Modernist Home Cooking School - Modernist Cuisine

Modernist Home Cooking School

Welcome to the Modernist Home Cooking School—our FREE email-based cooking school designed to help you become a more confident and creative home cook. Whether you’re a total beginner or just looking to level up your skills, we’ve got you covered.

How It Works

First, choose from our five different courses. Start from the beginning or skip ahead, sign up for one or all—it’s up to you!

Upon signing up, you’ll receive one lesson per day throughout the course, typically consisting of five to seven lessons that are delivered straight to your inbox. Each course will include practical tips, fundamental techniques, access to recipes to try at home, and fascinating food science insights drawn from our book Modernist Cuisine at Home. The courses are designed to complement the book, but you don’t need to own it to join in—you’ll still learn a ton either way. Below is a listing of the courses; keep scrolling to see some of the topics in each class.

EXPLORE OUR CLASSES

  1. Stocking a Modernist Home Kitchen
  2. Essential Fundamentals and Techniques
  3. Cooking Sous Vide
  4. Vegetables, Fruit, and Other Plant Products
  5. Meat and Seafood
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COURSE 1 | Stocking a Modernist Home Kitchen

When it comes to Modernist home cooking, there’s no better place to start than gear. To help you better stock your kitchen, we’ll share essential tools for home cooks, discuss key Modernist ingredients, delve into the science of your oven, and get a closer look at some of our favorite pieces of equipment. By the end, you’ll be ready to stock up with all the essentials you need to tackle the recipes we reference in the rest of the courses. Some topics we cover include:

  • Basic gear to have on hand
  • Modernist ingredients explained
  • The science behind your oven
  • Choosing your cookware
  • The whipping siphon
  • All about grilling

COURSE 2 | Essential Fundamentals and Techniques

Course 2 is dedicated to the building blocks of cooking, ranging from traditional to Modernist techniques. We’ll tackle scientific concepts and practical applications that are essential to becoming a better cook. Topics we cover in this course include:

  • Understanding heat
  • The Maillard reaction
  • Understanding steaming vs. boiling
  • Tackling emulsions
  • Learning how to properly thicken sauces and more
  • Understanding foams

COURSE 3 | Cooking Sous Vide

Sous vide is a fundamental Modernist technique, which is why we devoted an entire course to it. Here you’ll learn the basics of cooking sous vide and why it’s a game changer for home cooks. We’ll walk you through gear options (including DIY setups), and cover essential techniques like packaging, blanching, and searing. By the end, you’ll be ready to confidently cook sous vide at home, whether you own Modernist Cuisine at Home or not. Lessons include:

  • Why Sous Vide
  • Equipment required for sous vide
  • Packaging for sous vide cooking
  • Sous vide strategies
  • Blanching and searing for sous vide
  • Cooking confit with sous vide

COURSE 4 | Vegetables, Fruit, and Other Plant Products

Plants are one of our most important and diverse sources of food. In this course, we explore the many ways to transform vegetables, fruits, grains, and other plant-based foods using both Modernist and traditional techniques. You’ll learn the science behind plant structure, how to preserve vibrant colors, and why water, starches, and enzymes matter. From silky purees and pressure-cooked risottos to ultra-crispy fries, each lesson offers practical tips and science-backed methods. Here’s a look at what you’ll learn:

  • The science behind plants
  • Using sous vide methods on plants to puree and infuse
  • Pressure-cooking plant foods
  • Frying plant foods and the ultimate french fry
  • Understanding pickling and fermenting techniques

COURSE 5 | Meat and Seafood

This course is designed for all the meat and seafood lovers out there. You’ll learn how to cook meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish with confidence—and with a Modernist twist. We’ll start by exploring the science of meat: what gives it color, what makes it tender, and why searing doesn’t actually seal in the juices. You’ll also learn why different cuts behave the way they do and what techniques will give you restaurant-worthy results at home. Lessons cover:

  • The science of meat
  • Mastering steak techniques
  • Tips for cooking chicken
  • Perfecting fish and salmon dishes
  • Getting the best out of shellfish
  • Grilling meat like a pro

MODERNIST CUISINE AT HOME

Ready for more? Learn how Modernist Cuisine at Home can enhance your cooking skills.

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