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Cooking 101

A series on kitchen fundamentals

Credit...The New York Times

Published Updated

Welcome to our series on foundational cooking skills that will help you level up in the kitchen. View all recipes in Cooking 101.

Season Two

Every episode covers a different technique, with tips and recipes from guest hosts who are experts to set you up for success.

Credit...The New York Times

Episode three

Olive Oil 101 with Andy Baraghani: Watch the Video

What You’ll Learn

How to shop for and choose the best olive oil for your needs; how to extract maximum flavor from your olive oil; how to make the perfect aioli; how to fry in olive oil; how to finish with olive oil and more.

Recipes In this episode

Featured in

4 Rules for Buying the Best Olive Oil

An overhead image of fried eggs in a pool of red sauce.
Olive oil and chile-fried eggsCredit...Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susie Theodorou.
A side image of a yellow dressing next to cucumber spears.
Olive oil and honey-miso dressing.Credit...Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susie Theodorou.
An overhead image of a platter topped with tuna, herbs and a dressing.
Olive oil-poached tuna with garlic aioli.Credit...Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susie Theodorou.
A side-by-side image of a stacked burger next to a man in a yellow apron at a kitchen counter. The bottom left of the image reads “101 Burgers.”
Credit...The New York Times

Episode TWO

Burgers 101 with Kenji López-Alt: Watch the Video

What You’ll Learn

How to buy the best ground beef for your burgers; how to handle it to correctly shape patties; when and how to season burgers; the cooking methods for different burger styles; all about condiments, buns and more.

Recipes In this episode

Featured in

4 Rules for Better Burgers

A side image of two smash burgers topped with lettuce, pickles and cheese.
Smash BurgersCredit...Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
A side image of a thick burger topped with onions and lettuce.
Diner BurgerCredit...Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Three burgers on a cutting board topped with cheese, onion, lettuce and tomato.
Thick Backyard BurgerCredit...Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Credit...The New York Times

Episode ONE

Salad Dressing 101 with Samin Nosrat: Watch the Video

What You’ll Learn

How to make a classic vinaigrette; all about emulsions and emulsifiers, and why they are important; how to properly whisk to emulsify; the secret ingredient that elevates any salad dressing; three recipes you’ll want to memorize and more.

Recipes In this episode

Featured in

3 Salad Dressings You Should Memorize

A side image of a jar of salad dressing next to a bowl of lettuce.
House DressingCredit...Rachel Vanni for The New York Times
An overhead image of creamy lemon-miso dressing next to a plate of roasted broccoli.
Creamy Lemon-Miso DressingCredit...Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
A bowl of creamy sesame-ginger dressing next to a plate of shredded cabbage salad.
Creamy Sesame-Ginger DressingCredit...Rachel Vanni for The New York Times

Season One

Hosted by the chef and cookbook author Sohla El-Waylly, the first season of Cooking 101 teaches you how to buy and cook various ingredients.

An image of a woman in glasses standing before a background of steaks. The bottom of the frame reads “Beef 101.”
Credit...The New York Times

Episode Seven

Beef 101: Watch the Video

What You’ll Learn

What to look for when buying steak; all about labeling, like what fat percentages mean and how you can use them to your advantage; how to cook tough cuts; how to test for doneness and more.

Recipes In this episode

Buttery steak and potatoes are shown on a white plate.
Buttery Steak and PotatoesCredit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.

An overhead image of a bowl topped with lettuce, cheese, tortilla chips and beans.
Taco SaladCredit...James Ransom for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Maggie Ruggiero.

Skewered beef topped with red onions and red peppers on a dark background.
Beef SuyaCredit...Johnny Miller for The New York Times

A woman in glasses and a yellow dress stands in front of an image of a plate of spaghetti. The words “Spaghetti 101” are at the bottom of the frame.
Credit...The New York Times

Episode Six

Spaghetti 101: Watch the Video

What You’ll Learn

How to correctly boil your pasta; how to easily measure 12 ounces of pasta; what to do if you accidentally threw out your pasta water; why you generally shouldn’t rinse your pasta and more.

RECIPES IN THIS EPISODE

Photographed from above: a bowl of spaghetti with tomato sauce, garnished with basil. To the left sits a spoon and fork.
Grated Tomato PastaCredit...Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
A bowl of spaghetti carbonara on a white plate sits on a gray-and-white marble countertop.
Spaghetti CarbonaraCredit...Linda Xiao for The New York Times
Photographed from above: A large white oval dish with chicken, spaghetti, carrots, peas, string beans, drizzled with red sauce.
Spaghetti Stir-Fry With ChickenCredit...David Malosh for The New York Times
A woman in a striped button-down shirt stands in front of an image of roasted broccoli on a sheet pan.
Credit...The New York Times

Episode Five

Broccoli 101: Watch the Video

What You’ll Learn

How to buy the freshest heads of broccoli; how to slice and chop it perfectly; how to cook it to bring out maximum flavor and more.

Recipes In This Episode

An oval white platter holds broccoli with sizzled nuts and dates.
Broccoli With Sizzled Nuts and DatesCredit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Two light bowls filled with broccoli, quinoa, apples and nuts are photographed from overhead.
Quinoa and Broccoli Spoon SaladCredit...David Malosh for The New York Times
photographed from above: a large white oval serving dish with broccoli, garnished with sesame seeds. a serving spoon and fork are on the dish.
Sesame BroccoliCredit...Joe Lingeman for The New York Times

A woman in glasses stands in front of a fillet of salmon on a sheet pan.
Credit...The New York Times

Episode FOUR

Fish 101: Watch the Video

What You’ll Learn

How to shop for fish; the difference between farm-raised and wild-caught; how to get crispy skin; how and why to dry brine fish; how to braise frozen fish; how to shallow fry and more.

Recipes in This Episode

An overhead shot shows roasted salmon with crispy skin on a baking sheet and a dill-cucumber salad in a white bowl.
Roasted Salmon With Dill and Cucumber SaladCredit...Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

A Dutch oven holds a colorful coconut fish curry with red peppers and green cilantro sprigs. A bowl of rice is nearby.
Coconut Curry FishCredit...Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susan Spungen.

An overhead shot of a wooden tray holding three fish tacos, garnished with crema and cilantro. In the top left corner of the tray is a dish of white sauce. To the right of the photo is a dish of hot sauce.
Fish TacosCredit...Craig Lee for The New York Times
A woman with dark hair and glasses bites into a piece of chicken stands in front of an image of a spatchcocked chicken on a sheet pan.
Credit...The New York Times

Episode THREE

Chicken 101: Watch the Video

What You’ll Learn

How to handle raw chicken safely; how to spatchcock a whole bird; how to ensure your chicken doesn’t become dry; how to braise and more.

Recipes in This Episode

A spatchcocked roast chicken is shown on top of burnished onion slices on a cooling rack set inside a baking sheet.
Spatchcock Roast ChickenCredit...Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.

overhead shot of a blue bowl of chicken adobo, garnished with a bay leaf. A large pot with serving spoon sits to its right.
Coconut Milk Chicken AdoboCredit...Christopher Testani for The New York Times

An overhead shot of chicken with an herby sauce, garnished with a lemon wedge.
Hara Masala Murgh (Green Masala Chicken)Credit...David Malosh for The New York Times
A woman in glasses and a button down stands in front of an image of a bowl of rice.
Credit...The New York Times

Episode TWO

Rice 101: Watch the Video

What You’ll Learn

How to shop for rice; the differences between short-, medium- and long-grain rice, brown rice and white rice; how to make a perfect pot and rescue a failed one; and how to cook pilaf, fried rice and more.

Recipes in This Episode

An overhead shot shows a pot of white long-grain rice.
Butter PilafCredit...Linda Xiao for The New York Times

A side image of a black bowl filled with white rice.
Basic stovetop rice.Credit...Karsten Moran for The New York Times

An overhead image of rice stir-fried with vegetables and topped with herbs.
Whatever You’ve Got Fried RiceCredit...David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
A woman in glasses stands in front of an image of a fried egg in a skillet. The bottom of the frame reads “Eggs 101.”
Credit...The New York Times

Episode OnE

Eggs 101: Watch the Video

What You’ll Learn

How to shop for eggs and expert tips for all the ways to cook them: scrambled, fried, over easy, over hard, sunny-side up, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, poached and more.

Recipe in This Episode

A cast-iron skillet holds a cheesy frittata with cherry tomatoes and dollops of cheese.
Cheesy FrittataCredit...Johnny Miller for The New York Times

INTRODUCTION

These 11 Tips Will Make You a Better Cook

A picture of a woman with bangs and glasses standing at a kitchen counter. She is holding a whisk above a bowl of eggs.
“Properly equipping yourself in the kitchen is crucial to not only making good food,” Sohla El-Waylly writes, “but also having a good time while you do it.”Credit...NYTCooking

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