SFGate has a nice article outlining 10 kitchen essential techniques, complete with instructional videos, too.
Kitchen Essentials: 10 techniques every cook should know
For the record, here they are:
Breading
Browning/Searing
Dicing Onion
Folding
Making a Pan Sauce
Rolling Pie Crust
Making a Roux
Segmenting Citrus
Tempering
Making a vinaigrette
