by Amanda Ikens, East Owner Resources Coordinator
As a Cooperative we are guided by seven principles that have been around since the late 1800s. The one that comes to mind while working on this piece is Principle Five—Education, Training and Information: Cooperatives provide education and training for Owners so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives. This month I had a great opportunity to interview our very own kids class instructor, Chef Lily Kilfoy. Lily teaches two series of classes for the Co-op: Kids in the Kitchen for children ages five to eight, and ages nine to 12; and Cooking Together: family cooking classes to learn about different foods, where they come from, how to follow recipes and how to use a variety of tools. Cooking Together classes are open to students ages five and up.
Amanda: How long have you been teaching?
Lily: I have been teaching cooking classes since 2011.
Amanda: What brought you to teaching?
Lily: Back then I was actually working for Willy Street Co-op at the Production Kitchen as a Cook. I was a recent graduate of the Culinary Arts program at MATC with big dreams of entrepreneurship. I wanted a business centered around food but not in the service industry, and the objective to create a positive impact on communities. One day I was brainstorming business concepts with my coworker/friend. He had the idea that I begin to teach kids cooking classes at the Co-op, claiming they would be a hit, and that my foot was in the door as an employee. I pitched the idea to Lynn Olson, who managed the classes at that time. She really liked the idea and thought Owners would too. She said yes to the classes and hired me as a contracted cooking instructor.
Amanda: What is your background in teaching?
Lily: Before going to cooking school I worked as a childcare teacher and studied early childhood education.
Amanda: Why do you like to focus on teaching children at the Co-op?
Lily: I like to focus my teaching on children because of their real need for hands-on experiences. They develop life skills in the kitchen, especially when we allow things to get messy. At the Co-op, students show up excited to participate and handle the various foods and tools they’ll be introduced to. It’s often a whirlwind, and at the end everyone is eager to taste and show off what’s created. The boost that the kids gain in turn gives me immeasurable satisfaction.
Amanda: What challenges do you face when teaching?
Lily: Challenges are countless, but I would say managing the clock is my biggest. Everything from an introduction, the execution of multiple recipes, and sitting down to eat happens in just one hour.
Amanda: What are the things that surprise you when working with kids?
Lily: I have been surprised by how witty they are! Kids have a natural ability for coming up with jokes when seeing the humor in the sights, sounds, and scents of the kitchen. They are always making me laugh.
Amanda: What have you learned from kids? What have they taught you?
Lily: The kids have taught me how to adapt and be flexible based on their individual or group needs. Everyone is a unique person with their own abilities, preferences, limitations, communication or learning style, background, and even attention span. I’ve learned to respect and value these differences.
Amanda: Your top three favorite things to teach? Or top favorite foods to work with?
Lily: My three favorites: tacos, sushi, and pizza. All three dishes are popular with any age range, can be individualized, and are super diversifiable.
Amanda: Fun facts about cooking or something we would not have thought of when working with kids?
Lily: It’s super fun if a kid believes a food is gross but has a change of mind by the end of class! Often a child will come in looking at ingredients, and loudly proclaim that they dislike something they see. Yet, they’ll taste the creation that contains their loathed component when realizing everyone else is gobbling it up. I’m also amused by the fact that in nearly every class students of all ages will bravely give unfamiliar foods a chance after they have hands-on exposure in the kitchen.
Amanda: You also teach a Cooking Together class. What are those like, how do those work?
Lily: They work so that folks of all different ages can experience a hands-on cooking class. We open these to ages five and up, and children must attend with an adult. Families with children and teens, friends of all ages, organizations of adults, and solo grown-ups often register. Everyone works in groups to create a portion of a meal, and sits down after cooking to share the entire meal together.
Amanda: How are these classes different from the kids' classes?
Lily: Cooking Together classes are suited for beginners and kids, yet most recipes are more complex than what I teach in Kids in the Kitchen classes. A big difference is that groups are very self-directed, with guardians leading their younger cooks. I set up cooking stations with supplies, pair up groups, and assign recipes based on age range and make up of members. I move around and provide support, mostly making sure everyone is on task. We also run these a little longer for 75 minutes versus one hour.
Amanda: What are your hopes and dreams for the future of kids classes?
Lily: I want to continue expanding! I dream of developing cooking opportunities geared towards preschoolers, tweens and teens, youth with special needs, and more. We have recently extended programming to off-site locations including a local middle school. I have high hopes to bring classes directly to various places within the community to reach an even wider range of kids.
The Co-op offers classes for people of all ages. We have two stores that are able to hold the classes in the community rooms at East and West, and the North store partners with the Lakeview Library next door to hold classes. You can see what classes are coming up by checking the Reader, our website, and they are listed on the back of our weekly Owner Rewards sales flyer. That sales flyer is available at each store, and is usually posted by the front door. You can also subscribe to receive the flyer via email. If you are ever interested in a class, I highly recommend that you contact Customer Service at any of the locations to sign up quickly, all classes have a capacity and some of the classes fill up fast.