Browse our 2025 photo gallery from the SPRING I & II SESSION and FALL I & II SESSION classes, which cover various culinary techniques: knife skills, piping, grating, peeling, concepts related to vocabulary development, direction following, critical thinking and teamwork. 

 SPRING I CLASSES 2025

SHEPHERD'S PIE 

Our junior chefs were busy peeling, cutting and piping potatoes, sautéing ground beef and veggies, making a savory sauce and adding a flaky crust to create an Irish dish in recognition of St. Patrick's Day.  

They learned so much in the kitchen:

• How to peel and cut potatoes
• Practiced knife skills — learning different cuts and how to hold foods safely
• Discovered the parts of a knife and knife safety tips
• Made fluffy mashed potatoes, a savory ground beef and vegetable filling , and a flaky crust
• Learned a little bit of history about the origins of shepherd's pie.
• Practice using some new kitchen gadgets and tools: a potato masher, a hand mixer and a piping bag.
• We also expanded our kitchen vocabulary, talking about words like savory and incorporate — blending cooking and communication into one tasty lesson! It was a fun and flavorful way to kick off our spring session!

RAINBOW VEGGIE BOWL WITH MICROGREENS, HOMEMADE VINAIGRETTE AND CROUTONS

The Kidz Kitchen partnered with Zeraleaf, a local microgreens business. Our junior chefs took "grow kits" home and tended to them throughout the week. We harvested the delicate greens in class and used them to create vitamin-rich veggie bowls.

They paired it with a homemade vinaigrette and crispy from-scratch croutons, learning how simple ingredients can come together to make something fresh, flavorful, and delicious. Skills they practiced included: 

• Knife skills – chopping, peeling, grating
• Whisking & measuring dry/liquid ingredients
• Exploring new culinary terms like emulsify, incorporate, acidic, and savory

Watching these young chefs build confidence, try new flavors, and grow their kitchen skills has been amazing! They’re working as a team, making new friends, and becoming more independent with every class.

PUFF PASTRY BUNNIES

Our junior chefs whipped up some springtime fun with Puff Pastry Spring Bunnies—stuffed with homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries! They explored all kinds of exciting kitchen vocabulary like transform, lamination, flaky, and incorporate as we learned what makes puff pastry rise and crisp into layers. Our chefs practiced their knife skills with juicy strawberries and used a microplane to zest lemon, adding a burst of spring flavor. During our whipped cream lesson, we discovered how fat molecules come together to form fluffy peaks—but we also learned the importance of closely observing while whipping, because if you go too far, the molecules tighten and the buttermilk separates... turning your cream into butter!

We finished by filling our golden, flaky bunnies with cream and strawberries, and gave them a final sprinkle of powdered sugar. A delicious science and cooking adventure—well done, junior chefs!

GREEK YOGURT BAGELS: Sweet (brown sugar and cinnamon) & Savory ("Everything" seasoning)

We wrapped up the Spring I session in The Kidz Kitchen with an amazing bagel-making adventure!

We explored how cooking is not just an art — it's a science too! Our chefs learned that the acidity in the Greek yogurt reacts with the baking powder in the flour to form carbon dioxide gas, creating tiny air bubbles that help make the bagels lighter and puffier. Plus, Greek yogurt is packed with protein, making these bagels not only delicious, but also a great, nutritious choice! Each chef made two bagels — one sweet with cinnamon and brown sugar, and one savory with "everything" seasoning — experiencing a fun contrast of flavors. They had a great time getting hands-on with the dough, practicing kneading and rolling skills, and discovering that some of the best kitchen tools are their own two hands!

They also showed off their creativity by decorating personalized bagel bags and were recognized for all their hard work over the past four weeks with certificates and a big round of applause! We are so proud of this talented group and hope to see them back again soon for more cooking, learning, and fun!

 SPRING II CLASSES 2025 

FRESH FRUIT SALSA CINNAMON BOWLS 

We kicked off our first class of the Spring II session with a sweet and juicy recipe—fruit salsa served in an edible cinnamon-sugar tortilla bowl!

Our Junior Chefs chopped up apples, cantaloupe, grapes, and strawberries and mixed them with a zesty honey lime dressing. Along the way, they practiced important knife skills, learned how to core an apple, and discovered how heat transforms a tortilla into a crispy cinnamon bowl.

We also had a berry fun chat about strawberries—did you know they're the only fruit with seeds on the outside? Or that they’re part of the rose family? Most importantly, we worked on teamwork and kitchen safety, all while having a blast!

It was so exciting to welcome back many of our returning chefs and meet a few new faces too. What a delicious and educational way to kick off the new session!

RAINBOW FRIED RICE 

This week, our Junior Chefs leveled up their knife skills as we chopped a rainbow of vegetables for our colorful and delicious Rainbow Fried Rice! We also stirred in some culinary vocabulary— sauté, umami, savory, season, incorporate, and French term mise en place (everything in its place!) as we prepped ingredients. We learned to crack an egg and then scrambled it into our rice! To top it off, we served our creations in Chinese take-out containers—personalized with our chefs’ very own artwork! Another flavorful and fun-filled day in the kitchen!

BUTTERFLY CUPCAKES FILLED WITH STRAWBERRY JAM AND LEMON MOUSSE

Our young chefs baked up something extra special today—butterfly cupcakes! These British-inspired treats are a favorite for birthday parties and special occasions, and our chefs had a blast bringing them to life. We started by making spongy vanilla cupcakes from scratch, filled them with sweet strawberry jam and a lemon mousse, then turned the tops into beautiful “butterfly wings” and gave them a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Such a simple, summery treat that looks fancy and tastes amazing! During class, we also: Learned how to level dry ingredients properly when measuring, tested baking powder to check if it was still fresh, used an electric mixer, piping bag, microplane, and sifter like pros, discussed new baking vocabulary like aerate and leaven. So proud of how confidently our chefs measured, mixed, and learned to fly!

HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGH WITH TOPPINGS

We went out with a blast today in The Kidz Kitchen as our Junior Chefs rolled up their sleeves and made homemade pizza dough from scratch! Students learned the magic behind yeast—how warm water and sugar wakes it up and gets it bubbling as it eats sugar and releases CO₂ to help our dough rise. Then came the best part: kneading the dough and getting creative with sauce, mozzarella, and all kinds of fun toppings to design their very own personal pizzas! Chef Rose also introduced the class to a pizza peel and showed how it’s used to safely slide pizzas in and out of a hot oven—just like a real pizzaiolo! It was such a joy to see our chefs cook, create, communicate, and collaborate throughout the entire session. We’ve seen so much growth, confidence, and teamwork—and we are SO proud of each and every one of them!

 FALL I CLASSES 2025

APPLE CRUMB CAKE

Our Junior Chefs kicked off the season by making their very own individual apple crumb cakes—measuring out each ingredient, practicing precision and independence in the kitchen. They learned how to core, peel, and chop a variety of apples. We explored how to describe apples by their tartness, juiciness, crispness, and sweetness—building both culinary and descriptive vocabulary. We took our cakes up a level by making a buttery crumb topping—discovering that the secret to the perfect crumb is cutting in cold butter! We also uncovered a few kitchen science secrets:

Apple cider vinegar helps tenderize the batter. Baking powder works as a leavener to make the cakes rise. So much learning, so many delicious smells, and LOTS of smiles! What a perfect recipe for a first class.

PASTA E FAGIOLI

Our morning and afternoon Junior Chefs took a culinary trip to Italy to make Pasta e Fagioli. Soup is the perfect comfort food for fall and winter, so we had ourselves a "Souper" Saturday making it! Our main focus was on knife skills—our chefs practiced how to properly hold a knife and learned several different ways to chop carrots, celery, onions, and garlic to make a flavorful soffritto. They also discovered that ditalini (pasta shapes) means “little thimbles” in Italian, and how cannellini beans add just the right heartiness to this classic pasta and bean soup.

SWEET & SALTY PRETZEL NUGGETS WITH CHEESE SAUCE

In The Kidz Kitchen, we love introducing our students to various cultures, customs, and the delicious foods that go with them! Today we celebrated Oktoberfest, a German festival filled with music, food, and fun. Our Junior Chefs learned about the origins of the pretzel — a Bavarian favorite later brought to America by the Pennsylvania Dutch. We explored how yeast is a living organism that eats sugar and helps dough rise, then got hands-on kneading, rolling, and shaping pretzel ropes into bite-sized nuggets. The secret? A quick baking soda bath before baking gives pretzels that classic chewy texture! Our chefs made both savory and sweet versions — some topped with coarse pretzel salt and others coated in a buttery cinnamon-sugar mix. And of course, the best part was dipping the warm, salty pretzels in our homemade cheese sauce!

BLACK VELVET CUPCAKES

Today our Junior Chefs whipped up Black Velvet Cupcakes to celebrate spooky season in delicious style!

We dove into a little kitchen chemistry — learning about the properties of black cocoa powder, why it’s alkaline, and how we need to add acidic ingredients like buttermilk, vinegar, and baking powder to make our cupcakes rise and turn out light and fluffy. Science has never been so sweet!

Then, the creativity really came alive! Our chefs took full artistic license with colorful buttercreams, spooky sprinkles, and all kinds of festive embellishments. For some extra fun, Chef Rose brought out her culinary torch! Some of our Junior Chefs chose to top their cupcakes with marshmallow fluff, and Chef Rose helped them toast the tops to golden perfection!

 FALL II CLASSES 2025

MEXICAN STREET CORN & CHURRO COOKIES WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

In The Kidz Kitchen, we love exploring not just culinary skills but also traditions from around the world. Our Junior Chefs honored the Mexican holiday, Día de los Muertos, with both sweet and savory dishes. They made Mexican street corn and churro cookies with chocolate dipping sauce, learning vocabulary like crimp, meld, flaky, incorporate, and savory. We explored flavor pairings from chocolate, cinnamon, and caramel to smoky paprika, cumin, and Cotija cheese. What a delicious and meaningful way to start our new session — we’re so proud of our chefs for trying new flavors and working together to bring these traditions to life!

VEGETARIAN CHILI

Today in The Kidz Kitchen, our Junior Chefs cooked up a delicious batch of vegetarian chili!

The main focus of our class was knife skills — an essential part of every young chef’s toolkit. Our students learned how to properly hold a knife, curl their fingers to protect their fingertips, and practiced several different cutting techniques using the vegetables for our chili.

We also explored a few fancy French culinary terms for some simple but important kitchen skills — like mirepoix (a flavorful mix of onions, carrots, and celery) and mise en place (having everything in its place before cooking). We learned about a kitchen appliance called an immersion blender and saw how it changed the consistency of our chili. Our Junior Chefs combined beans, diced tomatoes, broth, and aromatic vegetables to create a hearty, comforting dish that was full of flavor — and teamwork! Bravo, Junior Chefs, for sharpening your knife skills, communication skills, and your life skills today!

APPLE CIDER DONUTS

Today our Junior Chefs rolled up their sleeves and dove into all the cozy flavors of fall as we made apple cider donuts from scratch!

Our young cooks practiced some big kitchen skills today — from using an electric hand mixer to practicing piping techniques and accurate measuring. We also explored the science behind baking, learning about leaveners like buttermilk and baking powder, plus new warm spices such as cardamom and nutmeg that really bring fall flavors to life. They piped the batter into the donut wells, baked them to perfection, and then coated each warm donut with melted butter and then a cinnamon–apple pie spice mixture. We also talked about how to make an apple cider reduction — simmering the cider down to a concentrated, flavorful liquid that we infused into the donuts to give them their apple-packed taste. Our kitchen smelled amazing and our Junior Chefs did an incredible job from start to finish. What a delicious way to celebrate the season!

SAVORY SCONES

Our Junior Chefs wrapped up the fall session by discovering a new cozy comfort food: savory scones! We learned that scones trace back to Scotland. Many of our students had never tasted one before, making it an extra fun culinary adventure. Their scones were worthy of the Great British Baking Show, and every single Junior Chef earned the title of Star Baker in our eyes this week. Each student created their own individual batch of cheddar, green onion, and ham scones at their workstation. We love this format because it lets every chef work independently and gain confidence through hands-on practice. Our Junior Chefs practiced a full lineup of skills — knife work, cutting in cold butter for flakiness, using a pepper grinder, separating an egg yolk from the white, measuring, mixing, kneading, and shaping. We ended class with homemade hot chocolate, learning how simple ingredients can create a delicious winter favorite. At the end of class, we proudly presented each student with their certificate of completion. We are so proud of everything they’ve learned this year and so grateful for all the families who support our mission.