Culinary Boot Camp: For Amateur Cooks

This hands-on, skills-based series covers the advanced skills that amateur cooks need to take their culinary education to the next level. We'll focus on each cooking technique, using multiple ingredients to drive it home, so you leave confident that you can tackle these skills on your own.

Culinary Boot Camp: Basic Skills is NOT a prerequisite if you already feel somewhat comfortable in the kitchen.

This program meets every week for 6 weeks.

WEEK 1: Knife Skills + Advanced Vegetable Techniques

Skills covered:

• Advanced Knife Skills
• Vegetable Techniques: Braising/Stewing
• Cooking with Legumes
• Creating Balanced Plant-Based Meals 
• Seasoning Techniques: Balancing Salt/Fat/Acid

Recipes include:

• Moroccan Tagine with Chickpeas and Vegetables
• Classic Minestrone
• Sauteed Leafy Greens 

WEEK 2: Poultry Techniques (Chicken + Duck)

Skills covered:

• Quartering a Whole Chicken
• Braising Legs/Thighs
• Poaching and Pan-Roasting Breasts
• Working with Duck Breast

Recipes include:

• Crisp Duck Breast with Cherry Jus
• Vietnamese Shredded Chicken and Cabbage Salad
• Braised Chicken with Wild Mushrooms

WEEK 3: Meat Techniques (Beef + Pork)

Skills covered:

• Meat Techniques: Understanding Different Cuts, Searing, Brown Braising
• Meat Pan Sauces

Recipes include:

• Steak with Red Wine Pan Sauce
• Perfect Meatballs in Marinara
• Pork with Apple-Onion Gravy
• Seasonal Salad

WEEK 4: Fish + Shellfish Techniques

Skills covered:

• Working with Shrimp, Mussels, Clams 
• Filleting Whole Fish
• Making Fish Stock
• Simple Fish Stews

Recipes include:

• Fish Stock
• Mussels Mariniere
• Provencal Fish Stew
• Garlic Shrimp
• Beet + Escarole Salad

WEEK 5: Fresh Pasta Techniques

Skills covered:

• Fresh Pasta Dough
• Building a Ragout
• Making Fresh Ricotta Cheese
• Forming Ravioli and Tortellini

Recipes include:

• Hand-Cut Pappardelle with Braised Pork Ragout
• Spinach-Ricotta Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter
• Sicilian Orange + Fennel Salad

WEEK 6: Advanced Baking Techniques

Skills covered:

• Pate a Choux Dough
• Creamed Butter Cakes
• Chocolate Ganache
• Working with Phyllo Dough
• Working with Egg Whites

Recipes include:

• Classic Profiteroles
• Upside Down Fruit Cake
• Dark Chocolate-Almond Torte
• Savory Spinach-Herb Phyllo Pie

Important notes:

• Please reach out to CourseHorse for any dietary restrictions.
• Make sure to ring the outside buzzer, even if the front door is open, so we know you are arriving!