Course description

Living on ready meals and takeaways, or stuck cooking the same three dinners? This course teaches you to cook real food from scratch, step by step, from holding a knife properly to cooking a three-course dinner for friends.

It's a full course, not a handful of recipes. There are 10 sections and 52 step-by-step written lessons, and every lesson ends with something practical to cook. Every section has a practice pack of recipe cards, charts, planners and checklists. Throughout the course you follow a bus driver and her vegetarian teenage son as she learns to cook with help from her neighbour, a retired school cook.

What you'll learn

• The basics: kitchen kit, reading recipes, measuring, hygiene and a well-stocked cupboard.
• Knife skills: chopping onions, garlic, herbs and vegetables safely, and handling raw meat and fish.
• Cooking methods: boiling, steaming, frying, roasting, grilling, braising and seasoning as you go.
• Everyday meals: eggs, rice, pasta, pulses, potatoes, soups, stir-fries, curries, traybakes and a roast dinner.
• Flavour and baking: stock, gravy, sauces, herbs and spices, a sponge cake, scones, bread and a crumble.
• Planning and budgeting: a week of meals, shopping lists, batch cooking, freezing, leftovers and less waste.
• Cooking for others: balanced meals, food labels, allergies, vegetarian and vegan meals, families and guests.

Two final projects

You'll plan, shop for and cook a full week of meals, then cook a three-course meal for friends or family.

Who this course is for

• Complete beginners who want to cook properly.
• Anyone living alone for the first time, including students.
• Parents who want to cook healthier family meals on a budget.
• People who can follow a recipe but want to cook with more confidence.

How the course works

Read each lesson, then do the Try it task in your own kitchen. Food safety follows the Food Standards Agency and NHS guidance. This course is general cooking education, not medical or dietetic advice. You keep lifetime access, so you can come back to any recipe whenever you need it.

What will i learn?

• Use a knife safely and prepare vegetables, herbs, meat and fish
• Boil, simmer, steam, fry, roast, braise and season with confidence
• Cook eggs, rice, pasta, pulses and potatoes well every time
• Make everyday meals such as soups, stir-fries, curries, traybakes and a roast dinner
• Build flavour and make stock, gravy and simple sauces
• Bake a sponge cake, scones, a simple loaf and a crumble
• Plan a week of meals, shop on a budget, batch cook and waste less
• Keep food safe, read labels and cook for allergies, vegetarians and guests

Frequently asked question