Wooden utensils laying on open cookbook Wooden utensils laying on open cookbook

Learn • Cook • Thrive

The Downtown YMCA Community Kitchen is a welcoming space where people come together to learn, create, and connect through food. Designed to support cooking classes, nutrition education, and community gatherings, the kitchen provides a hands-on environment where individuals and families can build healthy habits and share meaningful experiences. From youth programs to community workshops, the Community Kitchen helps bring people together while promoting wellness, learning, and a stronger community.

Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Make fresh, flavorful spring rolls with crisp veggies and a creamy,  savory-sweet peanut dipping sauce that takes every bite to the next level!

Raspberry Almond Tart

Learn how to delicately craft a handmade Raspberry Almond Tart with a rich, buttery pâte sucrée crust, filled with a rich, nutty almond frangipane, topped with fresh, vibrant raspberries. 

Homemade Sauce & Pasta

Learn tips & tricks for slicing & dicing, simmering, and sautéing to craft an authentic and robust sauce plus scrumptious ravioli from scratch. You don’t have to be Italian to cook like one!

Crème Brûlée

Indulge in the timeless elegance of classic Crème Brûlée. Learn step-by-step how easy it is to craft a silky, rich, and delicately infused custard . Then, you’ll master the art of achieving that signature glass-like caramelized sugar crust.

Chicken Risotto with Spring Vegetables

Celebrate the flavors of the season with Chicken Risotto with Spring Vegetables. Learn the art of crafting a perfectly creamy risotto with layers of flavor, tender chicken, and fresh asparagus and zucchini. From the ideal texture to balancing bright, seasonal ingredients, master the techniques to create a timeless, restaurant-worthy dish that’s both comforting and elegantly fresh. 

Lemon Blueberry Tart

Bright, elegant, and bursting with flavor, our Lemon Blueberry Tart cooking class invites you to master this stunning seasonal dessert. In this hands-on experience, you’ll learn to create a perfectly crisp, buttery tart shell, fill it with silky, vibrant lemon curd, and finish it off with fresh, plump blueberries and Grand Marnier glaze.

Chicken Marsala with Angel Hair Pasta

Master a restaurant-worthy Italian favorite in your own kitchen! Learn how to create Chicken Marsala with Angel Hair Pasta, featuring perfectly seared, tender chicken paired with delicate pasta and finished with a beautifully balanced Marsala wine sauce rich with earthy mushroom notes.

Homemade Strawberry Jam

Learn how to turn fresh, ripe strawberries into a perfectly balanced Homemade Strawberry Jam. From selecting the best fruit to mastering the right sweetness, acidity, and texture, discover the simple science behind preserving the peak-season strawberry flavor. Take home your own freshly made strawberry jam and the confidence to recreate it anytime. Perfect for gift gifting!

Our Instructors

Michelle Graham

Senior Director, Health & Wellness

Keziah Landadio

Supervisor, Downtown Y Fitness Center

Tasia Hamilton

Supervisor, Member Services & STEAM

Chana Fay

Baking & Pastry Instructor, Jefferson Community College