instructables classes

COOKING CLASS
6 Lessons Beginner Level

If you've ever wanted to learn how to cook, this is the class for you! By following along with me,
you'll learn all the fundamentals of cooking you need to create delicious meals.
I'll show you which pots, pans and tools are essential in your kitchen and how to stock your
kitchen pantry so you always have the ingredients on hand to make a tasty homemade meal.
Along with properly outfitting your kitchen, you'll learn all about how to use a chef's knife safely
and other simple ways to be a better cook today!
Once we've covered the basics, I'll guide you through eight different cooking techniques that will
improve every meal you make! Each cooking technique is also paired with a recipe collection so
you can practice these techniques while making a delicious meal. Nearly every recipe used in this
class is one of mine, so you can be sure they've been tried and tested. :D
Take this class and you'll be feeling like a great cook in no time!
Enter an Instructables contest!
If you've used the knowledge from this class to create an awesome project, write an instructable
about it and try entering it in one of our contests!

Class Author:
jessyratfink
Jessy Ratfink is a modern embroidery artist, sewist, crafter and cook. She published her first instructable nearly 10 years ago
and now has over 500 instructables under her belt! She works for the Instructables Design Studio making awesome things full
time. In her down time, she makes hand embroidered art for her Etsy shop, making jiggy.
To see what she's currently working on, visit her @makingjiggy Instagram page!

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 Lessons

Lesson 1: Tools and Supplies for Cooking

In our first lesson, I share my favorite pots, pans and other
equipment. You'll also learn about stocking a pantry so you can
always have something to cook.

Lesson 2: Knife Skills

Here I'll teach you about one of the most important kitchen tools: the
knife. Topics include cutting safely, sharpening knives, cleaning your
knives and basic knife cuts to know.

Lesson 3: Basic Skills for Better Cooking

In this lesson, I'll show you some easy ways to be a better cook!
These tips will help keep you organized, efficient, informed, and safe
in the kitchen.

Lesson 4: Pan Frying and Sauteing

Now that I've taught you a few cooking tricks, I'll walk you through pan
frying (which includes browning and searing) and sautéing. These two
techniques are used as the base of many recipes.

Lesson 5: Boiling, Simmering and Stewing

In this lesson, I'll teach you all about cooking in liquids. These
techniques are essential for making curries, pasta, soups, stews,
chilis, sauces and for poaching food.

Lesson 6: Baking, Broiling and Roasting

For the last lesson of this class, I'll show you three great techniques
using your oven. The oven is a fuss-free way to cook a large variety of
meat and vegetables.

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Cooking Class: Page 3
 LESSON 1: TOOLS AND SUPPLIES FOR COOKING

In this first lesson, I'm going to walk you through what I consider to be the absolute
essentials for your kitchen. I've accumulated TONS of equipment throughout the years, but
there are certain pieces I always find myself using more than others!
(I've also bought quite a bit of equipment through the years that I really don't take out of the
cabinets all that often. So I do hope this list will save you money and sanity! :D)
However: keep in mind that not all of the tools and pans are required - it all depends on
your style of cooking! Read through the class to see which cooking techniques you think
you'll use the most and then start stocking your kitchen with equipment.

Complete Materials List

Much of the equipment below are brands that I use and enjoy, like Cuisinart, OXO, and
Pyrex. Others are top rated on Amazon and other sites. Many times you can buy some of
these items in sets, so keep an eye out for deals! I always try to buy kitchen equipment on
sale since it can get expensive fast.
Below is a comprehensive list of all my recommendations. In the next few steps I'll walk
you through the tools and equipment below and what they're useful for.

Pots + Pans:
12 inch skillet (nonstick or stainless - getting one with a lid is great!)

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 7 quart dutch oven (Calphalon makes a great cheap option, the one I have is a Le Creuset.)
4 quart stainless steel saucepan with lid (I have several Cuisinart saucepans and love them!)
9 x 13 inch baking pan (I prefer the glass Pyrex ones.)
Half sheet baking pan (This Nordic Ware sheet pan is my favorite.)

Knives + Accessories:
8 inch chef's knife
Paring knife
Serrated knife
Wooden or plastic cutting boards
Knife sharpener

Utensils + Tools
Large metal whisk
Plastic or wooden spoon
Plastic or wooden slotted spoon
Plastic or metal ladle
2-4 cup glass measuring cup
Measuring spoons + cups
Tongs
Rubber spatula
Plastic turner
Vegetable peeler
Grater
Can opener
Splatter screen
Cooling rack
Potholders
Instant thermometer
Large strainer/colander
Oven thermometer
Kitchen Timer

Pots + Pans

You don't have to buy a huge set of cookware to get all the essentials. Below are the pots
and pans I use the most often, and some recommendations for good ones in different price
ranges. :D
You can cook almost anything with this basic set!

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12 inch frying pan
You can go with stainless steel or nonstick here - I'd recommend nonstick if you're a
beginner.
Pick a nice heavy frying pan - thin pans will warp over high heat. If you can get a pan
with a lid, even better! (And if the handles on the pan and lid are oven-safe, you can use
the pan both in the oven and on the stovetop.)

7 quart dutch oven

Calphalon makes a great cheap option, but the one I have now is a Le Creuset. When
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 shopping for a dutch oven, look for something nice and heavy, with a lid handle that is
oven-safe.
Dutch ovens are perfect for making soups, stews, sauces, and braising meats. A 7-quart
dutch oven easily makes enough food for a couple days for two people - choose a larger
model if you have move folks to feed!

4 quart stainless steel saucepan with lid

I have several Cuisinart saucepans and love them!
A 4 quart pan is a good size for cooking pasta, rice and other grains as well as
simmering and boiling all sorts of things. Again, look for a heavy bottomed pan for best
results.

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9 x 13 inch baking pan
I prefer the glass Pyrex ones, but there are also metal models available.
This pan is the perfect size for baking vegetables, meats, lasagnas and casseroles.

Half sheet baking pan

A half sheet baking pan is roughly 18x13 inches, with a small lip around the edges. The
Nordic Ware sheet pan is my favorite!

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These pans are my preferred tool for roasting meats and vegetables - they're also great
for baking!

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Knives + Accessories

6 or 8 inch chef's knife

A chef's knife is the perfect multipurpose knife for your kitchen! You'll use it to do the
majority of your chopping. If you have small hands, you may find a 6 inch knife to be
easier to hold. But I'd still recommend getting an 8 inch one - sometimes you just need a
big knife!

Paring knife
A paring knife is a small, thin knife used for smaller, more precise cutting. Great for
peeling, dicing or coring fruits and vegetables.

Serrated knife
Serrated knives are the tool you'll want for cutting bread and other baked goods. They're
also useful for slicing tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables with waxy, slick exteriors.

Wooden or plastic cutting boards

I like to keep both types of cutting boards on hand. Plastic ones are great for prep work,
while wooden ones are great for serving food on.

Knife sharpener
While there are many ways to keep your knives sharp, including getting them
professionally sharpened or using a whet stone, I admit I prefer electric knife sharpeners.
If you do go this route, try to buy one in the $50-$100 range. You don't want a cheap one
that will ruin your knife.

Utensils

I use all of these items frequently and couldn't live without them! They make a great basic
utensil set to handle all kinds of recipes.

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Large metal whisk
I highly recommend getting a metal whisk over a plastic one - the plastic ones are too
bendy and have a hard time breaking up clumps and stirring as efficiently.

Plastic and wooden spoons - slotted and regular!

I have more spoons that you could imagine. You can never have enough cooking
spoons!

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 Slotted spoons are useful for easily removing food from liquid, or for serving food without
leaving it in a puddle on the plate.

Plastic or metal ladle

Ladles come in very handy for serving up soups, stews, and chilis.

Tongs
A good pair of tongs will be your best friend. I have several sizes, from 12 inches down
to 6 inches.

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 Smaller tongs are great for flipping things like bacon - the larger ones are great for
wrangling large cuts of meat.

Rubber spatula
Spatulas are great for mixing ingredients, scraping the bottom of your pans, and getting
the last bits of food out of any container.

Plastic turner spatula

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 A flat and thin turner will make your life so much easier. Flipping meats, fish and veggies
is much easier with one of these. Also great for breaking up ground meat into small
pieces while cooking.

Splatter screen
A splatter screen is a must have in any kitchen! Anything you're cooking something that is
bound to splatter, cover your pan with one of these. It'll save you loads of cleanup later.
(Aaaaaand if you're like me and constantly forget to put on an apron, this will also save
your clothes.)

Other Useful Tools

You may not need all of these tools at the start of your cooking endeavor, but I guarantee
they will come in handy quite often.

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2 or 4 cup glass measuring cup
Used for measuring liquid ingredients. The Pyrex ones are able to be heated in the
microwave, too! I actually have 1, 2, 4, and 12 cup measures - I might be addicted.

Measuring spoons + cups

Used for measuring dry ingredients - things like herbs, spices, or grains.

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Vegetable peeler
While you can peel your veggies with a paring knife, it can be tricky. Might as well get
one of these and make the process quick.
Vegetable peelers come in several types, but my favorites are the regular swivel peelers
and the palm held ones.

Grater
There are many types of graters out there, but I recommend getting a sturdy box grater to

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 start with. You can always upgrade to a different type later if you find you use a certain
side of it all the time. You'll use this for potatoes, cheese, onions, carrots and much
more!

Can opener
Every kitchen needs one of these!

Cooling rack

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 Cooling racks are useful for many things: holding hot pans, allowing fried foods to drain
without getting soggy, and even for cooking ribs and other meats in the oven.

Oven mitts or potholders

Always a good idea to protect your hands. These come in both fabric and silicone these
days, but I like the fabric ones.

Instant thermometer

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 An instant thermometer is one of my favorite tools! It takes all the guesswork out of
cooking meat.

Oven Thermometer
Ovens are not entirely reliable, especially the cheap ones found in rentals. My current
oven is almost always 25 degrees under what it says it's preheated to. Yours could be a
little weird too! An oven thermometer will ensure you're cooking at the right temperature.

Large strainer/colander

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 I highly suggest buying a large fine-mesh metal strainer. That way you can use it for
pasta, rice, beans and other grains.

Stocking a Kitchen Pantry

A well stocked pantry is just as important as having the right tools and equipment for
cooking!
Please click here to go to my "How to Stock a Pantry" instructable.
You'll learn all about the best staples to keep on hand to make cooking much easier. With
a nicely stocked pantry, you only need to buy fresh produce or meat to make a home
cooked meal. :)
Once you've read up on stocking your pantry, let's move on to another important part of
cooking: knife skills!

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 LESSON 2: KNIFE SKILLS

Knives are one of the most common things you'll use in the kitchen. Sharp and sturdy
knives are a must for any cook.
In this lesson, you'll learn about knife safety, cleaning and sharpening your knives, how to
identify knife cuts, and also how to cut all the things!

Holding and Using Your Knife Correctly

Having a firm, steady grip on your knife is very important. You should always be mindful
when cutting and take careful note of where your fingers are.

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When you hold the knife, your entire hand should be around the handle, right behind the
blade. You don't want any fingers sticking out where they could get cut!

Above is an example of how NOT to hold your knife. Avoid placing one finger on top of the
blade - this reduces your leverage of the knife, meaning it will be easier for the knife to shift
in your hand. You've got a pretty high chance of the knife going a bit sideways when
cutting if you hold it this way - very dangerous!

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When cutting or dicing, make sure the hand holding the item you're cutting is shaped like a
claw. Curl your fingers in and make sure your thumb is behind your fingers. The curled
knuckles of your fingers will act as a guard for the blade, saving your hand from cuts. :)
For another view of how to hold your hand, click here!

When mincing, keep your dominant hand on the knife handle and place your other hand
flat on the top of the blade. Rock the knife back and forth, using the hand on the top of the
blade to keep pressure on the cutting board.

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Tips for Safer Cutting

Secure Your Cutting Board

If your cutting board moves around quite a bit as you work on it, dampen a paper or cloth
towel and lay it under the cutting board. This will keep the board from scooting around all
over your countertop.

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 Flat Bottoms Make for Easier Cutting
When dealing with round objects like potatoes, onions or melons, it's a good idea to cut
them in half and lay them cut side down for safer cutting in most cases.
You can also run a vegetable peeler down one side of the item to slightly flatten it and
keep it from rolling everywhere.

A Sharp Knife is a Safe Knife

I know many folks disagree with this, but it's true! The duller a knife is, the more pressure
you have to apply to make a proper cut.
A sharp knife should glide through food easily and quickly, using very little force.
An injury with a sharp knife is often comparable to a paper cut because you're using so
little pressure with it. Injuries with dull knives tend to be much worse because you're
applying so much force to get through the item - if a finger gets in the way it will be very
bad!

Basic Knife Cuts and Why They're Important

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If you want your food to turn out like the recipe you're following, you'll need to make sure
you're using the right knife cuts! Cutting your food to the right size and shape will allow it to
cook properly.
Consistency in cut size is key for good cooking: ingredients should be cut to very similar
sizes so they all cook at the same time. For example, if you're cutting up a carrot for a
stew, and the pieces are all different sizes - that's a problem! The smaller pieces might
cook to mush while the larger pieces of carrot are still hard in the middle.

Chopping

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 Chopping is essentially breaking food down into larger chunks. These pieces are usually
1 inch square or larger. Great for roasting or long simmering stews. :)

Slicing
Slicing is just want it sounds like: cutting something whole into slices. When doing this,
try to make sure the cuts are all the same thickness so they cook evenly. Remember that
food can be sliced a variety of ways, so refer to the specific recipe to see if you should
cut down the length of the item, or across it.

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Dicing
Dicing is one of the most common cuts, and can be done in a variety of sizes, ranging from
about a 1/4 to 3/4 inch square. It is most often done by cutting the ingredient into strips,
and then into squares.
To see how I cut this onion, check out How to Chop an Onion.

Mincing
Mincing is a very fine cut, much smaller than the smallest dice.
To mince, you'll want to first dice or slice the ingredient. Then you'll place your dominant
hand on the handle of the knife and set the palm of your other hand on the back of the
blade. Rock the knife back and forth, cutting the ingredient into smaller and smaller
pieces.

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Cleaning Your Knives

While many knife manufacturers say you can wash your knives in a dishwasher, I would
advise against it. Knives put in a dishwasher may knock into other cutlery or items while
washing, which can damage the blade.
Instead, I recommend hand washing and drying your knives right away after use.
Many stainless steel knives can rust quite easily, which is why I like to wash and dry as
soon as possible. :)

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Knife Sharpening

Knife sharpening can be a pretty hot button issue amongst cooks and chefs. Some folks
sharpen them by hand using a whetstone, some folks never let anyone but a professional
touch them.
Personally, I use electric knife sharpeners and have always enjoyed them.
If you'd like to learn more about knife sharpening, check out this fantastic article from
Cook's Illustrated.

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 LESSON 3: BASIC SKILLS FOR BETTER COOKING

If you find cooking to be a stressful or confusing experience, you're not alone! I've taught
lots of my friends to cook over the years and those are the major complaints they have.
While expertise in cooking really only comes with practice, you can greatly improve your
cooking right now with very little effort! In this lesson, I'm going to cover some of my
fundamental rules of cooking. :)
The main image for this lesson comes from How to Make Great Burgers at Home.

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Follow the Recipe the First Time You Make It

I recommend reading a recipe all the way through and making a shopping list of the
ingredients.
If it's your first time cooking something, I really do believe it's important to follow the recipe
exactly. No leaving things out, no substitutions, no skipping steps in the recipe. All of those
things are there for a reason, and you have no idea how changing one of those things will
affect the final product.
After you've cooked it the first time, you'll be able to see how it should taste and find out
what you did and didn't like. This will allow you to make informed changes the next time
around!
For example, this could mean halving the amount of fish sauce in a recipe because it was
too strong for you. Or maybe adding more of a certain spice because it was lacking.
This is essentially how I learned to cook - following recipes to learn about different cooking
techniques and how different seasonings work together and with what. The more you do
this, the easier it will be for you to come up with your own recipes and seasonings!

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Prep Work Is Important

Above: the prepped ingredients for my Pressure Cooker Chicken Soup recipe
Multitasking can be hard for even experienced cooks! It's important to plan ahead and be
organized so you can focus on cooking. (You know, instead of prepping three things at
once while your pan gets too hot and burns something as you're digging around in a
drawer for the spices you need. :P)
When I cook, I like to prep and cut all my vegetables and meats, measure out my spices,
and make sure I have all ingredients ready and near to the stove when I start. It may seem
like overkill, but it will make you much more organized and stop you from frantically multi-
tasking when you realize you don't have an ingredient!
Also: don't feel obligated to put everything in tiny bowls like the photo above. That's just to
make it look better for the camera! Typically all my veggies sit on the same cutting board
and I put my spices near the stove to get ready. Nothing fancy happens during
undocumented dinners. :)

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Clean Up As You Go

Along with prepping all your ingredients, this will help you feel less overwhelmed while
cooking. While prepping, I keep a "garbage bowl" handy to put any food scraps into.
(The garbage bowl can double as a compost bowl, too! Just keep meaty scraps out.)

I also make sure to put up each thing as I'm done with it.
Finished measuring out your spices? Put up the bottles!
Finished using those bowls for breading chicken? Rinse them and put them in or next to
the sink for cleaning later.
Etc. :D
Many times, once your food starts cooking, you'll have downtime while waiting for things to
simmer or brown. That's a good time to sneak in a little dish washing or to load your
dishwasher.
I always try to go to bed with a clean kitchen so cooking the next day goes much easier. :)

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Instant Thermometers + Safe Minimum Temperatures

A major thing that can go wrong while cooking is undercooked or overcooked meat.
Thankfully, this is easily prevented!
I highly recommend investing in a small instant read thermometer so you can be sure that
your meat will be safe to eat AND has not dried out.
Below is a chart of the minimum safe food temperature for a variety of meats from the
Foodsafety.gov website:

I recommend going to their website and printing this chart out. It's a great idea to it tack on
the fridge!
Also: for more information about cooking beef, please check out mikeasaurus'Meat Class.
:D

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Always Start With a Hot Pan

I recommend that you always heat your pan until it's nice and hot before adding oil or fat
when you're looking to sauté or pan fry. Depending on what you're making, you'll want to
let the oil/fat warm up a bit or a lot before adding your food.
I do it this way for a couple reasons:
1. Adding food to a cold pan with cold oil means the food is going to release more moisture as it
cooks. This means less even oil distribution, too! This makes the food steam and cook
unevenly.
2. Once the pan is heated, you can add the oil at anytime and start cooking. This allows you to
better control the temperature of the oil - you can let it heat only a moment or let it heat until it
shimmers to sear something like a steak. I much prefer this method to adding oil at the start
(only to get distracted by something else to find smoking oil in the pan).

For more information on this, check out this article over at Serious Eats.

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Patience + Using Your Other Senses

Photo above: browning meatballs for mySpaghetti and Meatballsrecipe.

It can be tempting to want to constantly poke at food browning on the stovetop, or to keep
opening the oven door to check on your food. But these things are detrimental to the
cooking of your food!
Opening the oven door lowers the temperature, meaning you're increasing cooking time
and possibly missing out on browning from higher temperatures. If you constantly stir or
move food that should be browning, you'll never get the color you'd like - it needs to sit and
cook!
Instead you'll want to be patient, set a timer, and rely on your other senses.
The more you cook, the more you'll start to get a sense for how your food is cooking. Most
of the time, I can tell almost entirely by the smell of something if it's done. I can tell by the
sounds of bubbling if the heat is too low or high. I often use touch to figure out if meat is
cooked through.
Always pay attention while cooking - you'll learn so much just by following different recipes.
:)

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Consider Timing When Cooking

Timing is not something you may consider when you start cooking.
However, it becomes really important when you start cooking multiple things at once! For
that, you'll need a plan. Time to ask yourself the hard questions. ;)
Before you start cooking, always consider these things:
Which dishes cook in the oven, and which on the stovetop?
How long does each dish take to make?
If you need to use the oven for multiple dishes, will it be possible to cook them at the same
time, or will you need to stagger them due to temperatures?
Can any dishes be made ahead or served at room temperature?

If you take these things into consideration along with making sure you do all the prep work
beforehand, cooking will be so much easier!
To see an example of meal planning in action, check out Thanksgiving Dinner for Two
instructable and the How to Cook Thanksgiving Dinner collection.

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Spice It Up

Photo above from myDry Rubrecipe.

If you're the sort of cook that tends to stick to salt and pepper, I have an instructable for
you: How to Use Herbs and Spices in Cooking. In it I give you a great list of spices to add
to your pantry stash, and some ideas for using them!
Expanding your supply of herbs and spices is a quick way to completely change the way
you cook. For inspiration, try cooking food you like to eat but have never made!
Cooking with new ingredients (and especially seasonings!) will teach you which flavors
work together and which don't. You'll also learn which flavors combinations you like the
most, which is useful when you're ready to wing it and cook without recipes. :)

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Taste + Season Constantly

Photo above: checking the seasoning on my Herbed Potato Salad Recipe

You'll want to taste your food fairly often throughout the cooking process to make sure it's
going in the right direction. (But always be careful when your recipe includes meat - make
sure the meat is cooked through before going in for a taste!)
Tasting is especially important at the end of cooking! Seasonings will change throughout
the cooking process, so it may be necessary to add more of a particular seasoning to get
the taste you're looking for.
You may also find that adding more salt or a bit of acid (vinegar or citrus juice) can help
boost the flavors!
Tasting is also VERY important when cooking things like pasta and vegetables to
determine their doneness. Check them frequently to ensure they are cooked just the way
you like them!
Now that I've given you a tour of some kitchen basics, let's move on to cooking techniques.

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 LESSON 4: PAN FRYING AND SAUTEING

In this lesson, we'll cover both pan frying and sauteing. These techniques are fairly similar
but lead to very different results at the end.
Both of these techniques are crucial to building flavor in your recipes, so they're a great
starting point for learning to cook!
A few words of wisdom before we start:
When you add food to your pan, it should always sizzle. If it doesn't, your pan is not hot
enough!
Change the heat when you need to. Don't feel like you need to keep the pan over medium-high
heat AT ALL TIMES just because a recipe says so. If things are browning too fast, turn the
heat down. No noise or movement in the pan? Turn the heat up!
Not all stovetops are created equal, so keep an eye on yours and become used to its quirks
and temperatures.

What Is Pan Frying?

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 Photo above: frying breaded chicken for my Chicken Parmesan Sandwich Recipe
Pan frying differs from sautéing in that you ALWAYS want the food you're cooking to
brown and/or crisp up. That means you'll want to let it hang out in the hot pan instead of
stirring it constantly. You also tend to use more oil with pan frying - up to 1/2 inch of oil in
your pan.

Photo above: browning the beef for my Beef Stew Recipe

For the purposes of this class, searing and browning also fall under pan frying.

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 Pan frying is best done in a large, low sided skillet - though it can also be done in an
uncrowded saute pan or dutch oven. You want excess moisture to be able to move away
from the food to promote browning.
This also means that you shouldn't crowd the pan with ingredients - if there's not enough
space, the food will steam instead of brown. :)
Make sure to have a splatter screen around for this cooking technique - otherwise you will
get splattered!

How to Pan Fry

Tools for pan frying:

Large skillet - 12-14 inches is best (nonstick is preferable if you're new to this!)
Fat or oil of choice - I prefer avocado, olive, or canola oil
Tongs or another utensil to move the food around
Splatter screen
Cooling rack and/or paper towels for draining, if necessary

Photo above: pan frying chorizo for my Chorizo Mac and Cheese recipe

How to do it:
1. Heat an empty skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Once the skillet is nice and hot, add enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet. (If you're
shallow frying, you may need to add up to 1/4 inch of oil.) When the oil begins to shimmer,
you're ready to cook!

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 3. Add the food to the skillet, moving it around gently to get covered in oil. If you're using ground
meat, break it up into smaller pieces.*
4. Let the food cook without moving until it begins to brown. (You can check the done-ness by
lifting an edge gently with tongs of a flipper, or gently stirring things around.)
5. Once the first side is browned, repeat as necessary on the other sides.
6. If you're cooking meat, check the temperature with your instant read thermometer. If the middle
is undercooked, turn down the heat and flip the meat every minute or so until it reaches
temperature.
7. Make sure to remove the skillet from the heat when done cooking. You may even want to
move the food to a plate. Keep in mind that the food will continue cooking for a little bit due to
residual heat.
8. If you're pan frying something that was breaded, chances are you want it to stay crisp! Place
the finished food on a cooling rack above paper towels to let it drain any excess oil.

*CAUTION: putting "wet" food into hot oil will cause an oil explosion. Oil and water do not
mix, so make sure to pat meat dry, and to dry washed vegetables before adding them to
hot oil. Moisture will also keep spices and herbs from sticking to the food, so there's
another great reason to dry everything added to oil!

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Pan Frying Recipes

Now that you've learned all about pan frying and sauteing, why not test your knowledge
with a few recipes?
In the Pan Frying collection, I've brought together a variety of recipes where pan frying is
the main cooking technique used. (Or it's the most important part of the recipe!)
Pan Frying Recipes Collection

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What Is Sautéing?

Photo above: sautéing meat, veg, tomato paste, and seasonings from my Lasagna Recipe
Sautéing is the most basic of cooking techniques and also one of the most common. You
could honestly just call it "cooking" instead of sautéing.
Sautéing is a cooking technique that uses a small amount of oil and fat to cook food - just
enough to coat whatever you're cooking. Sauteing involves near constant stirring over
medium to high heat - it all depends on the result you want!
Sautéing over high heat will result in ingredients browning fairly quickly - it can be similar to
stir-frying. Sautéing over a medium heat allows ingredients to soften and lost their moisture
slowly - browning normally doesn't occur until all moisture has been cooked out, like in the
case of caramelized onions.
Sautéing is the first step in many recipes: it's used to soften aromatics such as onion,
celery, carrot, pepper and garlic, it allows spices to bloom and develop more flavor, and
can also add extra flavor from browning your ingredients slightly.
Sauteing can be done in both a saucepan or skillet - though I recommend using a skillet if
you're looking for browning. The high sides of a saucepan will trap in moisture, making it
harder for whatever is in the pan to brown.

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How to Sauté

Tools for sautéing:

Large skillet or saucepan - whatever you need to make the recipe!
Fat or oil of choice - I prefer avocado, olive, or canola oil
Wooden or plastic spoon

Photo above: sautéing onions, garlic and spices for my Tomato Sauce recipe
How to do it:
1. Heat an empty pan or skillet over medium heat.
2. Once the skillet is hot, add just a bit of oil. (Maybe 1-2 tablespoons - you want just enough to
cover your ingredients. You can always add more if you need to!)
3. Add in your ingredients and immediately stir them around, coating them with oil.
4. Continue cooking, stirring and scraping every few minutes (or more frequently, depending on
how hot your pan is!) so that the ingredients don't stick to the bottom of the pan.
5. Test meat with a instant read thermometer to determine doneness. For vegetables and other
ingredients, check by taste to see if they're ready.

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Sautéing Recipes

Now it's time to practice your sautéing skills! I've made a small collection of recipes where
sautéing is the main cooking technique so you can focus exclusively on that skill. :)
Sautéing Recipe Collection
Now that we've covered pan frying and sauteing, let's move on to the next techniques:
boiling, simmering and stewing!

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 LESSON 5: BOILING, SIMMERING AND STEWING

In this lesson, we'll cover boiling, simmering and stewing! I'm grouping these cooking
techniques together because each involves cooking in liquid. Boiling is typically a quick
process, while simmering and stewing tend to take a longer amount of time.
Keep in mind that simmering and stewing are often secondary cooking techniques used
after sautéing or pan frying.
Boiling is also very important when it comes to canning food, so if you're interested in that
be sure to check out Paige Russell'sCanning and Preserving Class!

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What Is Boiling?

Photo above: cooking fava beans in boiling water

Boiling is just what it sounds like: bringing a liquid up to a boil over high heat and cooking
with it! It's not commonly the main cooking technique used in a recipe, but instead just one
part of the process.
In many recipes, you'll bring liquid to a boil and then down to a simmer. Or you may boil
vegetables (often called "blanching"), only to "shock" them in ice water after to stop their
cooking and keep their bright color.
Boiling is most often used to cook eggs, vegetables, and pasta. Boiling water and vinegar
can also be used to make quick pickles, which are a nice accompaniment to dinner - I
make them quite a lot! (I've included a few quick pickle recipes in the collection below!)
Depending on the recipe you're making, you may want to add the food to cold water and
bring it to a boil, or you may want to add the food to boiling water. Pay attention to the
recipe to know which way is right - this can make a huge difference in the end result!

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Boiling Recipes

I've made a collection of recipes where boiling is the main cooking technique used!
Boiling Recipes Collection
I've only included one noodle based dish here. If you'd like to see more, you should check
out Paige Russell'sPasta Class for an in depth look at pasta. :D

What Are Simmering and Stewing?

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 Photo above: a quick simmer during my black bean chili recipe

Simmering
Simmering is essentially cooking in liquid over low heat.
While a full rolling boil has large bubbles coming to the surface constantly, a simmer is
when the liquid has small, occasional bubbles breaching the surface. This way of
cooking is very gentle, so it's a great way to cook tough meats, beans and root
vegetables.
Simmering is the primary technique used when poaching foods such as chicken or fish.
It's also useful when you need to skim fat, proteins, or other substances from the top of a
sauce, soup, stock or stew. (For an example of what I tend to skim, check the second
photo here from my beef stew recipe.)
The amount and type of liquid will vary widely from recipe to recipe. Some recipes, like
soups, will require much more liquid at the start. Recipes such as chilis and sauces use
less liquid and are often "reduced" at the end of cooking by uncovering the pot and
letting some liquid evaporate.

Stewing
Stewing is simmering something for a long amount of time which results in a thickened
finished product. Stews can be thickened even more in a variety of ways, like by adding
flour, cornstarch, or by flouring and browning the meat used in the stew.
It's a very slow cooking process that is almost always done when the pot is covered.
This allows you to start a stew on the stovetop and move it to the oven to finish cooking.
(Bring to a boil on the stovetop, and then transfer the covered pot to an oven set to 300-
325 F / 150-175 C.)
Stewing often starts with browning your meat of choice and then sautéing any aromatics

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 and vegetables in the same pan. The liquid released from the aromatics and vegetables
allows you to scrape up all the browned bits left from the meat, which adds great depth
of flavor. Once that's done, you add your liquid of choice and let it stew away.
This process is very similar to braising and you may sometimes hear it referred to that
way. The only real differences in these two techniques is that when braising, you use
VERY little liquid and tend to keep the meat in one piece.

Simmering and Stewing Recipes

Now that you understand the basics of simmering and stewing, why not try out a few
recipes?
Simmering and Stewing Recipes Collection
To wrap up this cooking class, we'll move on to baking, broiling and roasting.

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 LESSON 6: BAKING, BROILING AND ROASTING

In this lesson, we're going to cover different cooking techniques that use an oven!
I really love cooking in the oven. In most cases it takes longer, but you don't have to
babysit the food very much. That's a huge bonus if you're wanting to relax a bit after work
or if you're already cooking something on the stovetop!
Baking and roasting are fairly similar, but broiling is a beast all its own. In the next steps, I'll
walk you through each technique and give you some easy recipes to try out.
P.S. When I say baking, I'm not talking about the pastry-cookies-cakes kind. If you're
interested in that, please check out wold630'sScience of Baking Class. :D

What Are Baking and Roasting?

Baking and roasting are both methods of cooking in the oven, and the terms are often used
interchangeably. This can be a little confusing - but honestly, it doesn't matter too much!
Below is how I typically try to explain the difference. However, you should remember that
there are a ton of exceptions to these guidelines when it comes to naming a recipe! (For
example - my "oven baked onion rings" are cooked at 450 F / 230 C - which is actually a
roasting temperature.)
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 Photo above: oven baked French toast
Baking
Often done in a deeper pan - I like to use my 9x13 inch Pyrex baking pan for many
baked foods. With baking, you're not as worried about browning or caramelization, you
are just wanting to cook the food completely through. In some cases, you even cook the
food with a bit of liquid.
Baking is usually done at 375 F / 190 C and below.
Good examples of baking: hash brown casserole, chicken pot pie, baked pork chops,
oven cooked ribs with spicy dry rub

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 Photo above: roasted edamame
Roasting
Roasting is usually done on a metal sheet pan for maximum browning. Temperatures for
roasting typically start at 375 F / 190 C and go up to around 450 F / 230 C.
Roasting is much like pan frying - you need to use a good bit of oil to keep the food from
sticking, and you also should try to avoid crowding the food so it can brown properly.
You can also try lining your sheet pans with parchment paper or aluminum foil to help
with sticking and cleanup.
Good examples of roasting: sweet potato fries, pork tenderloin, goat cheese stuffed
peppers, roasted broccoli

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What Is Broiling?

Photo above: delicious broiled grapefruit!

Broiling is a fast and very high heat cooking method. (500-550F / 260-290 C) It's used to
cook thin cuts of meat and fish, to quickly brown vegetables, or to melt cheese. I admit I
don't use it very often, but it can come in really handy for crisping up food!
Depending on the model of oven you have, your broiler will be either situated on the
"ceiling" of the oven, or in a drawer compartment below the oven. If your broiler is in the
top of the oven, make sure to move one of your oven racks to the highest position so the
heat can REALLY get into what you're cooking.
Gas ovens will have flame broilers, while electric ovens using heating elements.
Sometimes broilers have "high" and "low" settings - sometimes it's just on or off!
One caveat to broiling: cooking happens fast! This is not a cooking technique that allows
you to wander off and do something else. Stick close to the oven and check your food
frequently. You can go from perfect to burnt very quickly!
Good examples of broiling: oven nachos, broiled asparagus

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Baking, Broiling and Roasting Recipes

Now that you've learned about these three cooking techniques, it's time to try your hand at
some recipes!
Baking, Broiling and Roasting Recipe Collection

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Congrats - You've Graduated!

Photo above: dinner featuring my Pressure Cooker Pulled Pork Recipe

Thank you so much for reading through and taking my class! I hope you enjoyed it and
learned a few new things.
Feel free to ask questions on the class page or to message me from my member page
here on the site. And make sure to browse through my instructables for even more recipes
not included in the class!
Happy cooking! :D

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