Curriculum
In addition to the hands on cooking/culinary arts and sciences aspects of each class, the Grow Cuisine and Kinderkitchen curricula are geared toward broad learning and enrichment through mentorship, like at camp. At each class, the kids, in age groups, participate in several activities: Cooking of course (pizza, salad and brownie with garnishing technique lesson to start, oh, and with predominantly organically-naturally grown products); arts and crafts including ceramics (I still have my glazed kindergarten handprint, 40 years later); theater/puppet theater and music/singing; and organic/sustainable gardening and farming focusing on your family's Edible Backyard: Your family planning, planting your kids' favorite foods, nurturing, harvesting, cleaning, prepping, cooking, eating and doing the dishes together. Homework never tasted so good.

Grow Cuisine is a volunteerism donation

There is no cost for Grow Cuisine/Kinderkitchen classes. We consider a few requests per year from Chico, CA non-profit community agencies for classes held at your location. I will also consult with you at no cost via e-mail with a typical Grow Cuisine curriculum, recipes and tips. chefrichie@msn.com and if you don't get a reply within a few days, maybe because my junk filter blocked you, call (530) 566-9803. 

Director and Chef Richard Hirshen

After receiving my 1985 Bachelor of Arts Diploma at Cal. State U. Chico in Psychology/Child Development and after a year cooking professionally in Northern Italy, Kinderkitchen began as Camperkitchen-Gardens at Camp Treetops in Lake Placid, NY. That was in 1986, continued in San Francisco and Marin through 2002 and then I/we moved to Chico where I continue to cook and am President of the Board of the Chico Food Network, a 501c3 non-profit organization focused on sustainability, organic farming and nutrition education through CSU Chico and throughout our local community. www.chicofoodnetwork.org

T-Shirts and other cool stuff!
We'll be offering a few items for sale, at affordable prices for families and at cost for schools/after school and community oriented programs. All proceeds go toward Grow Cuisine Scholarships, volunteerism and donations. These items will include pint size-adult t-shirts and aprons as well as hats (tie-dye and batik are part of some classes, or do at home), foot-long crayons, individual cookbook blanks, gardening and ceramic items including "Edible Backyard" kits and your kid's hand imprint professionally kiln-fired.