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Culinary Boot Camp 1

Our five-day intensive Culinary Boot Camp gives passionate home cooks a hands-on culinary education modeled after professional culinary school, without the time or financial commitment of a professional program. Build foundational techniques, kitchen confidence and the skills to cook more intuitively under the guidance of professional chef instructors.

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BOOT CAMP
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Is Culinary Boot Camp Right for You?

Culinary Boot Camp is designed for home cooks who want more than a typical cooking class but aren't looking for a professional culinary career. You don't need formal training or advanced skills to participate. Some students come ready to master the basics, while others have cooked for years and want to fill gaps in their technique, break their reliance on recipes and better understand the "why" behind cooking.

What you do need is a desire to learn, a willingness to spend five hands-on days in the kitchen and an appetite for a lot of cooking.

What You'll Learn in Five Days: From Knife Skills to Plating

  • Day 1: Knife Skills, Fish Butchery and Cookery, Emulsions
  • Day 2: Chicken and Beef Butchery, Stocks and Meat Cookery
  • Day 3: Soups and Sauces
  • Day 4: Eggs, Vegetable and Grain Cookery
  • Day 5: Tastebud Tutorial, Plating Techniques and Master the Art of a Dinner Party

Day 1: Knife Skills, Fish Butchery and Cookery, Emulsions

  • In-depth lessons in knife skills including how to select and sharpen your knives
  • Whole fish butchery
  • Selecting fish
  • Making fish stock
  • Proper use of cookware and essential kitchen tools
  • Preparing emulsion sauces such as Aioli, Hollandaise and Beurre Blanc
  • Fish cookery including poached fish, whole roasted branzino and sautéed fish

Day 2: Chicken and Beef Butchery, Stocks and Meat Cookery

  • Butchery of whole chicken and beef tenderloin
  • Understanding primal and sub-primal cuts of meat
  • Selecting the proper cuts of meat for the cooking technique
  • How to tell when meat is done
  • Preparing chicken and veal stock
  • Meat cookery including braising, sautéing, stuffing, roasting and grilling
  • Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Herb Butter
  • Coq au Vin
  • Roasted Pork with Prunes and Olives and Balsamic
  • Five-Spice Roasted Chicken
  • Chicken Piccata

Day 3: Soups and Sauces

  • In-depth lessons in soup making including French Onion, Shrimp and Andouille Sausage Gumbo,  Clam Chowder and Avgolemono
  • Understanding the "Mother Sauces" and how to apply them to everyday cooking
  • Sauce Espagnole
  • Tomato Sauce
  • Roux and Velouté
  • Alfredo Sauce, Béchamel Style and Reduction Style
  • Preparing vinaigrettes
  • Bistro Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette and Homemade Croutons
  • Balancing flavors

Day 4: Eggs, Vegetable and Grain Cookery

  • Egg cookery including omelets, over-easy eggs and soufflés
  • Selecting and working with potatoes
  • Home Fries Skillet
  • Potatoes Anna
  • Vegetable cookery including sautéing, roasting and grilling
  • Sautéed Green Beans with Bacon and Cranberries
  • Oven-Roasted Broccoli
  • Grilled Eggplant and Portobello Mushrooms
  • Roasting peppers and garlic
  • Working with dried beans
  • White Bean Bruschetta
  • Selecting and working with grains
  • Pea and Saffron Risotto
  • Curried Quinoa Pilaf
  • Goat Cheese and Herb Polenta
  • Rice cookery

Day 5: Tastebud Tutorial, Plating Techniques and Master the Art of a Dinner Party

  • Understanding taste vs. flavor and the five basic tastes
  • Building complex flavor profiles
  • Selecting olive oils and vinegars
  • Selecting fresh vs. dried herbs
  • Preparing canapes 
  • Honing and practicing the techniques from the week by preparing a multicourse, plated meal
  • Plating, garnishing and presentation skills

REGISTER FOR AN UPCOMING CLASS

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Hear It Straight from Our Grads

Amazing experience. I went from a person who defers to the microwave too often to knowing how and having the confidence to cook really amazing meals. The food and instruction, team atmosphere, and overall environment were nothing short of incredible. If you’re thinking about it, It’s worth the time and investment in yourself!

Deanna G.
January 2025 graduate

From the moment I registered for Culinary Boot Camp, I knew this was going to be a very special experience. Every person took excellent care of me and went out of their way answering questions, providing support and encouragement, advice, even pouring drinks. This week was one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. I’ve been cooking and baking for decades, and I learned a ton. If you think you’re a bad cook, come to Boot Camp. If you think you’re a great cook, come to Boot Camp. I’m already planning on coming back for Culinary Boot Camp 2. Fangirl for life!

Lisa G.
May 2023 graduate

What a difference Culinary Boot Camp has made in my home food life! It was just what I needed - a kickstart back into real food, using new skills and rekindling old, and the courage to tackle a total cleanout of collected non-useful utensils, cheap plastic crap, and 10x the amount of needed  cookware. I lament over the lack of such beautiful produce and meat/seafood you provided. It all starts there! But thank you ALL so much for a fun time and amazing instruction. You are all rock stars at what you do!

Maria M.
August 2022 graduate

The chef instructor’s presentation was clear and fun. The class was small so we could interact with the other participants. The experience was delightful, and I learned a lot. I took the class with my daughter, and it was a great mother-daughter experience.

Deidre M.
Sauce Boot Camp

The Vegetarian Boot Camp was fantastic! The staff was amazing with the prep, cooking and clean-up. I learned great tips throughout the day, and we prepared very tasty food. Highly recommend!

Kirstin S.
Vegetarian Boot Camp

The Artisanal Breads Boot Camp was amazing!. The chef instructors were kind, thorough, and knowledgeable. There was a little bit of chemistry and a lot of hand-on application. I went home armed with more knowledge and confidence to problem-solve when I'm working with yeast.

Kevin K.
Artisanal Breads Boot Camp

I learned so much, the food was delicious, and the instructors were fun and knowledgeable. I highly recommend the Essential Building Blocks course!

Maggie M.
Essential Building Blocks

We turned the Hands-On Mediterranean Boot Camp into a fun couples weekend away and it was so much better than we anticipated. The chefs were knowledgeable, fun and very helpful. We had a great day eating, enjoying some of their great wines and having so much fun learning new techniques and recipes. Only regret was we didn't drive to the city so we couldn't take home the leftovers! We will definitely be back and highly recommend the experience!

Kate
Mediterranean Boot Camp

The Chopping Blog

FAQ

Do I need cooking experience to take Culinary Boot Camp?

No. Culinary Boot Camp 1 is designed for home cooks of all experience levels, from beginners who want to build a strong foundation to experienced cooks who want to fill gaps in their knowledge and sharpen their technique. You don't need formal training or advanced skills, just a desire to learn and a willingness to spend five immersive days in the kitchen. 

How is Culinary Boot Camp different from regular cooking classes?

A typical cooking class focuses on preparing a specific menu while learning techniques along the way. Culinary Boot Camp takes a deeper, more structured approach. Over five days, you'll build skills progressively, covering everything from knife skills and cooking methods to sauces, flavor development and plating. The goal isn't just to teach you what to cook, but to help you understand how and why cooking works so you can become a more confident, intuitive cook at home.

Is Culinary Boot Camp a substitute for culinary school?

Culinary Boot Camp is designed for passionate home cooks, not aspiring culinary professionals. The program is modeled after professional culinary education and teaches many of the foundational techniques chefs learn in culinary school, condensed into an intensive five-day experience. It's an ideal option for serious home cooks who want professional-level instruction without the time, cost or career focus of culinary school.

Is the program entirely hands-on?

Yes. Culinary Boot Camp is a hands-on program, so you'll spend your time actively cooking rather than watching demonstrations from the sidelines. Our chef instructors demonstrate and explain techniques before guiding you through them yourself, giving you plenty of opportunities to practice, ask questions and receive personalized feedback throughout the week. 

Can I take Culinary Boot Camp if I don't live in Chicago?

Absolutely. Culinary Boot Camp attracts passionate home cooks from across the country (even the world!), and many students make a trip to Chicago specifically for the program. The five-day format makes it easy to immerse yourself in the experience while enjoying Chicago during your downtime. If you're traveling from out of town, our team can also provide recommendations for accommodations near The Chopping Block. 

HAVE A QUESTION?

We're here to help! Ask us anything about the program, schedule, or what to expect, and we'll get back to you shortly.