Kitchen Kid Signature Summer Camp

Our Signature Summer Cooking Camps are currently offered in Santa Monica at the First Presbyterian Church and in Manhattan Beach, at the Neptunian Women’s Club. We choose these locations for their centrally located convenience and walkable accessibility to local farmers markets and restaurants.  Summer 2012 offerings include our popular half-day and brand new full day sessions featuring delicious new themes and recipes, weekly field trips to the farmers market and local restaurants, an Iron Chef challenge, baking treats to donate to the Westside Food Pantry, and a tasting day for parents.

What Makes Our Camps Unique:

• Farmers Market and Iron Chef Challenge: Weekly field trip to the local farmers market, where Kitchen Kids learn about seasonal farm to fork eating. After the secret ingredient is unveiled, young chefs head to the market in small groups led by a culinary coach to shop for the freshest produce available. Chefs return to the kitchen for an Iron Chef Challenge!
• Cooking for the Common Good: Kitchen Kids experience the joy of cooking for others when they bake and package cookies, which are then delivered to the Westside Food Pantry.
• Around the Table Fridays: Parents are invited to join us for an incredible tasting on Fridays at 11:30 (2:15 during Restaurant Camp). Witness and taste your child’s accomplishments first hand!

Schedule & Session Themes

Session Theme Details

Food Network Favorites

Calling all foodies! This camp is designed for the curious young chef whose idols may include Giada, Guy, Julia, and Ina! Tuesday through Thursday will feature Food Network style games and challenges including Chopped, Cupcake Wars, and Iron Chef Challenge. On Monday and Friday, Kitchen Kids will follow in the footsteps of their favorite chefs when we cook beloved recipes of acclaimed celebrity chefs past and present.

Dates

I) June 25 – 29
II) July 30 – August 3

Locations, Times & Costs

Santa Monica daily 9am – 12 noon COST: $435/week
Manhattan Beach 9am – 12 noon EXCEPT Tuesdays, 10:30 – 1:30 COST: $425/week

Restaurant Camp

Have you ever imagined what it might be like to start and operate a restaurant? At Kitchen Kid’s brand new *full-day* Restaurant Camp, budding chefs, entrepreneurs, artists, and young restaurant enthusiasts will launch their very own restaurant! Inspired by Restaurant Wars on Bravo’s Top Chef, Kitchen Kids are immersed in every step of the process: from picking a name, choosing the theme, designing the decor, writing the menu, learning etiquette, and creating, cooking, and serving the signature dish. At the beginning of the week chefs will tour the kitchen and front of house in a prominent local restaurant, meeting its chef and managers. Manhattan Beach restaurateurs will visit the acclaimed MB Post; Santa Monica restaurateurs will visit celebrity chef-owned Border Grill.  Each day Kitchen Kids will cook their own “restaurant” lunch, highlighting favorites such as Italian, take-out burritos, and practice cooking their very own kid-generated signature dishes. On the last day of camp, parents are invited to “opening night” at their child’s new restaurant.

Sample Day One Schedule:

9:00 – 10:00 am

• Orientation Games
• What is a restaurant? White board brainstorm on restaurants, cuisine, names, décor, etc.

10:00 – 11:00 am

• What to serve? Previewing real menus
• Kitchen orientation and scavenger hunt
• Snack

11:00 – 2:00 pm

• Cook and eat lunch: Italian Restaurant Day
• Zucchini and basil risotto
• Homemade pizza with all the toppings
• Caprese pasta salad
• Chocolate tiramisu

2:00 – 3:00 pm

• Discussion on Italian food and culture and restaurant themes
• Prepare interview questions for next day’s restaurant tour
• Restaurateur notebooks and food collage
• Palate development: blind taste testing game

Dates

I) July 2 – July 6 (no camp July 4)
II) August 6 – August 10

Locations, Times & Costs

Santa Monica daily 9am – 3 pm COST: $525/week (July 4^th week prorated: $420)
Manhattan Beach daily 9am – 3pm COST: $525/week (July 4^th week prorated: $420)

Edible Passport

Get ready to stamp your passport as we travel the world of food! We’ll explore the unique cuisines of Mexico & Central America, France, China & Japan, and India & Southeast Asia.

Recipes may include:

• Enchiladas with Salsa Verde
• Roasted Vegetable and Cheese Papusas
• Tres Leches Cake
• Hand rolled Crepes
• Beef Bourguignon
• Chocolate Soufflé
• Sesame Chicken
• Sushi and Miso Soup
• Green Tea Ice Cream
• Homemade Fortune Cookies
• Coconut Curry
• Mango Lassis
• Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Dates

July 9 – July 13

Locations, Times & Costs

Santa Monica daily 9am – 12 noon COST: $435/week
Manhattan Beach 9am – 12 noon EXCEPT Tuesdays, 10:30 – 1:30 COST: $425/week

Mangia!

Back by popular demand with all new recipes for summer camp 2012! It’s time to say “ciao” to chow time! Come explore the cuisine and culture of Italy from Sicily to Tuscany and Rome to the Alps! We’ll cook Italian favorites that embrace the country’s passion for excellent ingredients and homemade authenticity.

Recipes may include:

• Pizza di Napoli with gourmet toppings from funghi to rocket to prosciutto
• Handmade ricotta workshop
• Cheese and herb ravioli
• Handmade semolina linguini with sage brown butter
• Antipasti and bruschetta workshop
• Chicken picata with roasted rosemary potatoes and vegetables
• Chocolate tiramisu
• Creamy Nutella gelato
• Decadent almond torte with whipped cream

Dates

July 16 – July 20

Locations, Times & Costs

Santa Monica daily 9am – 12 noon COST: $435/week
Manhattan Beach 9am – 12 noon EXCEPT Tuesdays, 10:30 – 1:30 Cost: $425/week

Dessert First

You read it right: in this camp you get to eat your dessert FIRST! (Followed by a healthy and delicious main course… it’s summer camp afterall!) This playful twist on dinnertime showcases the FUN Kitchen Kids have when cooking and eating good food! This camp’s mission is to give young chefs the tools and skills they need to create simple, delicious, and healthy meals for the their family. Each day campers learn about palate development, culinary techniques, and food pairings so they can make their family a balanced dinner and scrumptious dessert.

Recipes may include:

• Mini banana cream pies, turkey dumplings, and Mandarin salad
• Molten chocolate lava cupcakes, sausage & veggie lasagna, and tricolore chopped salad
• Summer berry crisp with fresh whipped cream, chunky bean chili, and savory cornbread with honey butter
• Ice cream sandwiches with homemade chocolate chip cookies, perfect roast chicken, crispy garlic potatoes, and sautéed zucchini

Dates

July 23 – July 27

Locations, Times & Costs

Santa Monica daily 9am – 12 noon COST: $435/week
Manhattan Beach 9am – 12 noon EXCEPT Tuesdays, 10:30 – 1:30 Cost: $425/week

Additional Details & FAQ

• Locations: Santa Monica: First Presbyterian Church kitchen, 1220 Second St. Manhattan Beach: Neptunian Women’s Club kitchen, 920 Highland Ave.
• Our camps are fully hands-on culinary experiences with maximum class size of 15 chefs, and a culinary coach to kid-chef ratio averaging 1:4.
• Camps are taught by Kitchen Kid culinary coaches – professionally trained chefs and classroom educators.
• Camp is open to chefs ages 7-14. We occasionally accept eager 6 year olds entering 1^st grade. Because of our small class size, excellent ratio, and shared passion for cooking, this diverse age range has proven beneficial and compatible.
• New for 2012: Chaperoned “valet” drop-off and pick-up. A Kitchen Kid coach will be outside 5 minutes before and after camp begins and ends, eliminating the need for parents to park and walk their child in. Please walk your child in on the first day of camp. Coach will not be outside for pick up on Friday because of parent tasting.
• Each session includes all ingredients, recipe book, farmers’ market field trip, and Kitchen Kid apron.
• Campers make and eat their lunch during camp each day. Please pack a water bottle and snack, if desired.
• Campers must wear close-toed shoes.
• We are not a nut-free kitchen, but we are able to accommodate campers with certain allergies and dietary restrictions. You will have the opportunity to notify us of these concerns during the enrollment process.

Enrollment

Enjoy a $25 discount for early bird enrollment (by April 15), for siblings enrolled in the same session, and when enrolling in multiple sessions.

For a list of current camp promotions and scholarship information, please click here.