Passport to the World Club launches holiday cooking program for families

The Passport to the World Club, a local Western New York cooking program for children, announced the “Holidays Around the World” virtual cooking camp, taking place throughout December.

“Holidays Around the World” offers children and their families the opportunity to learn about how different cultures celebrate the holidays through cooking and baking traditional dishes from Italy, Ireland, Syria, Denmark and the U.S. Through these virtual classes, families can learn how to bake traditional Italian cookies, create a gingerbread wonderland, build an Irish truffle, explore the flavors of Damascus and bake various Danish holiday treats.

These classes will be taught by international chefs as well as local chefs Jill Gedra and Patti Green. Families can choose to participate in one of the classes or purchase access to all of them. 

A press release said, “COVID-19 has changed the way families around the world are celebrating the holiday season. This program presents a new way for families to come together while staying safe inside their own homes. While we may not be able to travel abroad or even to each other's homes, we can still celebrate the magic of the season.”

Green said, “In light of everything going on in the world, the Passport to the World Club virtual cooking program was created to teach children lifestyle skills, the importance of nutrition and cooking basics. The program allows children to travel the world through their taste buds as they discover other cultures, flavors, and foods!”

Families can learn more and sign up for “Holidays Around the World” at https://www.passporttotheworldclub.com/holidaysaroundtheworld.

Green created the Passport to the World Club in the spring when schools had to close in-person education. A member of the Police Athletic League board, she learned of the need for nutrition education. Green got to work repurposing her educational materials and recipes and created a six-week virtual cooking program for the Police Athletic League of Buffalo and “Say Yes!” for its summer programming. Due to the success of the program, it continued into the fall and winter.

Recognizing the need to promote health, wellness and lifestyle balance, Green designed this multifaceted program to educate families in at-risk communities on ways to live healthier lives; gain an appreciation of local fresh seasonal produce; learn lifestyle skills; reinforce the importance of self-care, health, nutrition and wellness; and embrace other cultures, people and places. Each week, participants learn about a different culture through cooking videos, a passport, a cultural newsletter and live cooking lessons via Zoom. Weekly produce and grocery boxes highlight fresh seasonal ingredients. Participants receive recipes, cultural newsletters, a passport and a journal. To date, the program has 150 kids.