Restaurant Cooking Foundations

Service Description

Join this 4-week Restaurant Cooking Foundations series and learn how to cook like a chef from the ground up. Each class focuses on core culinary techniques used in professional kitchens—knife skills, flavour building, cooking methods, sauces, and plating—while you create a complete restaurant-style meal each week. This hands-on series is perfect for home cooks who want to gain confidence, improve technique, and understand how restaurant-quality food is built from simple foundations. Week 1: Knife Skills & Mise en Place Learn how chefs stay fast, efficient, and organized in the kitchen. You’ll master essential knife cuts like dice, mince, and julienne while building a strong mise en place system. You’ll make: Chicken stir-fry bowls with vegetables, jasmine rice, and a ginger garlic pan sauce. This class shows how proper prep leads to better flavour, timing, and consistency. Week 2: Stocks, Mother Sauces & Pan Sauce Building Discover how restaurants build deep, rich flavour from simple ingredients. You’ll learn the basics of stock, understand mother sauces, and build a restaurant-style pan sauce from scratch using fond and reduction techniques. You’ll make: Seared chicken with a mushroom thyme pan sauce, creamy mashed potatoes, and roasted carrots. Week 3: Cooking Methods & Protein Mastery Focus on essential cooking techniques used in professional kitchens, including roasting, searing, and understanding doneness. You’ll learn how to control texture, moisture, and flavour while building balanced plates. You’ll make: Herb-roasted chicken thighs with a lemon garlic pan jus, warm farro salad, and roasted seasonal vegetables. Week 4: Emulsions, Seasoning & Restaurant Plating Bring everything together with sauces, balance, and presentation. You’ll learn how emulsions like butter sauces and vinaigrettes work, how to properly season dishes, and how restaurants plate food for impact and consistency. You’ll make: Seared salmon with a lemon dill butter sauce, crispy roasted potatoes, and green bean almondine.