Cookshop

The Teen Table is a relaxed, hands-on cooking experience for teens who want to feel more comfortable in the kitchen, learn to cook for themselves, and spend time with other teens who enjoy good food.

Whether they’re brand new to cooking or already have some experience, we’ll focus on building practical skills and confidence. Rather than following strict recipes, teens will learn how to think like a home cook—how to make decisions, work with what they have, adjust as they go, and turn simple ingredients into food they’re excited to eat.

We’ll also cover meal planning, kitchen organization, time management, using ingredients thoughtfully, making adjustments, and cleaning up. Most importantly, teens will gain the confidence to cook without needing a recipe to tell them exactly what to do.

Every class ends with everyone sitting down together to enjoy what we’ve made—because cooking is more fun when it’s shared, and learning how to feed yourself well is a pretty great skill to have.

The goal is simple: to help teens feel at home in the kitchen, make food they enjoy, and learn how to take care of themselves through cooking.

November Menu:

• Herb Roasted Chicken

• Seasonal Vegetable Sides

December Menu:

• Veggie Chili

• Cornbread

What to expect:

• Price is per person and includes the class, all ingredients, and dinner.

• Each class is hands-on and centered around preparing a meal together. We’ll cook, talk, experiment, ask questions, make mistakes, and figure things out along the way. There’s no pressure to already know what you’re doing or to be a “chef”— just a welcoming space to learn at your own pace.

• Some food allergies and intolerances can be accommodated, but please note that we may cook with eggs, dairy, nuts, poultry, beef, pork, and fish. If you’re unsure whether the class will be a good fit for your dietary needs, please inquire before registering.

• This series is for kids aged 13-18

About our Instructor:

Chef Leta Merrill is the founder and Pasta Maia, a seasoned culinary instructor, and also a mom of teens. She loves cooking with families and teaching young cooks in a fun, hands-on environment. Inspired by the Cucina Povera philosophy of simple, resourceful cooking made with love, Leta brings old-world Italian warmth and a love of gathering around the table to every class.

Join Leta Merrill chef and pasta maker extraordinaire, for an evening of mixing, rolling, shaping and eating delicious pasta! This class will focus on egg pasta, made with a dough containing eggs and 00 flour. We’ll be making dough from scratch, learn how to use a pasta roller to make delicate, thin sheets of pasta, and then learn a few shapes that students of all ages can make!

What to expect:

• Please note, this class is priced per person. Please purchase a spot for each person attending. Class is great for kids aged 4 and up.

• Class will include all instruction, tools, recipes and ingredients.

• Our dough will contain wheat flour and eggs. Please contact us before registering if you are unsure if this class will be a good match for your dietary needs.

• There will be some demo, and lots of time for hands-on pasta shaping.

• Each participant will leave with a box of the pasta they made during class.

• Note: we alternate teaching an egg pasta and hand formed (semola flour + water) dough each month. The August and October dates will be semola flour + water dough (shapes include orrecchiette, cavatelli, etc), while the September and November classes are egg dough (shapes include farfalle, garganelli, fettucini, etc).

About our instructor:

Leta Merrill is a chef, mother, teacher, and pastaia. She discovered her love of pasta as a child over Sunday suppers at her Sicilian great-grandmother’s home. She decided to follow her passion for food and cooking and enrolled at the Oregon Culinary Institute. Upon graduating, she took a job as pasta cook at Union Square Cafe in New York, one of the city’s most popular restaurants. There, she honed her skills, grew a thicker skin, and continued her passion for pasta. Leta now lives in Portland, and spends her time cooking, eating, traveling, teaching pasta workshops, and preparing pasta from her designer kitchen. You can follow her work, sign up for workshops, and order custom pasta via her website and follow her adventures in pasta on Instagram @pastamaia.

School’s out, come join us! Since we have so much fun partnering with Make Do Art Studio and Chef Fabi every summer, we decided to keep the party rolling! No School Day campers spend half of the day in the kitchen with Chef Fabi, and the other half of the day is spent making art with Make Do. We also have free play every day at nearby Piccolo Park. Camp is from 9 am- 3 pm and is for children in grades 1-7.

In the kitchen with Chef Fabi, we’ll be working on a cooking or baking project! Please note you will need to bring a lunch and any additional snacks your kiddo may need for the day. And a water bottle is always a good idea!

During art time, we explore the world of process art while gaining new skills and familiarity with a variety of mediums. We always read excellent books, play art games, work on collaborative pieces together, have downtime to sketch and peruse art books, and create a finished piece each day.

Our 2026-2027 No School Day camp dates are: 10/9, 10/30, 11/23, 1/18, 1/25, 2/15, and 4/9. You can sign up for just one day or all of them!

Please email us before registering if your child has any food allergies/intolerances.

Cancellation policy: Full refunds are granted up until 14 days prior to camp. No refunds will be considered after that date.

The Teen Table is a relaxed, hands-on cooking experience for teens who want to feel more comfortable in the kitchen, learn to cook for themselves, and spend time with other teens who enjoy good food.

Whether they’re brand new to cooking or already have some experience, we’ll focus on building practical skills and confidence. Rather than following strict recipes, teens will learn how to think like a home cook—how to make decisions, work with what they have, adjust as they go, and turn simple ingredients into food they’re excited to eat.

We’ll also cover meal planning, kitchen organization, time management, using ingredients thoughtfully, making adjustments, and cleaning up. Most importantly, teens will gain the confidence to cook without needing a recipe to tell them exactly what to do.

Every class ends with everyone sitting down together to enjoy what we’ve made—because cooking is more fun when it’s shared, and learning how to feed yourself well is a pretty great skill to have.

The goal is simple: to help teens feel at home in the kitchen, make food they enjoy, and learn how to take care of themselves through cooking.

November Menu:

• Herb Roasted Chicken

• Seasonal Vegetable Sides

December Menu:

• Veggie Chili

• Cornbread

What to expect:

• Price is per person and includes the class, all ingredients, and dinner.

• Each class is hands-on and centered around preparing a meal together. We’ll cook, talk, experiment, ask questions, make mistakes, and figure things out along the way. There’s no pressure to already know what you’re doing or to be a “chef”— just a welcoming space to learn at your own pace.

• Some food allergies and intolerances can be accommodated, but please note that we may cook with eggs, dairy, nuts, poultry, beef, pork, and fish. If you’re unsure whether the class will be a good fit for your dietary needs, please inquire before registering.

• This series is for kids aged 13-18

About our Instructor:

Chef Leta Merrill is the founder and Pasta Maia, a seasoned culinary instructor, and also a mom of teens. She loves cooking with families and teaching young cooks in a fun, hands-on environment. Inspired by the Cucina Povera philosophy of simple, resourceful cooking made with love, Leta brings old-world Italian warmth and a love of gathering around the table to every class.

Join Leta Merrill chef and pasta maker extraordinaire, for an evening of mixing, rolling, shaping and eating delicious pasta! This class will focus on hand formed shapes, made with a dough containing just Semola flour and water. We’ll be making dough from scratch, talk about different types of pasta doughs, cover info on sourcing the best ingredients, and get plenty of hands-on time to shape.

What to expect:

• Please note, this class is priced per person. Please purchase a spot for each person attending. Class is great for kids aged 4 and up.

• Class will include all instruction, tools, recipes and ingredients.

• Our dough will contain wheat flour.

• There will be some demo, and lots of time for hands-on pasta shaping.

• Each participant will leave with a box of the pasta they made during class.

• Note: we alternate teaching an egg pasta and hand formed (semola flour + water) dough each month. The August and October dates will be semola flour + water dough (shapes include orrecchiette, cavatelli, etc), while the September and November classes are egg dough (shapes include farfalle, garganelli, fettucini, etc).

About our instructor:

Leta Merrill is a chef, mother, teacher, and pastaia. She discovered her love of pasta as a child over Sunday suppers at her Sicilian great-grandmother’s home. She decided to follow her passion for food and cooking and enrolled at the Oregon Culinary Institute. Upon graduating, she took a job as pasta cook at Union Square Cafe in New York, one of the city’s most popular restaurants. There, she honed her skills, grew a thicker skin, and continued her passion for pasta. Leta now lives in Portland, and spends her time cooking, eating, traveling, teaching pasta workshops, and preparing pasta from her designer kitchen. You can follow her work, sign up for workshops, and order custom pasta via her website and follow her adventures in pasta on Instagram @pastamaia.

Join us for a baking workshop for kids AND adults! This time around we’ll be making bagels, and everyone can get in on the fun.

We’ll be making dough, cover how to shape bagels, plus boiling and baking. We’ll sample bagels, and each person will get to eat their creations or take some home. Please note, this class is priced per person. Please purchase a spot for each person attending.

What to expect:

• Class will include all instruction, tools, recipes and ingredients.

• Our dough will contain wheat flour.

• There will be some demo, and lots of time for hands-on work.

• This class is appropriate for kids aged 4 and up to attend with an adult, but any age is welcome (bring your aunt, your cousin, or your neighbor who is like family!).

• Please note, this class is priced per person. Please purchase a spot for each person attending.

About our instructor:

Meredith has called Portland home for the past 19 years, where she has been the pastry chef at Carafe Bistro, and Baking and Pastry Instructor at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Portland. Prior to moving to Portland, she worked her way across the US; from No. 9 Park and Flour Bakery in Boston; to The Home Ranch in Colorado; and Daniel Boulud Brasserie in Las Vegas. Meredith holds a BA in International Political Economy from The Colorado College, and a Patisserie Diploma from Le Cordon Bleu, London.

School’s out, come join us! Since we have so much fun partnering with Make Do Art Studio and Chef Fabi every summer, we decided to keep the party rolling! No School Day campers spend half of the day in the kitchen with Chef Fabi, and the other half of the day is spent making art with Make Do. We also have free play every day at nearby Piccolo Park. Camp is from 9 am- 3 pm and is for children in grades 1-7.

In the kitchen with Chef Fabi, we’ll be working on a cooking or baking project! Please note you will need to bring a lunch and any additional snacks your kiddo may need for the day. And a water bottle is always a good idea!

During art time, we explore the world of process art while gaining new skills and familiarity with a variety of mediums. We always read excellent books, play art games, work on collaborative pieces together, have downtime to sketch and peruse art books, and create a finished piece each day.

Our 2026-2027 No School Day camp dates are: 10/9, 10/30, 11/23, 1/18, 1/25, 2/15, and 4/9. You can sign up for just one day or all of them!

Please email us before registering if your child has any food allergies/intolerances.

Cancellation policy: Full refunds are granted up until 14 days prior to camp. No refunds will be considered after that date.

School’s out, come join us! Since we have so much fun partnering with Make Do Art Studio and Chef Fabi every summer, we decided to keep the party rolling! No School Day campers spend half of the day in the kitchen with Chef Fabi, and the other half of the day is spent making art with Make Do. We also have free play every day at nearby Piccolo Park. Camp is from 9 am- 3 pm and is for children in grades 1-7.

In the kitchen with Chef Fabi, we’ll be working on a cooking or baking project! Please note you will need to bring a lunch and any additional snacks your kiddo may need for the day. And a water bottle is always a good idea!

During art time, we explore the world of process art while gaining new skills and familiarity with a variety of mediums. We always read excellent books, play art games, work on collaborative pieces together, have downtime to sketch and peruse art books, and create a finished piece each day.

Our 2026-2027 No School Day camp dates are: 10/9, 10/30, 11/23, 1/18, 1/25, 2/15, and 4/9. You can sign up for just one day or all of them!

Please email us before registering if your child has any food allergies/intolerances.

Cancellation policy: Full refunds are granted up until 14 days prior to camp. No refunds will be considered after that date.

School’s out, come join us! Since we have so much fun partnering with Make Do Art Studio and Chef Fabi every summer, we decided to keep the party rolling! No School Day campers spend half of the day in the kitchen with Chef Fabi, and the other half of the day is spent making art with Make Do. We also have free play every day at nearby Piccolo Park. Camp is from 9 am- 3 pm and is for children in grades 1-7.

In the kitchen with Chef Fabi, we’ll be working on a cooking or baking project! Please note you will need to bring a lunch and any additional snacks your kiddo may need for the day. And a water bottle is always a good idea!

During art time, we explore the world of process art while gaining new skills and familiarity with a variety of mediums. We always read excellent books, play art games, work on collaborative pieces together, have downtime to sketch and peruse art books, and create a finished piece each day.

Our 2026-2027 No School Day camp dates are: 10/9, 10/30, 11/23, 1/18, 1/25, 2/15, and 4/9. You can sign up for just one day or all of them!

Please email us before registering if your child has any food allergies/intolerances.

Cancellation policy: Full refunds are granted up until 14 days prior to camp. No refunds will be considered after that date.

School’s out, come join us! Since we have so much fun partnering with Make Do Art Studio and Chef Fabi every summer, we decided to keep the party rolling! No School Day campers spend half of the day in the kitchen with Chef Fabi, and the other half of the day is spent making art with Make Do. We also have free play every day at nearby Piccolo Park. Camp is from 9 am- 3 pm and is for children in grades 1-7.

In the kitchen with Chef Fabi, we’ll be working on a cooking or baking project! Please note you will need to bring a lunch and any additional snacks your kiddo may need for the day. And a water bottle is always a good idea!

During art time, we explore the world of process art while gaining new skills and familiarity with a variety of mediums. We always read excellent books, play art games, work on collaborative pieces together, have downtime to sketch and peruse art books, and create a finished piece each day.

Our 2026-2027 No School Day camp dates are: 10/9, 10/30, 11/23, 1/18, 1/25, 2/15, and 4/9. You can sign up for just one day or all of them!

Please email us before registering if your child has any food allergies/intolerances.

Cancellation policy: Full refunds are granted up until 14 days prior to camp. No refunds will be considered after that date.