Enrollment is open for the late summer/fall 2025 classes.

Recipes to Ratios: Calculations for Cooks is for back of house members of the culinary team. The course focuses on the essential math skills needed in a commercial kitchen setting including: measurement basics, fundamentals, conversions, yields, recipe scaling, wet and dry measuring, and other key elements.

To be successful in the course you need to be comfortable with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. In addition, you will need to be able to read, write, and speak English.

Participants will earn a $200 stipend upon completion each course/12 hours (course one, course two, or course three).

Sign up on the interest list here.

Course One:

August 11, 13, 18, and 20. All sessions are 10 am to 1 pm.

Participants will earn a $200 stipend upon completion of the 12 hours of training.

Participants should plan to arrive by 9:45 am in order to receive the full stipend.

This class emphasizes hands-on practice and practical application. 

• What tool should we use when?

• What terms do we use?

• How do we measure wet versus dry ingredients; weight versus volume?  

• What are metric and imperial measurements? 

Participants will review and apply math fundamentals (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) to reading recipes. Participants will begin scaling recipes and receive an introduction to conversion charts. 

Course Two: Stipend $200

September 15, 17, 20, and 22. All sessions are 10 am to 1 pm.

Participants will earn a $200 stipend upon completion of the 12 hours of training.

Participants should plan to arrive by 9:45 am in order to receive the full stipend.

This class emphasizes hands-on practice, practical application, and review. 

The focus will be the basics of measurements: tools, vocabulary, weight versus volume, measuring wet and dry ingredients, and imperial versus metric measurements, metric and imperial conversion.

The course will review fractions and percentages and practice math fundamentals (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) in relation to calculating food costs. Participants will use a conversion chart and learn how to scale recipes. 

Course Three: Stipend $200

October 13, 15, 20, and 22. All sessions are 10 am to 1 pm.

Participants will earn a $200 stipend upon completion of the 12 hours of training.

Participants should plan to arrive by 9:45 am in order to receive the full stipend.

This class emphasizes hands-on practice, practical application, and review. 

Participants will practice using math skills and conversion charts to scale recipes and determine yield. Participants will practice converting from Metric to Imperial in both measuring and temperature as well as calculate cooking times using weight and temperature.

The basics of measurements and math fundamentals (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, and percentages) will be reviewed.

All class sessions are three hours, from 10 am to 1 pm. Participants should plan to arrive by 9:45 am in order to receive the full stipend.

Location: S Dearborn St and Rainier Ave S (International District)

Each Course is 12 hours and all hours must be completed to obtain the stipend.

Being late to class or leaving early WILL affect the stipend award.

Eligible participants may take these courses once every 18 months.

Eligible participants are current employees of partner employers who are also members of UNITE HERE! Local 8. See the Jobs link for the list of partner employers.

Stipends will be issued at the end of each course and will require completion of a W9. It will take a several weeks to process the payment.