https://www.austinchronicle.com/food/2008-12-05/710315/
As Christmas closes in, presents accumulate under the tree, and the curious individual inevitably investigates every box with his or her name on it. Some packages you shake. You feel the edges of others. But what of the ones you smell? Or the ones you taste?
I'm not suggesting you chow down on cardboard and wrapping paper but rather that you get a gift whose tastiness will reverberate past the winter holidays. Central Market has recently opened its Cooking School doors to teenagers, and its monthly class, Teens in the Kitchen, is an excellent outlet for the cuisine-inclined student in middle school or high school.
Themes range from seasonal (the upcoming holiday-gift class, where kids and their parents will make everything from doggie treats to fudge) to regional (French and Italian classes, from earlier this year). In every class, those attending learn hands-on how to prepare a full meal and, at the conclusion, eat said meal and take home the recipes.
With three of these classes under my belt, I know the fun you can have there and the excitement you inspire when you tell your parents that you'll be making dinner tonight. All the instructing chefs are kind, funny (ha-ha, not peculiar), and beyond knowledgeable, and, as the class serves as a test run for making the dishes, all go home confident that they can re-create the delectable dinner.
Gift choices might be made more carefully than ever this year, but consider this: Teens in the Kitchen cooking classes are experience gifts that go beyond just a day. The classes themselves are beyond splendiferous, but that joy is not limited to class time. You will make the meal for your family and maybe for your friends, and you will carry those skills and recipes with you for all the days that you cook.
Upcoming classes:
Kids & Parents in the Kitchen – Holiday Gifts: Sunday, Dec. 14, 10am-1pm. $65.
Decorate a Gingerbread House: Friday, Dec. 19, 10am-noon; Saturday, Dec. 20, 10am-noon & 6:30-8:30pm; Sunday, Dec. 21, 11am-1pm (for adults only). $45.
All classes are at the Central Market at 4001 N. Lamar. To enroll, call 206-1014.
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