Kids Get Cooking at PAL

Forget macaroni and cheese, hot dogs or chicken nuggets. This summer, the students in Chef Lisa Holmes' Children's Culinary Academy will be cooking up something far more sophisticated than that tired kid-friendly fare.

But whipping up international cuisine like sushi and samosas isn't just a frivolous way for kids to beat their mid-summer boredom.

"I like that they're walking out of here with a life skill," says Holmes, a mom herself to two budding chefs: 10-year-old Ben and 6-year-old Kaia.

Indeed, the kids in her classes learn to cook like real chefs, complete with blazing hot ovens and 6-inch chef's knives. (Amazingly, Holmes says she's never had a major accident in the kitchen.) 

"They just get right up there," Holmes says of the seriousness with which her young students approach working with hot or sharp cooking implements. "They get a lot of confidence as the class progresses."

Holmes, who graduated as valedictorian of her class from the Culinary Institute of America, has authored several books on food, most recently 2006's Lunch Lessons. She says she enjoyed her writing career, but "felt like it wasn't helping kids that much. Teaching them was equally important."  

This is Holmes' fifth summer teaching kids' cooking classes in Falmouth, and her second using the professional kitchen at the  on Brick Kiln Road. (Until last year, her classes took place at .) 

Along with culinary skills, Holmes' classes also emphasize healthful eating and the importance of using fresh, local produce and whole foods.

To that end, her students will be learning to grow and harvest ingredients from an organic vegetable garden literally right outside their kitchen door. Along with PAL Executive Director Shelly Farrar, Holmes is currently planning an extensive garden on the PAL premises.  

"Kids like the process of seeing things grow," Holmes says.

Each section of the CCA classes runs for one week in July or August—making them perfect for vacationing families. This summer's featured programs include "Rake and Bake" (ages 6-10) and "Green Teens" (ages 11-14+).

For more information about the Children's Culinary Academy at PAL, please visit the website.