4-week Culinary Bootcamp (Spring/Summer)

May 11 – June 5, 2026

(Limited to full-program participants only)

Your Deep Dive into the Culinary Arts Starts Here

This is arguably most comprehensive, immersive, skill-building, and intellectually rich Bootcamp cooking course of its kind anywhere.

Over four unforgettable weeks, you’ll work hands-on with our professional chef instructors, learning real techniques and recipes drawn directly from our professional culinary program. Whether you’re an absolute beginner or a seasoned home cook ready to seriously level up, this course will transform how you think, move, apply your instincts, and create in the kitchen.

The Journey: Week by Week

Week 1: The Fundamentals

Knife skills, mise en place, stocks, sauces, pan cooking, heat control, flavouring, plating and thinking like a cook—build your foundation the right way.

We kick things off with the backbone of great cooking: your knife.  You’ll learn great, not just proper, technique, including how to sharpen it and keep it honed like a pro and use it safely and efficiently—because a dull knife = dull cook. 

Then you take your improving mise en place on the cutting board to the pan and learn to master heat. And from there, also learn to season (spoiler: salt is your friend) and plate like a pro, for your food should look as good as they taste.  

Dishes we cover are:

• Chicken Stocks (white and brown)

• Azteca Soup

• Watermelon, Grilled Peach, Feta Salad

• Focaccia 

• Goat Cheese and Roasted Beet Salad (a plating exercise)

• Seared Tuna Salade Nicoise (a plating exercise)

• Chicken Saltimbocca

• Thai Braised Chicken Thigh

• Seared Salmon with Strawberry Salsa

• Pasta Aglio e Olio

• Mac & Cheese

• French Omelet

• Seared Steak with Peppercorn Steak, Potato Dauphinois

• French Apple Tart

• Pissaladiere (caramelized onion tart) 

Week 2: Meat & Fish Cookery

Learn the techniques behind roasting, searing, braising, butchery, pan sauces with proteins.

This week is all about proteins—how to break them down, build them up, store (through the power of dry rubs, brines and marinades), and bring out their best. 

We roll up our sleeves and get into some butcher with whole chickens and ducks to understand anatomy, and the “why” behind different cuts, and how to use every part of the animal (hello, total utilization). You’ll learn how to make smart choices at the butcher shop—and smarter moves at the stove.

And fish cookery? This intimates most home cooks, but no more. 

Dishes you will learn from include:

• Chicken Caesar

• Cotoletta (Italian Schnitzel) with Spaetzle and Braised Red Cabbage

• BBQ Wings with Coleslaw

• Seared Scallops

• Jambonneau (stuffed and roasted chicken leg)

• Smash Burger

• Salmon Burger

• Poached Salmon with Hollandaise, Wilted Spinach

• BBQ Ribs and Cornbread

• Lamb Popsicles with Arabian Spices

• Crab cakes

• Seared Duck Breast with Cherry Sauce

• Duck Confit Salad

Week 3: Italian & French Classics

Dive deep into two of the most influential cuisines in the world—technique, tradition, and elegance.

This is the heart and soul of Western cuisine—and we’re diving in fork-first.

We’ll explore the best that Italy and France have given the world and you’ll learn not just how to make their iconic dishes, but why they work—what makes a risotto creamy, a gnocchi pillowy-light, a meatball tender, and a French sauce sexy. 

Dishes you will learn from include:

• Authentic Tomato Sauce

• Meatballs

• Squash Agnollotti

• Prawn-Leek Tortolloni

• Soft Polenta 

• Gnocchi

• Pizza

• Sicilian Cannoli

• Salmon Coulibiac

• Lobster Crepes with Pea Velouté 

• Boullabaise

• French Sourdough 

• Tartine (a much fancier avocado toast)

Week 4: Around the World

Explore global flavour with dishes from Arabia, Latin America, Japan, and Thailand. Travel the world by stove.

What makes food truly unforgettable? The bold flavours, unexpected pairings, and intoxicating aromas that different cultures have crafted over centuries. This week, we take your palate on a tour around the world—with a chef’s eye and an open mind.

You’ll explore the spice markets of the Middle East and India, the bright, soulful kitchens of Latin America, the elegant balance of Japan, and the layered intensity of Thai cuisine. You’ll work with unfamiliar ingredients, new techniques, and flavour profiles that challenge and inspire.

Get ready to toast and grind spices, build pastes, and balance heat, acid, and umami.

Dishes you’ll make: (Around the world coming soon)

Why Join Our Bootcamp?

• Simply put, it’s life-changing.  You’ll bring better food to the table—forever.

• Professional Curriculum, Taught “Up”. Real techniques, real structure—no shortcuts.

• Hands-On, Small Class Sizes. Personal guidance from experienced chefs.

• Transformational Learning. Develop confidence, speed, and serious skill.

• No experience required—just curiosity, passion, willingness to learn hard and take your mind and hands to places they’ve never been before.

• Collaborative, engaging studio environment to forge meaningful working relationships. 

Limited Spots Available

Enrolment is reserved exclusively for participants committing to the full 4-week experience. This course fills fast.  Reserve your spot before January 1, 2026 and receive a free knife kit.

Can’t make this Bootcamp or all the week’s themes?  We offer a second Modular Bootcamp right after where you can take the whole course or any weekly module.  

Or contact Lena (lena@nwcav.com) with questions.