{"id":17390,"date":"2022-12-26T07:00:22","date_gmt":"2022-12-26T13:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/?p=17390"},"modified":"2025-06-09T10:04:57","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T15:04:57","slug":"how-chef-instructors-evaluate-student-dishes-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.escoffier.edu\/blog\/value-of-culinary-education\/how-chef-instructors-evaluate-student-dishes-online\/","title":{"rendered":"How Do You Get Graded in Online Culinary School?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a culinary student, feedback from Chef Instructors can help you understand your mistakes and improve upon your skills in the kitchen. But how does the evaluation process work with online schools? Is it as accurate and useful as in-person feedback?<\/p>\n

While working face-to-face with a Chef Instructor is certainly a great experience, many culinary enthusiasts could likely not earn a culinary school degree or diploma<\/a> if the only way to learn was by attending in-person classes, due to busy work schedules or other commitments. And as you\u2019ll see in this article, in-person learning is not the only option!<\/p>\n

Online culinary and pastry arts programs are now available to anyone, anywhere, as long as they have reliable access to the Internet and meet the qualifications.<\/p>\n

In this article, we\u2019re going to outline how you get your assignments, record your process, submit your work, and get individualized feedback from your Chef Instructors<\/a> during online culinary school.<\/p>\n

But first, you\u2019re probably still wondering\u2026<\/p>\n

How Can a Chef Instructor Evaluate Food Online When They Can\u2019t Taste It?<\/h2>\n

As an online culinary student, you may be wondering how you will receive feedback from your instructors. Is it individualized? Will it help you improve the skills you may need to know to land a job at a restaurant or start your own catering business<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts\u2019 evaluation process provides students with one-on-one feedback for every assignment, reconstructing the cooking process and measuring against industry standards to provide the student with constructive feedback. Students are taught to build their flavor profile and describe what they are tasting by learning a common language through the use of Escoffier\u2019s Flavor Wheel tool and by completing a critical thinking narrative describing their process.<\/p>\n\t

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Join Chef Luke as he discusses online culinary students and their food tasting process.<\/em><\/p>\n

As Escoffier Chef Instructor Jesper Jonsson<\/a> explains, \u201cMost people, once you tell them that we teach culinary arts online, ask, \u2018But you can\u2019t taste the food. How do you know?\u2019 The truth of the matter is I\u2019ve seen so many steaks getting grilled that I know what the temperature of a pan sounds like. If I see a chicken breast, I can tell you if it\u2019s dry on the inside. Then I can ask you what temperature did you cook it to? What was the carry-over temperature?\u201d Professional chefs know that visual cues tell us whether or not cooks followed the proper method or procedure \u2013 color development, grill marks, and doneness are evaluated visually so that the chef doesn\u2019t have to taste every item. After all, if you ordered a steak in a restaurant and it was served to you missing one bite, you\u2019d wonder what was happening in that kitchen!<\/p>\n

Because of the nature of the evaluation in our distance learning platform, Escoffier students are probably better at verbalizing what they\u2019re doing and describing tastes. Was it salty? Was it bland? Was it tangy? And we use our flavor wheels<\/a> for that. I think students being able to verbally describe foods and tastes has proven to be a tremendous asset.\u201d*<\/p>\n

Now that we\u2019ve covered the \u201ctasting\u201d issue, let\u2019s get into the details of how the evaluation process works in practice.<\/p>\n

1. Get Your Assignment and Instructions<\/h2>\n

Each week in Escoffier\u2019s online courses are built to accomplish specific learning objectives through various interactive learning aids which culminate in that week\u2019s assignment.<\/p>\n

The week includes online lessons and recommended readings, plus cooking demonstration videos of our Chef Instructors working in our professional demo kitchen. Students also attend the live online class sessions for further instruction or watch the replay if they are unable to attend live. They also interact with peers in our discussion forums and test their learning with quizzes on the material.<\/p>\n

Culinary school<\/a> classes are led by professional Chef Instructors from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. This means that students can have the opportunity to gain multiple perspectives on the culinary industry, as well as a variety of leadership and management styles.<\/p>\n

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Online students receive detailed instructions for each lesson and assignment.<\/p><\/div>\n

Each assignment involves a list of required photos to record the process, plus a narrative and production sheet.<\/p>\n

2. Record Your Process With Photos<\/h2>\n

Taking photos and recording your process allows your Chef Instructors to see the various steps you took to make the final dish. These photos serve to document the deconstructed, step-by-step approach the student took to their cooking process. It\u2019s the Chef Instructor\u2019s job to reconstruct that into an analysis of the work and provide constructive feedback, with the mindset of continuous growth of the student.<\/p>\n

So what does visually capturing your assignments look like? Following the assignment instructions, you\u2019ll take photos at specific steps of the preparation and cooking process. This can include how the space is set up, sanitary measures, preparing ingredients, specific cooking steps and procedures, and the overall outcome of the final product.<\/p>\n

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Students photograph their work and then submit their photos for feedback.<\/p><\/div>\n

3. Submit Your Assignment with a Document Explaining the Experience<\/h2>\n

The narrative and production sheet both provide students with a space to write down how their cooking or baking process went. Students can comment on what worked well, and where they might need more guidance.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI encourage anyone who wants to invest in their culinary career to attend Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts! Their online program is top-tier, and the staff work tirelessly to support students because our success is theirs, too.\u201d*
\nShamaya Williams Coats, Escoffier Online Culinary Arts Graduate<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Students can also use a flavor wheel<\/a> to describe their dishes. The flavor wheel includes aroma (e.g., berry-like versus onion-like), mouthfeel (e.g., juicy or dry), and taste (astringent, tangy, etc.). Assignments are submitted through Escoffier\u2019s Learning Management System, which can be accessed through a computer or mobile device.<\/p>\n

4. Get Feedback From a Professional Chef Instructor<\/h2>\n

After submitting an assignment, students get a feedback video from their Chef Instructors. This is where instructors point out what went well, what could be improved for next time, and any tips or tricks that they personally use when working on this item again.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, Chef Instructors offer encouragement and provide opportunities for students to ask questions. Students can email, text, and call their instructors, and set up one-on-one appointments with them for deeper discussions.<\/p>\n

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\"Damian\u201cThere was one time when I made veloute, one of the mother sauces. I thought it tasted fine, but when I smelled it, it came off a little bit smoky, so I wrote it down. My Chef Instructor gave me feedback by looking at the pictures of my sauce. He noticed the moments it began burning from the pictures that I didn\u2019t really notice. But he was able to catch it, see where I went wrong, and correct me along the way.\u201d*
\nDamian Palacios, Online Culinary Arts Graduate<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Your Industry Externship Provides Opportunities for More Feedback<\/h2>\n

The culinary externship<\/a> is a practical, hands-on placement in a professional kitchen. Completing an approved industry externship is the final required component of an Escoffier student\u2019s curriculum before graduation.<\/p>\n

While a student\u2019s duties may vary depending on their externship site, all externships offer an opportunity for students to practice skills and receive feedback from chefs and cooks working in an ongoing operation.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI felt capable outside the box (of my home), and during my externship I had the proof! I was asked to fulfill tasks that made me realize that I did have confidence and knowledge thanks to the Escoffier program and its amazing Chefs.\u201d*
\nSusanna Halbrook, Escoffier Online Culinary Arts Graduate<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Are You Ready For Guidance From Professional Chef Instructors?<\/h2>\n

Too many people put their culinary or pastry arts dreams on hold, believing that face-to-face training is required to advance their culinary skills. In this article, we\u2019ve shown that the online, distance learning format can allow passionate students to explore new skills and techniques, and take the first step to accomplishing their dreams.<\/p>\n

Whether you want to open your own restaurant, work as an executive chef, or build another exciting food-based career, you don\u2019t have to wait. A quality education with world-class chef instruction is available now, online.<\/p>\n

Take the next step and get a plan<\/a> to learn how you can turn your passion for food into a new career and life.<\/p>\n

Read more about how online culinary and pastry arts programs work:<\/strong><\/p>\n