ONLINE CLASSES | DECEMBER 2020
The Children’s FOOD LAB is offering virtual classes this December via Zoom so that children can have fun cooking and experimenting in their own kitchens during the holidays, and can learn some cool facts about food and kitchen skills, too.
Through our hands-on cooking classes, kids create delicious food while being part of a fun community, connecting with their friends and making new ones, too.
To see our list of December offering, scroll down.
In January, we’ll be offering our 7-week weekday cooking and baking classes. More info coming soon…
DECEMBER CLASS OFFERINGS
Gingerbread House Making Workshop
Parent/child
In this 2-day workshop, you’ll learn how to make a gingerbread house from scratch. On day 1, we make the dough, cut the stencils, roll, shape and bake the walls, roof, doors and people.
On day 2, we’ll make the edible glue, learn how to pipe frosting, assemble our homes and decorate them.
Recommended for ages 8+ with an adult. But 6 and 7 year olds can join with a parent, too.
$50 for 2-day workshop per screen/family
Saturday December 12, 2020 and Sunday December 13, 2020
2 - 4 PM EST
Ingredients and equipment not included (Will send you a list of recommended tools. Saving leftover Halloween candy and buying candy on sale is a great idea!)
Scroll down to the bottom of this page to sign up
Photo by Chris Rochelle for CHOW.com
Holiday COOKIE Making
In this 1-day workshop, we’ll make some festive chocolate crinkle cookies. Kids will have fun making the dough, rolling the cookies out, dipping them in powdered sugar, and then baking them off.
Recommended for kids ages 9+ (or 6+ with an adult)
$30 for 1-day workshop per screen/family
Wednesday December 9, 2020
4 - 5:30 PM EST
Ingredient list and equipment list, plus recipes are included.
Note: Ingredients are not included.Scroll down to the bottom of this page to sign up
Photo by Chris Rochelle for CHOW.com
Candy Cane Cookie Making
In this 1-day class, we’ll make candy cane cookies. Kids will have fun making and coloring the dough, rolling the cookies out, twisting them into candy canes and topping them with crushed candy cane.
Recommended for kids ages 9+ (or 6+ with an adult)
$30 for 1-day workshop per screen/family
Thursday December 10, 2020
4 - 5:30 PM EST
Ingredient list and equipment list, plus recipes are included.
Note: Ingredients are not included.Scroll down to the bottom of this page to sign up
DIY Edible Holiday Gifts: Hot Chocolate Mix
Gifting friends and family edible treats is such a fun way to show them you love them. In this 1-day class, we’ll create our own hot chocolate mixes. We’ll package them into jars, top them with chocolate shavings and mini marshmallows, create a label and seal it up with ribbon.
Recommended for kids ages 9+ (or 5+ with an adult)
$30 for 1-day workshop per screen/family
Wednesday December 16, 2020
4 - 5:30 PM EST
Ingredient list and equipment list, plus recipes are included.
Note: Ingredients are not included.Scroll down to the bottom of this page to sign up
DIY Edible Holiday GiFtS: Chocolate truffles
In this 1-day class, we’ll make delicious chocolate truffles that you can wrap up as holiday gifts. Don’t worry, there will be plenty for you to taste, too! We’ll discuss how the seeds of the cacao fruit can transform into the smooth chocolate we know and love. We’ll then mix hot cream into chocolate, transforming it into a ganche - and into this tasty delicacy!
Recommended for kids ages 9+ (or 6+ with an adult)
$30 for 1-day workshop per screen/family
Thursday December 17, 2020
4 - 5:30 PM EST
Ingredient list and equipment list, plus recipes are included.
Note: Ingredients are not included.Scroll down to the bottom of this page to sign up
Photo by Chris Rochelle for CHOW.com
DIY Edible Holiday Gift making: Chocolate Macarons
In this 1-day workshop, we’ll learn how to make the most delicious, airy chocolate macarons with a chocolate ganache filling. We’ll discuss the famous French pastry, why they can be finicky and how to simplify the process. We’ll also suggest ways to package them up for holiday gifts, and store them.
Recommended for kids ages 9+ (or 6+ with an adult)
$40 for 1-day workshop per screen/family
Saturday December 19, 2020
2 - 4 PM EST
Ingredient list and equipment list, plus recipes are included.
Note: Ingredients are not included.Scroll down to the bottom of this page to sign up
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT OUR ONLINE CLASSES
“Our daughter is loving the class so much. It may be one of the few learning experiences that has improved with remoteness, since she gets to use her own kitchen and cook for her family. She single handedly ate more than a quarter of our 10-inch frittata tonight — a dish we had never made before and will definitely repeat again.”
— Brooklyn parent of 8 year old
”Not only is this the best on-line after school class my daughter has participated in, but honestly, it's the best after-school class period. I was so impressed with the way Jill helped the kids through the whole process of being a little chef: from shopping, to setting up the kitchen, to properly using the utensils, to learning the history of the food and finally to cooking an amazing meal on her own.”
— Brooklyn parent of an 11 year old.
"Our son went to bed reading a cookbook last night. He LOVES your class and has so much confidence now (maybe too much). And I come home from work on Wednesdays to a delicious meal. Everyone wins!!”
— Brooklyn parent of 10 year old
“The galette was SO yummy we decided to add it to the holiday menu this year! [Our son] got to be more hands-on than he has in the past and he was super proud of his design. We can’t wait for next week! Thank you!”
— N.J. parent of 8 year old.
“We loved your classes. Basic ingredients - not hard to find. Loved having this on Zoom so that we could be with other children. Still making granita and watermelon salad. Amazing recipes!”
— Brooklyn parent of 11 year old.
”Kids did an amazing job and we had a great dinner. I am super proud of them and grateful to you!!
— Brooklyn parent of 9 year old and 13 year old
HOW I TEACH
I believe that within a simple recipe there are many learning opportunities — exploring the history, science (nutrition/chemistry), art or culture of a food or dish, or the harvesting and processing of our ingredients. Making a cracker, for example, is a lesson in wheat, gluten, how it’s harvested, ground and sifted into all-purpose flour.
Because kids are inundated with a lot of online learning, we make sure that we keep things fun, hands-on, and interesting.
I’m a trained chef and have been teaching children and adults over the past 15 years. For more info on me, go to www.jillsantopietro.com
When classes number 10 or more, a moderator ensures that the students are engaged, their questions are answered, and the pace of instruction is adequate.
* If you have a group of adults or kids who are interested in a class together, please email me at childrensfoodlab@gmail.com. We can set up a class.
SHOPPING
Shopping lists will be emailed ahead of time, and will include easy-to-find ingredients. We’ll also help you with selecting important ingredients or equipment, and setting up your cooking space. Let us know if you have dietary restrictions and we’ll adjust the menu to suit you and your family.
PRICING
A 1.5 hour class, plus ingredient lists and recipes: $30 per class per screen/family. (Note: price does not include the cost of ingredients)
supporting one another
We have several generous donors who have offered scholarships for children who are interested in taking our classes. These are challenging times. If you know of a family or child who might be interested in joining us, please contact me at jsantopietro@gmail.com. We will accommodate everyone we can. -Jill