Program Info
Recipes & Cookbook
Every camper leaves with a hand-assembled cookbook of every recipe they cooked that week — a keepsake they'll cook from for years.
The Summer Culinary Cookbook
Cook It Again at Home
One of the most beloved parts of Summer Culinary is the cookbook campers take home. Every recipe cooked during the week — from the morning knife-skills session to the final evening dinner — is compiled into a personal recipe booklet, formatted and printed for each camper.
These aren't simplified "kid versions" of dishes. They're the real recipes, written the way professional chefs write them — with technique notes, plating tips, and ingredient sourcing guidance. Campers have been cooking from their Summer Culinary cookbooks for years after camp ends.
The cookbook is also a record of the week — a tangible reminder of everything your teen accomplished in the kitchen.
What's Inside
Recipe Categories
The cookbook covers every category cooked during the week — from foundational stocks to city-specific signature dishes.
Proteins & Mains
Pan-seared duck breast, herb-crusted rack of lamb, whole roasted fish, braised short ribs, and more. Campers learn proper searing, resting, and carving techniques.
- Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Cherry Gastrique
- Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb
- Whole Roasted Branzino with Salsa Verde
- Braised Short Ribs with Gremolata
Vegetables & Sides
Seasonal produce cooked with intention — roasted, pickled, puréed, and raw. Campers learn that vegetables deserve as much attention as any protein.
- Roasted Beet Salad with Whipped Goat Cheese
- Charred Broccolini with Anchovy Butter
- Celery Root Purée
- Quick-Pickled Cucumber & Radish
Sauces & Stocks
The backbone of professional cooking. Campers make classic mother sauces, pan sauces, vinaigrettes, and reductions from scratch — skills that elevate every dish.
- Classic Beurre Blanc
- Red Wine Pan Sauce
- Roasted Chicken Stock
- Romesco Sauce
Baking & Pastry
From laminated croissant dough to silky panna cotta, the pastry kitchen demands precision. Campers explore both the science and the artistry of baking.
- Croissants from Scratch
- Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta
- Tarte Tatin
- Chocolate Soufflé
Soups & Starters
First impressions matter. Campers learn to build layered, complex flavors in soups, amuse-bouches, and composed appetizers that set the tone for a meal.
- French Onion Soup Gratinée
- Chilled Gazpacho
- Tuna Tartare with Avocado
- Mushroom Velouté
City-Specific Recipes
Each campus adds location-inspired dishes to the cookbook — Pacific Northwest seafood in Seattle, Asian fusion in San Francisco, global street food in DC, and iconic NYC classics.
- Seattle: Dungeness Crab Cakes
- SF: Miso-Glazed Black Cod
- DC: Spiced Lamb Flatbread
- NYC: Classic Eggs Benedict
What Makes It Special
More Than a Recipe Book
Professional Format
Recipes are written in the same format used in professional kitchens — ingredient weights, mise en place lists, step-by-step method, and chef's notes.
Technique Notes
Each recipe includes technique callouts explaining the why behind each step — so campers understand the cooking, not just the instructions.
Sourcing Tips
Guidance on where to find specialty ingredients at home, plus substitutions for hard-to-find items so every recipe is cookable anywhere.
Plating Diagrams
Selected recipes include plating sketches and photos showing how the dish was presented at camp — so campers can recreate the full restaurant experience.
"My daughter still cooks from her Summer Culinary cookbook every week. It's the most used book in our kitchen."
— Parent of a 2024 NYC Camper
Cook It. Keep It. Cook It Again.
Enroll in Summer Culinary 2026 and your teen leaves with skills — and a cookbook — for life.