Artes Culinarias
1. Knife Work — The Base Technique
The fifteen fundamental cooking techniques that together cover most home kitchen work. Organized by the transformation they perform (heat transfer, water management, emulsion, ferment, cut) rather than by cuisine. Covers knife work, sauté, sear, braise, roast, poach, boil, steam, grill, bake, stew, reduce, deglaze, emulsify, and pickle/ferment, each with the physics, the signal, the common failure, and a diagnostic question. Use when teaching a cook, substituting a technique, or diagnosing why a dish failed.