Culinary classes or websites for a teen???

[indimom]

My daughter is VERY into cooking (don't ask me where she got it from because it wasn't from me). She cooks all sorts of things she finds in cookbooks. Makes dinner frequently (and it's better than most of what I make.) She loves all the cooking shows on TV and was gaga over the 22yo who won Master Chef last night.

I've tried to find classes around here for her, but there is just NOTHING. We're too far from anywhere.

So, I was scouring the internet again today looking for ANYTHING. I was really hoping to find cooking classes which I could use as a Christmas gift, but so far no go, nothing even in Indianapolis sounds right (and that's almost an hour drive).

While I was digging around I noticed there are some culinary websites (with video demonstrations of different cooking techniques) and some looked like they might work for a beginner.

Does anyone on here have any experience with these sites?? I have no idea what would be a good one to direct her to...

OR is it remotely possible anyone from southern Indiana has any suggestions for classes, etc....

Thanks for the help. I would LOVE to help my daughter pursue her dreams, but have NO idea how??? HELP!!!

 

[scrapquitler]

You could input your location here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Cooking-Schools/Find-a-Class and see if the Taste of Home people are offering a seminar in your area.

Community colleges, Adult Ed programs or your local park & rec department may have classes.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

We have local grocery stores here that host chefs and other cooking classes.

Here is Whole Foods. Might be worth looking into.

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/cookingclasses.php

 

[C.Ann]

I believe you can get something like that for the DS systems too.. I remember seeing a family using it on a commercial on television..

Since she loves to cook so much though (and it sounds like she's doing a great job already), why not just invest in a bunch of cookbooks and special tools; pans; etc. for her to use?

Great to hear about a young person being so interested in cooking.. My DGD (soon to be 12) has loved to cook for several years now.. She loves cookbooks - as well as whipping up creations of her own..

Good luck with your DD - and I hope you find what you're looking for..

 

[kidzmom3]

do you have a Eurostoves near you? they have teen specific classes or a Technical HS. They usually offer classes to the community on w/e and Evenings.

 

[WhateverLolaWants]

This won't help you right at this moment, but my local community college had summer courses for kids and teens in cooking and other things. Another thought - what about getting her involved with a soup kitchen type of place? She can have fun cooking and help others at the same time.

 

[okeydokey]

Our local 4-H organization has a culinary club. You could try calling your local 4-H office.

 

[disneyhand]

The pioneerwoman.com has great recipes with step by step photo instructions. I get lot's of great recipes there. And it's free! Also a fun to read site with lot's of other topics.

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

amazon.com sells cooking classes on dvd

 

[indimom]

The only stores we have within 30 minutes of us are Krogers, Save-a-lot, WalMart, and Marsh. None of those have classes. I've found some food stores (Whole Foods and Jungle Jims) with classes, but they are about an hour from here in Cincinnati Ohio and they all seem directed toward adults. I've also seen classes geared more for k-3rd grade kids. She seems to be stuck "In the Middle."

I'll call our local Ivy Tech community college. I did look at that yesterday, but there didn't seem to be a culinary program at our branch. Also wasn't sure if they would alllow a 13yo to take a course?? Guess I'll never know until I call.

I am going to check with an acquaintance at the Purdue Extension Office about 20 minutes from here, she runs the 4-H programs for the county and may have some ideas or know if there are any options. She is also the Extensions' go-to person on food safety/canning/etc. so maybe she'll know someone.

I hit up the high school Family and Consumer Science teacher yesterday and she thought she might have someone who would be interested in teaching a one-on-one course (another teacher who helps with FACS who was dropped to part time this year). That would be a win-win if we could work something out. I just don't know how "good" the class would be.

DD's FACS class last year made grilled cheese and chocolate chip cookies. Apparently, the teacher had to explain twice that the kids needed to remove the wrapper from the cheese because students in another class tried to cook it in the wrapper!!! My nephew had some boys in his class try to mix their cookie dough on the counter... Yeah, cracked the eggs into a pile of flour on the counter.

I just hope a teacher would understand that DD is way past this and would want to do a whole lot more. She made me a grocery list once and I didn't even know what some of the ingredients were (she didn't either, but that didn't stop her from cooking with them!!). I just don't want to waste DD's time or my money on someone teaching her how to make cookies or box cake mixes...

DD has a lot of cookbooks (and would love more), but I wouldn't know "good" kitchen tools if they bit me, so I'm a little helpless there. I guess I'm going to have to learn...

I'm going to check out the websites today and see which ones look about right for her level of cooking skills!

Thanks everyone for the advice. More tips/ideas are very welcome!!!

I could have spent days getting this much advice from friends and family. One reason I love the Dis!!! Thanks everyone...

 

[NHdisneylover]

My 13 year old cooks all the time. She loves it. She has never had any kind of course though--she just learned the basics from me and then she experiments on her own--sometimes really making things up and other times using recipes. Her favourite recipe sources on line are familyfun (they actually have some really good stuff and "real" things that are designed to introduce various cooking techniques for newer cooks, and pioneerwoman.com (OMG the Tres Leches Cake is to die for!). Also, for baking the King Arthur website cannot be beat. As she cooks more she will learn which tool she would like to have.
For us a good stand mixer is the best possible thing (but those are pricey--a bad one is not worth you time or money). One good set of knives (we like the Pampered chef ones which all have their own self sharpening cases),a good quality whisk, stoneware for baking (again, I am partial to Pampered Chef) and heavy gauge pots and pans really do make a difference. Or, you could get her a "fun" set for some specialty items--like ramekins and a torch to make creme brulee (and the ramekins can also be used for soufflé), etc.

 

[indimom]

My 13 year old cooks all the time. She loves it. She has never had any kind of course though--she just learned the basics from me and then she experiments on her own--sometimes really making things up and other times using recipes. Her favourite recipe sources on line are familyfun (they actually have some really good stuff and "real" things that are designed to introduce various cooking techniques for newer cooks, and pioneerwoman.com (OMG the Tres Leches Cake is to die for!). Also, for baking the King Arthur website cannot be beat. As she cooks more she will learn which tool she would like to have.
For us a good stand mixer is the best possible thing (but those are pricey--a bad one is not worth you time or money). One good set of knives (we like the Pampered chef ones which all have their own self sharpening cases),a good quality whisk, stoneware for baking (again, I am partial to Pampered Chef) and heavy gauge pots and pans really do make a difference. Or, you could get her a "fun" set for some specialty items--like ramekins and a torch to make creme brulee (and the ramekins can also be used for soufflé), etc.

Despite the fact that I don't enjoy cooking and only cook the basics, I do have a good mixer and I have pampered chef knives and pots and pans. No stoneware. I got one once and promptly broke it and have never tried again.
My mother enjoys shopping for her and has gotten her some candy making and cookie decorating supplies which are nice quality. She also bought her quite a few of her cookbooks, but again they focus on cookies, cakes, and that sort of thing. I guess grandmas just think that's all a little girl would want to cook.
DD is actually more into cooking meals than cakes and cookies. I was debating about getting her some "real" spices (whole) and a mortar and pestle or grinder. I also thought I'd go for a book that gets into the details of flavors and what foods/spices/herbs go together. At this point, she is really just a recipe follower (like me, but better), not too much experimentation. But I thought a book like this might help.
DH and I have been shopping for new, quality, but not out-of-this-world expensive pots and pans because my pampered chef pans are starting to show wear (they did last 10 years, so I'm not complaining). That should help also. Do you have any that you particularly like??

Thanks for the tips!

 

[Crystal0608]

http://www.goinglocal-info.com/my_weblog/indiana_food_guide.html

I don't know if any of these cities are in southern IN, but a couple of these listed cooking classes- Apple Family Farm (McCordsville), Carolee's Herb Farm (Hartford City), Hobbit Gardens (Fillmore), Stream Cliff Herb Farm (Commiskey), Collins Caviar (Michigan City).

 

[NHdisneylover]

Despite the fact that I don't enjoy cooking and only cook the basics, I do have a good mixer and I have pampered chef knives and pots and pans. No stoneware. I got one once and promptly broke it and have never tried again.
My mother enjoys shopping for her and has gotten her some candy making and cookie decorating supplies which are nice quality. She also bought her quite a few of her cookbooks, but again they focus on cookies, cakes, and that sort of thing. I guess grandmas just think that's all a little girl would want to cook.
DD is actually more into cooking meals than cakes and cookies. I was debating about getting her some "real" spices (whole) and a mortar and pestle or grinder. I also thought I'd go for a book that gets into the details of flavors and what foods/spices/herbs go together. At this point, she is really just a recipe follower (like me, but better), not too much experimentation. But I thought a book like this might help.
DH and I have been shopping for new, quality, but not out-of-this-world expensive pots and pans because my pampered chef pans are starting to show wear (they did last 10 years, so I'm not complaining). That should help also. Do you have any that you particularly like??

Thanks for the tips!

Well, I toted my Pampered Chef cookware across in the Atlantic as part of the four suitcases I got It is my favourite for the money.

For cookbooks, if you can find a copy of the old Amy Vanderbilt complete cookbook--it is dated (she talks about using those new colored paper plates to entertain and has some very 50s sexist assumptions) BUT it covers everything from boiling eggs to very complicated stuff with sections on how to slice veggies properly, etc. It is a nice resource and funny in its old fashionedness. DD never really follows recipes from it, but she read it like a book and gets ideas and knowledge.

For cookbooks DD really likes: Cooking With Mickey and the Disney Chefs (this is NOT writen for kids) and the Betty Crocker Cookbook.
She does more meals than desserts as well (dessert is her brother's forte)

 

[The Mystery Machine]

http://www.goinglocal-info.com/my_weblog/indiana_food_guide.html

I don't know if any of these cities are in southern IN, but a couple of these listed cooking classes- Apple Family Farm (McCordsville), Carolee's Herb Farm (Hartford City), Hobbit Gardens (Fillmore), Stream Cliff Herb Farm (Commiskey), Collins Caviar (Michigan City).

Is that just for Indiana?

Here is the one I use. You can input your zip code.

http://www.localharvest.org/search.jsp?m&lat=38.510003&lon=-90.642759&scale=9&ty=-1&zip=63025&p=5

 

[laurafergie]

Around here, some of the private chef owned, high end restaurants actually give cooking classes. They are geared for adults - but one of them I contacted agreed to let my DD10 participate if I was there. She LOVED it. You might try searching in that area.

I wanted to agree that the Amy Vanderbilt cookbook is excellent - and also for the same reasons, the older Joy of Cooking Cookbook is a must have. (like from the 60s) Also, she's old enough for her own copy of Larousse Gastronomique - not a cookbook, but more of an encyclopedia of cooking. When I was given mine in my early twenties, I read it like a novel.

 

[babylisa4]

I think her pictures are really helpful.

 

[indimom]

Well, I toted my Pampered Chef cookware across in the Atlantic as part of the four suitcases I got It is my favourite for the money.

For cookbooks, if you can find a copy of the old Amy Vanderbilt complete cookbook--it is dated (she talks about using those new colored paper plates to entertain and has some very 50s sexist assumptions) BUT it covers everything from boiling eggs to very complicated stuff with sections on how to slice veggies properly, etc. It is a nice resource and funny in its old fashionedness. DD never really follows recipes from it, but she read it like a book and gets ideas and knowledge.
This sounds like exactly what I'm looking for, something to explain the details you don't get from a recipe. (Like what "butterflying" is, for example.) When I was looking around for book reviews, I found How to Cook Everything and The Flavor Bible which both sounded like they might help with these types of things.
For cookbooks DD really likes: Cooking With Mickey and the Disney Chefs (this is NOT writen for kids) and the Betty Crocker Cookbook.
She uses the Better Crocker Cookbook, Better Homes and Garden Cookbook, The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook and the Weight Watchers Simply Delicious (Dad and I need to watch what we eat).
She does more meals than desserts as well (dessert is her brother's forte)

Is that just for Indiana?

Here is the one I use. You can input your zip code.

http://www.localharvest.org/search.jsp?m&lat=38.510003&lon=-90.642759&scale=9&ty=-1&zip=63025&p=5

I tried it and couldn't find any classes closer than what I located before, but I'm going to keep looking...

Around here, some of the private chef owned, high end restaurants actually give cooking classes. They are geared for adults - but one of them I contacted agreed to let my DD10 participate if I was there. She LOVED it. You might try searching in that area.
We do have one inn, one bed and breakfast (with a private chef) and one winery in our town. They all have a good chef (well, I haven't stayed at the B&B, but assume they are good also), I guess I'll just call and ask. The worst they can do is say no.
I wanted to agree that the Amy Vanderbilt cookbook is excellent - and also for the same reasons, the older Joy of Cooking Cookbook is a must have. (like from the 60s) Also, she's old enough for her own copy of Larousse Gastronomique - not a cookbook, but more of an encyclopedia of cooking. When I was given mine in my early twenties, I read it like a novel.

These sound fantastic, exactly what I need. I'll have to see if I can find the older books on ebay or something. Or do they still reprint them??

I think her pictures are really helpful.

I agree. I had a chance to check out the websites that were suggested and they all looked fantastic. The step-by-step photos looked really helpful. Maybe even I can learn a few new tricks...

Thanks everyone!!!