Seeking the secret to extraordinary home-cooked meals? Join me, James Peterson, in Craftsy’s online cooking class, A Modern Take on the Mother Sauces, and master the crowning glory of every dish: the sauce! Together, we’ll explore classic and modern sauce — making techniques that will expand your skill set and spur your culinary creativity.

In this class, you’ll learn how to make the five classic French mother sauces: Béchamel, Tomato Sauce, Espagnole, Velouté and Hollandaise, along with Beurre Blanc and Mayonnaise, two sauces that I believe should be—and that nowadays often are—included in the same family. These sauces may have been conceived centuries ago, but they’re anything but obsolete; each deliciously showcases the nuances and depth of classic French technique.

For each mother sauce we explore, I’ll also introduce modern derivatives that reinvent the classics with variations in ingredients and method. Transform Béchamel by reducing cream instead of thickening with flour, and then flavor it with the bright, herbaceous notes of sorrel; achieve the same deep flavor in your glace de viande in a fraction of the time by using a pressure cooker to make the stock; and learn my foolproof secret to successful and easy Mayonnaise, all by enrolling today in A Modern Take on the Mother Sauces.

In the class, I’ll also identify common mistakes cooks make and offer troubleshooting tips to avoid broken, separated, greasy and over-reduced sauces. Not only will I teach you all the fundamental techniques, I’ll also show you when you can and should experiment. Once you’ve mastered the key processes, experimenting with flavors gives you endless sauce options, and it’s what makes your cooking unique. Don’t be afraid to try something new; imagination is what elevates the expected to the exceptional!