Tammy Hahn loves to cook and she loves kids. She combined those two ingredients, stirred, and cooked up a new business called Just A Kids Kitchen.
"It's the really big thing now in a lot of cities," she explained about children's cooking classes. In fact, a similar business is selling franchises all over the country. But for Hahn it's just something she's always done.
"I learned to cook from my mom," she said, not from a culinary arts school. And she still cooks family favorites, but now she's likely to be cooking them with the assistance of children as young as 3 years old.
There are several reasons why kids should learn to cook, she said. Many working mothers dread the thought of rushing home to fix dinner and sometimes that means a trip through a drive-through. But making meal preparation into a family event turns a chore into valuable family time.
"When we're in the kitchen it's open floor time," Hahn said about talking with her own children in the kitchen. "Everyone is more relaxed and the kids will talk while we work."
Also, kids are more likely to try new foods if they're involved in the preparation. Over and over again mothers have looked at her menu for classes and predicted their children would never eat it, but she always tells them to wait and see. She's usually right.
The main reason to bring a kid to a cooking class is that they love it.
"The kids really get into it," she said. "When they leave here they want to be a chef."
Her classes are not just about cookies and cupcakes, although dessert is usually a part of the class. Each class tries out three recipes. One is an entree, another may be an appetizer or snack.
Even the youngest students, the 3- and 4-year-olds, do the preparation themselves. They use special tools, including safety scissors to chop vegetables, she said. And the youngest students don't put their own creations into the oven.
When their meals are finished, they eat them in the shop, said Hahn.
Classes are divided by age. Teenagers use all the appliances and cook a family-style meal together, she said. Younger children usually make one portion creations, although there's often enough for Mom to taste.
There are also special classes for different seasons. Early May has "Mom and Me"classes scheduled. In June, there'll be "Dad and Me Grill Off. "In between classes Hahn stays busy with groups such as Girl Scouts, church youth groups and even schools. She's willing to adapt her menu or her cooking techniques for special needs.
"I don't want anyone to be left out," she explained.
As a mom herself, she knows that no one ever offers the perfect birthday party package, so she'll customize a birthday party for almost any age. The parties include a cooking class and the edible results. Teenagers can choose a food theme, like "Death by Chocolate"or "Mexican Fiesta."
Eventually, she may add some classes for adults, both for inexperienced cooks and for experienced cooks who want to try a new specialty.
Although she provides paper chef hats and plastic aprons, she also has a collection of cloth hats and aprons for sale. She also sells kid-sized pots and pans, cookbooks and a large collection of cooking gadgets for children and adults. Everything she sells can be used in a real kitchen, she said.
The building on South First Street, near New Hope Animal Hospital, is a renovated home. It's a little off the beaten path, she admits, but a real home with a real kitchen seemed to be appropriate. Before she could open her business, she had to add the components of a commercial kitchen to satisfy the Health Department.
So far people have been happy to brave the First Street construction to bring their children to "Just A Kids Kitchen"and give them the chance to be a real chef.
For more information and a calendar of current classes, go to www. justakidskitchen. com.
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