Zen Kitchen
A CULINARY SOCIAL CLUB
“OUR CHILDREN ARE ONLY AS BRILLIANT AS WE ALLOW THEM TO BE.”
― ERIC MICHA'EL LEVENTHAL
The Scrumptious Squad is a weekly 2-hour online culinary social club for kids that delivers essential lessons and techniques and culminates in a fantastic home-cooked meal to share. Real talk- we all need a place to slow down, hang out, and connect right now. A safe place to create- to use our senses- to reconvene with what’s important; clean water, food, family, and community. Our intention is to create a space to do just that, where kids can express themselves confidently, learn, make mistakes, and create something nourishing for themselves and their families.
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As the structures we have come to rely on are crumbling before us, let us focus on the space being created instead of the form being lost. In that new space, we have the proactive option of inserting creativity, intentions, and inspiration.
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Join us from your home kitchen as we unleash our culinary creativity through delectable dishes based on scrumptious seasonal ingredients. Each week we’ll utilize skill-based, hands-on, whole-foods cooking to build motivation and confidence in the kitchen. Students will gain an understanding of foundational cooking techniques that encourage them to be intuitive, creative chefs. This immersive, interactive, and empowering cooking club is a supportive space where the next generation of cooks can learn to nourish themselves using all of their senses. Food opens the mind and connects it to the body making for an authentic starting point where children can communicate and celebrate diverse perspectives, experiences, and understanding amongst a supportive community of students who love to cook!
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Ingredient lists are provided ahead of time so you can plan your shopping. Our flexible recipes are designed in such a way that students will be guided (and encouraged) to switch things up when appropriate. We will happily make suggestions for substitutions and adaptations for allergies or dietary restrictions. Cooking is all about getting creative and using what's available, seasonal, and delicious to you.
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We welcome chefs between the ages of 9 and 15 (inquire about other ages). Since a cooks level of comfort in the kitchen doesn't necessarily correlate to their rotations around the sun, we have divided this program into beginner (Commis) and advanced (Sous) versions. Please note that the recipes will be largely the same.
The Commis Chefs Club
AGES 9-15
WEDNESDAYS
SEPTEMBER 2ND - SEPTEMBER 30TH
3:30-5:30PM
A slower-paced club for chefs that are still getting comfortable in the kitchen. This level goes a step above the basics (though we’ll make sure to cover those too). You’ll develop your current skills and hone in techniques for the culinary fundamentals. You’ll learn the right tools for a task, and how to safely use the oven and stovetop to prepare delicious food.
The Sous Chefs Club
AGES 9-15
THURSDAYS
SEPTEMBER 3RD - OCTOBER 1ST
3:30-5:30PM
This club is more technical and will go a quicker pace while still ensuring no one is left behind. If you feel pretty comfortable in the kitchen and are ready to enhance your abilities or expand your culinary horizons, this is your level. This club is designed to help you cook at home with better organization, stronger skills, and a more thorough understanding of how to make ingredients sing.
Questions? --->>>
"With the first year of virtual kids' cooking camp underway, Chef Alicia is rockin' it with these afternoon Zoom cooking classes! They have put together a lovely and thoughtful menu and day-by-day cookbook with great tips, conversation, food science, and culinary education throughout each session. My son is super engaged with the preparation and cooking process, proud of what he's making, and enjoying seeing the familiar faces. Brava!! So excellent!"
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- Natalie K.
"With the first year of virtual kids' cooking camp underway, Chef Alicia is rockin' it with these afternoon Zoom cooking classes! They have put together a lovely and thoughtful menu and day-by-day cookbook with great tips, conversation, food science, and culinary education throughout each session.
My son is super engaged with the preparation and cooking process, proud of what he's making, and enjoying seeing the familiar faces. Brava!! So excellent!"
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- Natalie K.
Zen Kitchen is a weekly 2-hour online culinary social club for kids that delivers essential lessons and techniques and culminates in a fantastic home-cooked meal to share. Real talk- we all need a place to slow down, hang out, and connect right now. A safe place to create, to use our senses, to reconvene with what’s important: clean water, food, family, and community. Our intention is to create a space where kids can express themselves confidently, learn, make mistakes, and create something nourishing for themselves and their families.
​
Join us from your home kitchen as we unleash our culinary creativity through delectable dishes based on scrumptious seasonal ingredients. Each week we’ll utilize skill-based, hands-on, whole-foods cooking to build motivation and confidence. Students will gain an understanding of foundational cooking techniques that encourage them to be intuitive, creative chefs. This immersive, interactive, and empowering cooking club is a supportive space where the next generation of cooks can learn to nourish themselves using all of their senses. Food opens the mind and connects it to the body making for an authentic starting point where children can communicate and celebrate diverse perspectives, experiences, and understanding amongst a supportive community of students who love to cook!
​
Ingredient lists are provided ahead of time so you can plan your shopping. Our flexible recipes are designed in such a way that students will be guided (and encouraged) to switch things up when appropriate. We will happily make suggestions for substitutions and adaptations for allergies or dietary restrictions. Cooking is all about getting creative and using what's available, seasonal, and delicious to you.
​
We welcome chefs between the ages of 9 and 15 (inquire about other ages). Since a cooks level of comfort in the kitchen doesn't necessarily correlate to their rotations around the sun, we have divided this program into beginner (Commis) and advanced (Sous) versions. Please note that the recipes will be largely the same.
The Commis Chefs Club
AGES 9-15
3:30-5:30PM PST
A slower-paced club for chefs that are still getting comfortable in the kitchen. This level goes a step above the basics (though we’ll make sure to cover those too). You’ll develop your current skills and hone in techniques for the culinary fundamentals. You’ll learn the right tools for a task, and how to safely use the oven and stovetop to prepare delicious food.
​
The Sous Chefs Club
AGES 9-15
SEPTEMBER 24th - OCTOBER 29th
THURSDAYS
3:30-5:30PM PST
This club is more technical and will go a quicker pace while still ensuring no one is left behind. If you feel pretty comfortable in the kitchen and are ready to enhance your abilities or expand your culinary horizons, this is your level. This club is designed to help you cook at home with better organization, stronger skills, and a more thorough understanding of how to make ingredients sing.
Details
All participants will receive detailed welcome instructions, a supplies list, and template recipes before classes begin in order to be prepared with everything they need to succeed.
Bring the whole family, siblings are free! Families using one device for multiple children need only to register once for the family. If you sign up separately, we will assume you are opting to pay more as a means of supporting our work.
Scholarships are available for low-income families, please send us an email to inquire.
We look forward to seeing you in the kitchen!
We reserve the right to cancel multi-day camps and classes 3 days prior to their start date due to low enrollment for a full refund.
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If you already have a group in mind, consider one of our private, fixed priced bookings, here.
Questions? --->>>
"I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful experience my daughter had last week at zoom camp! She’s been interested in cooking for a while but this was her first official class and she is totally hooked. She asked if she could do it every week! Alicia, you were fantastic! As I popped in and out of the kitchen throughout the week I realized what a rage of experience you were dealing which could not have been easy. Thank you for your patience and enthusiasm! My daughter felt extremely proud of herself after each day and couldn’t wait to have all of us try her delicious creations.
Thanks for such a positive experience."
Kristen M.