Learn How to Cook Online

If you are like me, you are a passionate foodie and home chef who daydreams about becoming the ultimate chef with the most impressive culinary skills. I have promised myself that someday (in the not-so-distant future) I will make time for official culinary lessons and cooking vacations...

For now, I have found some wonderful resources on the web to help me become the master of my kitchen, and I thought that I would share them with you today.

Julia Child holds up a monkfish on her television show Julia Child and Company in 1979

Julia Child: Lessons with Master Chefs

In my life experience, I quickly figured out that it pays to learn from the best. Who was the best home chef? No other than Julia Child! She made complicated cooking techniques very do-able with her step-by-step directions and explanations. Today, thanks to PBS, you can access cuts from her cooking videos on the web!

Simply click on "Prime Video Cuts" and search by category, ingredient or chef. These videos show you how to make the most elegant of dishes very simply. They are also entertaining, because the chefs' personalities shine through as they demonstrate incredible recipes. In one of my favorite videos, the "Chocolate Dome Cake with Michel Richard," Michel says, "Yeah. I'm a good chef. My mother is proud."

Note: You can email your favorite videos to friends and family... or yourself!

eGullet

The eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters has an online culinary academy, The eGullet Culinary Institute (eGCI). Here you will find lessons on an array of culinary subjects from Thai Cooking to Basic Knife Skills to Evolving Cocktails. Each lesson includes step-by-step directions, photographs, and explanations.

Want to see an example? Click here to see a lesson on Basic Condiments.

Although you may access the eGullet Culinary Institute for free, you will need to join the eGullet Society to be able to get full benefit of the website- like posting privileges.

To learn more about the eGullet Society and how it got started, read this Wikipedia article.

Remember that teaching your children to cook is an amazing gift- one that they will use to nurture and nourish their bodies as well as their loved ones. Be sure to document your family recipes and memories. Secret Ingredients will help you create a family cookbook that your family will cherish for generations.

Start today with a Free Trial Account!