Orange County Kid’s Cooking Class with Lil’ Pinkies Up

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“Cooking with kids is not just about ingredients, recipes, and cooking. It’s about harnessing imagination, empowerment, and creativity.”    

Guy Fieri

Allison owner of Lil’ Pinkies Up in Newport Beach, Ca:

“Food is my love language and fostering polite, inquisitive eaters is my passion!

By focusing on making food fun, and fostering an inclusive process that includes their opinions, a foundation of mutual respect is formed where kids can naturally expand their palates without pressure.

From where I started as a new stepmom a few years ago with skeptical, picky, anxious eaters (often eating just French fries as their dinner) I am proud to say they can now sit down at our family dinner table and enjoy a bowl of yellow curry, chicken marsala, and roasted cauliflower alike.  With some patience and effort, I believe any child can go from Picky to Persuadable.”

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I have 4 children each with individual likes and dislikes. I am the parent who has always refused to cook a separate meal for kids at breakfast, lunch or dinner. So, I like to think my parenting technique would have created kids with good, adventurous eating habits. And yet, I have one (who shall remain nameless but goes by junk-food-Jovie) who is sooooo picky. She likes fruits and vegetables, but has a hard time with any meat other than an In-N-Out cheeseburger, and struggles to eat savory foods. Sure, her favorite food is sushi, and boy can she can eat a plate of spaghetti (with cheese, butter and salt ONLY) like a champ. But, her palate is limited, and it drives me nuts!

When I discussed this with Allison of Lil’ Pinkies Up, we decided to try one of her cooking classes for inspiration and ideas. And let’s be perfectly honest, it also sounded like a whole lotta’ FUN for the whole family!

My kids LOVE to help out in the kitchen and as I mentioned here we are really working on skills, techniques and confidence as we master different recipes they can do all on their own.

So, attending our LIL’ PINKIES UP class was a home-run! We developed healthy attitudes towards foods and experienced each ingredient by smell, sight, touch, and taste.

Let’s just put it this way, my pickiest eater tried raw garlic because she wanted the experience and even put sauce on the final product. THAT NEVER HAPPENS! Even more unbelievably, and yet, totally believable, is she said she wanted more of it! Wouldn’t you know that sauces can enhance flavors?! (You know it, I know it, it’s simply getting picky eaters to know it… am I right?!)

As for my oldest, who has always been pretty open-minded when it comes to food, this was a fantastic opportunity to try new things while developing a better cooking technique. This class gave her the confidence she needed to cook by herself at home. I was impressed that she woke up the next day and made pancakes. As she did she proudly showed me the right way to crack an egg, how to hold her elbow (awkwardly) while mixing and even cut things using the proper knife technique learned in class. I was impressed. But more importantly, she was confident in her own cooking abilities.

And Allison was so wonderful with all my kids! She was warm, funny, inviting and so very patient with them. I was honestly so impressed by the entire experience. Start to finish it was a delight!

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THE CLASS

In each 2-hour class, your child will learn the fundamentals of cooking and mealtime etiquette while preparing and eating their creations made from wholesome, sustainably sourced ingredients. In each class a main dish and dessert are prepared.

During our class we made korean beef tacos (yum) and individual citrus crostatas, think mini citrus pastry with cookie dough crumble (double yum). My husband told me after the meal he wanted me to add the tacos into our weekly rotation because in his words, “They were bomb!” And, he’s not wrong! In fact, it’s already on the schedule for this week.

Cost per class is $55 per student with a 10% sibling discount (including class, materials, and food). Ages 5-12 preferred (approval needs to be okayed by instructor via email prior to class in regards to children under 5). The class menu changes weekly and is based on what is seasonal and at its peak freshness.

What course can you attend:

• Valentine’s Cooking Class
• Winter Cooking Courses: see schedule
• Small Fry Cooking Class
• Picky to Persuadable Consultation— if your child is a picky eater, I highly recommend this one!
• Small Parties (considering a birthday party here because my kids loved it and I am sure your little chefs will too.)
• and so much more!!!!
• Email her for parties, consulting, or questions here.

Find tips, her politeness policy, recipes, schedules, information and more at https://lilpinkiesup.com/

Whether you have a picky eater, an adventurous palate, a chef in the making or looking to expand your child’s experiences this class is for you! It’s fun, educational, and delicious all wrapped into one.. like a burrito or taco, or, well, you get the idea. Spice up your child’s after school activities by thinking out of the box and give them a skill they can use everyday for the rest of their lives!

“Cooking is at once one of the simplest and most gratifying of the arts, but to cook well one must love and respect food.”    

Craig Claiborne