If you were teaching or taking a class on cooking basics what would you like to see included in the class?

besides the normal stuff, I would like to see them give students are set amount of random ingredients and see what ideas they come up with. Why? Because I find most of the time when I go to make a recipe I always have at least one ingredient missing, if people can learn to cook with what they have their confidence in cooking will soar

Basics such as:

Choppping, slicing, what veggies to peel and why.

Basic things such as eggs, mashed potatoes, gravy, pasta sauce-from scratch

Doughs/pastry-pie dough and filling basic bread dough and a sweet doiugh to use for doughnuts/rolls etc.

Cakes and Cookies

How to prep and prepare in a "timeline" that makes sense. You need to have worked in a professional kitchen to really understand this I think.

How to get the most out of every item that is in the cupboards/fridge.

Sanitary practices. (When I am done cutting poultry-or any meats for that matter I run the hottest water over my borad then spray with bealch water. Scrub with hot soapy water. Then rinse with hottest water possible.) Depending on use either once a week or after every 4-5 uses lay down some paper towels and drizzle on a little bleach and let sit for a about 1 hr. Rinse well, scrub and rinse again. It brightens up the board and saintizes to the max. I know it may be a little over baord but I'be rather be safe than sorry.

Stocks,Sauces,Knife Cuts,Seasonings & Herbs,Cooking Temperatures,Sanitation Practices,Storage for Food...

I think to be a good cook they should teach more on how and when and what kind of herbs to use. Now days every one is so health wise I think they should teach more on good health.

Saute, knife skills, ingredient chemistry, stocks, basic sauces (red, white, cream), braising - also, cuts of meat and the proper method of carving poultry. Should also include cooking techniques for seafood (fillet and steaks - shell fish fairly straight forward).

Recipes

Ingredients

Safety first

Hygeine

Clean up

Budget

Knife skills

Equipment maintainance

Energy education (power efficiency)

Nutrition

Cultural awareness

Recipe discussion/debates

Food handling

Food storage

Food preparation.

Now we can start on scrambled eggs etc

Basics first

Cooking second.

Knife skills and food chemistry