How a State College area cooking camp fills a need, inspires young chefs

On day three of the cooking camp at Taste Buds Kitchen, the campers arrive raring to go. They walk in at 9 a.m. with smiling parents who report to the Check-In Station, while their kids grab a white apron and tie it on. They walk confidently to their tables to sit with their companions from the previous two days of camp and engage with the CIT (Counselor in Training) who presides at the head of the table. The CITs are a few years older than the campers, who range in age from 4 to 8, and will attend the afternoon camp session for “big kids” in the 9- to 13-year-old age range. The CIT wear light green aprons and an air of authority.

Carrie Swanger, a first-grade teacher at Wingate Elementary, opens the session by rhythmically clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention. “We’re on our road trip, and today we’re traveling to California. Is that in the east or the west?” Campers’ hands shoot up with the answer.

The Taste Buds Kitchen All-American Road Trip cooking camp is underway.

Susan Passante opened Taste Buds Kitchen seven years ago in the strip mall adjacent to Walmart on the Benner Pike. “The location is perfect for us,” said Passante, “in between the two school districts.”

The wide parking lot is perfect for drop-off and pick-up, and the proximity of Walmart and Sam’s Club is greatly appreciated by Kristi Branstetter, the kitchen manager and provisions procurer. Branstetter has been working at TBK for the better part of seven years, since its opening, after spending five years at Penn State as the director of the Foods Lab in the Nutrition Department.

Taste Buds Kitchen is a business that started in New York City in 2007. Jessi Brelsford was a Harvard finance grad who worked on Wall Street but had a secret passion for cooking. She taught cupcake-baking classes to kids on weekends and received many requests for private cooking classes and camps. Her first kitchen studio in Chelsea fulfilled her dream of owning her own business, and in 2013 she franchised the concept.

By 2018, the franchise was spreading nationwide. Plans call for opening 200 locations in the next four years as the brand expands. Her model is “culinary entertainment,” and the adult classes that are offered in the evenings are designed to be fun date-night activities.

Passante heard about the franchise opportunity at a time when her youngest child was old enough for daycare and she was looking for a new direction. She previously worked in human resources at Penn State, so her strength lies in finding the right person for the right job.

This is very evident in her choice of the effervescent Brandstetter for kitchen manager. Three additional assistants run the cooking activities, one for each of the seven campers at each table. They wear dark green aprons and deliver the mise-en- place tray to each of the tables and oversee who takes turns holding the electric mixer.

This is Carrie Swanger’s first summer with the program and she found the timing ideal for her.

“No summer school programs are going on due to funding cuts so I was out my summer job,” she said. “This works well for me and my schedule, though I’ll miss the last week of camp for our fall in-service.”

Her ability to control and gently guide the campers through exercise breaks and for brief storytelling chill time is her superpower.

Watching the campers on day two was a revelation. They are calm. They are focused. They are having fun and following directions. The aroma on Tuesday was sweet with cinnamon as the soft apple oatmeal cookies baked in the commercial convection ovens. This healthy version of a whoopie pie would be filled with a sweetened cream cheese mixture to represent one of Pennsylvania’s local delicacies. Also on the menu were barbecued cauliflower “wings” to represent Buffalo and deep dish pizza cups for Chicago.

Campers sample their creations once everything is prepared, or at least have the opportunity to do so. If they are certain they don’t like cauliflower, they don’t have to try it. They have labeled cardboard take-out boxes to take some of the items home to share with others.

This is the first year that Penn State did not offer their Cook Like a Chef camp, and Taste Buds Kitchen fills a need in the community for that sort of culinary program. The flexibility of the TBK model is commendable. Campers can sign up for the weeklong program or drop in for just one day. One camper who signed up for the day brought along her younger cousin, who was in town for a visit, with a broken arm. The adaptable program also offers an early drop-off option for parents with tight work schedules. These unflappable women make it all work.

“Everyday is different, with changes in menus and themes, but it is controlled chaos,” joked Passante, who walked through the room taking photos to add to their Facebook page and to create a photo album for the parents at the end of the week. “A lot of people don’t realize how easy it is to cook from scratch, and we show them how.”

The instructors, Miss Carrie, Miss Isabella and Miss Skylar — along with the CITs — model proper kitchen protocol, enforcing hand washing, using the right measuring techniques, using a scoop to get ice from the freezer. The campers watch it all and wait their turn. Bathroom rules are explained, and a “no-go” zone is delineated to keep the campers in sight and out of danger from an open oven door.

All the recipes and instructors’ notes are provided through the corporate office, so anyone attending any Taste Buds Kitchen at any of their 12 kitchen studios nationwide will find the same setup and procedures. The space is bright and airy, and comfortably cool. Campers bring their own water bottles to save on disposables and — best thing ever— don’t have to do any dishes. That is all taken care of by the staff in the back room.

In addition to their summer camp cooking program, TBK offers adult classes, private lessons, birthday parties, and bachelorette parties. The age range for programs runs from 2 to 99. Classes for 2-year-olds are an hour long, and an adult must accompany the child. Most adult evening BYOB classes are two hours long, while kids’ classes are typically an hour or two long.

There are still some openings for this summer’s camps. The cost of the five-day program is $250, or you can drop in for one day for $55.

For more information about TBK’s culinary entertainment options, visit their website. You too can take a class and realize their motto is true, “Learn. Laugh. Cook.”