Cooking 101- The Basics of Cooking

Explore essential cooking tools for beginners, from cast iron and nonstick pans to a dutch oven, sieves, whisk, and tongs. Learn how high-quality, well-maintained equipment enhances every step of cooking.

Learn knife types and blade maintenance to choose the right tool for your cooking. Compare Japanese carbon steel and Western stainless blades, and master Santoku and paring knives.

Learn two knife grips—like a tennis racket and a finger-forward grip—and master safe cutting with knuckles guiding the blade, keeping fingers rounded as you prepare French cuts.

Learn knife station setup, safety, and how to prep carrots for multiple French cuts. Practice baton, julienne, brunoise, dice, and rounds to achieve consistent sizes for soups, salads, and stocks.

Master knife skills for onions and shallots with French cuts, from skin removal with a paring knife to thin slices and medium to fine dices, while preserving juices.

Develop essential onion and shallot knife skills, including peeling, slicing into petals and strings, and dice from fine to large for salads, risotto, soups, and stir-fries.

Develop knife skills for potatoes using French cuts, including halving, dicing, and julienne for roasting or frying. Learn to cut minced garlic and leeks with battenberg and uniform dice.

Master knife skills with French cuts for leeks, including julienne, medium dice, and mincing garlic. Practice on potatoes to build control for stocks, sauces, and sautés.

Learn to make a vegetable stock from scraps and aromatics, extracting flavor and nutrition while avoiding cloudiness by simmering gently, skimming impurities, and seasoning at the end.

Learn to build a clear vegetable stock by simmering aromatics and mushrooms, skimming impurities, and reducing to a golden liquid, then strain and season at the end for storage.

Learn to master fried eggs with French and Asian techniques, using a non-stick pan, butter or oil, and gentle low-heat steam for soft whites and runny yolks.

Explore the Asian method for frying an egg with high heat and a generous amount of oil, achieving a crispy caramelized bottom and a jammy center ideal for fried rice.

Discover how to boil eggs with control: simmer gently, add eggs carefully, and cool in ice to stop cooking, comparing textures at 5, 6, 8, 10, and 12 minutes.

Boiled egg textures reveal how cooking times—from five to twelve minutes—alter yolk and white consistency. Learn cutting, peeling, and how to use each texture for sandwiches and toppings.

Learn to make a mushroom country-style omelet and a classic French omelet by preparing a savory mushroom filling with diced portobello, parsley, and optional cheese, then cook eggs and fold.

Beat two eggs with cream, salt, and pepper; cook slowly with mushrooms and cheese until the top is set and the bottom is slightly custardy.

Master the classic French omelette by whisking eggs with cream, herbs, and butter, cooking on medium-low heat, folding for a delicate, color-free exterior, and achieving a glossy, soft center.

Learn to safely debone a chicken using a range of knives, separate wings, legs, breast and tenderloin, and save bones for stock with hygiene and knife skills.

Learn to make chicken stock from the carcass by deboning, blanching, and reducing bones with aromatics and vegetables for brown or white stock; skim impurities and avoid vigorous boiling.

Make a clean chicken stock by blanching bones and skimming impurities, then simmer with aromatics and vegetables. Skim fat, maintain a rolling boil, reduce, and season at the end.

Learn to make chicken fricassee by braising chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce with caramelized onions and aromatics, using stock, white wine, and careful reduction.

Prepare and cut vegetables—mushrooms, onions, and garlic—minimizing size for even caramelization, then dry and season chicken before searing with butter and oil in a dutch oven.

Learn to sear chicken breasts in a dutch oven over medium-high heat, achieving a golden caramelized crust, then cook onions, mushrooms, and aromatics for depth.

Caramelize onions until rich brown, then sauté garlic and mushrooms to build flavor. Braise chicken in stock until tender, then finish with cream for a thick, flavorful sauce.

Plate the chicken centered with mushrooms on top, finish with parsley, and enjoy a balanced sauce. Tender chicken, onions, and mushrooms shine, with a hint of wine.

Learn a range of techniques to elevate your cooking skills to the next level and share your pictures with the instructor via messages, plus follow me on Instagram and YouTube.