May 2026 Beginner Cooking Session

4‑Week Hands‑On Cooking Program
(6:00–8:00 pm)

Dates: May 6, 13, 20, 27
Location: 1715 17 Ave SE – YW Community Hub
Cost: $40 per participant (for the full 4‑week series)

This Beginners Cooking Series is designed for individuals who are new to cooking or building confidence in the kitchen. Over four weeks, participants will learn essential culinary skills while preparing a different recipe each week in a supportive, hands‑on learning environment.

This series focuses on:

• Kitchen safety and knife skills
• Measuring, mixing, and following recipes
• Cooking basic meals from scratch
• Building independence and confidence in the kitchen

Each week introduces new techniques while reinforcing skills learned previously, making this a single 4‑week program rather than individual classes. Participants are encouraged to attend all four sessions to get the most from the experience.

Weekly Menu

Week 1 – Hamburgers & Home‑Cut Fries with Class‑Made Ketchup (Gluten‑Free)
Participants will craft juicy homemade hamburgers and crispy home‑cut fries while learning patty forming and seasoning, basic grilling or pan‑frying, potato cutting, and frying techniques.

Week 2 – Peanut Chicken Skewers & Fried Rice (Gluten‑Free)
This flavour‑packed class teaches marinating and grilling peanut chicken skewers alongside fluffy fried rice, building knife skills, marinating, skewering, stir‑frying, and seasoning with global flavours.

Week 3 – Minestrone Soup with Egg Salad Sandwiches & Homemade Mayonnaise (Gluten‑Free)
Participants will prepare a hearty vegetable‑packed soup alongside classic egg salad sandwiches, learning vegetable chopping, soup simmering, egg boiling, emulsification for mayonnaise, and sandwich assembly.

Week 4 – Cinnamon Buns (Not gluten‑free)
In this fun and fragrant class, participants will make soft cinnamon buns from scratch while learning yeast dough preparation, kneading, rolling, filling, and shaping techniques.

Classes are structured for independent learning, but families may choose to send an aide if that support works best for them.

All classes are led by Sydney Weipert, Jamie Gervais, and Sara Waqas, whose combined experience includes culinary arts, nutrition, education, and supporting individuals with Down syndrome in hands‑on learning environments.

If you or a family member has Down syndrome and are a member of Ups and Downs, you may be eligible to use the Ups and Downs Subsidy Program toward this series. Please email us if you would like to use the program.