Technology: How to Click and Cook

Mastering your culinary domain--whether you aspire to make chicken soup like Mom or eggplant like Emeril--often requires more guidance than a classic cookbook can provide. Now, rather than shell out for lessons, you can hop online and learn to slice, spice and sauté like a cordon bleu. Just remember not to spill your béchamel on the keyboard.

IF FOOD PORN TURNS YOU ON ... The Food Network's website, foodtv.com features not only thousands of recipes from the likes of Bobby Flay, above, but plenty of quick video lessons too. Rachael Ray demonstrates a one-minute party punch, while Tyler Florence explains how to make a simple salad dressing in seconds. For beginners, there are basic lessons on subjects like chopping vegetables, cleaning shrimp and rolling dough. The site is free, but many of the videos are preceded by brief ads.

CRASH TESTED A pair of Australian amateurs produce Crash Test Kitchen crashtestkitchen.com) one of the first cooking video podcasts. Unlike TV shows in which top chefs use snazzy gear to make gourmet cooking look easy, these shorts have bumbling on the menu. Their homey videos offer a realistic and entertaining view of home cooking.