Cooking Classes

  • Home
  • Cooking Classes
image
  • Italian

Authentic Ciabatta

“Ciabatta” means “slipper” in Italian, a reference to the bread’s longer, broad shape. It is one of the more popular Italian loaf breads in this country along with focaccia, and can often be found in a smaller form as ciabatta rolls. But how do you make it? Seasoned bakers make it look easy, turning out loaf after loaf of artisanal ciabatta with subtle tangy flavor, pleasantly chewy texture, and larger irregular air pockets that are just right for this style bread. However, with the very wet dough that is typical of ciabatta, home bakers often have trouble getting this recipe right. Our step-by-step video and photos will help you turn out perfect ciabatta, including forming the biga, the Italian version of a sponge that starts the ciabatta. We also share details on the equipment you’ll need, from a stand mixer to instant-read thermometer (yes, we do recommend temping bread!).

Book Now
image
  • Italian

Rustic Italian Bread

In Italy, rustic bread is seriously crusty, with a toothsome crumb and a clean, strong flavor. The most traditional loaf is shaped like a torpedo and contains just four ingredients—flour, water, yeast, and salt. This recipe relies on a biga (flour, water, and a little yeast) for flavor. Since the biga must ferment for 6 to 27 hours, this recipe is best made over two days. Once the biga has fallen, the remaining flour, water, and yeast are added, along with the salt. As the dough rises, it is folded (or turned) twice to build structure. The dough is shaped and baked on parchment paper for easy handling. You will need a baking stone as well as a water bottle to mist the dough with water before it goes into the oven. (The water helps promote a really thick crust.)

Book Now
image
  • Italian

Almost Hands-Free Risotto

Risotto is a classic rice dish from northern Italy. It’s well-loved for its lush, velvety texture and al dente rice grains; the medium-grain Italian rice that’s used to make risotto releases its plentiful starch during cooking and gives the appearance of being bathed in a creamy sauce. But the traditional cooking method requires at least 30 minutes of constant stirring. We developed an easier but still great-tasting risotto recipe that requires almost no stirring. Learn about the ingredients and equipment you’ll need to prepare this dish, as well as how to avoid mushy risotto or blown-out grains. And although it’s traditionally served as a first course or as a side dish to stews and braises, we added shredded chicken to this recipe so it is hearty enough to be served as a main dish.

Book Now
image
  • Italian

Beef Braised in Barolo

Beef Braised in Barolo is what results when the all-American pot roast goes abroad to study the classics in Italy. Barolo wine is made in the Piedmont region of northern Italy—an entire bottle goes into the pot as the braising liquid for this dish. Barolo is made from the Nebbiolo grape and is known for having big, bold flavor and full body—this robust character goes into the sauce of Beef Braised in Barolo and defines the dish. This braise uses a chuck-eye roast. The roast is divided into two pieces along its natural fat seams into smaller pieces that cook more quickly; separating the beef into pieces also allows you to remove some of the internal fat pockets. During braising, the pieces are turned every 45 minutes to prevent the surface from drying out. This dish is great with mashed potatoes, just as pot roast is, but if you would like to make an accompaniment that also hails from northern Italy, opt for Creamy Parmesan Polenta.

Book Now
image
  • Italian

Veal Scaloppine

Veal Scaloppine is a classic Italian dish that’s as elegant and refined as it is quick and easy to make. Scallopine are “scallops,” or cutlets, that are so thin they cook in a matter of just a few minutes. That they cook so quickly actually presents a dilemma: the scaloppine are overdone before the exteriors can attain decent browning. Our solution is to sauté the cutlets until deeply colored on one side only and until just lightly golden on the other—this way, we have the flavor benefits of good browning, but the cutlets are still moist and tender because they’re properly cooked. Sautéing the cutlets leaves fond, or browned bits, in the skillet that are the flavor backbone for a pan sauce. But because the sauce takes longer to reduce than the scaloppine should wait to be served, in this recipe, we begin making the sauce before sautéing the cutlets, and put the finishing touches on the sauce after the cutlets are cooked. The typical veal cutlets sold at the grocery store are not the super-tender scaloppine cut from the pricey loin muscle that you might find being served in better Italian restaurants. Rather, average veal cutlets are sliced from the leg or shoulder, and because they have considerable chew, they require the help of a meat pounder as well as some meat tenderizer to achieve a pleasing texture.

Book Now
image
  • Italian

Focaccia and Ciabatta

What are the differences between focaccia and ciabatta? Why do we dimple focaccia? For these answers and much more, search no further than this online cooking class. Discover how these yeasted breads develop flavor (hint: a biga), and how to shape the different loaves. Learn how to ensure each one bakes up properly, how to know when they are done, and what the crumb should look like. We will talk you through what equipment is necessary to ensure success, including how to care for, store, and use a baking stone.

Book Now
image
  • Italian

Italian-Style Turkey Meatballs

We can understand the appeal of using ground turkey in place of beef or pork in meatballs, especially if you're trying to cut back on the amount of red meat in your diet. When we decided to develop a turkey meatball recipe, we quickly learned that we couldn't just swap in ground turkey in our Classic Meatball recipe. The results were mushy and grainy meatballs that couldn't hold their shape. Developing this recipe forced us to reconsider many rules about making meatballs. For example, with beef or pork, you want to handle the mixture as gently as possible, since overworking can cause the meat proteins to tighten up, creating a too-springy, sausage-like consistency. Turkey is another beast altogether: Although it contains the same sticky proteins as beef and pork, it also has a higher moisture content (ground turkey contains about 71 percent moisture versus 66 and 61 percent for pork and beef, respectively). This means that even after a good amount of mixing, ground turkey remains wet and hard to work with. So we needed to find a way to absorb some of that moisture—which meant the traditional panade of bread and milk was out. Thanks to many rounds of testing and a few test kitchen tricks, we created turkey meatballs that rival any beef or pork versions. We start with 93 or 85 percent lean turkey; the 99 percent lean type didn’t have enough fat to create a palatable meatball. Next, we add an egg and fresh bread crumbs (instead of a panade, which made the meatballs too wet) to help bind the meat. We also add a small amount of unflavored gelatin, which mitigates graininess by trapping moisture and giving the meatballs a juicy mouthfeel. To boost meaty flavor, we add glutamate-rich ingredients such as Parmesan cheese, anchovies, tomato paste, and rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms.

Book Now
image
  • Italian

Homemade Pasta

Have you ever wondered if fresh pasta is better than dry? After all, they’re certainly not the same thing. Tender and chewy, fresh pasta is best dressed with rich, lush sauces—and we love that it takes just seconds to cook. Some think making fresh pasta is too hard, but here we show you a quick and simple food processor method. See how we take all the mystery out of rolling the pasta out and cutting it into your favorite shape. You will learn to make a satisfying filling for ravioli, and then how to fill and cut them. And while not made from fresh pasta dough, learn how to make potato gnocchi by hand with a delicious sauce that complements all the flavors in the dish. You’ll also learn how to avoid common mistakes like gluey gnocchi and overcooked pasta, and what ingredients are best to create the right flavor and texture in your fresh pasta dishes.

Book Now
image
  • Italian

Authentic Tuscan Bean Stew

This simple, hearty bean stew hails from Tuscany and showcases one of the region’s favorite ingredients: cannellini beans. Our recipe fortifies this version of the dish with pancetta, aromatic vegetables, and hearty greens to make a meal in a bowl. In this online cooking class, we’ll teach you how to get the beans to cook up plump, whole, and tender-skinned by brining. We’ll also share tips on how to avoid common mistakes like blown-out or tough, undercooked beans. You don’t need any special kitchen equipment for this dish, but we’ll give you our recommendations for the best chef’s knife, Dutch oven, colander, and more.

Book Now
image
  • Italian

Chicken, Italian-Style

What is chicken cacciatore? And how do I make the best chicken saltimbocca? These dishes may sound familiar, but are they complicated to make? Learn how three basic cooking techniques are used to create classic Italian dishes at home. Sautéing is a quick, high-heat cooking technique used for thin cutlets; stewing and braising use long, slow, moist-heat which turns dark meat chicken tender; and grilling adds an extra layer of flavor from cooking outdoors over coals. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to sauté, braise, and grill chicken as well as how to cut your own chicken cutlets and butterfly a chicken. Pair these techniques with easy to find ingredients to create Chicken Saltimbocca, Chicken Cacciatore, and Italian-Style Grill-Roasted Chicken.

Book Now
image
  • Italian

Meat, Italian-Style

Cooking techniques like braising, sautéing, and roasting are pretty common, no matter what country you live in. It’s when you add local ingredients and use traditional methods that these dishes learn to speak the local dialect. Review the essentials of how to roast, sauté, and braise meats, including videos on the proper technique. Discover what herbs, wines, and other ingredients help transform a simple pork loin into a taste of Tuscany. Learn about the equipment best suited to each of these recipes, then put that knowledge to work in three authentic Italian dishes: Veal Scaloppine, Tuscan Pork Loin, and Beef Braised in Barolo.

Book Now
image
  • Italian

Pasta Classics

Ever wondered which pasta shapes go with which sauces? After all, there are scores of pasta shapes, and even more sauces. From pesto to cream sauces to tomato-based sauces, the combinations are endless. But not all pasta shapes work with all sauces. Discover how to pair the classic shapes with traditional sauces, and how to highlight the best of both the pasta and the sauce. Learn how to make a bolognese sauce, pesto, and a classic tomato sauce. We will show you how best to cook pasta and when you know pasta is properly cooked. See which canned tomatoes are best for sauce and then take all this information into the kitchen to make Baked Manicotti, Pasta with Pesto Alla Trapanese, and Fettuccine with Bolognese Sauce.

Book Now
11 12 13 14 15