This event has concluded. Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Family Day Cooking Class at Sistrunk Marketplace! While these family classes are no longer offered, Chef Jorge Montes continues to host hands-on adult cooking classes at Sistrunk Marketplace. Be sure to visit Sazóned to see upcoming class offerings. Want to host a cooking class event with Chef Jorge Montes? Book your event at Sazoned.
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Spring Class Spotlight
Family Day Cooking Class at Sistrunk Marketplace was a wonderful opportunity to bring families together through food, learning, and hands-on cooking. Throughout the event, children and their families explored basic kitchen skills, practiced safe cooking habits, and discovered how preparing meals together can build confidence, teamwork, and lasting memories. It was a joy to share my passion for culinary education and help inspire the next generation of home cooks.
Cooking in Spring (Ages 8 & Up). We celebrated the season with fresh, hands-on recipes perfect for families to make together. This class is all about teamwork, fun, and flavor!
The First Spring Menu
This was the spring family cooking class, all about bright flavors, teamwork, and fun. Together, each pair made:
Turkey & Spinach Pinwheels
Savory baked puff pastry bites that are fun to roll and eat
Cheddar & Sweet Pea Quesadillas
A cheesy twist on a kid-favorite
Strawberry Mousse
Light and creamy with a layered sweet graham cracker crunch
Everything they needed was included:
- Ingredients
- Cooking equipment
- Aprons
- Juice & snacks for everyone
For Parents Who Value Education
...and Need Fresh Ideas!
Our Family Day Cooking Classes were more than just a fun outing; they were designed to help parents and children cook together as a team. Families left with new recipes, practical cooking techniques, and the confidence to recreate the dishes at home, all while enjoying meals that appealed to both kids and adults.
The classes were especially meaningful for parents looking to enrich their child's learning beyond the classroom during school breaks and weekends. Together, families explored new ingredients, developed real-life cooking skills, experienced different food cultures, and created lasting memories around the kitchen table. It was a hands-on experience that combined learning, creativity, and quality family time through the joy of cooking.
Who Was This Class For?
This hands-on cooking class was created for families who wanted to learn and cook together. Participants included parents and children (ages 8 and up) looking to share time in the kitchen, families searching for an interactive spring activity in Fort Lauderdale, young aspiring chefs eager to build new culinary skills, and adults who wanted to enjoy cooking with their kids without worrying about the planning, prep, or cleanup.
- Banana Berry Corn Muffins with Greek Yogurt
- Cooking with Kids: Building Confidence in the Kitchen One Recipe at a Time
- Family Meal Prep Routines for Busy Weeknights
- Kitchen Safety Tips for Families: A Guide for Cooking Together with Confidence
Meet Your Culinary Hosts
Chef Maika - Class Instructor
Hi, I'm Chef Maika, and I had the pleasure of leading this class! As a professionally trained chef, culinary instructor, and the voice behind Just Maika Cooking, I enjoyed making food fun and approachable for home cooks of all ages. It was a wonderful opportunity to help families cook together, share culture through food, and build confidence in the kitchen while creating lasting memories.
In Collaboration with Chef Jorge Montes
This class was held in collaboration with Chef Jorge Montes, founder of Sazóned, a boutique catering company and culinary experience brand that celebrates Latin flavors with a global flair. Chef Jorge played a key role in bringing educational culinary events to Sistrunk Marketplace and shared a passion for making food an engaging and memorable experience for everyone who attended.
Thanks to Chef Jorge Montes of Sazoned, I had the opportunity to do a Family Cooking Class in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday at the beautiful Sistrunk Marketplace.
Intimate Submersion
We kicked things off with a test run, and it couldn't have gone better. The intimate space comfortably accommodated 14 participants, making it the perfect setting for hands-on cooking classes where both kids and adults had plenty of room to move, ask questions, and fully immerse themselves in the experience.
The smaller class size fostered creativity, teamwork, and meaningful one-on-one instruction, which was exactly what I had envisioned. Seeing families learn, cook, and laugh together made the experience even more rewarding and reinforced the value of creating an educational environment where everyone felt welcome and confident in the kitchen.
Why We Hosted Family Cooking Classes
Life is busy, and between work, school, and everyday responsibilities, finding meaningful time together as a family isn't always easy. That's exactly why I created these Sunday Family Cooking Classes. They were about much more than following recipes; they brought families together through food, encouraged cultural exploration, and helped both parents and children build confidence in the kitchen while creating memories they could continue at home.
The Global Connection
These family cooking classes focused on introducing global ingredients in fun, approachable ways while encouraging healthy cooking habits, such as using seasonal ingredients and preparing meals together as a family. Even with busy schedules, participants discovered that cooking together is a meaningful way to connect, communicate, and unwind.
More Than a Class
For parents who value hands-on learning, these classes offered an engaging experience that kept kids involved while teaching practical life skills they could continue using at home. More than just a cooking class, they created opportunities for families to bond, build confidence in the kitchen, and make lasting memories together.
Hosting the classes at Sistrunk Marketplace added to the experience. Its vibrant, diverse atmosphere offered something for everyone, from classic arcade games and a sports bar to a beautiful Sakura-themed mochi shop. After each class, families gathered in the shared food hall to enjoy the meal they had prepared together, an experience that often led to conversations with other families and food lovers, extending the sense of community beyond the kitchen.
Here's What Families Experienced
- Hands-on cooking for both adults and kids, where everyone participated instead of watching from the sidelines.
- An introduction to global ingredients through fun, approachable recipes that families could confidently recreate at home.
- Practical healthy cooking tips, including how to incorporate seasonal produce and reduce processed foods without sacrificing flavor.
- A supportive, engaging learning environment that encouraged teamwork, creativity, and confidence in the kitchen.
Sunny Fort Lauderdale
Although these Family Day Cooking Classes have concluded, Sistrunk Marketplace remains a wonderful place to learn and connect through food. If you're looking to build your culinary skills, I encourage you to check out Chef Jorge Montes' adult cooking classes, where he continues to share his passion for global flavors, hands-on instruction, and unforgettable culinary experiences.
If you're an experienced home cook or just getting started, Chef Jorge's classes offer a fun way to learn new techniques, meet fellow food lovers, and enjoy an interactive cooking experience. Visit Sazóned at Sistrunk Marketplace to see the latest class schedule and reserve your spot.
🥂Book a Class on Sazoned and Join the Meetup Group: Homemade Chefs
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Frequently Asked Questions
Here, you will find a list of common questions that I have answered. If you have questions, please write them in the comment section below.
This class is designed for families with children ages eight and up. Younger children are welcome with close adult supervision, and older kids and teens will also find the experience fun and engaging.
Yes! This is a family-style cooking class, so parents and children cook together as a team. It's all about building connections and sharing the kitchen experience.
Each class features a new recipe that highlights global ingredients, seasonal produce, and fun, approachable techniques. Expect dishes from different healthy global cuisines with a twist.
We provide all the ingredients and tools you'll need. Just bring yourself, your child, and your appetite for fun and learning.
Each class runs approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours, including time to cook and sit down to enjoy the meal together in the food court.
We try our best! Please mention any dietary restrictions or allergies when booking so we can plan accordingly.
Classes take place inside Sistrunk Marketplace in Fort Lauderdale, in a private demo kitchen space perfect for small-group learning.
Our intimate setup seats up to 14 participants in total, so space is limited. Early booking is encouraged. And private parties' events are welcome.
Yes, Sistrunk Marketplace is fully accessible and family-friendly.
Absolutely! Just make sure each child is registered. We recommend one adult per 1-2 children for the best experience.
This isn't just about the kids, it's about cooking together as a family. We emphasize teamwork, education, global flavors, and healthy habits that families can take home and continue together, as instructed by Chef Maika, a professionally trained chef and board-certified teacher with experience in special education.
Cooking Tips and Tutorials
Your Cooking Tips Resource Guide - Become a better home cook with tips to help you cook more efficiently on the Cook's Notebook tab.
- How to Trim Chicken: The Best Way to Prep Chicken Before Cooking
- How the Maillard Reaction Makes Food Taste Better
- How to Store Fresh Berries So They Last Longer (Without Getting Mushy)
- Internal Meat Temperature Chart (Printable Guide)
Explore Recipes
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- Quick and Fresh Stir-Fry Recipes for Spring and Summer
- Instant Pot Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey
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Chef Maika Frederic-Liebman
Chef and Educator
Professionally trained Haitian-American chef Maika Frederic is the creator of Just Maika Cooking, where she shares globally inspired recipes, cooking techniques, ingredient guides, and food safety tips designed to help home cooks become more creative and confident in the kitchen. Combining years of professional culinary experience with a passion for teaching, she makes global flavors approachable through practical, accessible instruction for cooks of every skill level.
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