The Silver Lake Kitchen Cooking Academy

The Silver Lake Kitchen Cooking Academy offers after school classes, summer camp, Monday Drop In Cooking, A Night In The Kitchen, Adult Classes, Private Lessons, and The Vita Gang Mysteries classes. The Vita Gang Mysteries classes are based on Chef Mary’s children’s book series and are part of the regular class offerings.

• Ages: 4–14 years old
• Schedule: The Vita Gang Mysteries classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays for children ages 8–14, with general program hours on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Founded in 2005, The Silver Lake Kitchen has been providing aspiring chefs with skills and knowledge in cooking and baking. Chef Mary, founder and chef at The Silver Lake Kitchen, is a certified chef and nutritionist with over 20 years of cooking experience. The after school classes focus on essential cooking and baking skills and hands-on techniques that kids can carry with them for life, with an emphasis on building confidence in the kitchen. The program approaches cooking as a blend of art and science, with a focus on creativity, discovery, and hands-on learning, and there is no pressure for kids to eat anything, with attention placed on process and exploration in a relaxed, supportive environment.

Chef Mary launched the school in fall 2022 with support from the Silver Lake, Los Feliz, and Atwater community, and launched the summer camp in summer 2021 and after school classes in fall 2022 with support from the Silver Lake, Los Feliz, and Echo Park community. In the winter of 2024, Chef Mary published her first children’s book, The Vita Gang Mysteries, Who Stole Vita D?, a culinary mystery adventure book to help educate children about the importance of healthy eating. A parent testimonial from D. Sweetland describes Silver Lake Kitchen as having a wonderfully patient and inclusive staff and notes that the last few years at King’s Roost have been formative for their neurodivergent teen.

Last updated July 4, 2026.