Chef Lily, AKA, “The Kids Chef” is a cooking instructor and freelance chef with a culinary degree from Madison College and a background in Early Childhood Education. Her goal as an instructor is to expose children to the many benefits of cooking through hands-on experiences that develop skills to be used for life. Chef Lily has been bringing yummy joy to the Madison Public Library for many years. This fall, she will host a variety of cooking classes at Lakeview Library for different age groups:
Read a Book and Learn to Cook
At Meadowridge Library
Chef Lily will offer a 4-part cooking series at Meadowridge Library in October and November. In this series, preschoolers and their caregivers can Read a Book and Learn to Cook! We'll start each session by doing a short storytime, and then kids and families will learn to make a recipe that was featured in the book. These events will take place every other Wednesday morning between October 8 - November 19, 2025.
- October 8, 10:30-11:15am
- October 22, 10:30-11:15am
- November 5, 10:30-11:15am
- November 19, 10:30-11:15am
Siblings and childcare groups are welcome, and no registration is required.
Youth Cooking Clubs
At Hawthorne Library
Young people, ages 6-17 years old, are invited to cook with Chef Lily at Hawthorne Library! Participants will prepare and enjoy a wide variety of recipes, while learning about meal planning, following recipes, and using kitchen gadgets and tools.
- October 9, 5-6pm
- October 23, 5-6pm
- November 6, 5-6pm
- November 20, 5-6pm
- December 4, 5-6pm
- December 18, 5-6pm
Events take place roughly every other Thursday. No registration required.
At Lakeview Library
- October 7, 4:30-5:30pm
- October 14, 4:30-5:30pm
- November 4, 4:30-5:30pm
- November 18, 4:30-5:30pm
- December 2, 4:30-5:30pm
- December 16, 4:30-5:30pm
Registration is not required, but participation will be limited to the first 25 attendees.
Teen Cooking Clubs
At Lakeview Library
For teens and tweens, this is cooking club taking place the second Friday of each month, where participants prepare and enjoy a wide variety of recipes, while learning about meal planning, following recipes, and using kitchen gadgets and tools.
At Meadowridge Library
- November 4, 5:30-7pm
- November 19, 5:30-7pm
Registration is not required, but participation will be limited to the first 25 attendees.
An extra special thank you to Willy St. Co-op North for generously providing all the food used in cooking videos and for our cooking classes.
Good news! Chef Lily has created a series of online cooking videos so people can make her recipes at home. Kids and families will learn about different foods, where they come from, how to follow recipes and how to use a variety of tools over the course of the 12-video series. To watch and cook along with Chef Lily, visit madpl.org/cookwithlily.