Client Chef Toni In The Examiner..Read All About IT
Culinary academy for kids teaches nutritious cooking
New York Chef Toni Willard-Young runs Chef Toni's Cooking Academy, an ongoing cooking class for children that emphasizes nutrition. The culinary academy is specially designed to focus on "farm-to-table" cooking and "fun culinary adventures."
The goal of Chef Toni's Cooking Academy is to give "junior chefs" an early introduction to kitchen safety, basic cooking skills and healthy cooking techniques while supporting key areas of development like socialization and task-completion. Through imaginative culinary lessons, Willard-Young, who is also a mother of four, hopes to teach kids the basics of nutrition.
Located at the WestSide Family Center on 92nd street, Willard-Young's classes include a healthy snack, apron and chef's hat, cooking lessons, "adventurous meals," recipes, indoor and outdoor playtime and a Culinary Graduation Certificate at the end of a class semester. The academy provides two year-round program options for children aged 4 to 11 - an After School Program and a Summer Program which is similar to a day camp.
The Summer Session is already in full swing, having started on June 21, it will continue on through September 3, each week focusing on a different region of the world by exploring the culinary diversity of places like Mexico, Africa and Russia (Hours: Full Time is 4-days a week, Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. Daily drop-in or extended day is 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM).
The After School Program sends "junior chefs" to local restaurants, farmer's markets, bakers, butchers, and other food professionals. The Hope? To give young palates an understanding of food origins, preparation and dining.
A South African born master-chef, Willard-Young has spent 20 years building a community reputation for her commitment to providing customers with quality seasonal produce, antibiotic and hormone-free meats and freshly caught fish. Willard-Young caters numerous New York City events. In 2008, she opened Antoinette's restaurant in Harlem as a way to share her passion for healthy foods and her love of farm-to-table cooking with the community.
Her academy is located at the WestSide Family Center (63 West 92nd street, Ground Floor between Columbus Avenue and Central Park West). For more information on the program, please visit http://cheftoniscookingadventures.blogspot.com/.
You can also E-Mail toni@cheftoniscookingacademy.com
Full Link: http://www.examiner.com/x-33306-NY-Lunch-Examiner~y2010m7d20-Culinary-academy-for-kids-teaches-nutritious-cooking
