In Fundamentals of Italian Cooking, you will become well versed in preparing the classic cuisines of Italy-with consistently superior results. Under the watchful eye of your Chef-Instructors, you’ll gain confidence as you move through Italian cooking courses in antipasti, soups, stocks, pasta and pizza to fish, meat, poultry, and game to the many types of exquisite Italian pastry. You’ll understand the differences between regional fare and grow adept at cooking recipes from both Northern and Southern Italy. You’ll read butcher’s diagrams. Cook by concentration and extraction. And even make traditional Italian desserts and pastries, from cannoli and tiramisù to gelato and pasta sfoglia (puff pastry). Once you’ve completed the course and passed your final exam, your favorite Italian restaurant may very well be your own home.

Introduction
An introduction to the professional kitchen and sanitation techniques; Lectures on produce; how to purchase, how to clean, prepare, properly store, and handle; Lectures on oils, vinegars, and vinaigrette

Italian cheeses and antipasti
Italian cheeses, Italian salumi, and Italian specialty items; vegetable, fish, and meat antipasti

Stocks and sauces
An introduction to basic stocks and sauces, including chicken stock, fish/shrimp stock, mayonnaise, pesto, and béchamel. Soups, beans and grains - lentil soup, pasta fagioli, minestrone, zuppa di faro, and several different bean preparations and recipes

Pasta — dried, fresh, and filled
Making fresh pasta, including chitarra, orecchiette, and regional shapes along with discussions of varied sauces to accompany. Filled pastas - ravioli, agnolotti, and tortellini, including fillings, shapes, and sauces. Regional sauces for pastas. Gnocchi gnudi, gnocchi di patate, gnocchi di semolino, gnocchi di spinaci/vegetables, gnocchi di zucca, and i strozzapreti. Risotto and polenta (instant vs. traditional; soft and twice-cooked). Types of rice - arborio, vialone nano, and carnaroli. Proper techniques of risotto and farrotto.

Pizza and flatbreads
Pizza, foccacia, calzone, and grissini

Fish
How to determine freshness, scaling and trimming, gutting, and filleting.

How to cook, serve, and plate flat and round fish. Shellfish, including mussels, clams, oysters, lobsters, and shrimp. Octopus, cuttlefish, eel, and calamari.

Meats
How to purchase, fabricate, and store. Chicken, duck, turkey, pigeon, and quail. Beef, veal, pork, lamb, and rabbit. An introduction to the techniques of grilling, broiling, roasting, sautéing, pan frying, deep frying, and braising.

Contorni/side dishes - vegetables, greens, and salads

Italian desserts
Crostate, sweet and savory tarts, pasta soffiata (cream puff pastry), crespelle (crêpes), pasta savoiarda (ladyfingers), cannoli, tiramisu, pasta genovese (sponge cake), pastry cream, crema englese (crème anglaise), gelato, zabaglione, pannacotta, pasta sfoglia (puff pastry), sorbet, and granita.

Practical review and final exam
Kitchen management and practical review. For the final exam you will be assigned two recipes to execute which will be judged by an outside panel and your Chef-Instructors.

Please note: If the start date that you are selecting is full, we will enroll you in the next available start date with that same schedule.

Fundamentals of Italian Cooking classes are offered throughout the year in a variety of convenient day and evening schedules. Please call us at 1-888-324-CHEF or email us at email us to speak with an Admission representative. Classes fill quickly so contact us now to find out about the next available class date.

Financial aid and scholarship options are available and our Financial Aid team will be happy to set up a personalized plan for you. Click here to contact us or call 1-888-324-CHEF.