In culinary school I was taught a vast number of cooking techniques. The fact of the matter is, unless you plan on being a pro, you don’t need to waste your time with most of these methods. You only need to master a few key moves, which you can pick up without even leaving your couch.

The Food Network has plenty to offer those who want to learn. There is a wide variety of shows that will occupy the minds of pros and novices alike. In case you missed something or need a little more time to understand the recipe, their website will have everything you just saw and more.  

Let’s cover a few shows for those just starting off.

 

 

Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee is for those who want to disguise the fact that almost everything they’re bringing to the table is store bought. Here you will learn the basics techniques like how to make home made whipped cream. This will free up a great amount of time and allow you to reap all the praise worthy of a long day spent in the kitchen, without a major investment of time. The host is easy to follow and the concepts are simple.

 

 

Paula Deen has two programs: Party with Paula and Paula’s Home Cooking that are a little more advanced, but just as easy to follow. For anyone who is just starting off, start with Paula’s Home Cooking. This southern belle cooks up some of the best down-home and hearty food the network has to offer. Everything here is heavily laden with butter and fat, resulting in seriously decadent flavors. You’ll learn how to make just about everything from someone that will remind you of your own mother. Paula is the perfect easy-going instructor when it comes to the basic methods of sautéing, deep-frying, and baking, amongst other things.

 

 

 

One of my personal favorite shows is Good Eats. The host, Alton Brown is an infinite wealth of knowledge when it comes to culinary skill and facts. Sure, the recipes aren’t too advanced, but the outcome is five-star. The big plus is that Alton offers you the scientific reason why the recipe works. Believe it or not, cooking is a science and you will not have a better navigator than Brown. This show has been on for as long as I’ve been watching the Food Network and covers about everything you might want to know.

 

 

 

I’ll suggest the Essence of Emeril, but don’t confuse this with his other show Emeril Live (cancelled, but still in re-runs), with the house jazz band and big audience. On this show Emeril Lagasse, who is a master chef certified by the American Culinary Federation, will spoon feed you food know-how. Some shows are more advanced than others, but all are fairly straight forward. This is a good show for those wanting something a little more gourmet. Presentation, because people eat with their eyes first, is also covered and it’s done with things most people already have in their kitchen.

 

 

Food 911 is a show hosted by Tyler Florence. In short, viewers send him their problems with dishes and he comes to their house and remedies their problems.  This is yet another great show for those who are just starting off. Tyler is a graduate of the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University, one the most prestigious schools in the nation, but ironically his show uses pretty simple methods. He tells you the “ins and outs” with out all of the complexities that could accompany such a show. If you have some general know-how, this show will put you through the roof. I have seen him do it all form sauté to soufflés.

 

Cooking, like most things in life, can be simple when equipped with some basic knowledge. Start off small, think creative, and challenge yourself. Trust me, I have been in a professional setting for a decade now, and not everything I do makes it to the table. Part of the fun should be trying something that you haven’t done before. And remember, a recipe is a guide line and not a gospel so if you want to leave something out or put something in, feel free to do so.

 

So get in there and impress your friends and family!