Subjects

Who is it for?

• Enjoy being hands-on and learning by doing.
• Have an interest in cooking, food, and nutrition.
• Are curious about where food comes from and how it affects health, the environment, and communities.

What do you do?

In studying this subject you will:

• Learn and practise safe and hygienic kitchen skills. 
• Prepare a variety of sweet and savoury recipes using different cooking methods. 
• Explore the Australian Dietary Guidelines and design healthy meals. 
• Investigate sustainable food systems and ways to reduce food waste. 
• Create dishes inspired by diverse cultures and consider ethical food choices. 
• Complete design briefs, quizzes, and reflections to apply and evaluate your learning. 

What skills do you need?

• Have a basic understanding of using measuring cups, spoons, and scales correctly. 
• Have a basic understanding simple safety rules like handling hot pans carefully. 
• Have an awareness of correct personal hygiene such as washing hands, tying back hair, and wearing appropriate clothing in the kitchen. 

What skills do you develop?

You will develop skills including:

• basic cooking skills 
• safe food handling and hygiene practices 
• research and problem-solving skills 
• meal planning and design 
• time management and organisation 
• food preparation techniques. 

Requirements

You will need to have access to a kitchen and a phone / camera to take video or photographs of your production work. 

Things to think about

• Be ready to try new foods- some recipes or taste tests may involve ingredients you haven’t eaten before. 
• Time management- cooking lessons often have tight timeframes, so being organised helps you finish on time. 
• Cleaning up properly- knowing that washing dishes and tidying the workspace is part of the job, not just the cooking. 

Things you can do now

• Cook simple recipes at home- practise making easy dishes like salads, muffins, or scrambled eggs to build confidence. 
• Practise basic knife skills- safely chopping vegetables or fruit (with supervision if needed). 
• Measure ingredients accurately- use cups, spoons, and scales to get used to portioning. 
• Help with meal planning- work with family to choose meals, write shopping lists, and budget for ingredients. 
• Read recipe books or watch cooking videos- to learn new techniques and ideas. 
• Try new foods- experiment with flavours, cuisines, and seasonal produce.