Cook From Scratch: Everyday Food With Confidence

What's inside

1. Level 1: The 4 Cs: Clean Hands, Clean KitchenFree
   We start with the Food Standards Agency's 4 Cs (cleaning, cooking, chilling and avoiding cross-contamination), and you'll put cleaning and cross-contamination into practice by setting up a safe workspace before you cook anything.
2. Level 2: Safe Temperatures, Storage and AllergensFree
   You'll learn the key numbers that keep food safe: a fridge at 5°C (41°F) or below, cooking until food is steaming hot all the way through (70°C/158°F for 2 minutes at the centre), and cooling leftovers fast, plus how to spot the 14 major allergens.
3. Level 3: Essential Equipment and Kitchen Measures
   We'll stock a simple starter kitchen and get you comfortable switching between UK metric measures and US cups, ounces and Fahrenheit, so any recipe you find makes sense.
4. Level 4: Knife Safety and the Basic Cuts
   You'll learn to hold, use and care for a chef's knife safely, then practise slicing, dicing, chopping and mincing on an onion, a carrot and some garlic.
5. Level 5: Boiling and Simmering
   Your first lesson on heat: you'll learn to tell a rolling boil from a gentle simmer and use each one on purpose, by cooking potatoes and a simple stock.
6. Level 6: Sautéing: Cooking Fast in a Hot Pan
   You'll learn to sauté by cooking onions, peppers and garlic in a little fat over a high heat, and you'll find out why a hot pan, dry food and space between pieces give you browning instead of steaming.
7. Level 7: Seasoning: Salt, Acid, Fat and Heat
   We'll make a simple tomato sauce and adjust it step by step, so you learn how salt, acid, fat and heat each change a dish and why you should taste as you go.
8. Level 8: Eggs Four Ways
   You'll put heat control and seasoning together by boiling, scrambling, frying and poaching eggs, and you'll see how heat and timing change the texture every time.
9. Level 9: Vegetables: Steaming and Roasting
   You'll cook vegetables two ways, steaming green beans and roasting root vegetables in the oven, and learn why each method suits different vegetables.
10. Level 10: Rice and Grains
    You'll learn to cook fluffy rice by the absorption method and then apply it to other grains like couscous and quinoa, plus how to cool and store cooked rice safely.
11. Level 11: Pasta Done Properly
    You'll cook dried pasta in well-salted boiling water, test it for al dente, and use the starchy pasta water to bring a simple sauce together.
12. Level 12: Cooking Chicken Safely
    We'll roast chicken thighs and pan-cook a chicken breast, and you'll learn to handle raw poultry safely and to check it's cooked using a thermometer and the clear-juices test.
13. Level 13: Meat: Searing and Grilling
    You'll pan-sear a steak or pork chop and grill burgers made from mince, and learn why whole cuts and minced meat need different cooking for safety.
14. Level 14: Cooking Fish Gently
    You'll pan-fry a fillet with crispy skin and bake fish in a parcel, and learn to tell when fish is cooked and how to buy and store it fresh.
15. Level 15: Simple Sauces and Dressings
    You'll make a vinaigrette, a pan sauce from the browned bits left after searing, and a white sauce made with a roux, learning how emulsions and thickening work.
16. Level 16: Soups, Stews and Braising
    You'll build a vegetable soup and a braised stew from a sautéed base, and learn why long, gentle, moist cooking turns tough cuts tender.
17. Level 17: Baking Basics: Measuring and a Simple Cake
    You'll learn why baking needs accurate weights and measures, then bake a simple sponge and check it's done.
18. Level 18: Baking Bread: A Simple Loaf
    You'll make a basic yeasted loaf from scratch, learning how yeast, kneading and proving work, and how to tell your bread is baked through.
19. Level 19: Plan, Store and Adapt Your Week
    You'll plan a week of meals with a shopping list, store and freeze leftovers safely to cut waste, and learn in outline how to adapt your dishes for common dietary needs.
20. Level 20: Final Challenge: Cook a Complete Meal Exam
    Here's where it all comes together: you'll plan, prepare and serve a complete meal using safe hygiene, knife skills, heat control, seasoning and a sauce, and then review the whole course.

Access

The first 2 levels are free with a free account. Every level, the podcast edition and the AI tutor come with All Access at £4.99/month or any Creator plan — see pricing.

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