Focused lessons, one subject at a time

In this lesson, you will learn how to cut using a chef’s knife. Most new cooks feel intimidated by a sharp blade, so we will demonstrate a safe and effective way for you to practice this skill before you even pick up your knife.

We will also show you various ways to position your knife and hands based on the ingredient you are cutting. And finally, we will show you how to hone your knife in order to keep it nice and sharp.

In this lesson, you will learn how to safely and properly cut a variety of ingredients no matter what their shape.

There are a lot of fancy and often confusing terms used in recipes to describe different ways to cut ingredients. Terms such as mince, julienne, chiffonade, and brunoise are all very useful to describe specific cuts, but generally, all you need to learn is how to slice and then dicing and all other cuts will naturally follow.

Dull knives make cooking less enjoyable because the initial task of prepping ingredients becomes a difficult chore – not to mention a safety hazard to your fingers. The quality of your knife’s edge will ultimately reveal your desire and commitment to get cooking.

In this lesson, you will learn about the importance of a sharp knife. You will learn about various whetstones and how to care for them and what happens to a knife during sharpening. You will learn how to sharpen, polish and maintain your knives.

The first and most important step in becoming a good cook is to have a good set of knives. The function of your knives is to get your hands started – to train them to prep and move ingredients effectively from the cutting board into your pots and pans and finally on to the dinner plate.

This lesson teaches you about what is included in a basic knife set and also about the four styles of chef’s knives — so you can decide which knife is best for you.

In this lesson, you will learn the fundamentals of making stock. You will learn about the equipment required, the basic components, the importance of simmering and skimming and how to strain and cool, defat and store stock.

While this lesson will walk you through the process of making a white chicken stock, it is important to note that the principles you learn here apply to all types of stock.

In the world of fine cooking, dark meat stock is an essential ingredient in the kitchen. Dark stocks basically replicate the same flavors savored from grilled meats, roasted vegetables and caramelized onions, but in a pure liquid form.

This lesson builds upon the principles in the lesson on How to Make Stock Fundamentals. Here, in this lesson, you will learn the difference between white and dark stocks, how to develop flavor through caramelizing and deglazing and how to make a dark stock from beginning to end.

In this lesson, you will learn how to make a short stock from start to finish. You will learn about the reasons for and the benefits of making this type of stock.

These flavorful stocks will not only help you to easily infuse extra flavor into the food you are preparing, they will also allow you to create many delicious gravies and sauces to pair with a variety of dishes.

In this lesson you will learn the differences between a broth and a stock as they are often confused.

You will also learn the process of making either a white or dark broth. By learning this easy process, you will not only be able to incorporate a flavorful broth into your cooking, you will be able to build a variety of different dishes from delicious soups to whole meals.

In this lesson, you will learn about the slight differences that you will need to apply to produce veal stock and/or beef stock – another important stock used by the professional chef.

Veal stock is also the stock used to produce demi glace – an important rich stock reduction used in high-end restaurants.

In this lesson, we will show you how to properly develop sucs and how to utilize them to build delicious pan sauces.

We will also show you how to integrate your own personal twists to build both simple and complex sauces with many layers of flavor. You will learn how to safely and properly deglaze the pan and how to achieve the proper sauce consistency. We will also show you how to enrich and finish pan sauces in order to balance their flavor and give them a beautiful, glossy sheen.

Hollandaise is one of the five main mother sauces. Made with butter and eggs, this warm emulsion sauce is thick, yet airy.

In this lesson, you will learn about the main components of a hollandaise. You will learn how to make, season, hold and repair a split or broken hollandaise sauce. You will also learn how to make a few derivative sauces from a base hollandaise, including the ever-so-popular Béarnaise.

Butter sauce is also called a beurre blanc sauce (“white butter”) or sauce blanc. It is a classic French butter sauce that is often served at fancy restaurants.

In this lesson, we will show you how to prepare a basic beurre blanc. You will learn how to serve and hold beurre blanc and how to fix it if it happens to split.

Finally, we will show you how to vary this elegant sauce to make many other delicious sauces.

Tomato sauce is one of the most important mother sauces and is an indispensable staple in many kitchens around the world. In Italian cuisine, tomato sauce is everything and there is absolutely no option but to make it from scratch.

In this lesson, you will learn how to make tomato sauce using just a few quality ingredients. Once you learn how to choose and prepare these ingredients, you will learn the very simple techniques necessary to build a sauce that has a rich and pure tomato flavor.

Velouté is one of the five mother sauces which is made by thickening a flavorful stock with a roux.

In this lesson, you will learn about velouté sauce and the components used to make it. You will learn the steps to make a basic velouté sauce and how to season, enrich and store it. Finally, you will learn how to vary a basic velouté sauce to compliment the flavor profiles of the many dishes you will be able to create.

In this lesson, you will learn about béchamel sauce and the ingredients used to make it. You will learn two different methods for making béchamel and how to prevent lumps.

You will learn how to infuse the sauce with various flavors and how to adjust the consistency to suit the dish you are making. Finally, you will learn how to finish, store and reheat this extremely versatile sauce.

Roux is one of the essential building blocks in cooking and is made by cooking fat and flour together. Roux is used to thicken liquids to make wonderful soups, stews and sauces. It is also used to thicken stock when making velouté and milk or cream when making béchamel.

In this lesson, you will learn what roux is. You will learn how to make a white, blond and brown roux and the differences between them.

This introductory online cooking lesson gives an example of what the Blue Zones Cooking Course looks like for people interested in taking the entire course. It focuses on the Latin American cooking Lesson along with an introduction from Dan Buettner video feature which is used through the entire course. Take the sample and see what you think before taking the full cooking course.

Here’s your chance to explore a portion of Rouxbe’s partner program Jacques Pépin: A Legacy of Technique during the coming days. You will be able to sample “Knife Skills,” with video lessons, recipes, and activities found in the larger course. We hope you enjoy cooking with Jacques and have fun in your kitchen!

In this lesson, you will learn about the anatomy of an egg. You will learn how to buy and properly store eggs and how to determine the freshness of eggs.

You will also learn two basic ways to cook eggs: boiling and scrambling. Here you will learn how to properly cook eggs in water to achieve either a soft, medium or hard yolk. You will learn how to peel eggs and how to identify if an egg in its shell has been cooked or not.

In this lesson, you will learn how to properly pan fry eggs – from sunny-side up all the way to over-hard and even crispy. You will also learn what basted eggs are and how to cook them to the desired doneness.

Finally, you will learn how to properly poach eggs to a soft – medium – or hard doneness. You will also learn about the different types of liquids used to poach eggs, including butter, and how to poach eggs ahead of time to make service that much easier.

In the professional cooking world and in culinary schools, the ability to make a perfect omelet is also a sign of a well-trained chef. The great thing though is that while it does take a bit of practice, making a great omelet is within everyone’s reach.

This lesson will guide you through the process of making impressive omelets whether they are plain, filled with various ingredients or made with egg whites.

In this lesson, you will learn how to make delicious and fluffy, frittatas. You will learn how to choose a good pan for making frittatas and how to determine how many eggs to use for the number of people you are serving.

You will also learn how to properly prepare the ingredients for a frittata and how much filling to add to achieve a good balance. Finally, you will learn how to cook a frittata to achieve the best texture.

Steaming happens to be a fantastic and quick way to cook eggs. You can get breakfast on the table in a matter of minutes and have very little clean up.

In this lesson, you will learn how to steam eggs and test eggs for doneness. You will also learn how to incorporate other ingredients into steamed eggs to create a hearty breakfast or fancy brunch.

This introductory online cooking lesson specializes in one of the key techniques used in whole-food, plant-based cooking. Sautéing without oil is an essential lesson that you will need to master in order to create flavor without adding calories to your dish.

Stir-frying is an indispensable cooking technique because nearly any ingredient can be stir-fried. This lesson teaches you about the five main components of a stir-fry and how to properly prepare these ingredients prior to cooking.

You will also learn a very common sequence used to properly and quickly stir-fry a dish over very high heat — as well as many other valuable tips for successful stir-frying.

Stir-frying is an ancient dry-heat cooking method whereby small pieces of food are quickly cooked in a wok over extremely high heat.

This lesson teaches you about the importance of high heat and the many advantages of this extremely versatile cooking technique. This lesson also teaches you about the basic equipment required for stir-frying and how to choose, season and care for a wok.

Frying is a dry heat cooking method in which foods are cooked in hot fat. In this lesson, you will learn how to choose the proper fat for frying and the proper cooking temperatures required to produce results with least amount of fat absorption.

You will also learn the difference between shallow frying and deep frying and what types of foods are better suited for each technique. Finally, you will learn how to properly handle and finish fried foods prior to serving them.

Searing is what gives many roasts, stews, braised dishes and even certain types of seafood that gorgeous, rich color and sweet flavor.

In this lesson, you will learn how searing works. You will understand when to sear foods and how to sear on the stove top so you can add intense flavor and color to your cooking.

Pan frying is one of the most common dry-heat cooking methods — and it’s an important cooking skill to learn as so many recipes start in the pan.

In this lesson, you will learn the few key indicators to look for when pan frying along with some simple yet effective cooking methods that will enable you to master the art of pan frying.

Pan tossing is a very efficient action which allows you to quickly move and mix many small pieces of food in one motion.

In this lesson, you will learn the motion of pan tossing and how to properly toss foods while cooking.

Sweating is the gentlest dry-heat cooking method. Sweating is commonly the first step or technique used to begin developing flavor in a dish. If sweating is done incorrectly, it can negatively impact the end result.

This lesson teaches you how to sweat properly and why it is often beneficial to sweat the small stuff.

In this lesson, you will learn the reasons why many foods are breaded or battered prior to being cooked. You will learn about the basic breading components and how to set up a standard breading station.

You will also learn about basic batter components and how they affect the final batter. Finally, you will learn how to bread and batter foods prior to cooking them.

Learning how to sauté is an important task for any home cook or professional chef. It is one of the fastest and most common dry-heat cooking methods used to cook bite-sized pieces of food in a pan.

This lesson teaches you about how to sauté, so that you can master this essential cooking technique.

Braising is one of the combination cooking methods which involves both dry and moist heat.

In this lesson, we are going to focus on braising meats. In this lesson, you will learn how to choose and prepare the meat for braising and how to build a braised dish by adding various layers of flavor. You will also learn how to cook a braised dish, test it for doneness and how to finish the sauce prior to serving.

Submersion cooking methods are moist-heat cooking methods that consist of poaching, simmering and boiling. In these cases, ingredients are cooked by being submerged in hot liquids.

This lesson teaches you about poaching, simmering and boiling and how the temperature between each method will dramatically affect the final outcome of whatever you are cooking.

In this lesson, you will learn about what steaming is. You will also learn about the advantages of steaming and the various tools available.

We will show you the basics for steaming, from what steaming is to preparing ingredients and assembling them in the steaming vessel to controlling temperature. Whether you choose to steam vegetables, or even dumplings and buns, by following just a few basics, you can easily add steaming to your cooking repertoire.

Combination Cooking involves both dry- and moist-heat cooking. Braising, stewing and pot-roasting are all combination cooking methods which are excellent for cooking tougher (but often tastier) cuts of meats.

In this lesson, you will learn the few key steps and fundamentals to combination cooking. Understanding these key basics will help you stew, braise or pot roast without the need for a recipe.

Stewing is an ancient form of combination cooking which involves both dry and moist heat. Small pieces of meat and/or vegetables are often first browned and then slowly cooked in a liquid until they become fork tender.

In this lesson, we are going to focus on making brown stews, using beef chuck as our example. You will learn how to choose and prepare meat for stewing and how to build a stew by adding various layers of flavor. You will learn how to cook a stew, test it for doneness and how to finish the sauce prior to serving.

Pot roasting is one of the combination cooking methods which involves both dry- and moist-heat cooking. In this lesson, you will learn the technique of pot roasting.

You will learn how to choose the right cut of meat for pot-roasting and how to prepare it for cooking. We will walk you through the entire cooking process and show you how to build the most flavor and incorporate your own personal twists. Once cooked, we will show you how to finish the dish and the sauce to prepare the pot roast for serving.

In this lesson, you will learn how to identify the most popular premium cuts of steak that are on the market. You will also learn about the importance of marbling and how the type of aging impacts both the quality and cost of meat.

You will also learn a few tips for how to choose the most appropriate steak to suit the type of meal you are making. Although many delicious steaks come from various parts of the steer, in this lesson, we are going to focus on the premium cuts of beef.

In this lesson, you will learn how to prep, temper, season and cook premium steaks using two different methods: the flip-once method and the flip-often method.

We will show you how to determine doneness and why it is vital to rest meat prior to serving. You will also learn about the advantages of cooking steaks on the grill and in a pan. Finally, using the pan method, we will teach you how to make a quick and delicious sauce to accompany your steak.

In this lesson, you will learn how to roast prime rib. You will learn how to select the best prime rib and how to properly prepare prime rib for roasting.

You will also learn how the temperature in which you choose to cook prime rib at will impact the final outcome. You will learn how to check prime rib for doneness and the importance of resting. Finally, you will learn how to prepare a jus and how to carve prime rib.

In this lesson, you will learn how to roast a chicken. You will also learn what type of chicken to choose and how to prepare it for roasting. You’ll also learn how to check it for doneness, rest it and carve it.

In this lesson, we will also show you enhance a basic roast chicken. We will also show you ways to achieve the ultimate crispy skin and how to use the pan juices to make a delicious sauce to serve with the chicken.

Whether you choose to cook turkey, chicken, quail, Cornish hen or duck (or any other type of poultry), it’s important to realize that each bird has relatively the same anatomy.

In this lesson, you will learn about the basic anatomy of poultry and the difference between white and dark meat. You will also learn which cooking methods are best suited to each part of poultry. Finally, you will learn how to buy, store and thaw poultry.

Fish is one of those ingredients that must be as fresh as possible in order to reap all of its wonderful benefits.

In this lesson, we will show you how to identify quality fish. We will also show you how to properly store, freeze and thaw fish, so you can enjoy one of the healthiest and most delicious foods.

Here’s your chance to explore a portion of Rouxbe’s partner program Seafood Literacy during the coming days. Seafood Literacy introduces cooks to the foundational techniques and knowledge needed to include more sustainable seafood on the menu.

In this lesson, you will learn the differences between lean and oily fish and how to prepare fish for cooking.

You will also learn how to retain moisture when cooking fish and how to test fish for doneness. By understanding just a few key fundamentals, you can ensure moist and juicy fish every time.

In this lesson, we’ll walk you through the process of pan frying thin or thick pieces of fish over low or high heat.

While pan frying fish does take a bit of patience and practice, we’ll help you understand what to look for when pan frying, so you can build your confidence and be able to enjoy moist and flavorful pan fried fish every time.

When cooked properly and to the right doneness, roasted vegetables not only look beautiful, they have a delicious and earthy flavor that pairs well with almost any dish.

In this lesson, you will learn how roasting affects vegetables. You will also learn how to prepare vegetables for roasting, how to roast vegetables, test vegetables for doneness and how to finish and serve roasted vegetables.

Vegetables grow in an array of colors – from beautiful white to vibrant green, bright orange and deep red. This is due to the presence of certain pigments in their cells.

In this lesson, you will learn about the different pigment categories and the things you need to keep in mind during cooking to preserve the optimal color and flavor.

When cooking vegetables, the main objectives are to preserve flavor and color, while achieving the desired texture.

In this lesson, you will learn the basics of vegetable cookery. By understanding the differences between boiling, simmering, blanching and parboiling, you won’t ever have those childhood fears of eating poorly-cooked vegetables again.

In this lesson, we will show you how to prepare, steam and test vegetables for doneness. You will also learn how to finish and season vegetables in ways that will complement their natural flavors.

You will also learn how to store steamed vegetables, so you can quickly and easily incorporate them into other dishes throughout the week.

In this lesson, you will learn about starch-based thick soups and how to make them.

You will also learn how to adjust their texture and how to finish and serve them.

By knowing just a few simple techniques, you will see just how easy it is to create any type of thick and hearty soup.

In this lesson, you will learn how to make broth-based clear soups from scratch.

You will learn how to prepare the main ingredient and how to infuse the water with aromatics to give the soup a full-bodied flavor. Once the broth is made, it can be served as is, or it can be used as the base to build a variety of delicious soups using an array of ingredients to make them more substantial.

Finally, we will teach you how to serve and also various ways to garnish these soups.

Stock-based clear soups rely on a variety of ingredients to form the main flavor base. Liquid (usually stock) is added to enhance and bring the main flavors together to form a delicious soup.

In this lesson, we will walk you through the process of making a stock-based clear soup. Just by following a few key steps, you’ll be able to create many tasty soups.

In this lesson, you will learn about the components of a roux-based soup, how to make a roux-based soup, and how to vary the texture once it is cooked. You will also learn how to finish a roux-based soup prior to serving.

Once you learn these few simple techniques, you’ll be able to whip together many healthy and delicious soups at a moment’s notice.

Brining is simply the technique of submerging meat, fish, or vegetables into a salty solution. Brining is an easy way to add additional moisture to leaner cuts of meat that can tend to dry out during cooking.

In this lesson, you will learn how brining works — from simple ratios of salt to water, to infusing flavor and brining times. Learn this simple and important technique and you will enjoy juicy, flavorful meat every time.

Any chef or confident cook will tell you that knowing how to season with salt is as crucial as any other technique you will learn.

This lesson teaches you about the types of salt, how salt affects food and how to use salt during the cooking process.

One of the easiest ways to enhance the flavor of the food you prepare is to add herbs. Whether fresh or dried, you need to know how to use herbs and when to add them during the cooking process.

This lesson teaches you about how to buy, store, prepare, use and cook with herbs so you can heighten the flavor of the food you are preparing.

This lesson teaches you about how to incorporate more flavor into food by marinating it.

Before refrigeration existed, marinades were relied upon to preserve fish, meats and other foods for long periods of time. The oil prevented oxygen from coming into contact with the food and the acids helped to slow the growth of bacteria. Nowadays, however, marinades are used primarily to add flavor to food. It may surprise you at just how many different cultures use marinating to add interesting layers of flavor to food.

Laminated pasta takes more time to make than simply buying pasta, but the end result is well worth the effort. Making your own pasta is not only an extremely satisfying experience, but it also allows you to control the flavor, thickness, shape, and filling.

In this lesson, you will learn about the types of flour used to make pasta. You will learn how to make, knead, roll, cut and shape pasta. Finally, you will learn how to vary the color of pasta dough, so you can add interesting flavor and color to your cooking.

While there is a big difference between fresh, laminated, pasta and dried, extruded, pasta, contrary to popular belief, one is not necessarily better than the other. Both are appreciated for their unique qualities and are used for different purposes.

This lesson teaches you about how both extruded and laminated pasta are made, the differences between them and when you might choose one over the other. This lesson also cover how to buy quality dried pasta.

Pasta is one of the most loved dishes around the world. In Italy, eating a plate of pasta is a daily ritual – a plate of properly-cooked pasta that is. Remarkably, however, most people inadvertently have been eating improperly cooked pasta for most of their lives.

This lesson teaches you about how to properly cook both dried and fresh pasta. It also covers how to drain, sauce and serve pasta.

In this lesson, you will learn how to buy and store dried beans, peas and lentils, otherwise known as legumes or pulses. You will learn how to prepare them for cooking and the advantages of and the various methods in which to soak them. You will also learn how to properly cook and test beans for doneness.

You will also learn simple ways to incorporate legumes and pulses into an endless number of dishes.

Polenta is a long-time staple in Italian and European cuisines. Unfortunately, it has a reputation of being bland and very challenging to cook, but this is simply not true. By following just a few simple steps, polenta is actually one of the easiest dishes to prepare.

In this lesson, you will learn just how easy it is to make this delicious and nutritious dish.

Rice is the staple food for more than half of the world’s population and is one of the oldest cultivated grains.

In this lesson, we will help you understand the basic anatomy of rice and how it is processed. You will also know how to identify different varieties of rice and how to store rice properly.

There are generally four different methods for cooking rice: steaming, boiling, pilaf and risotto, all of which produce very different results. Different methods often require specific types of rice to achieve the desired texture and flavor.

In this lesson, we will teach you how to properly steam and boil rice and when to rinse or soak it. You will also learn how to vary the flavor of plain rice. Finally, you will learn why resting is important and how to prepare rice for serving.

Whole grains are the building blocks of a healthy diet. Not only are they full of vitamins and nutrients, there is plenty of research to support the fact that whole grains help to prevent disease, control weight and aid in digestion.

In this lesson, you will learn about the anatomy of whole grains. You will be exposed to some common types of grains and learn how to buy grains and how to store both cooked and uncooked grains.

Risotto is a very versatile dish that lends itself well to a variety of flavors. Once you have mastered how to make a basic risotto, you can begin to incorporate different ingredients throughout the cooking process to create a variety of delicious dishes.

This lesson teaches you about how to incorporate various sauces, purées and additional ingredients during the risotto making process.

An authentic risotto is a deliciously-creamy, Italian rice dish.

It is important to realize that risotto is not just a dish. The risotto method is also one of the four main cooking methods used to cook a variety of rice and grains. When cooked using the risotto method, these other grains will produce delicious “risotto-style” dishes.

This lesson teaches you how to make and vary a basic risotto.

Pilaf is one of the four main methods for cooking rice. Though many grains are also cooked using this method, in this lesson, we are going to focus on using rice, which is generally the most common.

This lesson teaches you how to make a basic pilaf. It also teaches you how to enhance and flavor a basic pilaf to create many flavorful dishes.

Fresh and crisp salad greens are a healthy and refreshing part of a balanced diet. By using a variety of greens, salads will not only look visually stunning, but they will taste great.

In this lesson, you will learn how to choose, clean, refresh and store a variety of greens. You will also learn how to properly dress and toss a salad and how to combine greens in order to compose different salads.

All chefs and seasoned cooks make their own vinaigrettes and dressings. They are extremely easy to make and most importantly, the cook is in complete control of what goes into them.

In this lesson you will learn the difference between vinaigrettes and dressings. You will also learn how to build a basic vinaigrette, using a variety of oils and acids. Once you learn how to make a basic vinaigrette, you will learn simple ways to flavor this kitchen staple. Finally, you will learn how to match vinaigrettes to various types of greens.

Wheat is one of the most common grains used in every day foods. In this lesson you get an “inside look” into gluten – the magical component in wheat that enables us to make so many wonderful products.

You will learn what gluten is, where it comes from, and when gluten is and isn’t your friend.

No matter what type of bread you choose to make, all yeast breads go through the same main bread making stages.

In this lesson, we will walk you through the main bread making stages, using the most basic dough – a lean dough – as our example.

In this lesson, you will also learn how to make an épi.

In this lesson, you will learn about the basic equipment required for making crêpes and how to prepare, flavor and tweak a basic batter in order to create ultra-thin crêpes.

You will learn the key steps for properly cooking crêpes and a variety of ways in which to fill, shape and serve them. Finally, you will learn how to make and store crêpes in advance so you can have quick and easy access to them.

Here’s your chance to explore a portion of Rouxbe’s partner program Bread Baking Arts during the coming days. You will be able to sample an entire Unit entitled “Doughnuts & Beignets,” with video lessons, instructions, recipes, baking activities, and assessments as found in the larger course. After tasting this unit, consider how accomplished you’ll be in the kitchen with advanced tasting from the French Pastry School master bakers.

What is the difference between a chocolate bar you find in a supermarket and chocolate made by a fine chocolatier? If you don’t know how chocolate is made or processed or how to buy it, you can easily be fooled by marketers.

In this lesson, you will learn about the cacao tree and how cocoa beans are manufactured. You will learn how chocolate is processed into varieties of dark, milk and white chocolate.

Here’s your chance to explore a portion of Rouxbe’s partner program Essential Vegan Desserts during the coming days. Essential Vegan Desserts is an online course based on Fran Costigan’s popular Vegan Baking Boot Camp. The full 90-day course focuses on essential techniques and recipes so you can create professional quality vegan desserts with confidence. The course starts with an explanation of key equipment, ingredient selection and function, and foundational techniques for creating desserts without the use of eggs and dairy. This sample course will give you a true taste of how quickly you can transform your repertoire with vegan desserts.

Professional chefs have the ability to bring a dish quickly together and plate it beautifully without hesitation. They do this with confidence and great consistency because they plan it out beforehand and continually practice.

Excellent, consistent, and quick plating takes just a bit of forethought, practice and skill. In this lesson, we will share a few of the foundational guidelines that cooks use every day in professional kitchens.