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.

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!

Kids chocolate Extravaganza

Get ready for our Kids Chocolate Extravaganza where they can roll, dip,     and decorate their very own Chocolate Truffles and Chocolate-Covered Strawberries. 

Tapas: Passport to Flavor

Simple, healthy Mediterranean-inspired favorites including Stuffed Grape Leaves, Spice-Rubbed Pita Crisps, Hummus with Za'atar, and Ricotta Crostini with Fig Jam and Honey Drizzle

Kids Sprinkle Cupcakes

Kids will mix, bake, decorate, and create their own colorful creations! Plus, build confidence in the kitchen while learning basic skills such as kitchen safety, following directions, measuring, and working as a team. 

Garlic Shrimp Fettuccini Alfredo

Elegant, satisfying, and made from scratch! Find out how easy it is to create a rich, creamy garlic alfredo sauce and tender shrimp tossed with perfectly cooked fettuccini pasta at home!

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