SUMMER CAMPS 2026
The Kidz Kitchen had a fun and busy summer! We held four summer camps in 2026---
"American Road Trip", "Pasta Party" (two weeks), and "Pop Culture Kitchen."
Additionally, we visited Juniper Assisted Living in Hamilton, NJ for a Juneteenth celebration, and we conducted a "Page to Plate" (story time and a snacktivity) for the children and parents of the Robbinsville MOMS Club.
AMERICAN ROAD TRIP
What an incredible journey across America! Our Junior Chefs traveled the country one recipe at a time, discovering the history, culture, and flavors that make each region unique. In New England, we made creamy corn chowder and Maine wild blueberry loaves while learning about Native American influences on early American cooking and exploring foods grown in all 50 states. Our trip continued to the South, where campers cooked chicken and sausage gumbo from scratch, practiced knife skills and mise en place, and baked a homemade Southern peach cobbler served warm with vanilla ice cream. Next stop was the Midwest, where we prepared homemade mac and cheese, adventurous Pickle Canoes, and Ohio's famous Buckeyes while strengthening our map skills and memory through fun team games. We wrapped up in the Southwest, creating fresh Cowboy Caviar, cheesy Frito Pie, and refreshing raspberry Raspados while practicing precision knife skills and learning about the bold flavors of Tex-Mex cuisine. Throughout the week, our Junior Chefs built confidence in the kitchen by practicing measuring, knife skills, mise en place, and cooking from scratch. They also explored geography through maps, scavenger hunts, I SPY activities, and interactive games that brought our cross-country adventure to life. From coast to coast, this camp was about so much more than cooking—it was about learning, teamwork, creativity, and making memories with new friends. We are so proud of everything our campers accomplished and hope they continue sharing these delicious recipes and new skills with their families for years to come. Thank you to our amazing Junior Chefs for making this American Road Trip one we'll never forget!
PASTA PARTY
Our Junior Chefs spent the week traveling across Italy, discovering how geography, history, and regional traditions have shaped some of the country's most beloved pasta dishes—all while making everything from scratch! We began our journey in Lazio, where campers mixed fresh pasta dough, learned about the different flours used throughout Italy, mastered the pasta machine, and created homemade fettuccine paired with creamy Alfredo sauce and refreshing strawberry watermelon smoothies. Next, we explored Emilia-Romagna and Campania, preparing vegetable lasagna and fresh panzanella salad while practicing essential knife skills. We discovered how lasagna recipes vary from region to region, expanded our culinary vocabulary with the word meld, and searched for dozens of unique pasta shapes during our Pasta Shape Scavenger Hunt.
Our adventure continued to the mountains of Northern Italy, where potatoes take center stage. Campers learned to use a potato ricer, rolled and shaped beautiful homemade gnocchi on traditional gnocchi boards, prepared a simple marinara sauce, and finished the meal with fresh Caprese skewers drizzled with homemade balsamic reduction.For our final stop, we traveled to Liguria, where our Junior Chefs put all of their new skills together to create homemade ravioli. They carefully prepared silky pasta dough, filled each ravioli with a creamy ricotta filling, sealed and cut each piece with precision, and celebrated an amazing week with refreshing Orange Creamsicle Smoothies.
We are so proud of everything our Junior Chefs accomplished this week! From fettuccine and lasagna to gnocchi and ravioli, they created every dish with patience, teamwork, and creativity. We hope these recipes become family favorites and inspire many homemade pasta nights for years to come.
Thank you to our wonderful campers for making Pasta Party Camp such a delicious success. Arrivederci until next time!
POP CULTURE KITCHEN
This week, our Junior Chefs stepped into some of their favorite fandoms, bringing movies, television, music, and video games to life through food! Every day was a new adventure filled with hands-on cooking, creativity, teamwork, and plenty of fun.
We kicked things off in Hawkins with our Stranger Things celebration, creating spooky Demogorgon Pizzas on homemade high-protein Greek yogurt dough, decorating Surfer Boy Pizza boxes, and baking nostalgic Upside Down Pineapple Cakes inspired by the mysterious Upside Down.
Next, we powered up with Minecraft and Super Mario Bros. Campers prepared Minecraft's famous Lava Chicken while learning the wet hand/dry hand dredging technique and safe cooking temperatures. Then they baked homemade Super Star Cookies, practicing rolling, cutting, piping, and decorating skills worthy of an extra life. Day three transported us into the world of K-pop Demon Hunters, where our chefs prepared a delicious Korean-inspired feast. They practiced mise en place, sharpened their knife skills, built flavorful ramen bowls from scratch, and made refreshing Smashed Cucumber Salad. They had a blast using rolling pins to smash and split the cucumbers before cutting them into bite-sized pieces.
We wrapped up the week in our Taylor Swift Era, baking homemade Pop-Tarts with a variety of fillings and decorating them with colorful icings and sprinkles until they were truly Bejeweled. We also baked Taylor's famous Chai Sugar Cookies from scratch while filling the kitchen with music, laughter, and Swiftie spirit. Throughout the week, our campers strengthened knife skills, measuring, dough making, decorating, piping, food safety, and culinary vocabulary while building confidence, communication, creativity, and teamwork. From the Upside Down to the Mushroom Kingdom, from Korean-inspired cuisine to our Swiftie celebration, our Junior Chefs cooked, created, communicated, and collaborated all week long. We are so proud of everything they accomplished. Thank you to all of our amazing campers for making Pop Culture Kitchen Camp one for the books!
