Cooking up fun

Campers indulge in culinary adventure

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The word "camp" might conjure up the thought of tents and the great outdoors for some people, but at the Little Pastry Chefs camp in Centennial Hills, it includes cooking full meals and baking desserts.

The camps last from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. or from 3:30 until 8 p.m. Kids make either breakfast, lunch and a take-home dessert or an appetizer, dinner and a take-home dessert.

During a recent winter break, the children were split into two groups by age; one of 3- to 8-year-olds and the other of 9- to 15-year-olds. Spicy apple pancakes, potato soup and brownies were made at the early session, while tomato soup, chicken croissant sandwiches and confetti cake were made in the evening.

The groups can make anything from lasagna, soups, fruit tarts, and biscuits with sausage gravy. Everything, including soups and salad dressings, are made from scratch.

Both groups make the same foods, but owner Alecia Reed said the instruction is tailored to the age level.

"The younger kids learn about touch, taste, smell, food groups (and) what happens when you squish something," Reed said. "They use plastic knives and scissors. They are still making real foods. Both groups measure ingredients. All the dough will turn out different. They're going to make it and try it."

Campgoers are given recipes and directions to take home so they can make the items again.

Sydnee Podd, 10, said, "Tomorrow I plan on making potato soup for my parents and my friends. It was delicious."

Children must be potty-trained and be enrolled in a school or preschool program to sign up for the cooking camps.

Camps can last anywhere from a day to a week or more. There are spring, winter, summer and track break camps available.

Camp costs $50 per session and there is a discount for booking multiple sessions.

Little Pastry Chefs, which opened in Summerlin in 2000, moved further northwest two months ago to 7240 W. Azure Road, Suite 110. The new location is 3,100 square feet, which is double the size of the original site.

Along with two large classrooms, the store has a You Take the Cake Decorate It studio, where customers can come in and buy already baked treats to decorate.

"You want to enjoy the experience," Reed said. "Coming here means you can relax and enjoy it. At home you don't have the space and you're worried there's icing all over the floor."

Reed said customers can buy pre-made baked goods from the bakery or they can come in and bake items.

Classes are offered in baking, decorating and cooking. Reed said they teach mixing, measuring, stirring and creative design.

Little Pastry Chefs holds parties where children can cook and bake, and food made by staff can be prepared for parents.

The kitchen staff is made up of professional cooks and bakers and the instructors are experienced teachers. Reed said it was important to her to find teachers who are great with kids.

"It's always positive over negative reinforcement," she said. "We're only as good as our instructors."

There are two instructors and one assistant for every class of up to 25 kids.

Rebecca Nugent, 15, a teaching assistant, plans to go to culinary school after high school, but said that working with the kids has been a pleasant surprise.

"I actually like teaching. I like the interaction with the kids," she said.

Catering is available for parties not held in the store.

"We are a full service bakery as well," Reed said. "The kids benefit from seeing our kitchen. It's a real working kitchen. We can incorporate what a real kitchen is. These are real careers these people are working on."

"I want to decorate and bake cakes when I grow up," said Kaitlynn Olivas, 10.

Classes are $15 to $35 and do-it-yourself decorating is under $10 for cookies or cupcakes and $17 for cakes, including studio time and supplies.

Little Pastry Chefs is open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, visit www.littlepastrychefs.com.