From Italy, With Love Comes to Central Montco

Week Three of our Summer 2026 season at Central Montco Technical High School transported junior chefs to the heart of Italy with From Italy, With Love. From July 6–9, campers explored the rich traditions of Italian cuisine while discovering how simple, high-quality ingredients and time-honored techniques come together to create unforgettable meals.

Junior Chef teams discuss how they will gather ingredients for the biscotti recipe.

Junior Chef teams work collaboratively to mix both dry and wet ingredients simultaneously.

A proud junior chef displays how well they piped their ricotta icing on their cannoli cupcake!

A junior chef duo showcase their completed cupcakes!

Junior chefs utilize a useful kitchen tool called a bowl scrapper to combine focaccia ingredients.

Junior chefs work on different steps of the Lemon Olive Oil Cake recipe.

A junior chef utilizes the dimpling technique to create the bread's distinct craters.

A delicious glaze is poured over each Junior Chef's completed Lemon Olive Oil Cake.

Junior Chefs eagerly watch as Instructor Ava demonstrates how to cut biscotti.

Junior Chefs help gather ingredients in the walk-in refrigerator.

It's all smiles for this Junior Chef!

Junior Chefs listen as Chef Jarrett explains how the fryers work to cook and brown ingredients.

Junior Chefs learn the art of plating from Chef Shawn!

Junior Chefs learn about the Standard Breading Procedure with Chef Jarrett's guidance.

The plated Tomato Risotto with Peas and Asparagus Arancini

Throughout the week, junior chefs learned that Italian cooking is about more than following recipes—it's about sharing meals, celebrating family traditions, and taking pride in preparing food from scratch. Campers strengthened essential culinary skills including knife work, sautéing, risotto preparation, layering pasta dishes, bread making, baking, and teamwork. As they cooked, they also gained a greater appreciation for the care, patience, and craftsmanship that make Italian cuisine so beloved around the world.

Leading the culinary experience were Chef Shawn and Chef Jarrett, who guided campers through classic Italian techniques while sharing their passion for cooking. In the baking and pastry classroom, Instructor Ava introduced junior chefs to a variety of traditional Italian-inspired baked treats, helping them develop confidence in mixing, decorating, and baking from scratch. Supporting the team throughout the week were Instructional Assistant Rylan, who joined our Central Montco campus after helping lead a successful summer in Conshohocken, and Camp Counselor Sophia, whose enthusiasm and encouragement continued to make every camper feel welcomed and supported.

Week Three also brought together many familiar faces as returning junior chefs reunited with Create-a-Cook while we welcomed new campers into our classroom for the very first time. Watching experienced campers encourage new friends, share their growing confidence, and work together throughout the week is one of the many reasons our summer programs are so rewarding.

As part of our full-day program at Central Montco, junior chefs spent each day rotating between Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry, giving them the opportunity to experience two unique learning environments while creating an impressive variety of recipes.

Culinary Kitchen

• Panzanella

• Mini Three-Cheese Lasagna

• Tomato Risotto with Peas & Asparagus Arancini

• "Fri-YAY!" Pizza

Baking & Pastry Kitchen

• Chocolate Chip Biscotti with Chocolate Ganache

• Cannoli Cupcakes with Whipped Ricotta Frosting

• Summer Garden Focaccia

• Lemon Olive Oil Cake

By the end of the week, our junior chefs had not only created an incredible collection of Italian-inspired dishes but had also developed a deeper appreciation for the traditions that make Italian cooking so special. From carefully stirring risotto to decorating cupcakes and sharing homemade focaccia, every recipe reflected the creativity, teamwork, and confidence that continue to grow with each passing week.

With three of our six weeks now complete at Central Montco Technical High School, the summer is reaching its halfway point—but there's still so much more to come. We look forward to welcoming another group of junior chefs into our classroom for more culinary adventures, new friendships, and unforgettable memories as Summer 2026 continues.