407.297.4900 ext 6192628 christopher.bates@ocps.net
Wekiva Culinary

Wekiva Culinary

Ten Years of Culinary Excellence

  • About
    • What makes us “Premier”
    • Vision & Mission
    • Press & Media
    • Chef Christopher Bates
  • Students
    • Calendar
    • Current & New Students
      • 2026 Welcome Letter
      • Course Guide: Syllabus and Kitchen Contract
      • Pay: Culinary Equipment & Supply Fee
      • Uniforms
      • Answers to Questions You’re Embarrassed to Ask: Culinary FAQs
    • Future Students
      • Open House: Feed Your Passion For Cooking at Wekiva Culinary
      • How to Apply for a Spot in our Magnet
    • Wekiva Culinary Summer Internship Program
    • What You’ll Learn: Four Years of Culinary Arts At-A-Glance
  • Learn
    • The Food Safety Field Guide
    • Get in the Kitchen: Safe Students, Safe Food
    • Getting Hired: the Culinary Students’ Guide to Finding Work
    • Customer Service Basics: Mastering the Art of Hospitality
    • Restaurant Management Challenge
  • Cook
    • Culinary 1 Recipe Book
    • Culinary 2 Recipe Book
    • Culinary 3 Recipe Book
    • Culinary 4 Recipe Book
    • Cooking Methods
    • Catering and Volume Recipes
  • Bake
    • The Great Donut Sale
    • Quick Breads: The Chemistry of Speed, Sifters, and Stopping the Over-Mix
    • Mom’s Kitchen to the Professional Bakery: How to Bake with Yeast
  • Food Science
    • Create Something Delicious: The Art, Craft, and Science of Flavor
    • Make Your Own Ice Cream: Scoopable Art and Tasty Science
      • To Make Great Ice Cream, Understand What’s In It
      • Gelato: the LEAST you need to know
      • How to Make Great Gelato: Anatomy of an Artisanal Dessert
    • Wekiva Fire – Unexpectedly Good Hot Sauce
    • Chocolate Field Guide: From Bean to Bar
      • Fudge for You, Fudge for a Friend: Exploring the Greatest American Candy
      • Life Cycle of a Cacao Bean
      • Working with Sugar: the Magic of Crystallization
      • HOW TO: Make White Chocolate from Scratch
      • Chocolate Recipes 1
    • Boba Tea Cafe
      • Boba Tea: The Chewey Origins of the Worldwide Beverage Sensation
      • Tea History for Boba Lovers: Six Things You Didn’t Know (But Should)
      • Tea Primer for Boba Lovers: Eight Things To Learn
      • THE RISE OF BIG TEA: OWNERS AND INNOVATORS
      • Boba Science: Ten Things to Know
    • Panda Express: The Science, Technology, and Engineering Behind Chinese-American Wok Cooking
  • Partnerships
    • Our Students Need Your Support: How You Can Help
    • Volunteers, Parents, and Partners in Education
    • How to Post Job Opportunities for our Students
  • Video Introductions to Wekiva Culinary
  • Video Introductions to Wekiva Culinary
407.297.4900 ext 6192628 christopher.bates@ocps.net
Wekiva Culinary

Wekiva Culinary

Ten Years of Culinary Excellence

  • About
    • What makes us “Premier”
    • Vision & Mission
    • Press & Media
    • Chef Christopher Bates
  • Students
    • Calendar
    • Current & New Students
      • 2026 Welcome Letter
      • Course Guide: Syllabus and Kitchen Contract
      • Pay: Culinary Equipment & Supply Fee
      • Uniforms
      • Answers to Questions You’re Embarrassed to Ask: Culinary FAQs
    • Future Students
      • Open House: Feed Your Passion For Cooking at Wekiva Culinary
      • How to Apply for a Spot in our Magnet
    • Wekiva Culinary Summer Internship Program
    • What You’ll Learn: Four Years of Culinary Arts At-A-Glance
  • Learn
    • The Food Safety Field Guide
    • Get in the Kitchen: Safe Students, Safe Food
    • Getting Hired: the Culinary Students’ Guide to Finding Work
    • Customer Service Basics: Mastering the Art of Hospitality
    • Restaurant Management Challenge
  • Cook
    • Culinary 1 Recipe Book
    • Culinary 2 Recipe Book
    • Culinary 3 Recipe Book
    • Culinary 4 Recipe Book
    • Cooking Methods
    • Catering and Volume Recipes
  • Bake
    • The Great Donut Sale
    • Quick Breads: The Chemistry of Speed, Sifters, and Stopping the Over-Mix
    • Mom’s Kitchen to the Professional Bakery: How to Bake with Yeast
  • Food Science
    • Create Something Delicious: The Art, Craft, and Science of Flavor
    • Make Your Own Ice Cream: Scoopable Art and Tasty Science
      • To Make Great Ice Cream, Understand What’s In It
      • Gelato: the LEAST you need to know
      • How to Make Great Gelato: Anatomy of an Artisanal Dessert
    • Wekiva Fire – Unexpectedly Good Hot Sauce
    • Chocolate Field Guide: From Bean to Bar
      • Fudge for You, Fudge for a Friend: Exploring the Greatest American Candy
      • Life Cycle of a Cacao Bean
      • Working with Sugar: the Magic of Crystallization
      • HOW TO: Make White Chocolate from Scratch
      • Chocolate Recipes 1
    • Boba Tea Cafe
      • Boba Tea: The Chewey Origins of the Worldwide Beverage Sensation
      • Tea History for Boba Lovers: Six Things You Didn’t Know (But Should)
      • Tea Primer for Boba Lovers: Eight Things To Learn
      • THE RISE OF BIG TEA: OWNERS AND INNOVATORS
      • Boba Science: Ten Things to Know
    • Panda Express: The Science, Technology, and Engineering Behind Chinese-American Wok Cooking
  • Partnerships
    • Our Students Need Your Support: How You Can Help
    • Volunteers, Parents, and Partners in Education
    • How to Post Job Opportunities for our Students

Final Exam Prep: Last Steps Before Taking the Test

September 19, 2026 Chef Bates
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38. Capstone – How A Real Health Inspection Looks Through the Lens of ServSafe

September 19, 2026 Chef Bates
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37. When Normal Isn’t Enough: Variance and Special Processes

September 19, 2026 Chef Bates

Marcus has been running the kitchen at Bistro Zenith for two years and is especially proud of the restaurant’s signature charcuterie board: a collection of cured meats, pickled vegetables, a rotating cheese selection, all served…

Read More

Know Thy Pathogens: Bacteria, Viruses, Parasites, And Other Buggies

September 19, 2026 Chef Bates

Pathogen Reference — Foodborne Illness Index A reference guide to the pathogens and toxins covered on the ServSafe Manager exam — organized around the Big 6, the six pathogens you need to know cold, followed…

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Food Safety: Know the Language

September 19, 2026 Chef Bates
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36. Check It (Before It Gets Checked For You)

September 15, 2026 Chef Bates

There is a Chinese buffet not far from where I live called King Buffet. That place has been there forever, and when I was younger, my mom liked to go there for their All-You-Can-Eat Crab…

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35: When the Building Stops Being Safe

September 15, 2026 Chef Bates

The Storm Doesn't Care About Your Dinner Rush I've worked in Florida nearly my entire professional life. I have become VERY familiar with the impact hurricanes can have — how they can take a normal…

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34. Cleaning Doesn’t Manage Itself

September 15, 2026 Chef Bates

Carlos got his first job at Cafe Italiano when he was 16. He started in Dish, moved to prep after high school, then the line, then was quickly promoted to shift lead, and eventually sous…

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33. Sanitizing: Clean Isn’t Necessarily Safe

September 14, 2026 Chef Bates

The dishmachine had been beeping all morning. The AM dishwasher tried to get the Big Boss to come take a look, but she was buried in everything else happening in the kitchen. Finally, about an…

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32. CLEANING IS A SYSTEM

September 14, 2026 Chef Bates

It's a random day in a random week. A random cook grabs a wiping cloth out of a sanitizer bucket and goes after the mess on his prep table. There is flour on it. A…

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Posts pagination

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Quick Links

New year prep

Wekiva Culinary — click straight through to WHS SchoolCash to pay.

No. 01 $50

Culinary 1 course fee

For students new to the program this year.

Click here →
No. 02 $100

Culinary 2, 3, or 4 course fee

For returning culinary students.

Click here →
No. 03 $20

Chef pants

Required for those who want to participate in catering and all competition students.

Click here →
No. 04 $10
10 years

10th anniversary t-shirt

Celebrate 10 years of culinary excellence with us!

Click here →

Each link opens WHS SchoolCash in a new tab.

Chef Bates Receives his 4th National Recognition: The CAFE Technology and Innovation Award, Presented by RATIONAL

Coming Soon! Our Tenth Anniversary T-shirt Goes on Sale August 15th

Visit Orlando! Comes to Wekiva Culinary

https://youtu.be/LC2vB9CJW-4?si=qabW_yEsml_bWNxN

For Future Parents

https://youtu.be/L44kcZGt_k0

For Future Students

https://youtu.be/NXDJsOMO2aE

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Wekiva’s FCCLA Chapter opens this year – keep an eye out for registration and sign up details!

Recent Posts

  • THE CHOCOLATE REVOLUTION
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