Cooking and Baking Essentials: Complete Foundation Course

Diploma in cooking and baking

• So, can you even cook?

  In your first lesson we discuss a variety of important cooking and baking terms, this will help you feel confident in the kitchen and keep up with the classes. You'll learn how to identify the different types of knives (as well as discuss their various uses) and will be shown how to choose the best quality knife to suit your needs and also how to best take care of your knives. The practical portion of this lesson focuses on teaching you how to fry the perfect egg.

• Blades not Bandage

  Our 'Blades not Bandages' lesson is aimed to give you the confidence to chop like a pro. Proper knife skills are vital in the kitchen and knowing the proper technique can literally save you a finger. In this lesson you will not only learn how to use your knife, but also how to sharpen a dull blade. We will also identify the various cuts for vegetables (using your newly gained knife skills).

• Can we bake something already Chef??

  This is a delicious lesson you definitely do not want to miss. We will focus some time on understanding what each kitchen/ pantry must ideally be stocked with and understand all the settings your oven has to offer. We end off the lesson with an amazing practical on how to create mouth-watering and moist banana pecan muffins.

• Home for the Hollandaise

  A sauce has the power to make or break a dish and mastering the art of making a sauce is a skill that every chef needs to perfect. This lesson is focused on understanding a roux, mother sauces and stocks. The practical portion of this lesson will show you how to create a roux and what needs to be done to take a roux to a finished product.

• Cake it Easy man!

  Have you ever heard of a Genoise sponge cake? Never fear, we are here to show you what that is (and why it is different from a regular or chiffon sponge cake) as well as everything in between! You will put your newly learnt baking terminology to good use and understand why your ingredients need to be at room temperature. The demo will be on how to create this delicious sponge and by the end of it you can rest assured that your mouth will be watering!

• Keep it Clean

  Do you know the difference between food borne illness and food poisoning or food safety, sanitation, and personal hygiene? Knowing the ins and outs of food safety is imperative, especially if you are cooking for groups of people. Knowing how to clean, separate, cook and chill various types of food can help you reduce the risk of illness and reduce food waste and save on costs.

• Who are you calling fatty?

  This lesson details the various fats that can be used in cooking and baking, as well as the characteristics of each with the demo focusing on the correct technique to bake melt-in-your-mouth butter biscuits. In addition to this, we will also delve into the world of raising agents. You will learn what these are as well as why they are important and which types to use for various recipes. Once again, a lesson to truly make you drool...

• Sunday Lunch

  Our final lesson for module 1 elaborates on meat browning. We explore how to perfectly brown your meats and understand why it creates such a delicious taste in our favourite roast dishes. The demo is aimed at helping you put the pieces of what you have learned over the last 7 lessons into practice. You will learn how to do the perfect roast beef, with Yorkshire pudding and a variety of vegetables with an Espagnole sauce. Can anyone say yum?!