exam Matrix 73

Reference Materials 74

Study to Achieve Success 78

9 Evaluating Cooking Skills: The Premise behind the Practical Exam 81

Mind-set for Success 82

Understanding the Role of the Evaluators 83

Conclusion 85

10 Taking the Show on the Road: More on the Practical Testing Process 87

Preparing to Prepare 88

Addressing the Subsets of the Cooking Practical 93

Conclusion 101

11 The Application Process 105

Application Basics 106

Completing the Application Process 114

12 Achieving the Ultimate Goal: Certified Master Chef 121

Details of the CMC Test 123

Conclusion 125

Index 127