We are here to learn, teach more!! Less blogging, more teaching!

Hi Deborah. Thanks for the email.

As for lesson releases, we have slowed down a bit (went from 7 crazy unmanageable days to 10 to 14 days) but trust me, the school content is not going away. We have about 50 more lessons to release (in the basic curriculum) along with some live classroom stuff, chat rooms with other students from around the world and more. Rome wasn't built in a day and these lessons and supporting cooking school features take time.

The blog is certainly not our focus at all. It's just simply a way to share some news and drive a bit more traffic to our cooking school. So don't worry - we are not turning into a blog and in fact we spend so little time here. As you stated, there are enough of those out there.

I also thought it might be important for you (and others) to know that our lessons take a long time to plan and produce (7 to 10 days). We don't just pick up a camera and shoot. We have five professional chefs (2 from http://nwcav.com) and 3 from Rouxbe that spend about 2 to 3 days planing and writing, then one day shooting and then 2 to 3 days editing at a minimum. Wish we could go faster but it's just not physically possible. If you want quick content releases, I can suggest a few other sites if you contact me offline via the contact us link in the footer.

We do plan on accelerating production at some point but there are some core supporting cooking school features that we also need to integrate to make Rouxbe even better.

Question for you. How have the practice exercises been for you? Have you had much time to try them out? Just asking because this is where a great deal of learning occurs and with cooking, practice is everything. I suggest reviewing some of the older content, heading to the market and practice. And if you need any help here, we are happy to assist you. The lessons provide the foundational knowledge but it is the cooking that will set you free.

If you need any help, please let us know. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and concerns.

Joe, you said that new lessons would be coming 10-14 days. The time between the last two poultry lessons was nearly a month. Is this always going to be the case from now on or will they be quicker in the future. I am sure I am not the only one who regularly checks the site for a new lesson. We just can't get enough of them they are so good and having to wait nearly 4 weeks is too long. Can you speed them up any? You say you have about 50 more to release. When will this be? Sorry to sound negative but I just love these lessons and find them so good.

Hi Joe,
There are millions of zillions of recipes and techniques across the web. A lifetime is not long enough to review them all. Few weeks ago, I made a choice; Rouxbe will be my main source for cooking tips, recipes and techniques. So, for the first time of my life, I was enough hooked by a website to pay for a subscription. What a great concept, what a top notch quality videos, what a delicious recipes, what a bunch of helpful tips and techniques...
But, I can’t disagree with the precedent comments expressed by the previous users. We are expecting faster releases. Can you at least give us a schedule for the next upcoming lessons or techniques? I was thinking to offer a Rouxbe subscription as a Christmas gift to a family member but this issue stopped me from doing it.
I'm sure that you'll address the issue and meanwhile I wish you and all the team a very happy Holiday season.
France

Hi Everyone.

This is a very challenging subject for us. Learning to cook is about gaining some knowledge (e.g. watching our knowledge-based cooking school videos) and from here it's all about practice, practice, practice. We are working on new lessons all the time and I apologize about the miscommunication around lesson release schedule. They will happen as we complete them but the process is always ongoing. To truly learn to cook better, you have to treat each lesson as a starting point to your learning (not an end point). For example, if you learn about "Braising", find 5 good braising recipes (on Rouxbe or from any other source) and try them out over and over if necessary, until you can braise without a recipe. Refer back to the lesson if you need a refresher and contact us if you are having trouble. Don't move on until you fully understand each concept/lesson.

In the new year, we plan to start integrating features that will get students cooking more, instead of just viewing a lesson and then waiting for the next lesson.

I have been mentoring a few students using a new enhanced learning process that we will be rolling out in the new year and it is really working. The actual video lesson portion of their learning is less then 10% of their learning path. Practicing with feedback is where you will begin to turn the corner.

We will guide you through this process so you all have a better understanding. I agree, we are not doing a great job at this and I am committed to fixing it.

Be patient. If you want to learn to cook, stick with it. Focus on the lessons that are already here as there is already close to 40 to 50% of an entire professional cooking school curriculum. You will be amazed at the results of your learning if you focus here instead of focusing (waiting) for the next lesson. Many sites and brick and mortar cooking schools charge the same price of our annual membership for a 3 hour cooking lesson for a single topic (e.g. one lesson). Rouxbe students currently have 55 or more lessons.

Cheers, Joe

P.S. Contact me using the contact link below if you are not happy and/or not learning. I will happily refund a portion, or all of your money. Our goal is to ensure that you are receiving value for your investment. But remember, much of the learning depends on you practicing, not new video releases.

Joe, my dear, Happy New Year!

But, and there is always a "but"...I think that the point is that your students want to learn, even if they never use them in recipes! I know that does not make sense, but for example, my husband does not eat eggs. If I need to use them as a binder, or as a minor ingredient, he freaks. How am I too practice my egg techniques on him? (Actually, he was away for a three days and I spent the whole time cooking eggs...I may never eat one again).

We are not Julie Powell who will spend a week braising, or roasting, whatever! We have families we have to cater to, and we just want to know that if we need to do something, we can. We can not afford (cost) to practice for the sake of practice. Give us the knowledge, and let us go with it!

We are not culinary students at the CIA, we are home cooks who just want to do it right! I am no spring chicken, and I think I may not live long enough to cover all the lessons. Stop thinking of us as professional culinary students! I am sooo old that I do need to refer back to lessons to reinforce (remember) and if the lessons aren't there, what do I do?

You are (were) a school, teach first, we can practice at our own pace!

Love,

Deb, Lifetime Member (and counting down).

Hi Deborah,

Sorry if we are not providing a good service for you. Please contact me if you like offline using the contact us link below. I'll be happy to provide a refund on your membership.

We are a school, as you said above in your last line. You cannot teach without assigning and evaluating practice. Period. It's the only way to teach. I'm sorry if you feel differently. Practice exercises are coming. This is where users will begin to learn. It's like in a professional or recreational cooking school where you watch a cook prepare something and then you go back and do it. Without doing it, one will never learn.

Cheers,
Joe

Practicing with feedback only works in schools...practicing with your family is a WHOLE different story!

This is a present shortcoming on our site to be resolved in 2010. You need feedback or it's worthless - full agree. It's coming for those that would like it.

So sorry (I am a major pain in the ___, but I am old,so, oh well, and re-reading your comment about how hard it is to put out lessons in a timely manner, HUH? You did it before...Technique Tuesday, duh!!!

Looked forward to Tuesdays, but you can't do it anymore? WHY??

I thought you wanted feedback on your new whatever you are doing, and I gave it to you, and your only answer is to offer me a refund. You are not getting off that easy. We are married lifetime now and you are stuck with me and my comments.

Are you listening to us? (it's not just me).Every criticism any of us make, we just get excuses. What you don't realize is that we want you, we love you.

You want feedback, and you are just not accepting it. I feel like sending you to your room without your dinner!

I think there are a lots of kind of cooks here, like home cooks,housewifes, semi-professionals, total amateurs etc, and it is very hard to satisfy all of them fully. If the site is going to take the more professional line, even it will be plenty of usefull stuff to everyone i guess. At least i dont worry about it.

Happy new year everyone!

Thomas (from Hungary)

Just have to add my two cents worth here. When I first discovered your site, I too couldnt get enough. I had to go through every lesson and look at the video. Then when I started taking the quizes, I initually wanted to fly right through them and get to the next one skipping most of the practice and practice recipes. I realized that I needed to slow my pace down and fully understand and experience (practice) each lesson.
I'm 44 years old and finally at the point in my life and career to have enough time to pursue some of my interest that I've had to put on hold for a long time. I expect to be cooking for the next 30-40 years, I'm in no rush, so keep up the good work and keep doing what you're doing. Can't thank you enough.

Don

I just found this site a week ago and I've watched almost all the videos. About a day in I realized that many of the subjects I want to learn more about are not complete yet. At first, this bothered me but then I asked myself, "How much of this have I actually cooked?" This served to remind me of what you said above: the videos are a starting point.

I'm a freelance musician and teacher with a crazy schedule. I also cook most of the meals for my wife and me. I bought the 30-day subscription and it will be a serious question of whether to renew. I think it will be based on how my practice has been going; how well it is received by my family; and how much fun I'm having. So far, it looks good.

I'm looking forward to the new lessons, but I know the value of my subscription does not depend on them. Please don't rush them.

By the way, since starting the lessons, I've made pan fried chicken with a pan sauce (shallots, white wine, butter), scrambled and over-easy eggs, sauted diced potatoes, pasta from scratch, and peas. I've been a member since 12/30!

Aubrey, I don't feel so bad now about the amount of time I've been on this website in the last week. I too found this site over my Holiday break and can barely break away. It is not how I planned on spending my time off from work, but I have learned plenty, and my husband is loving the benefits. In the last week, I've bought my chef knife (wusthof) with steel and started practising my slicing and dicing (roll techniques). I've cooked the chicken parmigiani, hash browns, Mile High Pancakes, scrambled eggs (first time I've been happy about that outcome), the basic tomato sauce, hand-made pizza, spaghetti and meatballs and the french fries. I hope my search help is over. I'm optimistic I've found it. By the time I practise and cook and cook and practise, I'll be ready for new lessons, but I'm sure I have enough to keep busy with for now. Thanks Rouxbe!

As a long time user of Rouxbe and as a senior citizen myself (63), I want Rouxbe to know that complaints regarding the pace of new lessons certainly do not speak for me. As regards to practice - my family loves it! The more I practice, the better and more confident I get. I have learned so much and Rouxbe has introduced me to dishes that I never would have attempted without the lessons and videos. Last week the community guide came out and they are offering cooking lessons. One 3 hour lesson is $50.00 - you would go once, observe and be able to eat but you would never be able to go back and review. A few days ago, I made pan fried gnocchi and I hadn't made them for months. I was thinking how lucky I was to go back and see again the proper techniques. Not only is Rouxbe phenominal in quality , you are unbelievable in what you offer for the price. Last week I took some pictures for a test kitchen recipe I had intended to submit. (Caramelized oranges soaked in liquer). I was not satisfied with either the pictures or results and did not want to make it again. But it made me realize the tremendous amount of work each recipe and lesson must take. I for one plan to be around for a long time more to learn and enjoy Rouxbe and - getting a lifetime membership is one of the best deals I ever made. Every new lesson is like icing on the cake.

I agree with Liz S. Many people do not realize the amount of work done behind the scenes. In addition to the wonderful recipes I really appreciate the tips and techniques offered. They apply to all schools of cooking, European, Asian, Middle Eastern, etc. The videos are god send. They focus on the cooking instead of the chef as in TV cooking shows. I also enjoy watching cooking shows on TV but it is a different experience. As Liz S. pointed out, you can readily go back to a Rouxbe video and review.

I have been following rouxbe.com for about a month and I love it very very much. I believe (and absolutely see) my cooking skills are gradually improving. I am planning to buy a yearly subscription soon, however I think it would be best if all the basics had been completed. I think I am going to buy it when all the 'coming soon' lectures are ready.

Anyways, you do a great job in any case and I try to be patient for more lectures...

Well done and congratulations!

Hi everyone, I am Deb who started this conversation, and I feel that I need to make some clarifications.

Firstly, I love Rouxbe. I love you too, Joe.

Secondly, I am not complaining for the sake of doing so. Most of the respondents seem to be newbies, and to you all, I want you to try to imagine a day, a Tuesday, every Tuesday, that you would receive a lesson from Rouxbe. It was a gift every week! Yea!!! Then the email about new people and companies joining in, and all of a sudden, where did my Rouxbe go?

Newbies, you can not judge what I say, because you never had what I had when I initially joined Rouxbe.

That is a fact. If there are any old timers out there who want to contradict me, I would love to hear from you..but one thing that is true, Rouxbe does not put out lessons like they used to, and who can deny that?

I LOVE ROUXBE, OKAY?!?!?!

I am just providing feedback that was asked for.

Happy New Year to all!

You ever notice when the new TV season starts each fall and you have all the new shows right out of the gate but by Thanksgiving you start hitting reruns? Most 20 or 22 episode series start production in early July and have at least 6 episodes complete for the fall season when they debut. Production continues while they air those shows but there comes a time where production just can't keep up, that's when the reruns start.

Due to high production costs you now see shows on networks like HBO that are 13 episode runs that are filmed and complete before airing. No reruns, no breaks but you wait 7 months for the next episode of "Big Love".

In TV land it is a marathon to go through 10 months of filming for a season and you can't wait for the summer hiatus. The crew gets long overdue rest and the writers get a jump on the next season.

Rouxbe filmed for six months before the world got to see the first school lessons and we've been running a marathon ever since with no hiatus or break in production. The process to film a Rouxbe lesson is no different then any show on TV. Yes the crew is smaller and we have less car chases but the process is the same. If it can't be done on TV with 3 million dollar budgets per episode it's easy to understand why Rouxbe can't do it any quicker too. Plus we don't stop releasing during the summer to catch up.

As a person who liked cooking but really wasn't sold on the concept of the school myself, I can say only this. It has changed my life completely. My confidence in the kitchen has soared and instead of always needing that recipe, I just cook. When I see a flavor profile I like on TV I can understand the methods used at a glance. That was dry heat, followed by combination cooking with a Bechamel sauce, DONE! I don't call it practice myself, I just call it dinner and now I don't dare serve anything without a pan sauce or my girls give me the look.

If people really take the time to put what they learn into action they will improve and that's not just trying it once. It took me many months to perfect certain lessons to the point that making what I learned became second nature. Like any art, the more you practice the better you get. I'm not trying to become Gordon Ramsay but now at least I don't have to paint by numbers and follow his recipes.

for explaining what happened re filming. Now I understand. That's all it took.

Hello I am going to purchase a membership as soon as my paypal account goes through. But I would like to know when you are going to have lessons on the quick breads and yeast breads.

Also would it be possible to have information in text on some of the subjects that you have not covered yet. Since that would not take up that much time.

Thanks

Thanks for your interest in Rouxbe. As for the lessons that you mention, these lessons are coming down the road a bit. We are working on getting through some of the core culinary lessons first.

As for having the material in text for these lessons before they are published, this is not possible at this time. Rouxbe is about more than just text, we are about context and visual learning. We are looking into having text available with the lessons, but again this would not go with lessons we have not yet released.

Hope this helps to clear things up for you. Cheers!

Do you have a month or maybe a season (spring/fall) when mixing methods/making bread lessons would be released?

I initially was a little disappointed in the release schedule, however I am so impressed with the content and how well-produced each lesson is that I'm in this with you for the long haul. In the meantime, I'll continue to practice each lesson by, gasp, cooking the recipes and perfecting my technique! As was mentioned by one of the Rouxbe staff above, watching the lesson is just the starting point. You have to apply the lesson in the kitchen many times in order to "own" the technique being presented.

I'm already a better cook because of Rouxbe, and my unabashed opinion of myself is that I was a pretty good cook before I found Rouxbe.

Cheers!