Mark Coffey/Sun Photo Time to Cook: Amanda Ottinger and Kye Schmale help prepare a spinach salad in a parmesan frico cup during a class at the Young Chefs Academy; 4302 W. 119th St., Leawood.
Join our Mailing List!
Please click the link below to sign up for your community paper mailing list. Stay up to date with all the events going on in your community as well as the latest news.Sign Up Today!
Young chefs tackle dinner time
By: Philip Batson, Staff Writer
The multi-colored cabinets and white aprons are part of the charm, but the students at Young Chefs Academy, 4302 W. 119th St., Leawood, focus on the cooking.
While instructor Erica Luviano went over a celebrity-chef-inspired menu of lasagna rolls and a spinach salad in a parmesan frico cup, the seven young chefs sitting around the stainless steel table read instructions and began meal preparation.
Luviano takes the class through each step of the process, guiding the students as they make the meal themselves. There is also a lesson about the history of ingredients.
“It’s basically a cooking school for kids where we teach them the value of cooking at home and learning how to cook,” owner Kristen Lopez said.
Lopez, who opened Young Chefs Academy in January, had always been interested in owning her own business. She also had a love for cooking and wanted to help get kids involved as well, making the franchise a perfect fit for her. She said her four children always try to help her in the kitchen.
Lopez said she grew up learning how to cook. Eating out would be a special occasion.
“We didn’t go out to eat a lot and when we did it was a treat and it was fun and exciting,” Lopez said.
The Young Chefs classes also teach children about health and nutrition, how to serve and plate food, and dining etiquette.
“It’s interesting watching kids learn, how quickly they learn and how capable they are,” Lopez said.
Lopez said customers have told her they had been looking for a place like Young Chefs Academy for a long time.
Jill Ottinger has been bringing her son and daughter, Alex, 7, and Amanda, 9, to Young Chefs Academy for two months and has been pleased with what they are learning. Jill said the classes allow her children to try foods they might not try at home.
A rule at the academy is the chefs have to eat at least one bite of everything they make.
Jill said Alex and Amanda have cooked a couple of meals at home to show off their new skills.
“They love coming,” Jill said. “In fact it’s overridden baseball practice.”
Young Chefs Academy offers classes for every age range all the way up to a College “Survival” Club for 17- to 24-year-olds. The academy can also host birthday parties and accommodate Scout troops and field trips. The academy offers a summer camp beginning June 2.
For more information, call 451-2922 or visit www.young chefsacademy.com and search for the Leawood location.
printable version
e-mail this story
While instructor Erica Luviano went over a celebrity-chef-inspired menu of lasagna rolls and a spinach salad in a parmesan frico cup, the seven young chefs sitting around the stainless steel table read instructions and began meal preparation.
Luviano takes the class through each step of the process, guiding the students as they make the meal themselves. There is also a lesson about the history of ingredients.
“It’s basically a cooking school for kids where we teach them the value of cooking at home and learning how to cook,” owner Kristen Lopez said.
Lopez, who opened Young Chefs Academy in January, had always been interested in owning her own business. She also had a love for cooking and wanted to help get kids involved as well, making the franchise a perfect fit for her. She said her four children always try to help her in the kitchen.
Lopez said she grew up learning how to cook. Eating out would be a special occasion.
“We didn’t go out to eat a lot and when we did it was a treat and it was fun and exciting,” Lopez said.
The Young Chefs classes also teach children about health and nutrition, how to serve and plate food, and dining etiquette.
“It’s interesting watching kids learn, how quickly they learn and how capable they are,” Lopez said.
Lopez said customers have told her they had been looking for a place like Young Chefs Academy for a long time.
Jill Ottinger has been bringing her son and daughter, Alex, 7, and Amanda, 9, to Young Chefs Academy for two months and has been pleased with what they are learning. Jill said the classes allow her children to try foods they might not try at home.
A rule at the academy is the chefs have to eat at least one bite of everything they make.
Jill said Alex and Amanda have cooked a couple of meals at home to show off their new skills.
“They love coming,” Jill said. “In fact it’s overridden baseball practice.”
Young Chefs Academy offers classes for every age range all the way up to a College “Survival” Club for 17- to 24-year-olds. The academy can also host birthday parties and accommodate Scout troops and field trips. The academy offers a summer camp beginning June 2.
For more information, call 451-2922 or visit www.young chefsacademy.com and search for the Leawood location.