Great New York Steakhouse: A Virtual Class

Knowing how to use knives skillfully is the foundation of all cooking, and doesn't have to be scary or frustrating. Many home and even professional cooks don't always wield a knife correctly, however, which increases food preparation time and makes the process harder --- and less safe --- than it should be. Simply put, good knives are the foundation of a well-equipped kitchen. This class remedies all these basic issues: You will learn how to slice, dice, chop, and much more in the safest and most efficient manner. This class will even guide you through the practice of keeping your knives sharp and handling them correctly.

The sauces you will learn to make in this class are not just for special-occasion dishes you'll prepare once a year. Relying on pantry ingredients and reflecting the contemporary cook's lifestyle, they are meant to easily take a grilled meat or poached fish from simple to superlative with a pan reduction, beurre blanc or a pesto. You will master these techniques by making sauteed steak with red wine reduction sauce; poached salmon with beurre blanc and pasta with pesto.

Nothing beats the rich flavor and perfectly al dente texture of handmade pasta. So let's practice making our own pastas by hand and concoct some rich fillings, learning how to stuff ravioli, tortellini and cannelloni. As we make these three heavenly pastas, we'll complete them with homemade sauces that are the perfect complement to each shape and filling. You'll handcraft: lemon ricotta ravioli with safe brown butter, roasted red pepper tortellini in fra diavolo sauce, and beef angolotti in brodo.

Immerse yourself in the food traditions of French cuisine with "French Classics: Coq Au Vin and Boeuf Bourguignon." You’ll make two dishes that define rustic French cooking: rich, wine-infused Coq Au Vin (learning to braise chicken to tender perfection) and hearty, slow-cooked Boeuf Bourguignon (learning to layer and amplify deep umami flavors). You’ll also make Haricots Verts Amandine and velvety Cauliflower Puree. Take a “tour-de-food” in this course that teaches essential techniques and cornerstone dishes of the French countryside