Today is my little brother’s birthday. He just finished his freshman year at Texas A & M and is ready to learn to cook, so I sent him my favorite Sam the Cooking Guy cookbook and Craig Claiborne’s Kitchen Primer. But I really wish I could have gotten him a cooking class. I caught the cooking bug in elementary school when I took a summer cooking camp and made cream puffs and chicken-salad-stuffed avocados for my family.

They say kids will love healthy eating when they learn to prepare healthy foods, so I’m committed to inspiring my kids before they get to college. This week Mallory participated in Jamie Oliver’s Big Rig Kitchen where she used a chef’s knife for the first time while helping prepare crispy oven baked garlic chicken.

The mission of these free “learn to cook” classes is to improve health and spread food education in underserved communities. It was way cool, and Mal is eager to prepare a dinner for her family! 

 

There is still time to sign up for Jamie’s free classes since the Big Rig Kitchen will be in town until May 31st. But if you don’t make it, here is a list of places in San Diego where kids can learn to cook…

1. We met Chef Jenn in the Big Rig Kitchen, and she told us about the cooking classes and camps being offered at Suzie’s Farm.   

2.  Chef Jenn offers private cooking parties for kids.

3. Chef Jenn also teaches at Great-News Cooking School, my favorite local place to take adult classes. This Pacific Beach store offers classes for kids about once a month. 

4. Check your local Parks & Recreation Department class schedule for on-going cooking classes and camps like the “Kids Can Cook” Camp in El Cajon and the “Top Chef Desserts” class in Carlsbad.

5. Local grocery stores also offer occasional kids’ cooking classes like the Wholefoods in Del Mar’s Kids’ Club, which is hosting strawberry shortcake from scratch this Saturday.

6. The owner of Cook for Thought instructs this month’s Wholefoods Kids’ Club cooking class. Through Cook for Thought, she also offers cooking classes, summer camps, school assemblies and private cooking events for children.

7. Williams-Sonoma offers free Junior Chef Classes at Fashion Valley Mall and University Town Center. Classes are for children 5 and older and pre-registration is required.

8. Sur la Table has three San Diego locations, and each offers a summer cooking camp for kids in addition to the occasional child-oriented class.

9. My Cool Kid Cooks provides mobile junior chef cooking classes, birthday parties and summer camps.

10. Harvard Cookin’ Girl in La Jolla offers kids’ cooking classes, camps and birthday parties.

11. In addition to producing a healthy cooking show for kids and their families, The Good Food Factory in Coastal North County offers classes and camps for kids.

Bon Appetit!