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Do you love cooking shows like Chopped Junior? If your kid has seen the show and is itching to learn, here are some places around the state that could help your kid become a culinary star. At the very least it might mean you get a night or two off from making dinner!
Chef It Up
Various locations
973-542-8542
This cooking school specializes in parties (they’ll even come to you) and also offers regular classes at their Nutley location. Kids can learn everything from pasta-making to cupcake-decorating. Have a child with a nut allergy? All food items are guaranteed peanut- and tree nut-free. Ages 3 and up.
Classic Thyme
710 South Ave. West, Westfield
908-232-5445
Chefs here emphasize the importance of gardening and farm-to-table cuisine. They also offer private lessons for all ages, camps for kids as young as four years old, cooking classes for adults (many of which allow teens), “Mommy and Me” classes and birthday parties. Students learn the fundamentals of Italian cuisine, breakfast foods or cakes. Ages 4 and up.
The Farm Cooking School
67 Pleasant Valley Rd., Titusville
646-236-0605
Kids cooking classes include knife skills and world cuisines including dishes from France, Mexico, Italy, the Mediterranean and India! Students learn the fundamentals of Italian cuisine, breakfast foods or cakes. They have special family events like the Family Pizza Party using their wood-fired outdoor pizza oven. All classes include lunch, cover at least 3 dishes and many techniques to build cooking skills. They are located on a working organic vegetable farm, and emphasize fresh ingredients.
Kid Chef Nette
302 Quail Ridge Dr., Plainsboro
609-733-8573
Sign up for an after school program where your kid will learn a variety of sweet and savory recipes. They will learn baking and decorating tips, too.
Kings Cooking Studio
778 Morris Tpke., Short Hills
973-258-4009
Head to this hands-on cooking class, or there are also workshops and cooking camps for tweens and teens. Ages vary.
Ridgewood Culinary Studio
223 Chestnut St., Ridgewood
201-447-2665
Traditional cooking classes covering pastas, soups, stews and more are on the agenda here. But the real fun comes at camp time, when aspiring cooks get a behind-the-scenes look at a professional kitchen. They also offer Mommy & Me cake-and cupcake-making. Ages 6-16.
Taste & Technique
597 River Rd., Fair Haven
732-741-2665
Workshops here include classes like “Favorite Foods with a Twist,” where kids put a new spin on their favorite dishes. There are also classes for teens and regular, after-school course offerings.
Splurge Bakery
105 Main St., Millburn
973-379-0740
These guys are expert decorators and your kid will be too, after one of their cookie-cupcake or cake-decorating classes. Try one of their specialty events or a “Mommy/Daddy and Me” class (so everyone can get in on dessert). Ages vary.
Sweet Samantha
Springfield Twp.
973-445-1620
You don’t even have to leave your house for these classes—they’ll come to you with all the goodies you need for cookie-making. Chefs will show you how to decorate with fondant and how to make bread. Arrange a personal session, where your kid can make anything they’re interested in, from candy-making to a perfect pie crust—a great gift for your budding baker. Ages 8-16.
Young Chefs Academy
712 Ginesi Dr., Marlboro
732-536-7777
Toddlers can cook, too! Kids as young as three years old can enroll in the “Kinder Cook” program, where they’ll learn about food preparation, nutrition and sanitation—all while tackling a different style of food each week. Ages vary.
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