Edible education for toddlers to teens
Cooking Crew classes include lots of fun and hands-on yummy fun with delicious recipes. We mix in math, stir in science and add in some games and crafts to create a sizzling culinary experience for all our foodie friends to enjoy!
We make every effort to accommodate food allergies or dietary restrictions and will adjust menus if possible. We cannot guarantee facilities are nut-free. Please contact us to discuss your specific allergy or concerns so that we can find a class that’s right for you.
Here is a sample of some of our most popular programs:
Our foodies in training will learn the importance of eating a variety of fruits and vegetables in this colorful fun filled class while we also reinforce colors, numbers and shapes.
A classic children’s book comes to life as we make a recipe inspired by the book. This class gets children excited about trying new foods and is great for improving fine motor skills as we chop, dice and stir.
Each week we’ll travel to a different delicious destination and create an authentic dish from that region. We’ll make guacamole in a molcajete, learn the secret to perfect dumplings and how to make pasta from scratch.
We are going on a road-trip through our beautiful country and learning about our nation through distinctive flavors and treasured dishes.
When you eat all your senses work as a team to tell your brain about what you’re eating. We’ll experiment to find out how important each of our senses really are while making yummy recipes.
The kitchen becomes a science lab with edible kitchen experiments. We learn the science behind the perfect chocolate chip, how to make homemade butter and so much more.
This class is inspired by television cooking competitions and students will have weekly food challenges with a healthy secret ingredient of the day.
Sweet treats don’t have to be loaded with junk. In this class we will make desserts that are healthy but oh so good you won’t even know there’s avocado in your chocolate mousse.
Not only will we make original recipes that are kid-tested and kid approved - we’ll photograph our finished dishes and create our very own cookbook.
This class combines cooking and television production as we cook up tasty meals and produce a short cooking video.
Kids will explore the wonders of the garden! We'll learn how our food grows. We'll sow seeds, investigate plants, pollinators, build a worm hotel and so much more.
This class combines culinary and entrepreneurial skills as students work as a team to open a pop-up restaurant or bakery. Students brainstorm ideas for a business name, logo and cook/bake several recipes before deciding on the final concept and menu. The last class is the grand opening for family.
Once a month, we visit your school cafeteria to encourage students to eat the rainbow. We bring seasonal produce for students to taste. They taste, vote and earn stickers for being a food explorer!
“Our menus change based on the freshest, seasonal ingredients available and we strive to provide organic options whenever possible.
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Thats a recipe for delicious, healthy learning and fun! Cooking Crew was founded by Fran Brescia-Coniglio, an Emmy award winning television producer, and Melissa Brescia, a certified Holistic Health Coach and Educator.
FRAN BRESCIA-CONIGLIO
Fran Brescia-Coniglio is a three-time Emmy award winning television producer. Her credits include – The Rosie O’Donnell Show, (Telepictures Productions) The Wayne Brady Show, The Tony Danza Show (Buena Vista Productions) and Martha, Martha Stewart’s live television show for NBC and Hallmark Channel. She also consulted on Martha Stewart’s Cooking School for PBS and worked on pilots such as The Talk for CBS and A Taste of Emeril, a cooking game show for FreMantle Media. She created and was the Executive Producer of Emeril’s Table, an informational cooking show hosted by celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. Fran has a passionate interest in cooking and has produced numerous famous chefs, cookbook authors and countless hours of lifestyle and how-to programming during her twenty-year career in the daytime talk genre. Fran enjoys crafting and cooking with her two daughters.
MELISSA BRESCIA
Melissa Brescia is a Certified Holistic Health Coach, Wellness Educator, and Clean Eating Expert. Melissa began her career in television working for and learning to cook from TV Chef Rachael Ray. While working in television, Melissa produced several segments in conjunction with President Clinton's Alliance for a Healthier Generation, highlighting every day people making a difference in their community through healthy cooking. Truly inspired by this initiative, led her to pursue a career in teaching health and nutrition to youngsters. During Melissa’s first year of teaching at one of Manhattan’s prestigious private schools she created a healthy eating unit for her kindergarten students. The curriculum was successful and got kids excited about eating their veggies. She moved to California and continued to educate youth on how to make informed decisions about food through creative, engaging cooking lessons. Passionate about empowering children and adults to lead a life of good nutrition and optimal health, Melissa became certified through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City. After graduation, she launched a private health coaching practice working with clients to reach their wellness goals. Melissa enjoys cooking with her 3 year-old daughter and her dog Nicky loves licking up the food that drops on the floor. Her favorite vegetable is kale.
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Our daughters are the main ingredient that inspires us to teach the joys of cooking and the importance of good nutrition. We co-founded Cooking Crew to bring kids of all ages together to learn, cook and eat real food.
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