Culinary Skills with KOF Chefs - Virtual Cooking Series

Join us for a virtual version of our award-winning Basics of Cooking Series!

Duration

• 12 weeks, every week at the same day & time
• Date & time of each class depends on the session you choose.
• 2 hours each class

Summary

Whether you’re an amateur or beginner in the kitchen looking to progress beyond boiling water or an advanced home cook wanting to take your cooking to the next level, the 12 Week Basics Series is just right for you.

In this cooking program, we go beyond merely teaching you recipes to explore the cooking techniques that are the foundations for all recipes. Understanding what’s “under the hood” of a recipe (what makes it work) helps you pull it off to perfection every time. You’ll learn the basic science and proper cooking methods that will make all cooking a breeze, from quick weeknight family meals to entertaining for a crowd!

During the class, you will cook along with a chef, who will demonstrate and support you step by step, learning the basics of cooking over the course of 12 weeks.

SCHEDULE & TECHNIQUES:

• Week 1: Knife Skills: Introduction, Knife Skills, & Mise en place (Organization)

• Week 2: Stir-Fry & Sauté

• Week 3: Sear, Pan Fry, & Basic Eggs

• Week 4: Stewing, Braising, Poaching, & Steaming (steaming part of demo only)

• Week 5: Chicken Stock, Béchamel, Wine Sauce, & Mayonnaise

• Week 6: Soups

• Week 7: Roasting: Chicken Thighs & Vegetables

• Week 8: Yeast Dough & Bread (Pizza night!)

• Week 9: Quick Breads (Scones & Cornbread)

• Week 10: Grains: Mujadara (Lentils & Rice) and Risotto

• Week 11: Gnocchi with Mixed Greens Salad and Vinaigrette

• Week 12: Celebration Dinner - Whole Roast Chicken

*All class dates are consecutive with the exception of major holidays which are noted on the dedicated 12-Week Basics page on our website

How Our Virtual Classes Work

• A week before the class, you will receive a shopping & equipment list, prep instructions, and a link to the virtual classroom.
• Class price is per log-in: Multiple people in the same household can participate with one log-in if they are viewing from the same device.

During the class, you will cook along with the chef, who will demonstrate and support you step by step on creating the menu. The lesson will cover knife skills, shopping tips, cooking techniques, and much more!

Chef's Bio:

One of the East Bay’s popular culinary personalities, Chef Olivier Said, is the founder of Kitchen on Fire cooking school, located in the heart of Berkeley’s culinary district in North Berkeley. Chef Olive has been part of the Berkeley culinary neighborhood for over 20 years, first as one of the original owners in Cesar Tapas Bar and then moving on to open the cooking school in 2005. The cooking school was a place to share his passions of good food, nutrition and community through teaching students of all ages and backgrounds in a warm and inviting environment.

Born and raised in France, Chef Olive is the descendant of at least five generations of restaurateurs dating back to the early 1750s in France. He began his career at the age of 15 in his mother’s Paris restaurant. He moved to Los Angeles in the early 1980s and worked at Ken Frank’s La Toque, one of the first restaurants in the country to feature California nouvelle cuisine. In 1987, he returned to Paris and opened his own restaurant, the very popular Texas Coyote. Soon after his return to the states, he rooted himself in the Berkeley culinary world.

Happy Cooking!