Taking a cue from the MCE cooking class, Brittni Dye and her daughter, Ellie, 3, and Mimi Coz and her daughter, Olivia, 7, practice making empanadas. Photos: Chris Emeott
Program encourages the enthusiasm and natural desire young chefs have for cooking.
As cooking and baking competitions for people of all ages continue to rule the airwaves, viewers are discovering new ways to make family meal prep fun, exciting and all inclusive. As a result, more kids are visiting the kitchen to create meals—for themselves and the rest of the family. Thankfully, hands-on instruction is available through Minnetonka Community Education (MCE).
Young chefs can create their own cooking experiences at the Chef’s Academy through MCE thanks to chef Paula Slagle, creator and instructor of the academy. In 2016, Slagle pitched the idea for the children’s cooking series. Fast forward to today, and she finds herself teaching 12 sessions throughout the summer.
Chef’s Academy classes are conducted throughout the year and are geared toward kids in grades 1–5. Classes encompass everything from specific cooking techniques to the impact fresh, healthy food has on our lives. But there is a very clear and consistent focus to each session, no matter what the theme, and that is to “encourage the enthusiasm and natural desire young chefs have for cooking and sharing the food they make,” Slagle says.
The classes have become wildly successful not only because the celebrity chef food culture has engaged the imaginations of young chefs, but parents find them beneficial, too. “Children eat with their eyes first, and then they get to smell and taste the food they prepare,” Slagle says. She suggests encouraging children by “letting their natural curiosity take the lead,” rather than imposing our own food likes/dislikes on them.
Many parents have experience with a child, who doesn’t like something on the family dinner menu, whether it be tomatoes, beans, chicken or maybe even the green color of the gelatine. Take that same child and involve him/her in the prep and cooking of a meal, and the reaction to the food on the table could be quite different. Involvement can be the secret ingredient!
Tips to Engage Young Chefs
Paula Slagle
From Paula Slagle
- Start early. Kindergarten and first grade are good times to start cooking with your children. Choice is key. Let each young chef choose the recipe and research what is needed to create it.
- Take kids grocery shopping. Let them see how you do things at the grocery store. This will also get them interested in the all the ingredients that are available at the store and get them familiar with what a pantry encompasses.
- Visit gardens and farmers markets. Farm-to-table is a real thing, and the chefs teaching the [MCE] classes will often discuss the ingredients found in their own gardens.
- Travel to food destinations. It can be a new country or a different kind of restaurant than your family is used to. Let kids order what they want. You might be surprised.
Looking for a way to get started at home? Check out this kid-friendly empanadas recipe from Chef’s Academy.
This summer, Chef’s Academy will offer new theme sessions, coupled with returning favorites, such as French Bakery, Food Network Week and Foods on a Stick. More information can be found at minnetonka.ce.eleyo.com.
Cooking up ownership and pride in what is placed on the dining table is an outgrowth of MCE’s Chef’s Academy. Photo: Paula Slagle
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