Cooking With Kids

My kids love to cook. Who can blame them? I buy the ingredients, research the recipes, and clean up the disaster area when we're done.

I host regular “cooking classes” in my kitchen where we make such exotic fare as homemade pizza, chocolate chip cookies, baked ziti and guacamole, with the occasional black bean pie or stir-fry thrown in for good measure.

Under my guidance, the children know how to sift, mix and measure, and they are all way better egg crackers than me. Which means, perhaps one day they will be able to move out.

Admittedly, I’m no Julia Child, and not even much of a Rachel Ray, thus there is much in the technique department my kids are still lacking. So when I learned their friend Alex was having her birthday party at Young Chefs Academy, I was thrilled. Could a real cooking school offer my offspring something that Mom’s kitchen couldn’t? I had to find out.

Located in the Morganville section of Marlboro, NJ, Young Chefs Academy offers classes, camps and parties for children 3 and up, teaching them how to make everything from meatballs and manicotti to quiche, shepherd pie, and even pastry and ice cream. Since Ally’s invitees were mostly 5 year-olds, I knew sushi wouldn’t be on our menu.

Oh well. The clean (for now), well-lit space boasts a sprawling, state-of the-art kitchen. Ok, maybe not exactly state-of-the art, since I didn’t notice any Viking stoves or Sub-Zero fridges, but it’s definitely more tricked out than my pad. One point for the Academy.

Three staff chefs led the class, which began with a rundown of the rules. I made a mental note to add that to my repertoire. Then they launched into a little comedy routine that included asking the kids what they wanted to make.

Choices like spider spaghetti and lizard lasagna elicited much laughter from the peanut gallery. Everyone settled on a menu of penguin pizza and kangaroo cupcakes, safe fare for this crowd, and much like what we do chez moi. But Chefs Academy gets the point for creativity and humor.

Then Chef Lori demonstrated some cooking techniques, using helpers from the class. This, too, was part of the comedy shtick, but it definitely kept the kids interested. As they learned to knead dough, Chef Lori warned, “Don’t spin it in the air,” and all 3 of my children looked over at me, smirking. In my class, spinning dough overhead is a highlight. Score one for Mom’s kitchen.

Now, it was time to get down to business. The actual pizza making process went down just like it does in my home (two points, Mom), but the staff was much more patient when flour went flying everywhere. And splattered sauce didn’t even make them flinch. Clearly, there must be a cleaning crew coming in later.

But cupcake time was when the Young Chefs Academy really upped their score. No tubs of Betty Crocker spread with butter knives here. Instead, homemade icing in a rainbow of colors would be squeezed out of real pastry bags, using a variety of decorative icing tips. Chef Kristen told everyone, “If you make your hand into an ‘L’ and squeeze the pastry bag, frosting won’t come out the top.”

Hmmm. Totally didn’t know that. I watched in awe as my children topped their cupcakes with dainty flowers, leaves and swirls. I can’t even write a child’s name in icing without smearing it. The students had become the masters.

The upshot? You don’t need a fancy cooking school to teach your kids the basics, and they can even learn to make elaborate things in your kitchen if you (unlike me) know what you’re doing. But, most children do love to cook, and classes are a great idea if you lack the time, patience, or know-how. And, it’s a really fun, coed after-school activity, which is a nice change from schlepping one kid to dance, and another to football. Plus, it’s really nice not to always be the one cleaning up.

Young Chefs Academy offers some great summer camps, including one that teaches recipes from celebrity chefs. I may be no Rachel Ray, but perhaps my kids can be. And then they can start teaching me.

 THE DETAILS:

Young Chefs Academy: 712 Ginesi Drive, Morganville, NJ – 732-536-7777