Term calendar
Tap any session to open the lesson plan, the videos to watch and your checklist.
Student handbook
Treat this like a real school. Following the routine is what turns watching videos into skill.
Your weekly rhythm
- Monday class: watch, then cook (2–3 h)
- Wednesday class: watch, then cook (2–3 h)
- Friday lab or exam: no recipe. Labs take about 2 h, exams 2–3 h, and graduation is a full evening
- Day-before prep: some sessions start the day before (stock, assorted meat, platter fillings). The brief says so at the start
- Library hour (optional, any day): HarvardX Science & Cooking
How every class runs
- Mise en place: read the plan, then gather and prep everything before you start
- Lecture: watch the videos and write down the principle
- Practical: cook the dish deliberately
- Variation: change one thing and note the difference
- Debrief: one line in your "why" notebook
House rules
- Clean as you go. Your station is clean when you finish.
- Taste at every stage, not only at the end.
- No recipes in labs. Plan on paper first.
- Every session ends with a notebook entry.
- Photograph every plate for your portfolio.
Kit list
- Apron, and a tea towel on your shoulder
- A sharp chef's knife and a steady chopping board
- A heavy pan, a pot, a sieve and a whisk
- Rolling pin, baking tray, and a cutter or cup (for pastry)
- Kitchen scale and measuring spoons
- A probe thermometer (strongly recommended: chicken at 74 °C, yolks for mayonnaise at 71 °C, frying oil)
- A blender, foil for sealing pots, and a pot with a tight lid
Lab formats (Fridays)
- Fridge raid: cook from what's already there
- Mystery basket: draw random ingredients on the lab page and cook with them in 45 minutes
- Small chops platter: time several items so they reach the plate hot together
- One ingredient, three ways
- Remake: recreate a dish from memory and taste
Grading yourself
You are your own examiner. For each exam, plate the food, explain the why of each step (out loud or in your notebook), then score yourself honestly with the rubric. Being strict with yourself is how you get better.
Resource library
Every resource in the term, grouped by teacher. All free. YouTube uses mobile data, so download videos on Wi-Fi.
Assessment
There are three module exams and a graduation dinner. You score each plate yourself out of 20 inside the exam session, and you pass an exam with 60% or more.
| Criterion | 1, needs work | 3, good | 5, excellent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taste | Under- or over-seasoned, flat | Well seasoned | Balanced salt, acid, heat and fat; you want another bite |
| Technique | Over- or under-cooked, wrong texture | Cooked correctly | Textures are exactly right (crisp, tender, flaky) |
| Presentation | Messy plate | Neat | Height, contrast, colour, clean rim |
| The why | You can't explain your choices | You can explain most steps | You can explain every choice and what you'd change next time |
Certificate of Completion
This certifies that
has completed Term One of Professional Home Cookery,
covering Nigerian cuisine, culinary technique, small chops and Nigerian pastry,
and has passed the graduation dinner.