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A Beginner’s Guide to Basic Cooking Skills

Learn the fundamentals of cooking with an introduction to a range of methods and techniques to prepare delicious meals with ease.

1,086 enrolled on this course

A junior chef in the kitchen wearing an apron and chopping tomatoes.

A Beginner’s Guide to Basic Cooking Skills

1,086 enrolled on this course

  • 5 weeks

  • 5 hours per week

  • Accreditation available

  • Digital certificate when eligible

  • Introductory level

Find out more about how to join this course

  • Duration

    5 weeks
  • Weekly study

    5 hours
  • Languages

    English, Italiano, Español, Français, PortuguêsEnglish, Italiano
  • 100% online

    How it works
  • Unlimited subscription

    $244.99 for a whole yearLearn more
  • Accreditation

    AvailableMore info
The CPD Certification Service

This course has been certified by the CPD Certification Service as conforming to continuing professional development principles. Find out more.

Gain an important life skill by learning how to cook tasty yet simple recipes

Being able to cook is a fundamental skill that can turn meal preparation from a chore to a daily highlight.

On this five-week course that’s fun for the whole family, you’ll cover the basics of cooking, from hygiene and kitchen safety procedures, to creating shopping lists and costing menus.

Learn a variety of cooking methods and techniques with expert guidance from the International Culinary Studio

With leading educators in the culinary arts, you’ll discover how to confidently prepare different foods with ease.

You’ll be guided through the creative side of cooking, learning to combine tastes and flavours within dishes. The practical side of food preparation will also be explored, from creating shopping lists to costing a recipe.

Using these skills, you’ll be able to manage food budgets, source ingredients, and create menus from scratch.

Explore the fundamentals of food safety and hygiene

When cooking, it’s important to maintain high levels of safety and hygiene at all times.

You’ll examine how to dress appropriately for working in kitchens, hygiene basics, and the fundamentals of knife safety.

With this knowledge, you’ll be able to prepare and serve food in a safe and hygienic environment and protect yourself from preventable accidents whilst cooking.

Showcase your culinary skills by preparing eight easy recipes

On this course, you’ll try your hand at a variety of sweet and savoury recipes that demonstrate a range of different techniques within an experienced cook’s repertoire.

By the end of this course, you’ll have the skills to confidently prepare tasty meals to enjoy time and again. You’ll also have a foundational knowledge of the safety and hygiene procedures required to ensure professional standards of food preparation with every dish.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 3 seconds Hey there and welcome. We’re so excited to have you on our short courses. Whether you’re doing this to upskill yourself, whether you are wanting to, just to get a new skill, but definitely will be, um, to be used in the workplace. This is the right place to be. It’s fully engaging, it’s quite interactive, and also a bit of fun to be had. So we look forward to having you on our courses and, um, yeah, working together. We’ll see you online.

Syllabus

  • Week 1

    Welcome, Knife skills and Country Vegetable Soup

    • Welcome and Getting Started

      You are introduced to the course and provided with your lesson plan, recipe book and we explain mise en place and how to evaluate our prepared dishes using the flavour wheel.

    • Getting Kitchen Ready

      You will prepare to work with food in the kitchen, this includes dress code, handwashing, safe food handling and safe knife use.

    • Knife skills and making your own Country Vegetable Soup

      You will practice your knife and cutting skills making country vegetable soup. Beforehand you will take a quiz to check if you are ready and once completed check your self and evaluate your prepared dish.

  • Week 2

    Pasta, Meat Sauce and Working with Chocolate

    • Make your Own Pasta and Meat Sauce

      You will learn how to make pasta from scratch and a tasty meat sauce.

    • Have Fun Working with Chocolate

      Almost everyone loves chocolate, learn how to make chocolate moulds and run outs.

  • Week 3

    Baking Bread Rolls and Preparing Filled Sandwiches

    • Make your Own Bread Rolls

      In this activity you will learn how to develop a production schedule and you will prepare and bake your own bread rolls.

    • Today is Filled Sandwiches!

      Today you are going to make delicious filled sandwiches and also learn how to cost a recipe.

  • Week 4

    Biscuits, Swiss Roll and Roast Chicken

    • Something Sweet! Biscuits and Swiss rolls

      Learn how to make biscuits and a swiss roll and then select one (or both) of them to prepare.

    • Prepare and Cook a Roast Chicken with Roasted Vegetables

      Today you will be making Roast Chicken and Roast vegetables.

  • Week 5

    It's Mystery Basket Time

    • It's Mystery Basket Time

      You will receive a selection of ingredients on a list to get creative and prepare your own three course meal.

Who is this accredited by?

The CPD Certification Service
The CPD Certification Service:

The CPD Certification Service was established in 1996 and is the leading independent CPD accreditation institution operating across industry sectors to complement the CPD policies of professional and academic bodies.

When would you like to start?

Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.

  • Available now

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Work safely and hygienically in the kitchen.
  • Dress correctly for the kitchen.
  • Use knives safely.
  • Use the Favour Profile Wheel to judge the flavour and taste of a dish.
  • Prepare a production schedule and cost a recipe.
  • Prepare and cook a variety of dishes from a recipe.

Who is the course for?

This course is designed for anyone who wants to hone their cooking skills and learn the basics of cooking.

It would be particularly useful for parents who want to encourage their children in the kitchen, as well as children aged 8 and over who want to learn some cooking skills.

What software or tools do you need?

You need a kitchen with basic preparation, cooking and refrigeration tools and equipment

Who will you learn with?

Career Highlights
Catered for Nelson Mandela
Dignatries in Germany
Competition judge
Banqueting large function organization
Managed large team of chefs
Culinary team chef
Teaching and educating chefs

Who developed the course?

International Culinary Studio

International Culinary Studio offers quality education online from any kitchen.

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Ways to learn

Choose the best way to learn for you!

Best Value - learn more, save more!

Subscribe & save

$244.99 for a whole year

Automatically renews

Develop skills to further your career

  • Access to this course
  • Access to 1,000+ courses
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Digital certificate when you're eligible

Cancel for free anytime

Buy this course

$79/one-off payment

Fulfill your current learning need

  • Access to this course
  • Learn at your own pace
  • Discuss your learning in comments
  • Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible

Start learning today

Free

Try this course - with limits

  • Limited to 5 weeks

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 2 November 2026 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)

Sale price available until 2 November 2026 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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