Daniel Diaz, resident chef for Sur La Table, teaches a Mediterranean cooking class
on a Saturday morning at the store’s Mizner Park location.
Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Janis Fontaine
Daniel Diaz didn’t intend to have a career teaching cooking to kids. The culinary leader, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami in Miramar, took a part-time gig teaching cooking classes at Sur La Table in Boca Raton.
“The enthusiasm of the kids really got to me,” Diaz said. “They had an absolute blast, and I did, too. When they offered me the full-time position as the lead chef for the cooking school, I was thrilled.”
These classes are hands-on, interactive, and the youngsters leave with new skills, Diaz said. Class sizes are small, usually limited to 16 students so each child gets the attention he or she needs. And where else is a gourmet meal part of the curriculum?
“The quality of the students blows my mind,” Diaz said. “Some of the cooking skills and knowledge the younger kids have acquired is baffling. It’s like they grew up watching the Food Network instead of Sesame Street.”
The Sur La Table Mizner Park school offers more than 20 classes a week in all varieties of cooking and for all kinds of students, but most are geared toward adults.
Children’s classes are usually in the form of weeklong camps during the summer and winter breaks, but a few children’s classes are scheduled on Saturdays during the school year. And most classes are separated into age groups of 8 to 12 and 13 to 17.
For special occasions, Sur La Table offers family fun classes designed for a child and adult to cook and learn together. The classes are perfect for one-on-one bonding with parents or grandparents, Diaz said.
Diaz says the cooking reality shows for kids on TV have driven the demand for classes, and classes do fill up quickly. “I’m surprised how knowledgeable the kids are. They have very mature palates for their age.”
Experts say children who get involved in cooking are more likely to try new foods and make smarter, healthier food choices.
This is tactile, hands-on learning that engages all the senses.
Diaz agrees. “The best thing is to see a kid come in with no skills and by the end of the week, we’re seeing real creativity and artistry.”
Sur La Table is at 438 Plaza Real in Mizner Park, Boca Raton. For reservations, call 953-7638 or 953-7670 or email cooking113@surlatable.com.
Sur La Table classes
Upcoming offerings include:
Family Fun/Valentine’s Day Treats — Feb. 11. An adult and a child age 6 or older work together to make strawberry jam sweetheart tarts, old-fashioned chocolate fudge and Valentine chocolate kiss cookies.
Kids Pasta Workshop — 10 a.m.-noon or 1-3 p.m. Feb. 20. Learn to make fresh pasta dough from scratch. For ages 8-12. $49.
Other options
Classes offered at Publix at Polo Club Shoppes, 5050 Champion Blvd., Boca Raton, include spring break camps for youngsters ages 8-10 and 11-13.
Both groups get an introduction to the culinary world and learn basic skills, prep and cooking methods. Camps meet in the morning or afternoon March 20-22.
Publix is also offering a Teen Chef’s Camp at 6 p.m. March 20-22 for ages 14 and older. Teens learn advanced skills and get a sound culinary base to launch future culinary expeditions.
For information or to register, call the Publix Aprons Cooking School at 994-4883.
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