Youngest Chef Mini Bootcamp

Young chefs (aged 6 – 10) dive into a hands‑on  4 hour cooking adventure where they learn real kitchen skills using real kitchen tools. Kids will measure, mix, dice, peel, blend, season, taste and roll as they work with a blender, food processor, stovetop, and oven.

Along the way, they’ll create three delicious dishes — cheesy pasta cups, blender pancake bites, and mini meatballs in a simple tomato sauce — while practicing kitchen safety, basic knife skills, and confidence with everyday equipment.

Every child takes home their creations (or enjoys them as they go). A lively, empowering class for curious young cooks.

$65

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Junior Chefs

Kids:  Junior Chef Cooking Class

Designed for young people, aged 10 to 15.
This series of classes is designed for the young chefs who are interested in expanding on their culinary skills.  These are 2 hour classes that requires the junior chefs to have some beginner cooking skills.  They should understand kitchen safety, know how to boil water, stir food, and flip hot food.

Note: The young chefs do not have to take all of the classes.  They can pick and choose.

A different class each time.

The topics of this class will change each time it is held.  Chef Valerie determines the topic but does also like to hear suggestions from the junior chefs.  One time might be making real food versions of kid faves Chicken nuggets and pizza from scratch. Perhaps the topics will cover incorporating super foods and more nutrition into a young chef’s repertoire. 

Maybe there’ll be a culture shift and Vietnamese banh mi or Pad thai is the topic.  Another could be making spaghetti pasta by hand while simmering a great marinara, crafting hand pies, or creating a charcuterie board. 

The summer 2026 series of 3 classes will cover:

  • To be determined.  Make requests!
  •  

The young chefs should eat lunch before attending the 2 pm series.  They will be dining on their classwork at the end of the class or taking it home to share.

Student aged 10-15:  $45 per date.

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Youngest Chef Series Session 5 Ages 6-10

Designed for young people, aged 6 to 10.

This series of classes is designed for the youngest chefs who are interested in entering the world of cooking food.  This is a five-session series with each lasting 1 1/2 hours.  The classes must be taken in order, but do not need to be week to week.  Your young chef can experience session 1 this summer, session 2 the next time the series is offered, etc.

Session 5:  More Stove Top and Knife Skills: 

The final Youngest Chef session is a type of reminder course, advancing their skills.  Students will be using stove top, handling meat, prepping vegetables with knives, and understanding the term “mise en place” when it comes to planning a cooking session.

Using these skills, they will be making a Taco bar for lunch.

Students aged 6-10: $55

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Youngest Chef Series Session 4 Ages 6-10

Designed for young people, aged 6 to 10.

This series of classes is designed for the youngest chefs who are interested in entering the world of cooking food.  This is a five-session series with each lasting 1 1/2 hours.  The classes must be taken in order, but do not need to be week to week.  Your young chef can experience session 1 this summer, session 2 the next time the series is offered, etc.

Session 4:  Ovens – Baking (Sweet & Savory)

This session provides an experience in foundation skills for baking (ingredient identification, measuring, folding, oven use, food safety regarding meat handling). Foods made in this session are mini-meatballs and cookies.

Students aged 6-10: $55

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Youngest Chef Series Session 3 Ages 6-10

Designed for young people, aged 6 to 10.
This series of classes is designed for the youngest chefs who are interested in entering the world of cooking food.  This is a five-session series with each lasting 1 1/2 hours.  The classes must be taken in order, but do not need to be week to week.  Your young chef can experience session 1 this summer, session 2 the next time the series is offered, etc.

Session 3:  Slicing, Dicing, Paring, and Boiling: 

In this 3rd session the youngest chefs will be learning about boiling water, an easy way to dice an onion, shredding cheese, and sauteeing.  Together with Chef Valerie they will be preparing a lunch of Spaghetti and Pie (the real thing, no boxed stuff!).

Students aged 6-10: $55

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Youngest Chef Series Session 2 Ages 6-10

Kids:  Youngest Chef Cooking Series

Designed for the youngest chefs, aged 6 to 10.
This series of classes is designed for the youngest chefs who are interested in entering the world of cooking food.  This is a five-session series with each lasting 1 1/2 hours.

Session 2:  Introduction to Measuring and Burners: 

This session lightly engages in foundation skills for cooking (measuring, cracking eggs, stirring, stove safety). Foods made in this session are mini pancakes and breakfast meat with fried or scrambled eggs if there is time.

Students aged 6-10: $55

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Youngest Chef Series Session 1 Ages 6-10

Kids:  Youngest Chef Cooking Series

Designed for young people, aged 6 to 10.
This series of classes is designed for the youngest chefs who are interested in entering the world of cooking food.  This is a five-session series with each lasting 1 1/2 hours.

Session I:  Knife Skills and Food and Kitchen Safety: 

To provide a sound foundation for future lessons, students will learn basic kitchen conduct, spreading food on bread, peeling food, terminology, and knife skills (using plastic knives). Foods made in this session will be sandwiches and apple slices.

Student aged 9-10:  $55

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Opening Fully!!

Art of Cookery is Reopening Fully for In-Person Classes

Like so many other small businesses, Art of Cookery shut down in March 2020.  Many attempts were made to provide live online classes via Zoom.   However, those classes just were not engaging public interest.

Recently, we’ve done a few small group live classes for people who are in the same “bubble” while we wore masks.  

Now, we are fully vaccinated and the CDC recommendations are that it would be safe enough to increase class sizes and allow unrelated class participants who are vaccinated to attend and no masks are required!!  That’s pretty exciting.  Unvaccinated persons cannot attend unmasked in a mixed group of unrelated persons.

There are many classes on the schedule including some youth classes.

Upcoming Classes

There are too many classes on our schedule to list them all here, and some are booked out with no more tickets available, but here is a highlight of some you may be interested in.

Pickled Asparagus on June 7th at 5:30 pm.  Learn how to make this delectable and unique local delicacy.  Learn some home canning techniques too!

Quiche on June 12 at 2 pm.  Learn tips and techniques for this quintessential brunch/breakfast dish.

Kids Young Chef Series June 14, 21, 28, July 12 & 19 at 11 am.  It is for young people ages 10-16 who are interested in truly learning how to cook.

Condiment Series: Ketchup o!n June 17 at 5:30.  Learn how to make ketchup from scratch and to control what goes into this condiment favorite.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner on June 23 at 12 noon.  Together make this delicious and vibrant full meal…and then sit down and enjoy it at Art of Cookery

Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing on July 2 at 1 pm.  These are great to celebrate any holiday

Cookery Creations Meal Kits are A Hit

The meal kits were rolled out for orders in early May and are well received.  These aren’t boxes with whole, raw produce and proteins.  The veggies have been prepped to the recipe and much of the dinner is so close to finished that you have only a few steps. 

They tend to take between 20 to 30 minutes for a hearty, complete meal. 

The second menu set was just posted today.  Check it out!  There’s something for everyone…even a vegan option.

Make Your Own Chili Powder

Did you know chili powder is not simply powdered dry chilies? It is a blend of various spices.  Chef Valerie makes most spice blends she uses instead of purchasing them.  

Here is a great chili powder recipe.  Ideally you blend it in a small food processor or, better yet, a coffee grinder, but you don’t need to.

Print Recipe

Chili Powder

This quick mix is a very tasty chili powder and was developed by Chef Valerie at Art of Cookery
Prep Time5 minutes
Author: vkhanson

Equipment

  • Coffee Grinder

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp sweet paprika
  • 2.5 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1.5 tsp paprika
  • 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1.5 tsp dried oregano
  • 1.5 tsp garlic powder
  • 1.5 tsp onion powder
  • 3/4 tsp chipotle powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Mix everything together and pulse in coffee grinder. Store the resulting chili powder in a sealed container.

Young Chef Cooking Series – Session V

Kids:  Young Chef Cooking Series

Designed for young people, aged 11 to 15.
This series of classes is designed for young people who are interested in engaging in a deeper understanding of food mastery.  This  is a five session series with the first four lasting 1 1/2 hours and the last one lasting 2 hours:

Session V: Young Chef Skills Demonstration:

In this fifth and final session. Students will be planning and making a full meal that demonstrates their progressive learning over the previous 4 young chef sessions. One adult per student has the option to join the class at the end and dinner is served!

Theme: Bringing all the skills together to prepare and enjoy a complete meal.

Skills Focused: Time management, multi-tasking, plating, advanced knife work (e.g., cutting chicken), combining learned techniques.

Food Items:

 * Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders: Students will practice basic butchering/slicing chicken, breading, and baking to a crispy finish. 

* Garlic & Herb Roasted Potatoes:  students will season and roast potatoes in the oven. 

 * Simple Green Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette: Students will practice washing and tearing lettuce, slicing cucumbers/carrots, and whisking together a simple oil and vinegar vinaigrette. 

Learning Objectives:

 * Apply all previously learned skills (knife skills, stovetop, oven use, measuring).

 * Practice time management and multi-tasking in a kitchen setting.

 * Assemble a complete meal from various components.

 * Learn basic plating techniques.

Student aged 11-15:  $65

Adult attending for the meal at the end: $18

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Young Chef Cooking Series – Session IV

Kids:  Young Chef Cooking Series

Designed for young people, aged 11 to 15.
This series of classes is designed for young people who are interested in engaging in a deeper understanding of food mastery.  This  is a five session series with the first four lasting 1 1/2 hours and the last one lasting 2 hours:

Session IV: Pasta Power & Sauce Secrets

Theme: Creating a hearty, homemade pasta dish from scratch, focusing on making 2 sauces.

Skills Focused: Boiling pasta, making marina and alfredo sauces, food safety, understanding herbs and spices, layering flavors, basic simmering.

Food Items:

 * Homemade Marinara Sauce: Building on sautéing skills, students will create a fresh marinara sauce from tomatoes, garlic, onion, and herbs. 

 * Perfectly Cooked Pasta: Students will learn how to properly boil pasta to al dente, draining techniques, and tossing with sauce.

*Mini Meatballs: Students will learn how to keep food safe regarding meat products while making meatballs.

Learning Objectives:

 * Learn how to safely and effectively boil pasta.

*Learn how to keep raw meat from cross-contaminating other foods.

 * Understand how to build flavors for a simple sauce.

 * Identify common Italian herbs and spices.

 * Practice basic simmering techniques on the stovetop.

 * Combine cooked pasta with a homemade sauce.

Student aged 11-15:  $50

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