Padron Elementary Class Claudia Pena

The Happy Kitchen/ La Cocina Alegre®

Happy Kitchen

We offer free cooking and nutrition classes featuring delicious, healthy recipes from our cookbook, Fresh, Seasonal Recipes.

Why We Offer Free Cooking Classes

Diet-related disease, such as heart-disease, diabetes, and cancer, disproportionately affects communities where systemic barriers to healthy food exists. Through The Happy Kitchen, we promote an understanding of dietary needs and cooking skills so participants can create affordable, nutritious meals. With an emphasis on seasonal produce, affordability, and culturally relevant foods, our curriculum expands access to healthy, local food and aims to help Central Texas residents improve their health.

Our Services: Free 6-Week Community Cooking Class Series

We offer our class series in specific communities in the Austin-area that experience high rates of food insecurity and diet-related disease. Taught by trained peer-facilitators using our nationally recognized curriculum, these classes provide:

Cooking class facilitators prepping veggies

Weekly Recipe Demonstrations

We focus on a balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Each week, one recipe is demonstrated for the class.

FMNP WIC Boxes

Take-home Groceries

We provide groceries to participants so they can practice the weekly recipe at home.

Recipe Pages

Language Accessibility

Each Spring and Fall, we offer our series in multiple locations, with both English and Spanish sessions.

Women holding fruit and plants

Peer Connection

Using a peer to peer education model, class facilitators teach our curriculum and recipes, and share stories of how healthy eating works for them.

4th Edition Cookbook Cover

Free Cookbook

Upon series completion, each participant receives a free copy of our cookbook, Fresh, Seasonal, Recipes, featuring dishes they’ve learned in class, and more!

Want to learn more? Contact us:

To reserve space for the people in the communities where classes are held, we do not post class listings on our website. To find out more, please email us.

The Happy Kitchen/ La Cocina Alegre® is sponsored by:

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