Culinary Confidence: A Series of Basic Cooking Skills Classes for Hesitant Cooks (Online)
Taught by Laura Scheck
Laura Scheck is the founder of Teaching Table, a culinary education platform that aims to inspire others to cook foods that are better for their bodies, their families, and their communities. Laura previously worked as a teacher and adult educator and was trained at the Natural Gourmet Institute, making her uniquely suited to share her passion for food in an educational way. Teaching Table provides public cooking demos and workshops, lessons targeted towards individual needs and special diets, private cooking classes & events for cooks of all ages and experience levels, as well as tips, techniques, and recipes via a blog and social media.
Do you lack confidence in the kitchen? Are you a new cook? Are you an adult who claims they can’t cook? Have you resolved to cook more and order take out less often? Do you want to better understand the basics to make simple straightforward meals that taste good and nourish?
In this 4-session series, paced for beginners (or those who simply aren’t comfortable in the kitchen), participants develop culinary confidence while learning and practicing basic cooking techniques. Learn in a supportive environment where we encourage all of your questions, and grow from our mistakes.
CONCEPTS THAT WILL BE COVERED:
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Roasting
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Braising
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Sautéeing
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Seasoning and Flavor Development
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Cooking Grains
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Pan Sauces, Spreads and Vinaigrettes
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Menu planning
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Improvisational cooking
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Shopping for ingredients
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Choosing the proper tools & equipment
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Seasonality of ingredients
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Time Management
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Kitchen safety and sanitation
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Knife skills (cursory only, we recommend our separate Knife Skills classes for a deeper dive
WHAT DO I GET WHEN ENROLLING IN THIS COURSE?
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4 LIVE sessions via zoom. We will meet [roughly] every other week on Mondays starting September 23rd. Other dates: October 7th, October 21st and November 11th.
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Lifetime access to all course materials and recipes.
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Recordings of each live session.
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Personalized on-demand cooking coaching throughout the course. Your chef is easily accessible via email.
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Priority for registration into other Teaching Table classes and events (virtual and in person).
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Students procure their own ingredients and materials: A detailed list of ingredients is provided at least 1 week before each class session. No special tools or equipment needed.
WHAT WILL WE COOK?
Each session focuses on a singular cooking technique and incorporates some other basics.
Our menu (subject to change based on student interest) is as follows.
Session 1: Roasting and Seasoning
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Roast Chicken with Pan Sauce Gravy
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Roast Vegetables
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Rosemary Crusted Potatoes
Session 2: Braising and Sautéeing
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Chicken Piccata or Lamb Stew (students’ choice)
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Garlicky Greens
Session 3: Cooking Grains and Pasta Dishes
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Hearty Mushroom Risotto and/or
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Pasta alla Vodka or Amatriciana
Session 4: Fish and Purées
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Baked Ras el Hanout Arctic Char
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Muhammara (smokey red pepper & walnut sauce)
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Yogurt Dill Sauce
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Creamy Cauliflower or Pea Purée
DON’T SEE WHAT YOU WANT TO LEARN HERE?
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Tell us. We might be able to incorporate it. Or it might already be a part of the course and not listed here.
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Check out our other classes. Once you gain the confidence in this safe space for beginners, you’ll be ready and eager to take our other classes.
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Set up private one-on-one or small group lessons with Chef Laura to tailor instruction to your exact goals.
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Check out our Learn to Cook Eggs and Beginner Knife Skills classes to enhance your experience.
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A baking basics course is coming soon. Let us know if you are interested and we will save you a spot.
HOW DO I ACCESS CULINARY CONFIDENCE?
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Culinary Confidence is LIVE and ONLINE and meets via Zoom. Upon registration, you will be provided with the online joining link as well as calendar appointments to help you keep track of your sessions.
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All of your course materials, including recipes, handouts, visual aids and videos are stored in one convenient place accessible to students online. You’ll have lifetime access to this!