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SESSION 1 – Kitchen Safety & Knife Skills

Duration: 120–150 minutes


Course Goal:
Build strong culinary foundations through safety, technique, classical preparations, and protein cookery. By the end of the course, students will feel confident using knives, preparing sauces and stocks, composing fresh dishes, and cooking proteins to proper doneness.

 

Step-by-Step Curriculum

1. Introduction & Safety (15 min)
• Kitchen safety overview
• Proper attire (shoes, clothing, hair restraint)
• Hand washing and sanitation
• Preventing cross-contamination
• Basic food safety principles

2. Knife Orientation (15 min)
• Types of knives (chef, paring, serrated, boning)
• Parts of the knife
• Proper grip (pinch grip)
• Knife care and storage
• Sharpening vs honing (demo)

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3. Knife Skills Demonstration (20–30 min)

• Proper cutting stance and technique

• Common cuts:

• Slice

• Chop

• Dice (small, medium, large)

• Julienne

• Mince

 

4. Hands-On Practice (40–60 min)

• Students practice cuts using vegetables

• Focus on consistency, speed, and safety

• Instructor feedback and correction

 

5. Wrap-Up & Q&A (10–15 min)

• Review key safety points

• Knife care reminders

 

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Jatoma Gavin
      Chef
3836 Stinson Blvd NE
Columbia Heights, 55421
 
April 2nd, 2026
6:30 PM - 9:00 PM

SESSION 2 – Stocks & Mother Sauces

Duration: 150–180 minutes


Learning Objectives
• Understand the five French mother sauces
• Prepare béchamel and tomato sauce
• Learn stock fundamentals and mise en place

 

Step-by-Step Curriculum

1. Introduction to Classical Sauces (20 min)
• Overview of the 5 Mother Sauces:
• Béchamel
• Velouté
• Espagnole
• Tomato
• Hollandaise
• How sauces are used and adapted

2. Béchamel Sauce (30–40 min)
• Roux: ratios and cooking stages
• Proper whisking techniques
• Seasoning and consistency
• Common derivatives (cheese sauce example)

3. Tomato Sauce (30–40 min)
• Ingredients and flavor building
• Difference between fresh vs canned tomatoes
• Simmering and seasoning
• Adjusting acidity and texture

4. Stock Fundamentals & Mise en Place (30–40 min)
• Types of stock: beef, chicken, vegetable
• Proper ratios: bones, aromatics, water
• Mirepoix explained
• Mise en place setup for:
• Beef stock
• Vegetable stock
• Simmering stages and skimming (demo)

5. Tasting, Discussion & Q&A (15–20 min)
• Taste sauces
• Troubleshooting common mistakes

Jatoma Gavin
       Chef
3836 Stinson Blvd NE
Columbia Heights, 55421
 
March 12th, 2026
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

SESSION 3 – Cold Kitchen Fundamentals
Foundations of Salads, Fruits, Dressing, Vinaigrettes, and Cold Presentation
Duration: 120–150 minutes


Learning Objectives
• Prepare fresh and composed salads
• Make dressings and vinaigrettes from scratch
• Learn proper fruit and melon cutting
• Understand salad presentation and plating

 

1. Cold Kitchen Basics (15–20 min)
• Importance of freshness and temperature
• Ingredient selection and storage

2. Dressings & Vinaigrettes (30–40 min)
• Basic vinaigrette ratios
• Emulsification methods
• Creamy vs oil-based dressings
• Flavor variations (herbs, citrus, mustard)

3. Fresh & Composed Salads (30–40 min)
• Building balanced salads (texture, color, flavor)
• Leafy vs composed salads
• Proper seasoning of greens

4. Fruit & Melon Cutting (20–30 min)
• Knife selection for fruit
• Cutting pineapple, melon, citrus
• Uniform cuts for presentation

5. Plating & Presentation (15–20 min)
• Visual balance and height
• Portioning
• Clean plate techniques

6. Wrap-Up & Q&A (10 min)

Jatoma Gavin
 
3836 Stinson Blvd NE
Columbia Heights, 55421
 
February 12th 2026
6:45 PM - 9:00 PM

SESSION 4 – Mastering Protein, Heat, Sear, & Doneness
See, feel, and taste the difference between rare, medium, and well done.
Duration: 150–180 minutes


Learning Objectives
• Understand safe cooking temperatures
• Learn proper handling of meat and fish
• Cook proteins to desired doneness

 

1. Food Safety & Temperature Guidelines (20–30 min)
• Safe internal temperatures:
• Fish
• Pork
• Chicken
• Beef
• Using a thermometer correctly
• Resting meats

2. Meat & Fish Handling (20–30 min)
• Cross-contamination prevention
• Portioning basics
• Seasoning techniques

3. Cooking Demonstrations (60–80 min)
• Fish: pan-seared or baked
• Steak:
• Rare
• Medium
• Well-done
• Heat control and carryover cooking

4. Student Observation & Tasting (20–30 min)
• Visual cues for doneness
• Texture comparison
• Flavor evaluation

5. Course Review & Final Q&A (15–20 min)
• Key takeaways
• How to continue practicing at home

Jatoma Gavin
 
3836 Stinson Blvd NE
Columbia Heights, 55421
 
February 26th 2026
6:30 PM - 9:00 PM

SESSION 5 – Foundations of Weekly Food Preparation
Menu Guide: Whole30 Cookbook
Duration: 3 hours
6-9pm

You’ll leave with:

• Practical knife skills and kitchen safety know-how

• A clear food prep workflow you can repeat every week

• Prepared meals ready to enjoy

• Tools to save time, reduce stress, and eat well consistently

 

No perfection required—just a willingness to learn and cook together.

1. Welcome & Overview

 

  • Goals of weekly food preparation

  • How a prep system saves time, money, and mental energy

  • Overview of the class flow and recipes

 

 

2. Safety & Sanitation Moment

 

  • Proper handwashing

  • Cross-contamination basics

  • Safe food temperatures & clean workspace habits

 

 

3. Basic Knife Orientation & Skills

 

  • Knife types & uses

  • Safe grip and cutting techniques

  • Speed vs. precision (and when each matters)

 

 

4. Recipe Review (Whole30-Inspired)

 

  • Overview of the selected Whole30 recipes

  • Flavor profiles and ingredient substitutions

  • How these recipes fit into weekly meal planning

  • Tips for batching and efficiency

 

 

5. Ingredient & Workspace Setup

 

  • Mise en place: what it is and why it matters

  • Efficient station setup using your own ingredients

  • Order of operations for multitasking

 

 

6. Execution: Prep → Cook → Cool

 

  • Hands-on food preparation

  • Cooking techniques used

  • Proper cooling methods for food safety

 

 

7. Pack, Label & Store

 

  • Portioning meals for the week

  • Labeling best practices (date, contents)

  • Storage guidelines: refrigerator vs. freezer

 

 

8. Review & Wrap-Up

 

  • Troubleshooting common prep mistakes

  • How to adapt this system for different diets

  • Q&A and next steps

Jatoma Gavin
 
3836 Stinson Blvd NE
Columbia Heights, 55421
 
February 23rd 2026
or March 9th
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Participant Ingredients & Recipes (Clear + Reassuring Language)

 

 

You can include this as a short section on your signup page or confirmation email:

 

Ingredients & Recipes
This class uses Whole30-inspired recipes. Once you register, you’ll receive a shopping list and selected recipes via email so you can bring your own ingredients to class.
 
Bringing your own ingredients allows you to tailor the meals to your preferences while learning a repeatable prep system you can use every week.
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